So who is happy with TRT? Who wish they never started?

[rimster]

What’s ur protocol? Ester, injection frequency, dose per week?

How many iu’s of HCG were u using prior to discontinuing it?

Tried different protocols but worked best for me is daily test cyp injections of 16mg.
Hcgs tried all different from 500 three times a week to 100 per day three times a week. Always gave me ed , water retention and a lack of sensitive. Once i stopped everything fixed. Thanks to systemlord for pointing out that some people do horrible with hcg. Otherwise i would never know as most people love it. Good luck

 

[Gman86]

Tried different protocols but worked best for me is daily test cyp injections of 16mg.
Hcgs tried all different from 500 three times a week to 100 per day three times a week. Always gave me ed , water retention and a lack of sensitive. Once i stopped everything fixed. Thanks to systemlord for pointing out that some people do horrible with hcg. Otherwise i would never know as most people love it. Good luck

What’s ur SHBG?

So even 300iu’s per week of HCG caused those issues huh?

 

[rimster]

What’s ur SHBG?

So even 300iu’s per week of HCG caused those issues huh?

Yes even less than that. Never tested shbg

 

[HSLD]

If Im correct, you inject eod and your dosage is 126mg a week of test E, right? Whats your total test, free test, estradiol and SHBG on such a protocol?

At trough, that usually puts me around TT: ~825 FT: ~190 (35-155) E2 Ultrasens: ~70 SHBG: ~20

As some will note, yes E2 is "high". However I find that as long as TT/FT are also high, E2 doesn't seem to have any negative effects. I can chase E2 down by lowering dose, but then I lose the benefits I was getting from TRT. Honestly these days I don't even look at E2 and basically ignore it but my provider requires that I test it.

 

[dirk69]

Tried different protocols but worked best for me is daily test cyp injections of 16mg.
Hcgs tried all different from 500 three times a week to 100 per day three times a week. Always gave me ed , water retention and a lack of sensitive. Once i stopped everything fixed. Thanks to systemlord for pointing out that some people do horrible with hcg. Otherwise i would never know as most people love it. Good luck

How long after stopping hcg did it take for the water retention to subside?

 

[J2048b]

Man my best ever trt dosage was like this:

Mon 200 mlg test cyp

Wed: ai

Friday 250 iu hcg
Sunday 250 iu hcg

Felt amazing…

I quit years ago due to getting bored and frustrated always chasing blood work… last total test in september was 546 after being off since 2016ish…

 

[rimster]

How long after stopping hcg did it take for the water retention to subside?

Like 3 months. I only had in legs

 

[tropicaldaze1950]

Man my best ever trt dosage was like this:

Mon 200 mlg test cyp

Wed: ai

Friday 250 iu hcg
Sunday 250 iu hcg

Felt amazing…

I quit years ago due to getting bored and frustrated always chasing blood work… last total test in september was 546 after being off since 2016ish…

On the surface that sounds contradictory. You 'felt amazing' but 'got bored and frustrated chasing blood work'. If you felt amazing, what were you seeking by doing more blood work? The 'bored' part I don't understand.

How do you feel & function since you've been off T, etc., for about seven years? Thanks.

 

[J2048b]

On the surface that sounds contradictory. You 'felt amazing' but 'got bored and frustrated chasing blood work'. If you felt amazing, what were you seeking by doing more blood work? The 'bored' part I don't understand.

How do you feel & function since you've been off T, etc., for about seven years? Thanks.

I did feel amazing on that protocol…. BUT my blood work just kept seemingly getting worse and worse… and in all honesty…

It all gets tiring af… pinning and just stressin about meals and crap that comes along with it all…. gets old af… talk about bored… lifting weights and all the effort u gota put into it and still not making urself look like all those with great gentetics weighs on ur psyche

Honestly im tired all the time with no motivation, no drive, lazy af… but somewhat happier if that makes any sense??

