The Thread for Dialed-In Dudes

[trt reznor]

Are you dialed in?

Got the four big areas of TRT on lock? Mood/Energy/Body Composition/Sexual Function

If you do, well you’re probably not haunting this forum at midnight on a Saturday night.

But if you do, please post your protocol below and a little about yourself (basic lab info, shbg, anything essential). I’d like to build a mini database of working protocols of dialed-in guys. Thanks.

 

[JimBob]

I'd like to know who their doctors are.

 

[Systemlord]

I have low testosterone do to 30 year benzodiazepine usage, no problems experienced while on Klonopin, only after a slow 10 month taper.

I have been on TRT for 1.5 years and have narrowed down what type of protocol that will works for me, a 20mg EOD protocol results in a Total T of 496 ng/dL, Free T 20.8 pg/mL and estrogen 43 pg/mL.

My SHBG prior to TRT was unknown and since I started TRT it has hovered between 16 on larger doses and 22 on smaller more frequent doses. Doctor never tested LH and FSH, it is not officially known if secondary or primary, but I'd guess secondary.

I'm very close to dialing in on a 20mg EOD at a minimum, daily protocol cause rashes and hives that only goes away after stopping TRT or going back to an EOD protocol. I have no allergies to either cotton seed or sesame seed carrier oils.

I take (1/10-1/20th tablet) aromasin as needed and usually try not to take any until I've reached a stable state, AI's work best when in a stable state as recovering estrogen happens quickly and therefore less chance of getting estrogen low for too long to notice.

I'm a Defy patient and joined about 6 months ago, Dr Saya is my doctor.

 

[Mountain Man]

I have been feeling great for the 2 years I have been on TRT. I am 65 in March. My total T runs in the low 800s, free Test is in the upper ranges but not over. SHBG 57, estradiol 76.5 nonsensative. I workout nonstop every other day with resistance bands, pushups, and neck bridges for 30 to 45 minutes. Other days I workout on an air dyne bike hard for 20 to 30 minutes. Weekends I add in chores around a homestead farm my wife and I have. Lots of stacking and splitting wood. Train martial arts solo now after a lifetime of karate and reality self defense, using a bag and free exercises. I eat clean, don’t drink, sleep 7 to 8 hours per night and have sex 3 to 4 times per week. I use a modification of Gene’s NO stack daily and keep body fat around 10% measured by 3 fold method with calipers. I am not a direct patient of Abraham Morgantaler, but I am with his clinic in Boston and have seen him at times when someone is out sick. I am on the protocols that he advocates. I drive to Boston from NH 2 to 3 times per year and my insurance covers most of it. Couldn’t be happier with the results of TRT.

As far as “dialed in” goes, I think I is multi faceted. Yeah, you need the numbers to be correct, but you also need your head dialed in. Every problem in your life is not due to TRT, and just because we read something here about a guy having an issue doesn’t mean we are going to have the same issue. TRT is not a panacea for everything wrong in our lives, nor is it a miracle cure. It is one of many building blocks to a great wellness program of health and wellness. If we frequent this forum, then chances are we are more susceptible to the placebo and nocebo effect than most guys who could care less about their health.

You gotta do the work to reap the benefits. I would guess that 99% of the so called “dialed in” guys are doing all the right things that guys who are looking for miracles aren’t.

 

[HealthMan]

37YO on TRT for almost 3 years.
50mg testosterone cypionate 2x week
400IU HCG 2x a week
40IU FSH 2x a week
0.125mg anastrozole a week
10mg DHEA daily
10mg Pregnenolone daily
500mg metformin 2x day

No blood donation (previously i had to donate every 3 months and my ferritin was close to zero). TT mid-high 700s and FT low-mid 20s at trough (labcorp ranges). SHBG mid 20s. Estradiol sensitive mid 20s (if it gets close to 30 i get gyno but that is the only side effect i get)

Weight: 204 pounds
Heigh: 6’ 2”
Body fat: 10%

I am a patient of Dr Saya.

I feel great in every single aspect. But i agree with Moutain man. TRT is not the answer for everything. There is much more to the game.

