Stopped trt due to hair loss and need recovery protocol options/suggestions:

[Sterling]

About 10 or 12 weeks back, I decided to quit trt and keep my hair. The testosterone accelerated my hair loss way too fast and my vanity couldn't handle it so I stopped. Hair loss meds couldn't help either prevent the acceleration either.

So...while I was enjoying the benefits, even despite not being quite dialed in, the hair loss was not worth it. What I didn't expect was the crash afterwards. I have zero energy, strength, sex drive etc. What's the normal length of recovery and do I have any other realistic options to restore some of my youth...I'm 49.

 

[Vettester Chris]

Sterling, so sorry to hear this. Downstream conversion to DHT can be problematic with exogenous testosterone. Were you taking a gel/cream, or injection? Gels have a tendency to have a higher DHT conversion rate than injections, could be due to additional DHT receptors in the skin, not positive though.

So much of this is genetic predisposition factors as well. In my case, the hair started growing more .. Go figure! Let us know on the application of your treatment. If it was a gel or cream, maybe changing it up to going injections, small doses 2x or 3x week, which could help.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Why don't you stay on testosterone and try this first?

How to prevent hair loss while on testosterone by using compounded hair growth gels

 

[Sterling]

Sterling, so sorry to hear this. Downstream conversion to DHT can be problematic with exogenous testosterone. Were you taking a gel/cream, or injection? Gels have a tendency to have a higher DHT conversion rate than injections, could be due to additional DHT receptors in the skin, not positive though.

So much of this is genetic predisposition factors as well. In my case, the hair started growing more .. Go figure! Let us know on the application of your treatment. If it was a gel or cream, maybe changing it up to going injections, small doses 2x or 3x week, which could help.

I was doing intramuscular injections of 80mg twice per week. The gels and creams had no affect on anything...my hair or my physical wellness.

 

[Sterling]

Why don't you stay on testosterone and try this first?

How to prevent hair loss while on testosterone by using compounded hair growth gels

Nelson, I tried multiple solutions through Defy and none of them have worked to halt the progression while on trt. Since I've stopped trt, I'm beginning to regain what I had lost but thanks for the input.

 

[Bass]

Usually post cycle treatment must be done no more than 2 weeks after your last injection. in your case treatment will consist of,

Clomid, 100/50/50/50
Nova, 40/40/20/20

Little erosive but that's what you need for missing the two week window.

 

[Sterling]

Usually post cycle treatment must be done no more than 2 weeks after your last injection. in your case treatment will consist of,

Clomid, 100/50/50/50
Nova, 40/40/20/20

Little erosive but that's what you need for missing the two week window.

I'm assuming I'll need to get these through my doctor? And are those numbers mgs. per week or what? I am dog tired with zero energy, libido or much of anything else.

 

[GettingAnswers]

Possibly try a lower dose? 160mg a week is pretty hefty. Did you ever check DHT while on T to see if it was the cause?

Assuming you are intent on restarting you may need to kick off Bass suggestion by doing HCG first. If your testes are shut down then you may have a hard time getting them going with just a little LH from the Clomid and nolva. HCG to get the testes ready then Clomid to get the pituitary going. You may be able to do it without it but it probably will make life easier.

And yes the doses he quoted are in mg per day for a week. Ie Clomid 100mg per day for the first week and so on.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Sterling

It must be hard to have to decide to stop TRT due to not wanting to lose hair. What was your testosterone blood level before you started TRT?

I am assuming the following, so please correct me:

1- You are sleeping well. If not, a sleep study did not find apnea.

2- You are not taking a medication that may be making you tired.

3- You have had your thyroid hormone blood levels checked and corrected if needed.

4- You have been checked for lime's disease and have been found to be negative.

5- You have gotten a full cardiovascular work up with EKG, stress test, etc and been found to be OK.

6- You have seen a physician to determine if you have depression that could be causing this fatigue (it is a catch 22 issue since fatigue can drive someone to depression and vice versa). If you have been diagnosed with depression and are getting treatment now, chances are your medication should be switched.

7- You do not get up to pee more than once per night.

I have to be constantly aware of managing fatigue since I can get depressed when I do not exercise or feel productive. I take testosterone by injection (200 mg) every week, which keep my total testosterone hormone level in the 600-1000 ng/dL range. I also take vitamin supplements, including B vitamins, for the reason that B-6 and B-12 deficiencies have been correlated to fatigue.

A drug that's becoming popular is Nuvigil. Have you tried it?

Many doctors have also been prescribing Adderall, which is a stimulant composed of mixed amphetamine salts, and is thought to work by increasing the amount of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. It's used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy (a chronic sleep disorder. I have tried it for periods of time where nothing else works and it has been able to push me through those difficult times as I regained my productivity and mood.

I drink Green tea with ginseng with some limited success. I love coffee but try not to drink more than 2 cups a day and not drink any after 3 pm since it pushes me to go to bed early.

I struggle with going to bed before 11 am since I find my productivity at its highest at night. But we all know it is important to avoid exposure to light (from TV's, computers, etc) after 10 pm if we want to have our melatonin blood levels raise which causes us to feel sleepy. And sleeping 6-8 hours at night uninterrupted is super important. If you are getting up more than once a night to pee, there may be a problem with your prostate and/or your sleep quality. When I travel or are too stimulated to go to sleep by 11 am, I take zolpidem. But I try to limit is use since it can be habit forming and cause issues with memory.

There are some of us in this constant search for what we call a pseudo-normal life, either through medications or other things to increase our energy level, because without energy, there's no life. When I'm tired, not only do I not produce, I don't write, I don't help others, I feel depressed, everything collapses. I cannot deal with stress, or to deal with phone calls. So energy and fatigue really, really affect everything in life. Even medication adherence may be affected (I have been lucky never to skip my medications.

