Sleep question

[Chris9150]

I started TRT (.4ml or 80MG per week) on 09/07/2022 and approximately 10 days after starting TRT my sleep was amazing for a few days (back to normal) and then dropped off after a few days. Prior to TRT my sleep was fragmented and I had been waking up like every hour. I had a long stint before starting were I felt like I wasn't sleeping at all (I was getting in a few hours here and there). In my past, I have never had an issue falling asleep or staying asleep. I was the 30-seconds-to-fall-asleep guy and would stay asleep all night long. I had a few stressful events which I think caused my sleep disruption. My Nurse practitioner put my on cortisol manager which helped me sleep better but not back to the old me (this was all pre TRT- I was still trying to decide if I should go the TRT route). After going on TRT like I said 10 days in my sleep returned to old me, sex drive was up and energy up. After that sleep went back to being fragmented also sex drive dropped back again. My NP upped my dose at the 4 or 5 week mark to .5ml or 100MG per week. I noticed that after exactly 10 days my good sleep returned along with my sex drive again but again went away after a few days.

My question is this, I have labs coming up on wednesday 11/23/2022 that will be taken right before my next injection. My NP wants to find out what my levels are right before I get my shot. Has anyone else experienced this type of result? been on my new dose, it will be 6 weeks completed when my labs are done.

I can't tell if this sleep issue is all in my head or related to TRT? I wake up throughout the night with slight anxiety that I seem to make worse in my head.

Thanks for anyone who can help me on this jorney. Its been kinda up and down for me and mostly related to sleep.

P.S. could my dose be to small.....I know I will figure that out in a few days.

Thanks

 

[sammmy]

You are stating sleep issues and stressful events before TRT. The temporary improvement of those when you change TRT dose is known as the "honeymoon effect" but it doesn't last, hence the name. Higher doses of TRT are known to increase anxiety and sleep issues so you may need to actually decrease the dose below 100mg per week and split it into several injections.

For sleep maintenance, try slow release melatonin 300 micrograms by LifeExtension. If it doesn't put you to sleep fast enough, you can combine it with 300 micrograms fast release by the same company. The fast release will make you sleepy, the slow release will keep you asleep longer.

 

[Chris9150]

You are stating sleep issues and stressful events before TRT. The temporary improvement of those when you change TRT dose is known as the "honeymoon effect" but it doesn't last, hence the name. Higher doses of TRT are known to increase anxiety and sleep issues so you may need to actually decrease the dose below 100mg per week and split it into several injections.

For sleep maintenance, try slow release melatonin 300 micrograms by LifeExtension. If it doesn't put you to sleep fast enough, you can combine it with 300 micrograms fast release by the same company. The fast release will make you sleepy, the slow release will keep you asleep longer.

Thanks.

I will know more soon as far as my dose goes soon. Based on my levels. My blood labs are getting taken this Wednesday. I was prescribed TRT by my Nurse Practitioner. She is running my labs and this should help me sort some of my issues.

 

[Chris9150]

You are stating sleep issues and stressful events before TRT. The temporary improvement of those when you change TRT dose is known as the "honeymoon effect" but it doesn't last, hence the name. Higher doses of TRT are known to increase anxiety and sleep issues so you may need to actually decrease the dose below 100mg per week and split it into several injections.

For sleep maintenance, try slow release melatonin 300 micrograms by LifeExtension. If it doesn't put you to sleep fast enough, you can combine it with 300 micrograms fast release by the same company. The fast release will make you sleepy, the slow release will keep you asleep longer.

I have also talked to many men who have stated it fixed their sleep issues. So you lost does kinda confuse me.

 

[sammmy]

TRT is not prescribed for sleep or anxiety issues, and this forum is full of threads where people stop TRT due to side effects, including anxiety and insomnia, and even it causing lack of libido.

These side effects tend to happen to people that are not really hypogonadal, but try TRT to "boost themselves" to a state of higher masculinity, libido, "agression", muscle building.

 

[Chris9150]

TRT is not prescribed for sleep or anxiety issues, and this forum is full of threads where people stop TRT due to side effects, including anxiety and insomnia, and even it causing lack of libido.

These side effects tend to happen to people that are not really hypogonadal, but try TRT to "boost themselves" to a state of higher masculinity, libido, "agression", muscle building.

My nurse practitioner prescribed me TRT because of my levels and symptoms. Because my levels were so low. It was because a combination of issues I was having. Yes sleep, anxiety, feeling tired , low libido were all issues. But also my testosterone numbers were not good. My nurse practitioner prescribed it to me but also my primary care doctor was sending me to an endocrinologist for the same issues.

 

[sammmy]

Have they checked your thyroid?

