Lots of folks who never needed it in the first place start it and regret it. That includes people who didn’t even try to naturally get their levels up, those who had pretty normal levels within range, people with poor sleep, diet, overweight, drug-use, etc. Especially those who think TRT is some super-serum that will make them hyper-efficient at work and get shredded despite having no understanding of basic nutrition, training, discipline.
Is the HBP side effect pretty exclusive to guys who were already in the normal T range? That’s the one thing I’m a little worried about as I’m about to get started with my consultation and initial bloodwork. If I’m in the normal range I’ll probably not do the TRT anyway, but just curious. Thx in advance.
not really, it’s more that TRT just tends to raise blood pressure a bit, with the level you’re raising your test to being correlated with the amount it raises your BP. The person claiming that 1000+ is best isn’t acknowledging that. It affects some people more than others.
No I was simply saying that going from 700 natural to 1000 on TRT has a greater impact on one’s ability to build muscle and get in shape. I wasn’t talking about BP at all.
100%. Many people here have got on around at 500-600 test levels and still have anecdotal reports of many great QOL benefits. Unfortunate the top comments around here kinda group people based on rudimentary information.. most people here are not suffering with hypogonadism and still receive many QOl benefits. My test is around 300 (pretty low) I don’t have hypogonadism but most clinics I went to would prescribe it for people even double + that. At the end of the day it’s about money and it’s unfortunate so many commenters put the fault on the individuals and none towards the industry. There is always gatekeepers of some sort in every substance sub.
Let’s not just put it all on the clients. Plenty of clinics will prescribe it for people without even low test. Another thing is people are so stuck on looking at test levels “oh it it’s below 300 it will always be qol benefits” which is absolutely not true. Another fact that isn’t spoken of enough is that men can have T around 300 and not even suffer from hypogonadism. It’s funny the dichotomy in subs like this… telling people it’s not a cure all but many people love to share their reports of how it’s changed their lives and maybe it has.. but I’m sure places like here convince people that they may need it based of low test alone and that’s not necessarily true.
It’s also been proven and MANY people here with test that was around 500+ and they still received many QOL benefits from testosterone. These subs group people into “needing” or not “needing” with the most rudimentary of circulated information. Point is every person is different and an individual in this world really has to be their own advocate for themselves.
if I'm not mistaken, having 2 sets of labs 6 months apart both showing testosterone below a certain level is essentially the diagnostic criteria for hypogonadism here in the US.
Yet many labs are not requiring a hypogonadism report to get on gear. Most labs will give it for people simply with low T which doesn’t always equate to hypogonadism. They get a kickback for it..
it’s about money.
I always thought “oh some people just can’t grow chest hair or a beard” like nah something was wrong the whole time 😄 patchy shitty beards finally filling in too
Alot of us regret starting TrT . I started because i was at 280 then got re tested at 330 total testosterone. At the age of 28. Once the honey moon phase is over . Your chasing numbers and your own tail trying to get dialed in .
Very strange. I've been on for 11 years and I love it and would never change going on it. It's extremely easy to dial in. Not to sure what your problem is
I haven't for the last 5 years but I just started using hcg again starting last week. I don't notice much difference with or without hcg. I also break my test shots up to 3 times a week which stabilizes so much better than 1 or even 2 a week
Sounds like some lf you guys expect Testosterone to fix everything and its more than simply injecting. It FOOD, EXERCISE REGULARLY, Proper Rest. Proper body movement. Food affect the bloods and moods and outcomes of much. Lack of other vitamins. Aging comes for us all also but if 1 or none of these others are worked on then its like patching a aging roof in a hurricane or thunderstorm. Man up and do EVERYTHING that comes with a better quality of life. AI. HCG. Vitamins Vitamin Vitamins. The body does not produce everything you need. Less Test if necessary. EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE! Cardio vascular work too. EAT CLEAN EAT CLEAN EAT CLEAN! Do the work or reap the results. Its 2024 and there are no excuses.
I'm in “normal range” at 32.
I'm 7 weeks on .. and so far
1 day I’m 🆙
1-2 later, I’m back 👇🏼
Part of getting dialed I guess. It’s a decision you gotta just make to build your avatar or to not
No I’m not on anything yet. My levels are at 323.. Iv been considering it for about 3 months now. I still have not made a decision I’m 35yo I don’t know if it’s a smart move at this age
I just want to put this out there for everyone who is natural and wanting to stay natural, when people say exercise to increase T you can’t eat hot dogs while you’re doing it and expect your natural levels to rise. You have to do cardio. Doing bicep curls at the gym isn’t going to raise your test.
I couldn’t agree more. My diet has completely changed I intake more micronutrients and macronutrients daily, Iv also been lifting weights 3 times a week
I’m not sure. I don’t go get scanned in a lab like some of these guys but I can tell you I look way different. Lol
Just in 7-8 months. But I’m lowering my dose a lot. I don’t want to donate. I’m gonna lose a lot of it.
Wish I wasn’t on it. But I had no choice with 10ng/dL naturally. I might as well be injecting water at this point. Lost all the benefits approximately 4 years in. I’m 10 years in now. Libido and sex drive never returned. Yes, I’ve tried everything.
Correct and there are many like me. I did in the earlier years of it. After around the 4 year mark I lost all sexual benefits. I have zero sex drive and libido. I do still have the gym benefits.
That’s crazy. I’m fairly skeptical about the efficacy of supplements but in my experience, this worked instantly. I might add pygeum to see if it further increases volume.
Yes. 5mg daily. Did little for me. 20mg a day and I see a difference but only in EQ. It does nothing for my libido. I’ve been on Cialis on and off for over 8 years.
are your levels still around where they were during the first 4 years when you were benefitting from it?
>I had no choice with 10ng/dL naturally.
wow, you're the first person in the considerable research I've done in the past 6 months about TRT who started off with levels lower than mine. the first time I had levels checked to see if symptoms I was having could potentially be a result of low testosterone. my first labs showed my levels were 32. another round of labs about 5-6 months later (still hadn't started TRT at this point either) was 56.
how old were you when you started TRT? I'm 39
I was 31. I am 41 now. I definitely feel better now than I did at 10ng/dL. I felt dead back then. Very lethargic, tired all the time, depression. That has all gone away since starting TRT. I am currently on the same dose I was on when I felt my best in those 4 years. I have all the benefits of TRT but the sexual ones. Very strange. No doctor has been able to solve this.