I have tried testosterone dosages as high as 180mg a week (TT as low as 600 and as high as 1400. FT as low as 19 and as high as 38). HCG dosages ranging from 300IU 3x week to 500IU 3x week. Anastrozole dosages ranging from 0.125mg a week to 0.25mg 3x a week (estradiol sensitive ranging from single digits to high 30s). DHEA dosages ranging from 10mg to 100mg a day and Pregnenolone from 10mg to 25mg a day. Also tried armour thyroid and dropped it after i added HCG (HCG is similar to TSH and in my case increased my thyroid levels a bit).

 

[dd340]

I’m 44, started TRT about 8 months ago.
Use 110 mg of enathate split into 2 doses per week.
No AI
No Hcg
My total T comes back at the top the range or even a bit above top range on that dosage
E2 near top of normal range
Weight train 5 times per week
Lots of meat and animal protein with some fruits and salads each day
Keep carbs down to around 100g per day or a bit more if I am training hard

I have never experienced any negative side effects that I see so much of on this site.
I do have low DHEA before I started TRT so I literally just started that yesterday at just 10mg and will slowly increase to see what effect it has.
Only thing that hasn’t gotten better has been my sleep which is about the same from before starting TRT. I’m hoping dhea will improve this.

My bottom line is I think too many protocols have too much started all at once, TRT, AI, HCG, DHEA, etc and then there is almost no way to know what effect each one has.
Plus I think controlling estrogen from the beginning is nuts. Let your body get used to higher E2 for a couple of months and you will be much better for it.
90% of the symptoms that people are on here complaining about are from too many different drugs at the same time and most importantly it is almost all in their head. Every time someone has a bad day or feels a bit off they immediately want to change the protocol, gotta up my AI, my estrogen is too high, gotta check my bloodwork etc etc. To me that’s crazy. It’s normal to have ups and downs, every human on earth has them whether or not they are on TRT.

 

[Deleted member 16042]

At this point I feel as stable/dialed in as I can be within the constraints of how my body reacts to TRT. I wish I could tolerate higher dose because I still have physical impairment, and in the process of adjusting protocol did better physically on higher dose, but hematocrit and E2 Signs and symptoms prevented remaining on high dose. I had statin induced muscle damage several years ago which it seems I never recovered from. I still have muscular recovery and exercise endurance limitations.

I have been on TRT just a little over 2 years, but it took 1 1/2 years to reach a stable state. It has been a difficult couple years getting here.

I was started on a bad transdermal protocol with compunded chrysin (with starting E2 of 10!). Subsequently bailed on that doc, and have been with Dr Saya for about 1 1/2 years. We first changed to a different transdermal protocol which was better, but still was unsatisfactory. Then went to injection at too high a dose, resulting high HCT and E2. Then I went through the Hell of reducing dosage to current levels where things have stabilized and I feel a bit more normal.

Prior to TRT:
Total T 281,
Free T 3.1
E2 LC/MS/MS 10.1

Now:

Age 60
5'10"
147 lb
very lean body composition
mediocre exercise and endurance capability. Other aspects of life are pretty darn good after the last few years roller coaster.

24mg T cyp QOD
260 iu HCG QOD
0.0625mg anastrozole QOD
12.5 mg DHEA QD
25mg Pregnenelone QD
Wide range of vitamins/supplements, mostly vitamins, coQ10, natural anti inflammatories

Total T ~1000
Free T ~ 18-20
SHBG 52-54.7
E2 LC/MS/MS 25-30
PSA too high, some kind of yet to be definitively diagnosed prostatitis.

 

[Nashtide]

I’m 57
6’0”
166lbs
14%bf

100mg Tcyp in two divided doses
0.1mg anastrazole at time of T shots
10mg DHEA daily
250iu hcg every Monday and Friday
Several other supps not TRT related

My TT and FT are at the top of the range
Sensitive E2 high 30’s
SHBG low 40’s

Lift weights pretty hard 3x/week
Hit the heavy bag in HIIT style 3x/week

I eat a pretty clean diet. No fast food, no junk food. I practice lowish carbs and a very modified intermittent fasting diet (I eat all my food between 7:30 am and 6:30 pm)

I feel great. Lots of energy, positive mood, good libido and great body comp results.

