Symptoms when changing protocol

[Tylurnt]

Trying to figure out what is normal for changing a protocol and what would lead to think the protocol is making you worse... I have low shbg and never felt right on Subq EOD. I switched to IM daily for only 2 weeks (ik not long enough) but felt absolute miserable. Decided maybe stable protocols were not for me... I took like 6 days off and planned to do 2 Imjections per week...first injection, few hours later i felt awesome and that slowly faded. Yesterday, I did my first injection for this week (this will be my 2nd week on this protocol) and just keep feeling worse and worse.

My symptoms are fight or flight symptoms that seem like high cortisol, and no appetite, messed up sleep.. high blood pressure and no energy whatsoever.

I feel way worse now than my EOD subq protocol and im not sure how bad you can feel when changing and it still turn out good if you wait and be patient?

I got tested recently on my EOD protocol subq and my e2 and free T was elevated a little... hct and hemoglobin were also. Ferritin was 80 but iron was slightly high so I quit supplementing iron.

I want to add that ive been going to the sauna about 5 times a week the last month because it really helps calm me down afterwards, and I make sure to drink electrolytes ... could this be effecting hormone levels?

Just wanting to either hear theres hope, or that obviously something is wrong. If this doesnt settle in a couple weeks, I may be switching to cream.

 

[WhiteMale]

If you have low SHBG your E levels are likely to be where you have to focus your attention the most. If you're slightly elevated (and you didn't tell us a number of what specific test was used), and assuming your blood draw was a trough number, you can be assured that your E is actually much (much) higher. Though it would be imprudent to give you much advice if you're running your protocol changes week to week...this is a slow and steady process.

 

[Tylurnt]

If you have low SHBG your E levels are likely to be where you have to focus your attention the most. If you're slightly elevated (and you didn't tell us a number of what specific test was used), and assuming your blood draw was a trough number, you can be assured that your E is actually much (much) higher. Though it would be imprudent to give you much advice if you're running your protocol changes week to week...this is a slow and steady process.

E2 was 47.4 on labcorps range from 7-42.
Free T direct was 30.5 on a 9-26 range

That was on 30mg subq EOD. I took 5 days off and felt way better. then started 8mg daily and felt even worse. I just dont think frequent stable dosing is good for me, but time will tell. After the daily injections, I got 4 days off, those didnt feel good. But on the 5th day when I went to 45mg 2x per week, the first shot made me feel really good within hours, then faded off.

 

[Willyt]

E2 was 47.4 on labcorps range from 7-42.
Free T direct was 30.5 on a 9-26 range

That was on 30mg subq EOD. I took 5 days off and felt way better. then started 8mg daily and felt even worse. I just dont think frequent stable dosing is good for me, but time will tell. After the daily injections, I got 4 days off, those didnt feel good. But on the 5th day when I went to 45mg 2x per week, the first shot made me feel really good within hours, then faded off.

Which ester are you using? What is your Total T?
8mg daily is major decrease from 30mg EOD. That is one reason you felt crappy.

 

[Tylurnt]

Which ester are you using? What is your Total T?
8mg daily is major decrease from 30mg EOD. That is one reason you felt crappy.

Test E. Well 30mg was too much ...I was way too amped. My shbg was 9.5, total T 600. On ED i felt so amped and foggy, anhedonic also.

 

[Willyt]

Test E. Well 30mg was too much ...I was way too amped. My shbg was 9.5, total T 600. On ED i felt so amped and foggy, anhedonic also.

Understood. Its going to take awhile for your body and mind to adjust to the reduced dose. Conventional wisdom around here is that you only adjust one variable at a time - so either dose, frequency or injection type but not at the same time. A lesson I learned the hard way...

 

[Tylurnt]

Understood. Its going to take awhile for your body and mind to adjust to the reduced dose. Conventional wisdom around here is that you only adjust one variable at a time - so either dose, frequency or injection type but not at the same time. A lesson I learned the hard way...

The feeling really good when taking 5 days off told me I need to space my doses out. It was the best I felt in a long time. So im doing 45mg 2x a week now, tomorrow night will be end of the 2nd week on this. Hope it settles