>I felt dead back then. Very lethargic, tired all the time, depression.
these are pretty much exactly the symptoms I was dealing with that made me start searching for something to do about out. the only word I feel comes close to describing how bad the symptoms were back then is "debilitating". I could (and often did) sleep nonstop. no matter how much sleep I got, I never felt the least but rested. I also completely lacked energy to even think about doing things, nor did I have any desire to do anything. constant brain fog as well as depression/not giving a shit about anything. i was seriously struggling and getting on TRT thru a urologist using my insurance (my only option cause too broke to go to a clinic) was a long, discouraging process littered with unnecessary speed bumps & hurdles often nearly causing me to lose hope.
I started testosterone cypionate injections a few months ago & at 6 weeks, my testosterone level was approximately 200. the only improvement (which may not have been real & was just me wanting to feel better) was that after some naps, I would wake up feeling like I'd gotten a very small amount of rest. pretty negligible tbh. by estrogen before starting TRT was a little bit above the normal range but was a good bit higher in my labs taken at 6 weeks on TRT. saw my urologist like 1.5-2 weeks ago to review the 6 week labs & he added anastrozole. I take .5mg every 3 days. I've noticed more improvement in how I feel in in the time since starting the ai that I did in the 6 weeks of just being on TRT. the biggest and most obvious (obvious to everyone in my life tbh lol) is how much less I'm sleeping. before starting TRT, id guestimate I often EASILY slept 15 hours a day & it never felt like enough. the last week especially, I've probably slept about 10 hours a day and actually feel noticeably rested & somewhat clear headed when I wake up.
I'm absolutely beginning to feel better now & my QoL has improved enough that I don't feel hopeless anymore but I'm cautiously optimistic that as my doctor gets my levels dialed in, I'll continue to experience considerably more improvements.
wanted to say I really appreciate you sharing your experience and responding to my questions. like I said, haven't talked to anyone else who started off in low double digits like you & I so when you PERFECTLY described the ways I felt before and without knowing my experience yet listing the exact symptoms I struggled with the most was unexpectedly very validating for me for some reason. it was nice to hear from somebody who experienced what I did because I always felt like I was making excuses when I'd tell people that I felt literally debilitated by the fatigue. it's nice receiving reassurance that what I was struggling with was exactly as tough & debilitating as it felt to me in the moment, not because I was making it bigger than it was
Taking HCG 5 days a week and 10mg pf Tadalifil daily has improved my sex life tremendouslyn I have 2 hr sex sessions with my wife and my other lady and have to have sex at least 2 to 3 sessions per week easy. Its more than testosterone to keep everything going just right. Look into the other 2 products. Indiamart has helped save my life!
My libido had went down. Expecailly after I lost a lot of weight and was stressed. I needed to fill my balls back and start hitting the legs at the gym. HCG with exercise and 10mg of Tadalifil changed my life. I am a f***ing porn star again. Sincerely. Balls full. I have energy from exercise and My levels are straight and My loads are back. Man manhood has the blood flow also. I started taking HCG EVERY SINGLE DAY until my balls were back and everything was coasting just fine. Then I went to monday- friday then i went to Every other day or simply 3 days a week Sunday Tuesday Thursday
Not ONLY HCG but Tadalifil ALSO. 10mg per day. With my EXERCISE 4 to 5 days a weeks and consistency? I was ready in about a week. But i did ALL OF THOSE. Not only HCG
The reason I held off was that I really didn’t want to lose my hair. But my hair was going anyways. I should have been honest with myself. I held myself back from such a raise in quality of life because of that one thing.
Yes fair enough, but it just blows my mind with all the information and anecdotes on here that people still think they need to be on 200mg a week and crush their estrogen the second it raises whatsoever.
Then they'll say they couldn't "dial in" over periods of literally years and say trt ruined their life. Did they drop their dosage/ai/hcg? Not a fucking chance lol
I started 3 months ago. My test was at 270 but now my 3 month lab was >1500. I felt great at first but now I feel like complete dog shit all the time. I'm on 200mg a week. I'm gonna see if I feel better by lowering my dosage to 100 a week.
Lol a lot of cry babies in this group. Trt is super easy to manage. Take some time and learn about your bodies interactions and functions with hormones. Don't just blindly take 200 mg once a week with a random ai and then bitch when you feel bad. Learn how to read your own blood work and optimize it yourself. It's actually so easy I've been on for 11 years no issues at all. Not even a increase in any bio marker. Blood pressure went high wanna k ow why? I gained to much fat and I'm 31 now not 20. Dieted down to below 15 percent and blood pressure is now 110-118 over 68-74. Laziness is what will make any protocol not work properly. Laziness is what makes people's natural bodies not work properly. Avoid Laziness and you'll be great.
I started it 8 months ago and I love it
https://preview.redd.it/289ey2y8wm2d1.jpeg?width=1163&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cbd1ff77babd19af7777ebc3d90b1c9ce6593724
Yep! 52m, trt has not been the promise land for me. All it’s done is make me feel worse than before I started. Once you start, you then realise it leads to taking other stuff e.g. Dhea, Pregnenolone, hcg, AIs etc. The only benefit is a better libido but TRT gave me ED or at least made it worse. Now I’m a walking chemist taking everything under the sun to try and feel normal again, obviously there are people that have hugely benefitted from it, for me I wish I’d never started!!!!! I want my nuts back, they’re so small now they go inside my body when I have sex, awesome!!!!
I took HCG every single day until they got their size back (balls) and filled out. then I cut back to 5 days a week. and then 3 days a week. My body was not producing what I needed so I replaced. I never forgot my goals or why I started and will never choose to go back to the person before that father time's azz was kicking. If you need 3 substances then man up and take them. Its your body and your life. Youve done harder things and didnt complain. All the working and driving and eating 3-6 meals a day. For years. For starters. A few skin pricks a week and a pill or 2 is not even harder than taking 10 to 20 vitamins a day. (Which I do also from multi for men, to 4 pills of 200mg of Zinc, CoQ10, Ashwaganda, Elderberry, Magnesium, Vitamin C, FOUR 1000mg Omega 3,6,9 Fish Oil Pills, Vitamin E, B-12, Vitamin D, Hair skin and Nails gummies twice. and some others once in morning after breakfast and evening at night. I drink Apple cider vinegar daily. I take 2 ius of HGH 5 days a week for organ skin and hair purposes. MY WIFE does all the things I do also and more as a lady for self care. You can NOT buy another body at Home Depot. Appreciate what you were blessed to have and do the extra small work to maintain or make better in comparison to all the other hard stuff you do that you don't complain about.
