Lymes Roller Coaster

[Spoony Luv]

Hey Yall…. Looking for some words of wisdom…. not medical advice (disclaimer).... let me know your thoughts.
Doc started me on .35 MLs of testosterone cypionate (200 MG/ML) twice weekly and a half of a MG of Anastrozole to help with Lyme's disease. I tried it for a week and felt pretty terrible. I asked him if I could cut out the estrogen blocker if I dose .01 everyday, which is what Im understanding to be the trend of the TRT industry. It made sense to me and him at the time to try.
I felt pretty good for a few weeks, then I started getting very angry a lot, digestion slowed, sleep worsened, acne on my forehead and back, sex drive dropped off and always felt cold. I felt my adrenals were activated perhaps by two high of levels.
My pre-TRT levels were;
Total Testosterone – 781 (Range 264-916)
Free Testosterone – 6.2 Low (Range 8.7-25.1)
Estrone- 70 High (range 15-65)
Estradiol- 7.5 Low (range 7.6-42.6)
Most recent labs post TRT;
Total Testosterone – 1390 High (Range 264-916)
Free Testosterone – 21.4 High (Range 8.7-25.1)
Estrone- 112 High (range 15-65)
Estradiol- 53 High (range 7.6-42.6)
So obviously my levels are all high and I felt that would be the case so as soon as I got my blood drawn for the labs, I stopped the injections for 6 days and started feeling better, so I backed my dose down to .05 Mls per day and after my first does, all the issues described above came back immediately so its been about 5 days since ive injected. My doc suggested I go back on the estrogen blocker and dosing twice a week. Im not opposed to this but I would love the communities input.
Im not sure I want to jump back into injections again due to my reaction but maybe someone has had a similar experience?

 

[Cataceous]

This is the direct, immunoassay-based free testosterone test. It is so inaccurate that it should not be used at all, let alone for such an important decision as starting TRT with above-average natural total testosterone. It's essential to test SHBG. In addition, it's highly advised to test free testosterone with a better assay based on equilibrium dialysis or ultrafiltration. These tests should be run when you've returned to your natural state, which may take some months at this point if your HPTA has been fully suppressed.

As well-intentioned as the treatment may have been, even if you are hypogonadal the execution is poor and there are safer options you could start with—e.g. testosterone nasal gel. If it were me I would stop the treatment long enough to get some accurate test results in my natural state. Then I'd share them here to get feedback to discuss with my doctor.

 

[Spoony Luv]

Thank you that makes more sense than anything Ive heard yet. I had the SHBG tested by a previous doc and it came in at 70.5, he wanted to try natural treatments, Im considering going back to him but I did have a point where I felt amazing for like a week on TRT which has been several years since I had that. Thank you again for your response, very helpful! Do you have a doctor that you recommend?

 

[Cataceous]

If your SHBG was still about 70 nMol/L at the time of your pre-TRT lab work then the common free testosterone calculators put your level into the healthy normal ranges, though they disagree by how much. It would still be worthwhile to see where an accurate test puts you.

Chances are that the week you felt amazing was the honeymoon period often experienced by guys starting TRT. The surging androgens can increase dopamine and the combination may lead to increased libido and sexual function, along with euphoria. Unfortunately the effect is temporary; the body adapts to the new hormonal situation. Some men spend their entire time on TRT in a fruitless pursuit of recreating and sustaining the effect.

Something else of note is the extremely low estradiol in your pre-TRT labs. If accurate then as a fraction of testosterone this is about the lowest I've seen in someone not on an AI. It's suspicious that this fraction normalized on TRT, so this is something else to retest if you cease TRT for a period.

Dr. Saya of Defy Medical is one of the better doctors out there for dealing with hormones. Even with Defy it's good to go in well-educated and with some thoughts about what you're wanting to accomplish. I think that if your testosterone is at worst borderline then you should avoid conventional TRT. I mentioned testosterone nasal gel as a safer option. This can be used if you want to experience higher testosterone without the risks associated with completely disabling your own production.

 

[Systemlord]

I asked him if I could cut out the estrogen blocker if I dose .01 everyday, which is what Im understanding to be the trend of the TRT industry.

It's not a trend, it's necessary for some people. There is no one-size-fits-all to TRT as some don't even feel good on daily injections.

My doc suggested I go back on the estrogen blocker and dosing twice a week.

Your doctor is not a good choice to be managing your TRT, the anastrozole is a knee jerk reaction for a physician that doesn’t know how to direct treatment.

Adjust your dosage up or sown until T and E2 are at a range where you feel good. If you are unable to do so, then an AI is warranted, but a low dosage .125 to start.

Too much T can be just as bad as too little.

 

[Spoony Luv]

If your SHBG was still about 70 nMol/L at the time of your pre-TRT lab work then the common free testosterone calculators put your level into the healthy normal ranges, though they disagree by how much. It would still be worthwhile to see where an accurate test puts you.