I agree with the other guys. Gotta have a good diet, exercise and sleep to maximize TRT.

 

[Vince]

Yes I'm completely dialed in. I'm 64 years old and get to work out daily. I also golf a lot, walk daily with my wife, we have a great sex life. I am a health nut though plus I work too much. Trt is very easy for me oh, I just get up every morning and inject.

My protocol is 16 mg of testosterone cypionate daily, 500 iu of HCG twice a week, 25 mg of DHEA, 10mg of pregnenolone and no AI.

Testosterone serum 1117 ng/dL range 264 - 916
Free T 30.3 pg/mL range 6.6 - 18.1
DHEA - Sulfate 347.3 range 48.9 - 344.2
Estradiol, Sensitive 29.5 range 8.0 - 35.0
SHBG 48.8 range 19.3 - 76.4
HCT 47.9 range 37.5 - 51.0

 

[Nashtide]

I’m 44, started TRT about 8 months ago.
Use 110 mg of enathate split into 2 doses per week.
No AI
No Hcg
My total T comes back at the top the range or even a bit above top range on that dosage
E2 near top of normal range
Weight train 5 times per week
Lots of meat and animal protein with some fruits and salads each day
Keep carbs down to around 100g per day or a bit more if I am training hard

I have never experienced any negative side effects that I see so much of on this site.
I do have low DHEA before I started TRT so I literally just started that yesterday at just 10mg and will slowly increase to see what effect it has.
Only thing that hasn’t gotten better has been my sleep which is about the same from before starting TRT. I’m hoping dhea will improve this.

My bottom line is I think too many protocols have too much started all at once, TRT, AI, HCG, DHEA, etc and then there is almost no way to know what effect each one has.
Plus I think controlling estrogen from the beginning is nuts. Let your body get used to higher E2 for a couple of months and you will be much better for it.
90% of the symptoms that people are on here complaining about are from too many different drugs at the same time and most importantly it is almost all in their head. Every time someone has a bad day or feels a bit off they immediately want to change the protocol, gotta up my AI, my estrogen is too high, gotta check my bloodwork etc etc. To me that’s crazy. It’s normal to have ups and downs, every human on earth has them whether or not they are on TRT.

Very impressed by the 100 grams of carbs per day! Care to share what you eat in a typical day?

 

[madman]

44 years old
5 "6"
203 lbs
lean

Protocol: testosterone only (no a.i./hcg)


150 mg/week (enanthate) (75 mg every 3.5 days)


PRE TRT: Canadian Lab Values

TT 11.3 nmol/L (range 7.6-31.4)
FT 225 pmol/L (range 196-636)
SHBG 34.9 nmol/L (range 12-60)
E2 (non-sensitive) <70 pmol/L (range <150)


TRT:

TT 41.5 nmol/L (range 7.6-31.4)
FT 1136 pmol/L (range 196-636)
SHBG 30 nmol/L (range 12-60) so 36 would be the mean
E2 (sensitive) 34 pg/ml (range 8-35)




Strength train 3x weekly mainly all compound lifts (squat/deadlift/bench/bent over barbell row/chins/dips/upright rows)

Eat clean 4000 calories/day, high complex carbs (oatmeal/quinoa/parboiled basmati rice/buckwheat/beans and legumes/barley) 500 grams/day, lots fibrous carbs (vegetables), lean proteins 250/day grams (beef/chicken/fish/eggs/whey) and moderate fat (EFA/olive oil/butter/coconut oil/egg yolk)

Supplements- creatine 5g/ beta-alanine 6g / l-citrulline 6g, b-complex, vitamin D, cod liver oil, co-q10, vit C

No fast food or junk food, do not drink alcohol nor use drugs (prescription/recreational), do not smoke.

Overall mood is stellar, lots of energy, strong libido, healthy erections (NPT/spontaneous), improvements in body composition (increase muscle), increased strength/recovery from workouts.

Weight 185--->203 lbs (on trt)


Even though most would prefer to add in hcg use along with testosterone for fertility purposes and to hopefully prevent/minimize testicular atrophy.....I do not plan on having children and although my testis size may have decreased slightly I can not tell the difference as they were a descent size pre-trt.