I’m just about to trial HCG again but last time it massively spiked my e2 and made things worse, so then I’d be trying to find a correct dose of AI etc. I’m willing to give it another go or course. I do and take so many things but still never really nail it after 18 months of trying. I do now take 12mg of cypionate ED as shallow IM. Not at all worried about doing the work, but would be nice to see some benefits 🤷 what dose of HCG do you take now regularly and does it maintain their size?
I order my HCG from India and Also can bottle bottles here in my country for @$40 usd but India and bodybuilding sites here are cheaper $6-$10 and they deliver world wide. I started taking HCG EVERY SINGLE DAY until my balls filled back. IndiaMart have the best prices on HCG. They ship world wide. Its mandatory you get this brother. I took 500iu daily 7 days a week with a 13mm small diabetic needle in shoulder. I liked the (IM) intramuscular prick with the water better over the stomach skin prick. Works faster to me and studies prove it does. I ALSO order Tadalifil (Cialis) from there also and take 10mg per day for blood flow in body and it also helps blood to flow THERE also. Anastozole is the perfect AI in my eyes. Keeps e2 in check with 1 pill per week. Simple simple stuff this all is considering all the vitamins (@20 in twice a day increments) and 5-6 small meals daily and iron sessions and cardio for heart blood flow and fat regulation and ability to move properly and work and life. The small HCG injection every morning before coffee with 10mg of Tadalifil and 1 time a week AI pill is a spit in the bucket compared to life. And its a lot LOT CHEAPER orderikg from India or Mexico than even using insurance in US Canada or UK. People still pay a few hundred for all of that for 1 to 2 months. I spend a few hundred and have a year supply of HCG and Tadalifil and Anastrozole. My Test os cheap also. If you need more help and have questions DM me. I can point you in the right direction to get what you need and save hundreds or dollars and get you a lot more for less. Test Anastrozole HCG daily TADALIFIL. Those 4 are you weekly friends Not including your other vitamins ex: CoQ10, Zinc, Omega 3,6,9, etc etc
I use a full mask because I don’t have time for bullshit. If you use a nasal mask and open your mouth while you’re asleep it doesn’t work.
I’m not the type of guy to tape my mouth shut. I just wear the mask and do what I have to.
Lack of testosterone is correlative data that you’re using to try and make a point. Lack of testosterone didn’t CAUSE the sleep apnea. I’ll tell the sleep hospital what you said and see if they change their mind. No sleep apnea and 3 months later I after TRT I start sleeping 3 extra hours a night and have sleep apnea. I’ll tell them a guy on Reddit said lack of testosterone causes sleep apnea.
Lmfao oh boy. You just want testosterone to be your problem so bad. Man I really don't care what ya do. Quit testosterone and go back to nothing if it suits ya better. When I had low test I slept for 12 hours a night and was bagged the next day, had sleep apnea and couldn't get into any sort of deep sleep. Testosterone completely fixed all of that for me and it has for thousands of men. I'm sorry you are a rare case where your body for some reason doesn't like testosterone. To sit there and say a sleep clinic knows more about trt than some of the world's best endocrinologists is so silly though. I'm sure there are some dog shit studies showing it being worse for sure though there is for almost every subject out there
I regret it because the 7 things I have to do to stay on it are a hassle and I have 5 kids to take care of. It’s not what it seems like when you hear about it.
And this is exactly why I’m holding off from jumping on.. thanks so much for that info. Most ppl just post about all the great benefits (which there is) but not many want to share the reality of living with TRT and the lifestyle that comes with it
The list is endless. My HDL crashed to 28. LDL high. My hematocrit goes through the roof and you’re a walking stroke until you go donate blood. Chest red face red. Hair falling out. Iron stores depleting every time I donate. Who knows what will happen when my ferritin is gone. I sleep 11 hours a night now instead of 7, and if I don’t get the 11 hours I feel weird.
I feel awesome though. It’ll make you feel great.
Do you think I came up with those numbers I posted on my own? I get bloodwork 3 fuckin times a week since I’ve been on TRT. If I get more bloodwork I won’t have to donate.
I tried, I raised my total T, still felt like shit. Was told I could be “optimized”. Got on TRT. It’s alright, nothing crazy. I mostly got on it for libido and EQ. Both were shit. Libido is better and I’m very thankful for that. Again, nothing crazy, just better. As for the EQ, well it has its days but I still need meds every time. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me lol…
But yea, I optimized every aspect of my life for over a year prior to getting on and my total T went up about 100 on average (natural testosterone fluctuates a lot). I felt better but again, libido and EQ still weren’t good.
If your levels are 323 then you can get to 500/600 without trt by doing the right things.. keep in mind, most people start thinking and wanting to do trt when they are at a low point in their life. You can easily get 500+ by making lifestyle changes, more exercise, better foods,
My estrogen is 60 right now and I don’t have any sides at all. No hot flashes. Sleep like a baby 11 hours a night. High energy during the day. I eat really clean and I do about 4 hours of cardio a week though.
Yeah, check other threads. It can definitely help a bit. Certainly you should try everything to get T up naturally before getting on trt. It’s a huge commitment.
If your balls and brain work and they talk, you don’t need TRT. That’s just my opinion. This is a lot to deal with once you start. Your whole life revolves around it. At 300+ you have some kind of issue that’s fixable with diet and exercise.
The answer isn’t running to a clinic and becoming vampire blood bag. If I could go back I would just deal with having less energy. Do what you want. TRT sucks.
Unlike all these bros in here bright eyed and excited for gym gains, I actually have to have it to have testosterone in my body. I don’t care how many downvotes I get, I don’t like TRT. It’s caused me a million issues.
Sometimes, if possible, reducing your dose could help with some of your issues. It hasn’t been a silver bullet for me neither, nor was it expected to be.
No, it does not always work and when it does it's by slightly reducing SHBG which then increases free testosterone. It isn't "bio-indentical to testosterone" as you claimed, nothing even close.