Happier i have less to worry about.. did i pin, do i have my hcg, can i order this without breakin the bank… what else can i use for harm reduction…. Etc…

I have a script for cyp and now the auto inject test e, called xyosted….its $150 for 400 mlg per month thru a specialty pharmacy which isnt bad… yes cyp is cheaper but at least i get to give it a shot if i need to go back on….So i have everything whn ever i want to go back




This is what i commented on another thread…i started trt when i was super young like 26ish (never did any roids or anything to obtain this low test)



The protocol ive posted basically on all forums im on was this

Monday: 200 mlg test cyp

Wednesday: ai either aromasin @ 12.5 mlg or anastrozole .5-1mlg depending on blood work

(crislers hcg protocol)
Friday 250iu
Sunday 250 iu


I felt the bestest of all… but that started circa 2005ish, so by 2016ish… i was just tired of chasing the blood work and throwin stuff at my blood to prevent thickness….

They say people at higher elevations usually have thicker blood but i never did growing up above a mile high for over 20 some years…

Never had blood thickness issues until i had been on trt for well over 10+ yrs then something changed and not sure what

So instead of continuing to chase everything and spend more money on supps and doing more and more research

I GOT LAZY…. i had spent so many hours of research (terabytes of data on my hard drive to include blood stuff, foods and exercise stuff) and going to doctors and taking stuff to aide in harm reduction… for the years i was on trt that basically after 3 kids and dealing with a change in lifestyle and not having or making time actually to live the lifestyle….

I called it quits…

Now between the time i quit and upto september of this year my total test has dropped to 126 and as of recently is as high as 546…. All with no trt

Its a roller coaster fo sho!

I did have a 200 mlg shot from my urologist about a month before that test showing 546 total so maybe* my levels were actually low and he helped raise them with that one shot… he recommended i go back on trt and with how i have felt maybe that shot helped and he is right…. I guess ill know more as im getting bloods done this next week or 2 i guess ill find out?

 

[granger]

waiting with baited breath how ur bloods turned out! lol

 

[J2048b]

waiting with baited breath how ur bloods turned out! lol

Who ? Me? Im waiting as well had bloods drawn friday morning, hope to see some results by tomorrow or wed at the latest

 

[J2048b]

waiting with baited breath how ur bloods turned out! lol

Total test: 643… wow up 100 points from september (with no hormones added)

Cholesterol is going to be thru the dang roof tho as it always is and cholesterol converts to test correct?

Shgb: 60

Free test: 76

 

[Vince]

Total test: 643… wow up 100 points from september (with no hormones added)

Cholesterol is going to be thru the dang roof tho as it always is and cholesterol converts to test correct?

Shgb: 60

Free test: 76

Dietary cholesterol intake and TC levels were not associated with TT levels in men from the US. Therefore, although testosterone is partially synthesized from cholesterol, individuals with higher habitual cholesterol intake do not have higher testosterone levels.Oct 5, 2023

Cholesterol intake and serum total cholesterol levels are not associated with total testosterone levels in men: a cross-sectional study from NHANES 2013–2014 - Lipids in Health and Disease

Background Testosterone (T) is an anabolic hormone crucial to the structure and function of skeletal muscle. Testosterone is partially synthesized from cholesterol, but little is known about the relationship of cholesterol intake and serum cholesterol with T levels. Aim To investigate whether...

lipidworld.biomedcentral.com

 

[tropicaldaze1950]

Dietary cholesterol intake and TC levels were not associated with TT levels in men from the US. Therefore, although testosterone is partially synthesized from cholesterol, individuals with higher habitual cholesterol intake do not have higher testosterone levels.Oct 5, 2023

Cholesterol intake and serum total cholesterol levels are not associated with total testosterone levels in men: a cross-sectional study from NHANES 2013–2014 - Lipids in Health and Disease

Background Testosterone (T) is an anabolic hormone crucial to the structure and function of skeletal muscle. Testosterone is partially synthesized from cholesterol, but little is known about the relationship of cholesterol intake and serum cholesterol with T levels. Aim To investigate whether...

lipidworld.biomedcentral.com

Theoretically or perhaps, actually, supplemental pregnenolone 'might' improve the conversion of cholesterol into androgens, but we can't control the steroid pathways. Maybe just eat more salmon and olive oil.