On testosterone only I am still able to shoot large volumes and my sensitivity/orgasms are great.

As far as hcg use to fill in the upstream hormones although it may seem sensible I do not feel it truly of any benefit and my mood/energy/libido/erections are great using testosterone only!


Only side effects I experienced since starting trt are increased oily skin (mind you I have always had oily skin) but overall skin is clear except for the odd pimple (back/shoulder and face rarely), already experienced hair thinning well before starting trt (shave head) and have not noticed any further hair loss, increased body hair growth back/shoulders/chest and hair grows faster overall.


Best thing I ever did starting trt and would never look back!

 

[trt reznor]

I have been feeling great for the 2 years I have been on TRT. I am 65 in March. My total T runs in the low 800s, free Test is in the upper ranges but not over. SHBG 57, estradiol 76.5 nonsensative. I workout nonstop every other day with resistance bands, pushups, and neck bridges for 30 to 45 minutes. Other days I workout on an air dyne bike hard for 20 to 30 minutes. Weekends I add in chores around a homestead farm my wife and I have. Lots of stacking and splitting wood. Train martial arts solo now after a lifetime of karate and reality self defense, using a bag and free exercises. I eat clean, don’t drink, sleep 7 to 8 hours per night and have sex 3 to 4 times per week. I use a modification of Gene’s NO stack daily and keep body fat around 10% measured by 3 fold method with calipers. I am not a direct patient of Abraham Morgantaler, but I am with his clinic in Boston and have seen him at times when someone is out sick. I am on the protocols that he advocates. I drive to Boston from NH 2 to 3 times per year and my insurance covers most of it. Couldn’t be happier with the results of TRT.

As far as “dialed in” goes, I think I is multi faceted. Yeah, you need the numbers to be correct, but you also need your head dialed in. Every problem in your life is not due to TRT, and just because we read something here about a guy having an issue doesn’t mean we are going to have the same issue. TRT is not a panacea for everything wrong in our lives, nor is it a miracle cure. It is one of many building blocks to a great wellness program of health and wellness. If we frequent this forum, then chances are we are more susceptible to the placebo and nocebo effect than most guys who could care less about their health.

You gotta do the work to reap the benefits. I would guess that 99% of the so called “dialed in” guys are doing all the right things that guys who are looking for miracles aren’t.

Awesome post, MM. I think you are the goal for a lot of people here. Can you post your protocol? I think you’re a T-only guy if I remember correctly.

 

[trt reznor]

37YO on TRT for almost 3 years.
50mg testosterone cypionate 2x week
400IU HCG 2x a week
40IU FSH 2x a week
0.125mg anastrozole a week
10mg DHEA daily
10mg Pregnenolone daily
500mg metformin 2x day

No blood donation (previously i had to donate every 3 months and my ferritin was close to zero). TT mid-high 700s and FT low-mid 20s at trough (labcorp ranges). SHBG mid 20s. Estradiol sensitive mid 20s (if it gets close to 30 i get gyno but that is the only side effect i get)

Weight: 204 pounds
Heigh: 6’ 2”
Body fat: 10%

I am a patient of Dr Saya.

I feel great in every single aspect. But i agree with Moutain man. TRT is not the answer for everything. There is much more to the game.

I have tried testosterone dosages as high as 180mg a week (TT as low as 600 and as high as 1400. FT as low as 19 and as high as 38). HCG dosages ranging from 300IU 3x week to 500IU 3x week. Anastrozole dosages ranging from 0.125mg a week to 0.25mg 3x a week (estradiol sensitive ranging from single digits to high 30s). DHEA dosages ranging from 10mg to 100mg a day and Pregnenolone from 10mg to 25mg a day. Also tried armour thyroid and dropped it after i added HCG (HCG is similar to TSH and in my case increased my thyroid levels a bit).

Great info! Can you tell me a little about your experiences with FSH and any changes you’ve noticed with it? Are you on it for fertility reasons alone, or have you experienced other benefits?