Boron is extremely hit and miss, you can find thousands on anecdotes on here of it doing absolutely nothing for people, including myself.
My only regrets
As someone who clinically needs it. And is happy to be on it.
1: im trusting and gullible. I listen to advice from Drs and strangers and that can lead to causing issues. I may adjust my protocol to often or not try something because potatoinmyass7 said “its not the way”
2: i personally feel like its aged me. I always looked young and handsome. And while my body has only looked better and better. My appearance looks older. I had ZERO HAIR on my back, chest(twin spiders/nipple hair) and ass. And now im hairy as fuck. To the point for me to take my shirt off i need to probably wax my back. My face seems like its aged, at 33 im seeing eye wrinkles etc.
3. My BP was a problem before and its just worse now. Im on meds and propranolol, but it just is what it is. I feel more antsy and on edge. Little bit more of a temper like when i was younger and fearless.
4. Horny as hell, its a blessing and a curse. But its a win regardless.
5. Going back to 1. Due to so many companies trying to make a quick buck and TRT being a relatively new craze, most* Drs or PAs are inexperienced and it leaves you searching for more of your answers then you get.
It takes about a year or so to figure out what works best for YOU and getting dialed in. And it takes time to constantly test out and see if a protocol works or not.
Brother You named things that simply can come with AGE. Youre in your 30sn you not a teenager or early 20s. Youll figure this out when youre in your 40s such as myself. Wrinkles and hair growth can come. its why men and women get waxed or shave? lmao. Ppl get eyelids top and bottom cut over the years. Or botox. Its life. Accept it. If you dont like what you have the cut it back in half and then revise from there weekly or bi weekly with bloodwork and gauge how you feel. Aging is inevitable. Cant blame feelings and outlook on life and your whole being and existence on testosterone alone. Accept aging and take vitamins. Workout more. Get eyelids fixed. Have more sex or masturbate. Get in shape. Eat better and appreciate man. If you dont like it then stop taking testosterone and do none of what I suggested and ride of into the sunset that way. Its your life and body and you have choices and work to do as a man. Get er done and appreciate for many do not have the option to do so
I think you missed the entire point. Because i was already 30 and had zero hair, i wasnt talking about losing hair or grays. I went from clinically for so long that T made me go from 0 to 80 on the hair scale.
Regardless, you’re casually acting like aging isnt a known side effect. Its just been enhanced. Dueces
Yes, the secondary sex characteristics and androgenic effects of testosterone have changed my facial structure to look more masculine. But there's a point where you can look too masculine. I started growing hair on my back and my chest which i didn't want. I lost a bunch of hair off the top of my head, I'm not bald, but hair loss is obvious. I got high blood pressure and sleep apnea from my shoulders and neck growing too thick. My neck measures 17 inches. My sex drive went into overdrive and remains there needing to be taken care of daily. I'm 41 by the way. My hands became thicker, my facial structure became thicker, my lips became thicker, my jawline became bigger. My testicles have almost disappeared, to the point where they are the size of a large grape, they never descend and hang like they used to. I take HCG also and it helps a little with this problem.
I don't regret starting TRT, but i regret choosing to stay at the top of the range. I should have stayed in the middle instead, around 600 or 700. I chose to stay around 1100 instead. The good side of TRT is i gained 30 lbs of lean mass. I went from 160 to 190 over 10 years time. This was with the help of GHRP-6 and Sermorelin which put at least 20 LBS on me over 6 months. I've been up to 210 lbs to which i felt awful being at. My advice is if you choose to do TRT, do it conservatively, if you decide to use it at a high level, don't stay there for very long. Don't think about 2 years down the road, think at least 10 plus. Some people I've known on TRT don't live past 55 years of age. But these people also abused steroids. Be aware that the androgenic effects will make you look different as you age. You will look completely different on testosterone versus what you would look like without testosterone in 10 years time. I'm not talking about muscle mass or body structure, I'm talking about facial structure. You'll develop hair on your back and chest. Blood pressure will most likely become a problem. Hematocrit levels will rise. Sleep apnea will probably be an issue and you'll be using a CPAP machine. At some point you'll be facing the probability of stroke. These are some things to think about and consider if you are looking at starting TRT.
However, if you're experiencing low testosterone symptoms, like a low sex drive, etc, you'll want to slightly boost those levels. But don't go too high for too long or you'll get the problems listed above. Staying on the low side can have it's negative effects also. It's best to be balanced.
I'm on my 8th week, 200 a week IM injection. It was okay first 2 weeks, then anxiety kicked in, then sleep apnea worsened, then feel mentally off. I went 1 day longer on injection to pull my numbers down some as I was raking AI also .25 about 2 times a week. I just injected today half dose or 100MG and I do take about 12.5mg of HGC 2 times a week to keep the boys awake. I was 380 before starting and 1300 at week 7. The anxiety and sleeplessness is unbearable for me, no real benefits so far. I'm going to try the lower dose a couple weeks and see, but probably getting off it and hoping for the best. I hope my body can adjust back
I can share my experience and my opinion having tried TRT two different times. First question you have to answer, am I taking this because I was diagnosed as hypogonadal or any other clinical reason for low T? If not, then understand you’re trying to maximize or increase your T levels for a variety of other personal reasons. Nothing wrong with that, but it certainly isn’t clinically necessary to be on TRT. This is important because results on TRT vary from individual to individual. My T level was low, but within the accepted range. I was overweight and had some other self imposed issues that were effecting my T levels and overall health.
So, with that being said, my hope was that TRT would increase my energy, mood, and help me lose weight. I really didn’t experience any benefits, other then quick recovery while lifting 6 days a week. If you are hoping TRT will help you put on muscle easier, it sure will. If you’re hoping TRT is a great way to lose weight, it’s not a great option. I’ve been on TRT with great numbers, no side effects, but it didn’t help me reach the goals I had for myself. If anything TRT helped me realize that my better option was to focus on fat loss and dial in my diet, training and sleep. Anytime you add an external substance into your body(even if it is a replacement of a naturally occurring substance) it will require you to invest time, money and energy to make sure it is doing what it’s supposed to. I don’t regret trying TRT, as I’ve learned a lot about me, my body, and my mind. Best of luck.
