Why do some men feel better on lower doses?

[Mr_K]

I generally assumed 200mg weekly would be better than 100mg. Obviously, it should be better for building muscle and strength correct? Perhaps not so much mentally.

I've been on 180mg a week for almost 2 months now. I haven't noticed much mentally...maybe less brain fog. Physically...I've definitely gotten stronger in the gym. Sexual desire over the last 2 weeks has increased significantly.

 

[madman]

Just depends on which level your body functions best mentally/physically with minimal side effects as some men do well on low doses having testosterone in the mid/normal range and many others do better on slightly higher doses having testosterone in the high/normal range which many feel is optimal. Just remember the higher dose one uses the higher chance of increasing the metabolites of testosterone mainly estradiol/dht which if not balanced properly can cause side effects.200mg/week should allow one to achieve better gains in strength/muscle growth than 100mg/week but to really see benefits in the muscular/strength gains 400-600mg/week would be ideal for most but than we are not talking trt dosages anymore mind you I have had friends who have benefited greatly from 200mg/week more than likely due to genetics/diet/training.

 

[CoastWatcher]

I generally assumed 200mg weekly would be better than 100mg. Obviously, it should be better for building muscle and strength correct? Perhaps not so much mentally.

I've been on 180mg a week for almost 2 months now. I haven't noticed much mentally...maybe less brain fog. Physically...I've definitely gotten stronger in the gym. Sexual desire over the last 2 weeks has increased significantly.

Welcome to EM. After two months I'm sure you've had lab work run. If you post it I can assure you a good discussion will ensue.

 

[Vince]

Yes, some do feel worse on higher levels of T. I like my total T levels a little over 1000. For whatever reason that's when I feel my best. https://www.excelmale.com/forum/showthread.php?8533-My-New-LabCorp-Labs

 

[CoastWatcher]

Chris, one of our senior moderators, has noted that he feels best when his total testosterone level is in the 800s. Keep in mind, as well, that a higher dose also comes with a greater potential of side effects, particularly estradiol spikes. It's not at all true that if, as you write, 100mg of testosterone is good, 200mg would be better. It can be, but frequently isn't. SHBG levels will impact that in all sorts of ways.

 

[johndoesmith]

It's a very highly individualized thing. It will depend on your own stigmatization rate too, and shbg.

There's no way to know either other than trial and error. Best thing to do is try a dose, note how you feel, and get labs.

At 2 months you should have noticed something either good or bad, and have gotten labs already.

 

[CoastWatcher]

What is your SHBG level? In fact, if you post your labs it will be easier to contextualize your observations.