 

[Chris9150]

Have they checked your thyroid?

yes thyroid checked fine

 

[madman]

I started TRT (.4ml or 80MG per week) on 09/07/2022 and approximately 10 days after starting TRT my sleep was amazing for a few days (back to normal) and then dropped off after a few days. Prior to TRT my sleep was fragmented and I had been waking up like every hour. I had a long stint before starting were I felt like I wasn't sleeping at all (I was getting in a few hours here and there). In my past, I have never had an issue falling asleep or staying asleep. I was the 30-seconds-to-fall-asleep guy and would stay asleep all night long. I had a few stressful events which I think caused my sleep disruption. My Nurse practitioner put my on cortisol manager which helped me sleep better but not back to the old me (this was all pre TRT- I was still trying to decide if I should go the TRT route). After going on TRT like I said 10 days in my sleep returned to old me, sex drive was up and energy up. After that sleep went back to being fragmented also sex drive dropped back again. My NP upped my dose at the 4 or 5 week mark to .5ml or 100MG per week. I noticed that after exactly 10 days my good sleep returned along with my sex drive again but again went away after a few days.

My question is this, I have labs coming up on wednesday 11/23/2022 that will be taken right before my next injection. My NP wants to find out what my levels are right before I get my shot. Has anyone else experienced this type of result? been on my new dose, it will be 6 weeks completed when my labs are done.

I can't tell if this sleep issue is all in my head or related to TRT? I wake up throughout the night with slight anxiety that I seem to make worse in my head.

Thanks for anyone who can help me on this jorney. Its been kinda up and down for me and mostly related to sleep.

P.S. could my dose be to small.....I know I will figure that out in a few days.

Thanks

Lab work is critical!

Not a dealbreaker going from 80--->100 mg T but still a bum move on your NP's part!

Most are started on 100 mg T/week.

The unlucky ones are started on much higher doses especially when being treated by many of those pay-out-of-pocket run-of-the-mill T-clinics.

Overmedicated from the get-go and these are usually the same individuals that end up struggling in the long run.

If anything seeing as you were already 4-5 weeks in you should have stuck it out another week and had labs done to see where such dose had your trough TT, FT, and estradiol level along with other important blood markers such as SHBG and CBC.

Keep in mind that when starting trt or tweaking a protocol (increasing the dose) hormones will be in FLUX during the weeks leading up until blood levels have stabilized (4-6 weeks) due to the half-life of the ester (TC/TE).

During this time most will experience what we call the HONEYMOON period (
euphoric state, increased energy, libido/erections) due to testosterone levels rising and the increase in dopamine/AR lighting up).

Unfortunately, this state of bliss is temporary and short-lived as the body will eventually adapt.

If your FT levels are healthy along with other hormones then you should feel good overall.

Do not get caught up in trying to chase/mimic the honeymoon phase as you will never achieve such.

When it comes to libido let alone erectile function they are multi-factorial and it is not a given that having healthy testosterone levels will cure all that ails you.

Much more going on than just having high testosterone levels.

It is also common to experience ups/down during the transition as the body is trying to adjust.

Even then once blood levels have stabilized (4-6 weeks) it will still take time for the body to fully adapt to the new set-point and this is the critical time period when one should gauge how they truly feel overall regarding relief/improvement of low-t symptoms.

Every protocol needs to be given a fighting chance (12 weeks) before claiming that it was a success or failure.

Your dose should not be increased at the 6-week mark unless blood work shows that your trough FT levels are too low (far from common).

Otherwise, you will be chasing your tail endlessly tweaking your protocol every 4-6 weeks until the cows come home.

Patience is key.

Also, keep in mind that testosterone has a tonic effect on the CNS which can easily make one feel amped up.

Too many men get caught up in that neanderthal mindset that more T is better.

Most are overmedicated running absurdly high trough FT levels and this is at steady-state.

The body was never meant to function optimally in such a state.

Most men on trt are injecting 100-200 mg T/week whether once weekly or split twice weekly, M/W/F, EOD, or daily.

The majority of men can easily hit a healthy/high FT level by injecting 100-150 mg T/week.

Far from common anyone would need 200 mg T/week although all those bum ass forums and gootubers would have you believing such!

Keep in mind that although some men do well injecting once weekly most are injecting more frequently.

The downfall of injecting once weekly is that there will be a significant difference in peak--->trough as peak T levels will be absurdly high post-injection/during the first few days only to be followed by much lower levels come week's end (depending on the dose).

This can have a negative impact on energy, mood, libido, erectile function, and recovery.

Most prefer injecting more frequently as you will be clipping the peak--->trough which will result in more stable blood levels throughout the week.

You are almost 6 weeks in at your new dose (100 mg T/week) and are due for blood work.

Now you can see where such protocol (dose T/injection frequency) has your trough TT, FT, and estradiol levels along with other important blood markers SHBG, DHT, PSA, and CBC which includes RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit.

 

[Systemlord]

After going on TRT like I said 10 days in my sleep returned to old me, sex drive was up and energy up. After that sleep went back to being fragmented also sex drive dropped back again.

You need to be more realistic, starting TRT is going to cause a lot of changes within your body, suppressing your natural production and forcing your body to adapt to exogenous testosterone.

Changing your dosage throws your body into an unsteady hormonal state and 6-8 weeks things stabilize.

You need to give TRT more time to affect your tissues which doesn’t happen immediately, sometimes taking several months.