New on Forum, needing help

[GomaFini]

Hi guys, it's my first time here. My name is Lucas, M/34yo. Glad to be part of the forum.

Started TRT at 31yo because of low testosterone. Have a prescription for Deposteron (pharma cypionate). Dose is 100mg to 180mg, splt in two injections per week. For around four years everything was good but now I am suffering with anxiety, insomnia and ED. Labs don't show anything out of normal besides low SHBG (I am reading here and on Reddit that it can shoot up my free Testosterone and Estrogen, giving me those side effects). So I am trying daily protocol with 20mg EOD and still feeling bad already after injecting. I can feel my anxiety going up and my penis stop working (the worst part). Can anyone help me on what is happening and what more should I do?

Curious experience: some days I become so damn frustated and stop injecting for a week or more and then my anxiety stops and my libido comes back. And again when I inject, in the same day, I already loose it all.

 

[Systemlord]

Welcome @GomaFini.

I had the same problem as you, everything was great in the beginning. Then after the first 6 months I would feel really bad right after injecting and it turned out to be iron deficiency without anemia.

TRT can cause you to burn through your iron stores faster due to the creation of more red blood cells increased by testosterone.

I recommend ferritin testing at a minimum.

TRT will suppress SHBG in most men, so it’s highly likely your SHBG was lowered very early in treatment.

Could it really be that simple, an iron deficiency the cause of all my problems...?

As many of you know I have had a lot of strange symptoms since I started TRT, from red burning itchy dry skin, rashes or hives on legs, decades long chronic cough with inflammation in the upper respiratory tract. It seems the higher I push my TRT dosage, the symptoms keep piling on, diarrhea...

www.excelmale.com

 

[GomaFini]

Hello @Systemlord , thanks for the info. No iron deficiency and my hematocrit are 47. I don't have fatigue, I am very agitated person also. I have some anxiety but for me the worst problem is low libido now. I think my problem is with low SHBG. Is there a way to raise or fix my protocol? Currently I am on 20mg EOD and still low libido. Should I try going higher, like 200mg per week or even lower?

 

[Systemlord]

I think my problem is with low SHBG.

I seriously doubt it, you were fine for 4 years and all of a sudden symptoms came out of nowhere.

Your SHBG was affected shortly after starting TRT. You’re chasing your tail on this SHBG being your problem.

You can have normal hematocrit and hemoglobin and iron deficiency without anemia. It won’t hurt to check ferritin, maybe it hasn’t progressed to the point of causing fatigue.

You could have a mineral or vitamin deficiency causing these symptoms.

Try small daily doses, 7-10 mg.

Posting labs would be helpful.

 

[GomaFini]

Ok, I will test my iron again this week! You think I should start suplementing iron and keep my testosterone protocol and wait?

 

[Systemlord]

You think I should start suplementing iron and keep my testosterone protocol and wait?

No, don’t supplement iron unless you have suppressed ferritin (<70) and low iron saturation.

Testing iron directly isn’t useful, it’s known to be inaccurate and can change after eating.