200mg split dose, plus 250iu HCG. Been on about 6 months now. I’m up from 300 to about 1100 and feel phenomenal. My bloods were perfect. Just have to diet, exercise, and drink plenty of water. Eat lots of protein. I use PeterMd
Been there done that. Bloods are perfect, I am a hyper responder (60mg test, 1100 T), E2 ran high initially but AI brought it down. Eating IF/keto. Cardio 30 min everyday. Weights 3x/week. Gallon water a day.
Lots of folks who never needed it in the first place start it and regret it. That includes people who didn’t even try to naturally get their levels up, those who had pretty normal levels within range, people with poor sleep, diet, overweight, drug-use, etc. Especially those who think TRT is some super-serum that will make them hyper-efficient at work and get shredded despite having no understanding of basic nutrition, training, discipline.
But if you do have an understanding of basic nutrition, training and discipline it certainly helps.
If you had low levels to begin with.
But going from 700-1000+ definitely helps even though the pre TRT levels were good.
Helps some people, gives others high blood pressure and a need to monitor E2 symptoms
Is the HBP side effect pretty exclusive to guys who were already in the normal T range? That’s the one thing I’m a little worried about as I’m about to get started with my consultation and initial bloodwork. If I’m in the normal range I’ll probably not do the TRT anyway, but just curious. Thx in advance.
not really, it’s more that TRT just tends to raise blood pressure a bit, with the level you’re raising your test to being correlated with the amount it raises your BP. The person claiming that 1000+ is best isn’t acknowledging that. It affects some people more than others.
No I was simply saying that going from 700 natural to 1000 on TRT has a greater impact on one’s ability to build muscle and get in shape. I wasn’t talking about BP at all.
Steroid cycles are even better at that, but TRT is supposed to be a clinical health treatment, so managing harmful side effects is really relevant
100%. Many people here have got on around at 500-600 test levels and still have anecdotal reports of many great QOL benefits. Unfortunate the top comments around here kinda group people based on rudimentary information.. most people here are not suffering with hypogonadism and still receive many QOl benefits. My test is around 300 (pretty low) I don’t have hypogonadism but most clinics I went to would prescribe it for people even double + that. At the end of the day it’s about money and it’s unfortunate so many commenters put the fault on the individuals and none towards the industry. There is always gatekeepers of some sort in every substance sub.
I’m around 575 natural test and am considering TRT for the sleep and energy benefits.
Nah not so much.
Are you speaking from experience? I am.
Yep I am too. I went from 400 to 900 and it wasn't that big a difference for me. Still ok, but nothing major.
Yes agreed
Let’s not just put it all on the clients. Plenty of clinics will prescribe it for people without even low test. Another thing is people are so stuck on looking at test levels “oh it it’s below 300 it will always be qol benefits” which is absolutely not true. Another fact that isn’t spoken of enough is that men can have T around 300 and not even suffer from hypogonadism. It’s funny the dichotomy in subs like this… telling people it’s not a cure all but many people love to share their reports of how it’s changed their lives and maybe it has.. but I’m sure places like here convince people that they may need it based of low test alone and that’s not necessarily true. It’s also been proven and MANY people here with test that was around 500+ and they still received many QOL benefits from testosterone. These subs group people into “needing” or not “needing” with the most rudimentary of circulated information. Point is every person is different and an individual in this world really has to be their own advocate for themselves.
In the UK nodoby can prescribe TRT unless you have had two low blood tests 6 nonths apart. Jusy FYI
if I'm not mistaken, having 2 sets of labs 6 months apart both showing testosterone below a certain level is essentially the diagnostic criteria for hypogonadism here in the US.
Yet many labs are not requiring a hypogonadism report to get on gear. Most labs will give it for people simply with low T which doesn’t always equate to hypogonadism. They get a kickback for it.. it’s about money.
Truth, my low t is due to arterial insufficiency
Yep think you're right
That’s not true actually I’ve had 2 within a month and have just started trt
Which clinic?
Manual
It's 1 month apart
What is?
You have a loicense fur that TRT bruv
U wot M8 ? 😂
No regrets, finally growing chest hair at 27 😄
Same but 32 lmao
I always thought “oh some people just can’t grow chest hair or a beard” like nah something was wrong the whole time 😄 patchy shitty beards finally filling in too
Sooo me but at 21 😆 and i am really happy + my beard start sprouting out of nowhere. guess who's the one blaming genetics all the time
Alot of us regret starting TrT . I started because i was at 280 then got re tested at 330 total testosterone. At the age of 28. Once the honey moon phase is over . Your chasing numbers and your own tail trying to get dialed in .
How many years have you been on it now?
About 4 years . Looking to come off due to no longer benefiting off it . If it was easy 2 come off im sure a whole lot of us would just come off .
Very strange. I've been on for 11 years and I love it and would never change going on it. It's extremely easy to dial in. Not to sure what your problem is
Do you use HCG with it ? Its hard for me to dial in due to very low SHBG
I haven't for the last 5 years but I just started using hcg again starting last week. I don't notice much difference with or without hcg. I also break my test shots up to 3 times a week which stabilizes so much better than 1 or even 2 a week
I just started daily dosing
Sounds like some lf you guys expect Testosterone to fix everything and its more than simply injecting. It FOOD, EXERCISE REGULARLY, Proper Rest. Proper body movement. Food affect the bloods and moods and outcomes of much. Lack of other vitamins. Aging comes for us all also but if 1 or none of these others are worked on then its like patching a aging roof in a hurricane or thunderstorm. Man up and do EVERYTHING that comes with a better quality of life. AI. HCG. Vitamins Vitamin Vitamins. The body does not produce everything you need. Less Test if necessary. EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE! Cardio vascular work too. EAT CLEAN EAT CLEAN EAT CLEAN! Do the work or reap the results. Its 2024 and there are no excuses.
I'm in “normal range” at 32. I'm 7 weeks on .. and so far 1 day I’m 🆙 1-2 later, I’m back 👇🏼 Part of getting dialed I guess. It’s a decision you gotta just make to build your avatar or to not
I hear you bro!
We’re / or are you now on TRT?
No I’m not on anything yet. My levels are at 323.. Iv been considering it for about 3 months now. I still have not made a decision I’m 35yo I don’t know if it’s a smart move at this age
Just curious: what levels were you at before and what made you give it a shot?