 

[HealthMan]

Great info! Can you tell me a little about your experiences with FSH and any changes you’ve noticed with it? Are you on it for fertility reasons alone, or have you experienced other benefits?

Fertility reasons. I think (but not sure) it made me feel subjectively better. Definitely fuller testicles

 

[bfoley]

I'm 58 and have been on TRT for 18 months.
Stats:
6'2"
215 lbs - lean

Protocol :
150 iu (cypionate) every Saturday
250 iu (hcg) Thursday & Friday

TT - 878 / range 193 - 740
FT - 20.5 / range 2.9 - 20.7
SHGB - 29.59 / range 19.3 - 76.4
Estradiol - 37.7 / range 11.3 - 43.2
Prolactin - 6.5 / range 4.0 - 15.2
PSA < 1
HCT - 51.7 / range 40 - 54

Supplements :
2g Vitamin C
2,000 iu daily
Zinc/Copper (50mg/500mcg - Source Naturals)
3g L-arginine
3g Maca

on nights when intimacy is possible, Cialis 10g.

I feel great compared to pre TRT days.
I workout 5-6 days per week, a combo of weights and cardio.
My libido is usually pretty strong, however, I've found that my libido is usually lower when I am under more stress (usually job related, but sometimes family too).

I am a patient of Dr. Michael Rotman.

 

[dd340]

Very impressed by the 100 grams of carbs per day! Care to share what you eat in a typical day?

I eat lots of meat and eggs and typically add a protein shake after a workout. I’m not afraid to add butter or coconut oil to my food. I get lots of calories so I don’t find keeping carbs down to 100 all that challenging although as I mentioned I might bump that up to 150 grams some days if I think my training session was particularly demanding.
Most of my carbs generally come from berries ie blueberries or strawberries or raspberries. A cup only has around 20g. I often add around 30g of carbs to my post workout shake. I also like to have a good size salad or bowl of broccoli each day.
I’m not a low carb fanatic, I just find I feel better for not eating bread, pasta, sugars etc.

 

[Nashtide]

I eat lots of meat and eggs and typically add a protein shake after a workout. I’m not afraid to add butter or coconut oil to my food. I get lots of calories so I don’t find keeping carbs down to 100 all that challenging although as I mentioned I might bump that up to 150 grams some days if I think my training session was particularly demanding.
Most of my carbs generally come from berries ie blueberries or strawberries or raspberries. A cup only has around 20g. I often add around 30g of carbs to my post workout shake. I also like to have a good size salad or bowl of broccoli each day.
I’m not a low carb fanatic, I just find I feel better for not eating bread, pasta, sugars etc.

I’m also not a low carb fanatic. I have been thinking about trying to get from my current 14%bf to about 10% this summer. So I’ve been going over different plans to get to that goal and one in particular was to drop carbs to 100 grams per day. So I tried counting my current carb intake and was surprised that it is around 200 grams per day. I don’t eat bread or pasta often, but I do eat potatoes, sweet potatoes and rice.

 

[dd340]

I’m also not a low carb fanatic. I have been thinking about trying to get from my current 14%bf to about 10% this summer. So I’ve been going over different plans to get to that goal and one in particular was to drop carbs to 100 grams per day. So I tried counting my current carb intake and was surprised that it is around 200 grams per day. I don’t eat bread or pasta often, but I do eat potatoes, sweet potatoes and rice.

Those are the big ones. I was looking at some bagels we have in the fridge and I was shocked when I read it had 70g of carbs from one bagel. No wonder we have a diabetes problem.

 

[Nashtide]

Those are the big ones. I was looking at some bagels we have in the fridge and I was shocked when I read it had 70g of carbs from one bagel. No wonder we have a diabetes problem.

Do you use an app to track the carbs?

 

[Nashtide]

Those are the big ones. I was looking at some bagels we have in the fridge and I was shocked when I read it had 70g of carbs from one bagel. No wonder we have a diabetes problem.

I’m not a detail oriented person, so I can’t see myself tracking everything I put in my mouth. I will probably just cut out breads, pastas, potatoes and fruits and add more green veggies. I think I’ll use rice as my “bad” carb as it’s my favorite and I can make a crap load of it once per week.