Microdosing injectable testosterone for primary hypogonadism

[Banderas]

I’ve read the Natesto thread and how it’s possible to preserve endogenous testosterone while supplementing with exogenous. Natesto do this by giving peak levels three times a day, and in between those exogenous peaks testosterone return to endogenous baseline and the HPTA can get to work again. This work for both primary and secondary hypogonadism.

If you inject esterified testosterone it’s different. You’ll get a steady elevation in your T levels, and if your body recognize too much testosterone in the system it will suppress your endogenous production 24/7. So for secondary hypogonadism, microdosing like this will just suppress you endogenous levels further and you’ll still end up hypogonadal.

For primary it might be different. Since with primary you haven’t reached your bodys natural saturation. It make sense that you could microdose esterified testosterone to reach the natural saturation without suppressing endogenous testosterone.

So my question is, have anyone with primary hypogonadism experimented with this?

 

[sammmy]

If you want fast rising concentration, you can just drop esterified T in nose like natesto. Once in bloodstream, the ester is cleaved off very fast to pure T.

Injectable T gives a slow rise because it forms a depot that releases it slowly.

 

[Systemlord]

For primary it might be different. Since with primary you haven’t reached your bodys natural saturation. It make sense that you could microdose esterified testosterone to reach the natural saturation without suppressing endogenous testosterone.

So my question is, have anyone with primary hypogonadism experimented with this?

There really isn't a difference, your HPTA will be suppressed just the same as anyone else. The reason why Natesto doesn't suppress the same as other formulations of TRT is because things happen very fast, not giving the body time to realize the short rapid rise and decline of T.

The longer esters are released more gradually over time, the body has time to adapt and recognize the exogenous T.

 

[Cataceous]

...
So my question is, have anyone with primary hypogonadism experimented with this?

Yes, there were at least a couple guys over at PeakTestosterone with primary hypogonadism who posted about tuning their TRT doses to achieve normal LH. This was probably with testosterone cypionate, which is virtually equivalent to enanthate.

 

[Banderas]

There really isn't a difference, your HPTA will be suppressed just the same as anyone else. The reason why Natesto doesn't suppress the same as other formulations of TRT is because things happen very fast, not giving the body time to realize the short rapid rise and decline of T.

The longer esters are released more gradually over time, the body has time to adapt and recognize the exogenous T.

If the HPTA only produce LH after it detects testosterone levels that’s way below the saturation point, supplementing with steady levels of exogenous T will shut you down. But if the HPTA produce LH based on testosterone levels that’s just below the saturation point, then it make sense that you can supplement with steady levels of exogenous testosterone until you reach your saturation point, without shutting down your endogenous T.

Looking at my own bloodwork pre-TRT it look like this:
TT 27 (Ref. 12-31) nmol/L
SHBG 57 (Ref. 15-50) nmol/L
FT 12 (Ref. 10-20) ng/dl
LH 16 (Ref. 1,7-8,6) IE/L
FSH 12 (Ref. 1,5-10) IE/L

My numbers are typical for so called ”compensated primary hypogonadism”. My saturation point for free T is higher than 12ng/dl, making my HPTA produce LH in excess. Since I have excess LH even at 12 ng/dl, that indicate that my theory of HPTA/LH activation right below the saturation point is correct.

2 month after 250mg of cypionate EW my LH was at 0,2 so not totally suppressed. After 5 months it was at 0,1 so it seem it gradually suppress. I don’t have my FSH after 2 month but after 5 it was at 0,3.

So, 250mg Test C/EW didn’t totally shut me down. I wounder what my LH and FSH would be at when supplementing 10-25mg Test C/EW. Maybe it’s possible to replace TRT with TST (Testosterone Supplementation Therapy).

 

[Banderas]

Yes, there were at least a couple guys over at PeakTestosterone with primary hypogonadism who posted about tuning their TRT doses to achieve normal LH. This was probably with testosterone cypionate, which is virtually equivalent to enanthate.

Too bad the forum is down. Do you remember the outcome?

 

[Cataceous]

Too bad the forum is down. Do you remember the outcome?

It was successful, in that the protocols were continued long-term with good results. I encourage guys with primary to go this route, as opposed to using more typical—i.e. overdosed—injection protocols that suppress the HPTA even in these men.

What is this free T "saturation point" you're referring to? Do you mean the natural target of the hypothalamus and pituitary? Your numbers do point towards testicular insufficiency.