You can find more information in this link:https://www.excelmale.com/forum/threads/10-Fatigue-When-Testosterone-Is-Not-Enough

 

[Sterling]

Sterling

It must be hard to have to decide to stop TRT due to not wanting to lose hair. What was your testosterone blood level before you started TRT?

I am assuming the following, so please correct me:

1- You are sleeping well. If not, a sleep study did not find apnea.

2- You are not taking a medication that may be making you tired.

3- You have had your thyroid hormone blood levels checked and corrected if needed.

4- You have been checked for lime's disease and have been found to be negative.

5- You have gotten a full cardiovascular work up with EKG, stress test, etc and been found to be OK.

6- You have seen a physician to determine if you have depression that could be causing this fatigue (it is a catch 22 issue since fatigue can drive someone to depression and vice versa). If you have been diagnosed with depression and are getting treatment now, chances are your medication should be switched.

7- You do not get up to pee more than once per night.

I have to be constantly aware of managing fatigue since I can get depressed when I do not exercise or feel productive. I take testosterone by injection (200 mg) every week, which keep my total testosterone hormone level in the 600-1000 ng/dL range. I also take vitamin supplements, including B vitamins, for the reason that B-6 and B-12 deficiencies have been correlated to fatigue.

A drug that's becoming popular is Nuvigil. Have you tried it?

Many doctors have also been prescribing Adderall, which is a stimulant composed of mixed amphetamine salts, and is thought to work by increasing the amount of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. It's used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy (a chronic sleep disorder. I have tried it for periods of time where nothing else works and it has been able to push me through those difficult times as I regained my productivity and mood.

I drink Green tea with ginseng with some limited success. I love coffee but try not to drink more than 2 cups a day and not drink any after 3 pm since it pushes me to go to bed early.

I struggle with going to bed before 11 am since I find my productivity at its highest at night. But we all know it is important to avoid exposure to light (from TV's, computers, etc) after 10 pm if we want to have our melatonin blood levels raise which causes us to feel sleepy. And sleeping 6-8 hours at night uninterrupted is super important. If you are getting up more than once a night to pee, there may be a problem with your prostate and/or your sleep quality. When I travel or are too stimulated to go to sleep by 11 am, I take zolpidem. But I try to limit is use since it can be habit forming and cause issues with memory.

There are some of us in this constant search for what we call a pseudo-normal life, either through medications or other things to increase our energy level, because without energy, there's no life. When I'm tired, not only do I not produce, I don't write, I don't help others, I feel depressed, everything collapses. I cannot deal with stress, or to deal with phone calls. So energy and fatigue really, really affect everything in life. Even medication adherence may be affected (I have been lucky never to skip my medications.

You can find more information in this link:https://www.excelmale.com/forum/threads/10-Fatigue-When-Testosterone-Is-Not-Enough

Nelson,

It was a tough decision to stop trt as I was just beginning to realize the benefits but I am vain. I've been successfully battling hair loss for over 22 years and I just wasn't interested in sacrificing my hair for the sake of feeling like I'm in my 20's.


Prior to starting trt, I had my T levels checked as well as everything else you mentioned in your post. My levels were a tick above 300, I sleep about 8 hours a night (I do get up at 4a.m.), take no medication (except Fiansteride since 1999), blood and thyroid levels are normal, no other diseases including heart disease. I've seen a cardiologist over the last 9 years (family history) and have had every heart test known to man except the Gold Standard angiogram. All tests were normal including my thallium stress test done as a base line a few years back. I have not seen a doctor to rule out depression but so far haven't found the need for an evaluation.


I recently read a post from you about T and Finasteride. I've used that med since 1999 and perhaps all or most of my symptoms are related to that medication. I'm not sure as I have discussed this with my doctor and he has reservations about the drug causing the things I mentioned above. Someone suggested a thorough exam with a urologist and disclosing the use of Finasteride and see what he/she suggests.


Thanks for taking the time to respond and I'll keep you posted about my visit with the urologist and go from there.

 

[a_crossfitter]

Nelson,

It was a tough decision to stop trt as I was just beginning to realize the benefits but I am vain. I've been successfully battling hair loss for over 22 years and I just wasn't interested in sacrificing my hair for the sake of feeling like I'm in my 20's.


Prior to starting trt, I had my T levels checked as well as everything else you mentioned in your post. My levels were a tick above 300, I sleep about 8 hours a night (I do get up at 4a.m.), take no medication (except Fiansteride since 1999), blood and thyroid levels are normal, no other diseases including heart disease. I've seen a cardiologist over the last 9 years (family history) and have had every heart test known to man except the Gold Standard angiogram. All tests were normal including my thallium stress test done as a base line a few years back. I have not seen a doctor to rule out depression but so far haven't found the need for an evaluation.


I recently read a post from you about T and Finasteride. I've used that med since 1999 and perhaps all or most of my symptoms are related to that medication. I'm not sure as I have discussed this with my doctor and he has reservations about the drug causing the things I mentioned above. Someone suggested a thorough exam with a urologist and disclosing the use of Finasteride and see what he/she suggests.


Thanks for taking the time to respond and I'll keep you posted about my visit with the urologist and go from there.

Sowhat did you do this past year? Did your hair grow?

Ive been clean with no exogeneous testosterone because i want to know if it was helping me or not.

Before trt my t level was at 255 (labcorp). For the past year it has varied from 400 to close to 1400. I really didnt think it was helping me that much.....

At the 3 week point with no t my level was 195 in the morning.....which was last week. I got tested today, at the 4 week mark, and am curious because i have been feeling shittier.