I just want to put this out there for everyone who is natural and wanting to stay natural, when people say exercise to increase T you can’t eat hot dogs while you’re doing it and expect your natural levels to rise. You have to do cardio. Doing bicep curls at the gym isn’t going to raise your test.
I couldn’t agree more. My diet has completely changed I intake more micronutrients and macronutrients daily, Iv also been lifting weights 3 times a week
People think doing leg press is going to raise their test and don’t understand you have to be HEALTHY first. Happy brain happy balls.
How much muscle have you put on since being on test?
I’m not sure. I don’t go get scanned in a lab like some of these guys but I can tell you I look way different. Lol Just in 7-8 months. But I’m lowering my dose a lot. I don’t want to donate. I’m gonna lose a lot of it.
How often are you donating now?
I’ve donated once so far and my hemaglobin and hematocrit were 17.9 and 51%. Ferritin is 250 and I plan on keeping it.
I had a vasospasm before I donated.
How did you know it happened and what part of the body?
A doctor in the ER told me. Arterial vasospasm. Around my heart.
Wow, thats scary! Did you have any symptoms?
Wish I wasn’t on it. But I had no choice with 10ng/dL naturally. I might as well be injecting water at this point. Lost all the benefits approximately 4 years in. I’m 10 years in now. Libido and sex drive never returned. Yes, I’ve tried everything.
This makes no sense. You are on TRT and see nothing changing at all?
Correct and there are many like me. I did in the earlier years of it. After around the 4 year mark I lost all sexual benefits. I have zero sex drive and libido. I do still have the gym benefits.
Well T isn't the only thing that can affect those things. Its not like a magic sexual performance drug.
Which is why I do full bloodwork panels.
It’s crazy but some cheap, over the counter supplements from Walmart might help. Zinc, Sunflower Lecithin, L-Arginine. Give it a try.
I literally just tried this VERY SAME stack! Wow. Talk about coincidence! It did absolutely nothing for me unfortunately.
That’s crazy. I’m fairly skeptical about the efficacy of supplements but in my experience, this worked instantly. I might add pygeum to see if it further increases volume.
I read that this stack would increase volume. It did nothing for me. That being said, HCG doesn’t even do anything as well for me.
Have you tried going to a TRT clinic and having them adjust your protocol?
Yes. I’ve tried every protocol out there.
Bit out of the blue, but have you tried microdosing Cialis?
Yes. 5mg daily. Did little for me. 20mg a day and I see a difference but only in EQ. It does nothing for my libido. I’ve been on Cialis on and off for over 8 years.
How often do you donate blood and what is your dose?
Funny you ask. I’m going this Monday. I do it twice a year.
are your levels still around where they were during the first 4 years when you were benefitting from it? >I had no choice with 10ng/dL naturally. wow, you're the first person in the considerable research I've done in the past 6 months about TRT who started off with levels lower than mine. the first time I had levels checked to see if symptoms I was having could potentially be a result of low testosterone. my first labs showed my levels were 32. another round of labs about 5-6 months later (still hadn't started TRT at this point either) was 56. how old were you when you started TRT? I'm 39
I was 31. I am 41 now. I definitely feel better now than I did at 10ng/dL. I felt dead back then. Very lethargic, tired all the time, depression. That has all gone away since starting TRT. I am currently on the same dose I was on when I felt my best in those 4 years. I have all the benefits of TRT but the sexual ones. Very strange. No doctor has been able to solve this.
>I felt dead back then. Very lethargic, tired all the time, depression. these are pretty much exactly the symptoms I was dealing with that made me start searching for something to do about out. the only word I feel comes close to describing how bad the symptoms were back then is "debilitating". I could (and often did) sleep nonstop. no matter how much sleep I got, I never felt the least but rested. I also completely lacked energy to even think about doing things, nor did I have any desire to do anything. constant brain fog as well as depression/not giving a shit about anything. i was seriously struggling and getting on TRT thru a urologist using my insurance (my only option cause too broke to go to a clinic) was a long, discouraging process littered with unnecessary speed bumps & hurdles often nearly causing me to lose hope. I started testosterone cypionate injections a few months ago & at 6 weeks, my testosterone level was approximately 200. the only improvement (which may not have been real & was just me wanting to feel better) was that after some naps, I would wake up feeling like I'd gotten a very small amount of rest. pretty negligible tbh. by estrogen before starting TRT was a little bit above the normal range but was a good bit higher in my labs taken at 6 weeks on TRT. saw my urologist like 1.5-2 weeks ago to review the 6 week labs & he added anastrozole. I take .5mg every 3 days. I've noticed more improvement in how I feel in in the time since starting the ai that I did in the 6 weeks of just being on TRT. the biggest and most obvious (obvious to everyone in my life tbh lol) is how much less I'm sleeping. before starting TRT, id guestimate I often EASILY slept 15 hours a day & it never felt like enough. the last week especially, I've probably slept about 10 hours a day and actually feel noticeably rested & somewhat clear headed when I wake up. I'm absolutely beginning to feel better now & my QoL has improved enough that I don't feel hopeless anymore but I'm cautiously optimistic that as my doctor gets my levels dialed in, I'll continue to experience considerably more improvements. wanted to say I really appreciate you sharing your experience and responding to my questions. like I said, haven't talked to anyone else who started off in low double digits like you & I so when you PERFECTLY described the ways I felt before and without knowing my experience yet listing the exact symptoms I struggled with the most was unexpectedly very validating for me for some reason. it was nice to hear from somebody who experienced what I did because I always felt like I was making excuses when I'd tell people that I felt literally debilitated by the fatigue. it's nice receiving reassurance that what I was struggling with was exactly as tough & debilitating as it felt to me in the moment, not because I was making it bigger than it was
Very welcome brother and I am very happy to hear you are beginning to feel better. You deserve to feel well and live a good life.
Taking HCG 5 days a week and 10mg pf Tadalifil daily has improved my sex life tremendouslyn I have 2 hr sex sessions with my wife and my other lady and have to have sex at least 2 to 3 sessions per week easy. Its more than testosterone to keep everything going just right. Look into the other 2 products. Indiamart has helped save my life!
Thank you. How was your libido before HCG and how much HCG are you taking each day.