 

[J2048b]

I have added olive oil and coconut to my morning protain shakes, could that possibbly lead to a higher test level? Ive never had my total test levels this high without trt… no idea how it has rebounded to this high of a level and in the upper 40’s age range

 

[tropicaldaze1950]

I have added olive oil and coconut to my morning protain shakes, could that possibbly lead to a higher test level? Ive never had my total test levels this high without trt… no idea how it has rebounded to this high of a level and in the upper 40’s age range

About 12 years ago I was eating salmon almost everyday and using olive oil on my salads, pasta, as well as to fry and sautee. Previously, my TT was in the 300s. After a year of eating like this, had labs pulled. My lipid panel had greatly improved and TT had gone from 325 to 668. Free T went from 45 to 102. Really didn't feel any different. Still had ED, too. The HMO, Kaiser, didn't check SHBG, E2, DHT or DHEA-S

Having naturally improved lab numbers is good but I don't believe that always translates into physical improvement. Sometimes testosterone is what's needed, along with a healthy diet or, if it's erectile issues, a PDE5 inhibitor or Trimix or PT-141.

 

[J2048b]

About 12 years ago I was eating salmon almost everyday and using olive oil on my salads, pasta, as well as to fry and sautee. Previously, my TT was in the 300s. After a year of eating like this, had labs pulled. My lipid panel had greatly improved and TT had gone from 325 to 668. Free T went from 45 to 102. Really didn't feel any different. Still had ED, too. The HMO, Kaiser, didn't check SHBG, E2, DHT or DHEA-S

Having naturally improved lab numbers is good but I don't believe that always translates into physical improvement. Sometimes testosterone is what's needed, along with a healthy diet or, if it's erectile issues, a PDE5 inhibitor or Trimix or PT-141.

yeah everything uve said is true, do i feel great nope, i feel lazzy af, im not fat, got a skinnier lower body.. and havent touched anys eafood in over a decade...i cant eat fish or shrimp it all makes me sick or im allergic... believe me my test shots are calling even with those numbers... i may jump back on even if its only 10-20 mlg eod or so and see how i feel...

 

[tropicaldaze1950]

yeah everything uve said is true, do i feel great nope, i feel lazzy af, im not fat, got a skinnier lower body.. and havent touched anys eafood in over a decade...i cant eat fish or shrimp it all makes me sick or im allergic... believe me my test shots are calling even with those numbers... i may jump back on even if its only 10-20 mlg eod or so and see how i feel...

Got it. Yes, you have to scratch seafood. You know how it is with us outliers; we have to be our own doctors, even if we have a good doctor! We're 'A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma' to paraphrase a description used by Winston Churchill. Keep plugging away. And yes, maybe resuming testosterone is the best option.

 

[granger]

I think its more when take statins that stop production of cholesterol by your body that forsure causes decrease in testosterone. perhaps not lack of cholesterol but disrupting the enzymatic pathways... ie could still have normal levels of cholesterol but lowered levels of test because of the statins.

 

[RickB]

I'm glad I started. Though libido has not increased at all, erections and staying power are now on point.

Resistance training is fun. One set of pushups and I'm pretty pumped, and the pump increases as the workout continues. When the pump reaches a maximum, it stays until well after the workout ends. Before trt, not only would I not get nearly as pumped, I'd sometimes work past the pump, which just felt wrong. Now it doesn't seem possible to work past the pump. The strength gains are measurable. The hypertrophy gains are harder to assess, but the naked eye says they're for real.

Diet-wise, apart from a month here and a month there, I have been overeating and eating a lot of junk. I'll feel and look bloated for two or three days, and then I'm pretty much back to normal. So overall I have gained some fat, but compared to how much junk I'm eating, I am in really good shape. That has to be down to the trt.