Chances are that the week you felt amazing was the honeymoon period often experienced by guys starting TRT. The surging androgens can increase dopamine and the combination may lead to increased libido and sexual function, along with euphoria. Unfortunately the effect is temporary; the body adapts to the new hormonal situation. Some men spend their entire time on TRT in a fruitless pursuit of recreating and sustaining the effect.

Something else of note is the extremely low estradiol in your pre-TRT labs. If accurate then as a fraction of testosterone this is about the lowest I've seen in someone not on an AI. It's suspicious that this fraction normalized on TRT, so this is something else to retest if you cease TRT for a period.

Dr. Saya of Defy Medical is one of the better doctors out there for dealing with hormones. Even with Defy it's good to go in well-educated and with some thoughts about what you're wanting to accomplish. I think that if your testosterone is at worst borderline then you should avoid conventional TRT. I mentioned testosterone nasal gel as a safer option. This can be used if you want to experience higher testosterone without the risks associated with completely disabling your own production.

... I really appreciate this. I feel like this is a very complete answer that I would have a hard time finding anywhere else. Thank you very much!!!

 

[Spoony Luv]

If your SHBG was still about 70 nMol/L at the time of your pre-TRT lab work then the common free testosterone calculators put your level into the healthy normal ranges, though they disagree by how much. It would still be worthwhile to see where an accurate test puts you.

Chances are that the week you felt amazing was the honeymoon period often experienced by guys starting TRT. The surging androgens can increase dopamine and the combination may lead to increased libido and sexual function, along with euphoria. Unfortunately the effect is temporary; the body adapts to the new hormonal situation. Some men spend their entire time on TRT in a fruitless pursuit of recreating and sustaining the effect.

Something else of note is the extremely low estradiol in your pre-TRT labs. If accurate then as a fraction of testosterone this is about the lowest I've seen in someone not on an AI. It's suspicious that this fraction normalized on TRT, so this is something else to retest if you cease TRT for a period.

Dr. Saya of Defy Medical is one of the better doctors out there for dealing with hormones. Even with Defy it's good to go in well-educated and with some thoughts about what you're wanting to accomplish. I think that if your testosterone is at worst borderline then you should avoid conventional TRT. I mentioned testosterone nasal gel as a safer option. This can be used if you want to experience higher testosterone without the risks associated with completely disabling your own production.

If your SHBG was still about 70 nMol/L at the time of your pre-TRT lab work then the common free testosterone calculators put your level into the healthy normal ranges, though they disagree by how much. It would still be worthwhile to see where an accurate test puts you.

Chances are that the week you felt amazing was the honeymoon period often experienced by guys starting TRT. The surging androgens can increase dopamine and the combination may lead to increased libido and sexual function, along with euphoria. Unfortunately the effect is temporary; the body adapts to the new hormonal situation. Some men spend their entire time on TRT in a fruitless pursuit of recreating and sustaining the effect.

Something else of note is the extremely low estradiol in your pre-TRT labs. If accurate then as a fraction of testosterone this is about the lowest I've seen in someone not on an AI. It's suspicious that this fraction normalized on TRT, so this is something else to retest if you cease TRT for a period.

Dr. Saya of Defy Medical is one of the better doctors out there for dealing with hormones. Even with Defy it's good to go in well-educated and with some thoughts about what you're wanting to accomplish. I think that if your testosterone is at worst borderline then you should avoid conventional TRT. I mentioned testosterone nasal gel as a safer option. This can be used if you want to experience higher testosterone without the risks associated with completely disabling your own production.

Hey Cataceous, I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Saya, they said if I proceed with treatment, they will give you discounts for referring me. I gave them your avatar name.

 

[Spoony Luv]

It's not a trend, it's necessary for some people. There is no one-size-fits-all to TRT as some don't even feel good on daily injections.



Your doctor is not a good choice to be managing your TRT, the anastrozole is a knee jerk reaction for a physician that doesn’t know how to direct treatment.

Adjust your dosage up or sown until T and E2 are at a range where you feel good. If you are unable to do so, then an AI is warranted, but a low dosage .125 to start.

Too much T can be just as bad as too little.

Thank you for your input, I agree that this Doc is not the one that should be working with me.

 

[Cataceous]

Hey Cataceous, I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Saya, they said if I proceed with treatment, they will give you discounts for referring me. I gave them your avatar name.

Thanks for that, though it obligates me to emphasize that I recommend Defy because Dr. Saya is a very knowledgeable clinician and the customer service is excellent—and not in the hope of receiving discounts. My affiliation is only as a patient, and I have to-date received no compensation for recommending them. I don't hesitate to criticize when there are problems. One recent and relevant example is that another forum member said he was planning to consult with Defy and I suggested he inquire about using testosterone nasal gel, at least initially. Unfortunately, the PA he spoke with lacked knowledge about this product and dissuaded him from trying it. Presumably you will not have this problem if you consult with Dr. Saya himself. He would better understand concerns about HPTA shutdown, and the desire to start with something other than conventional TRT.