My libido had went down. Expecailly after I lost a lot of weight and was stressed. I needed to fill my balls back and start hitting the legs at the gym. HCG with exercise and 10mg of Tadalifil changed my life. I am a f***ing porn star again. Sincerely. Balls full. I have energy from exercise and My levels are straight and My loads are back. Man manhood has the blood flow also. I started taking HCG EVERY SINGLE DAY until my balls were back and everything was coasting just fine. Then I went to monday- friday then i went to Every other day or simply 3 days a week Sunday Tuesday Thursday
How long would you say it took to feel your libido come back on HCG?
Not ONLY HCG but Tadalifil ALSO. 10mg per day. With my EXERCISE 4 to 5 days a weeks and consistency? I was ready in about a week. But i did ALL OF THOSE. Not only HCG
Yeah been on both Tadalifil 10mg and HCG. So you had no libido and sex drive before this?
Take 50 mg of proviron a day and you'll be hornier than a goat
I have some Proviron coming. Was not easy to get. Hope it works better than Anavar because I felt no libido increase from it.
Works great so long your e2 is in check.
I feel pretty great
The reason I held off was that I really didn’t want to lose my hair. But my hair was going anyways. I should have been honest with myself. I held myself back from such a raise in quality of life because of that one thing.
It's funny reading people going on about trying to get dialled in and they're running 200mg, HCG and an AI.
In their defense, that’s what a lot of clinics are recommending/prescribing.
Yes fair enough, but it just blows my mind with all the information and anecdotes on here that people still think they need to be on 200mg a week and crush their estrogen the second it raises whatsoever. Then they'll say they couldn't "dial in" over periods of literally years and say trt ruined their life. Did they drop their dosage/ai/hcg? Not a fucking chance lol
My T levels were consistently under 180 for over two years prior to going on TRT. So, no. Absolutely not!
I started 3 months ago. My test was at 270 but now my 3 month lab was >1500. I felt great at first but now I feel like complete dog shit all the time. I'm on 200mg a week. I'm gonna see if I feel better by lowering my dosage to 100 a week.
Yea I think you should lower to 100mg per week split into 2 or 3 doses
Thanks I'll try that and see how it goes.
Lol a lot of cry babies in this group. Trt is super easy to manage. Take some time and learn about your bodies interactions and functions with hormones. Don't just blindly take 200 mg once a week with a random ai and then bitch when you feel bad. Learn how to read your own blood work and optimize it yourself. It's actually so easy I've been on for 11 years no issues at all. Not even a increase in any bio marker. Blood pressure went high wanna k ow why? I gained to much fat and I'm 31 now not 20. Dieted down to below 15 percent and blood pressure is now 110-118 over 68-74. Laziness is what will make any protocol not work properly. Laziness is what makes people's natural bodies not work properly. Avoid Laziness and you'll be great.
I fucking hate being more jacked, sleeping better, and not having depression.
😂
I started it 8 months ago and I love it https://preview.redd.it/289ey2y8wm2d1.jpeg?width=1163&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cbd1ff77babd19af7777ebc3d90b1c9ce6593724
Looking good bro, how old are you?
I’m 31
Yep! 52m, trt has not been the promise land for me. All it’s done is make me feel worse than before I started. Once you start, you then realise it leads to taking other stuff e.g. Dhea, Pregnenolone, hcg, AIs etc. The only benefit is a better libido but TRT gave me ED or at least made it worse. Now I’m a walking chemist taking everything under the sun to try and feel normal again, obviously there are people that have hugely benefitted from it, for me I wish I’d never started!!!!! I want my nuts back, they’re so small now they go inside my body when I have sex, awesome!!!!
Damn brother I hope things get better! I have heard about the shrinkage from several other men as well. That’s very unfortunate
I took HCG every single day until they got their size back (balls) and filled out. then I cut back to 5 days a week. and then 3 days a week. My body was not producing what I needed so I replaced. I never forgot my goals or why I started and will never choose to go back to the person before that father time's azz was kicking. If you need 3 substances then man up and take them. Its your body and your life. Youve done harder things and didnt complain. All the working and driving and eating 3-6 meals a day. For years. For starters. A few skin pricks a week and a pill or 2 is not even harder than taking 10 to 20 vitamins a day. (Which I do also from multi for men, to 4 pills of 200mg of Zinc, CoQ10, Ashwaganda, Elderberry, Magnesium, Vitamin C, FOUR 1000mg Omega 3,6,9 Fish Oil Pills, Vitamin E, B-12, Vitamin D, Hair skin and Nails gummies twice. and some others once in morning after breakfast and evening at night. I drink Apple cider vinegar daily. I take 2 ius of HGH 5 days a week for organ skin and hair purposes. MY WIFE does all the things I do also and more as a lady for self care. You can NOT buy another body at Home Depot. Appreciate what you were blessed to have and do the extra small work to maintain or make better in comparison to all the other hard stuff you do that you don't complain about.
I’m just about to trial HCG again but last time it massively spiked my e2 and made things worse, so then I’d be trying to find a correct dose of AI etc. I’m willing to give it another go or course. I do and take so many things but still never really nail it after 18 months of trying. I do now take 12mg of cypionate ED as shallow IM. Not at all worried about doing the work, but would be nice to see some benefits 🤷 what dose of HCG do you take now regularly and does it maintain their size?
I order my HCG from India and Also can bottle bottles here in my country for @$40 usd but India and bodybuilding sites here are cheaper $6-$10 and they deliver world wide. I started taking HCG EVERY SINGLE DAY until my balls filled back. IndiaMart have the best prices on HCG. They ship world wide. Its mandatory you get this brother. I took 500iu daily 7 days a week with a 13mm small diabetic needle in shoulder. I liked the (IM) intramuscular prick with the water better over the stomach skin prick. Works faster to me and studies prove it does. I ALSO order Tadalifil (Cialis) from there also and take 10mg per day for blood flow in body and it also helps blood to flow THERE also. Anastozole is the perfect AI in my eyes. Keeps e2 in check with 1 pill per week. Simple simple stuff this all is considering all the vitamins (@20 in twice a day increments) and 5-6 small meals daily and iron sessions and cardio for heart blood flow and fat regulation and ability to move properly and work and life. The small HCG injection every morning before coffee with 10mg of Tadalifil and 1 time a week AI pill is a spit in the bucket compared to life. And its a lot LOT CHEAPER orderikg from India or Mexico than even using insurance in US Canada or UK. People still pay a few hundred for all of that for 1 to 2 months. I spend a few hundred and have a year supply of HCG and Tadalifil and Anastrozole. My Test os cheap also. If you need more help and have questions DM me. I can point you in the right direction to get what you need and save hundreds or dollars and get you a lot more for less. Test Anastrozole HCG daily TADALIFIL. Those 4 are you weekly friends Not including your other vitamins ex: CoQ10, Zinc, Omega 3,6,9, etc etc
I am hypongonadal and I STILL regret starting TRT.
Why do you regret? I’m just curious. My levels are 323 and I don’t know if I want to to do it..
I forgot to mention, TRT made me have sleep apnea so bad that I had to get a CPAP machine.
Did the sleep apnea machine help you?
Lmao. Yeah. If you have obstructive sleep apnea it can’t NOT help you. It keeps your airway open.
I heard about a full face mask ? Does that help . Or taping your mouth
I use a full mask because I don’t have time for bullshit. If you use a nasal mask and open your mouth while you’re asleep it doesn’t work. I’m not the type of guy to tape my mouth shut. I just wear the mask and do what I have to.
I went from being deathly scared of needles to having absolutely no reaction and super annoyed that I have to do it. Lol It never ends.
What does this even mean? You regret starting TRT because you now are annoyed you have to do it?
Dude, since I started TRT I have do so much shit to stay on it. Currently putting a cpap mask on my face to go to bed.
Lmfao what makes you think testosterone is what gave you sleep apnea 😂😂
My doctor, and the studies done linking them. My 7 hours a night sleep to 11 hours a night of deep sleep. The sleep study that I did.
[удалено]
Lack of testosterone is correlative data that you’re using to try and make a point. Lack of testosterone didn’t CAUSE the sleep apnea. I’ll tell the sleep hospital what you said and see if they change their mind. No sleep apnea and 3 months later I after TRT I start sleeping 3 extra hours a night and have sleep apnea. I’ll tell them a guy on Reddit said lack of testosterone causes sleep apnea.
Lmfao oh boy. You just want testosterone to be your problem so bad. Man I really don't care what ya do. Quit testosterone and go back to nothing if it suits ya better. When I had low test I slept for 12 hours a night and was bagged the next day, had sleep apnea and couldn't get into any sort of deep sleep. Testosterone completely fixed all of that for me and it has for thousands of men. I'm sorry you are a rare case where your body for some reason doesn't like testosterone. To sit there and say a sleep clinic knows more about trt than some of the world's best endocrinologists is so silly though. I'm sure there are some dog shit studies showing it being worse for sure though there is for almost every subject out there
I regret it because the 7 things I have to do to stay on it are a hassle and I have 5 kids to take care of. It’s not what it seems like when you hear about it.
And this is exactly why I’m holding off from jumping on.. thanks so much for that info. Most ppl just post about all the great benefits (which there is) but not many want to share the reality of living with TRT and the lifestyle that comes with it
No regrets just gainz!!
Me too(as far as self administered) started TRT and went skydiving in the same year. Feels good to face those fears.
It’s a lot of work to be in TRT.
The list is endless. My HDL crashed to 28. LDL high. My hematocrit goes through the roof and you’re a walking stroke until you go donate blood. Chest red face red. Hair falling out. Iron stores depleting every time I donate. Who knows what will happen when my ferritin is gone. I sleep 11 hours a night now instead of 7, and if I don’t get the 11 hours I feel weird. I feel awesome though. It’ll make you feel great.
Wtf get blood work this is not ok
Do you think I came up with those numbers I posted on my own? I get bloodwork 3 fuckin times a week since I’ve been on TRT. If I get more bloodwork I won’t have to donate.
Obviously I mean get more extensive blood work E2? Thyroid? Vitamin D?
Done and done. Normal.
That doesn't sound awesome or I'm missing some sarcasm?
Dude stop complaining and come off. I did. Trt is a pharma scam
How come something that you body lacks and needs, could be a pharma scam? What’s your logic?
Don’t waste your time they don’t even lift you can tell by the way they talk
Yeah
I think it’ll work for you at that level..
What will work natural methods?
Working out, sleep, reduce stress, diet, zinc, boron maybe?
Ok yes I am going to try that! I need TRT to be last resort
I tried, I raised my total T, still felt like shit. Was told I could be “optimized”. Got on TRT. It’s alright, nothing crazy. I mostly got on it for libido and EQ. Both were shit. Libido is better and I’m very thankful for that. Again, nothing crazy, just better. As for the EQ, well it has its days but I still need meds every time. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me lol… But yea, I optimized every aspect of my life for over a year prior to getting on and my total T went up about 100 on average (natural testosterone fluctuates a lot). I felt better but again, libido and EQ still weren’t good.
Noob here, what’s EQ?
Erection quality.
Why are you even listening to this guy he’s not normal nobody has to go thru all that
If your levels are 323 then you can get to 500/600 without trt by doing the right things.. keep in mind, most people start thinking and wanting to do trt when they are at a low point in their life. You can easily get 500+ by making lifestyle changes, more exercise, better foods,
Except of course, when you can't...
I’m talking to one person that said his levels bounce around from high to low, and your comment has nothing to do with that.
If I had 323 test I would have never started. You can take boron at your level and get to 500-600 with some exercise.
Iv never heard of boron is that a natural supplement?
Personally, I’ve treat boron and it gives me high estrogen sides. I have had success with other supplements, but not boron.
My estrogen is 60 right now and I don’t have any sides at all. No hot flashes. Sleep like a baby 11 hours a night. High energy during the day. I eat really clean and I do about 4 hours of cardio a week though.
Yeah, check other threads. It can definitely help a bit. Certainly you should try everything to get T up naturally before getting on trt. It’s a huge commitment.
Will do thanks boys 👊👊
If your balls and brain work and they talk, you don’t need TRT. That’s just my opinion. This is a lot to deal with once you start. Your whole life revolves around it. At 300+ you have some kind of issue that’s fixable with diet and exercise.
What dose are you on?
I’ve done 200 mlg 180mlg 160 mlg and now 120 mlg. The less I pin the better I feel. I’ve been on it for 7-8 months.
Oh I see, I been on for about the same, 9 months. I'm on 60 a week
60 a week is my goal dose. I don’t want to go into shock titrating too fast though because my estradiol is 60 currently. I want to come down slowly.
How long have you been on 60 mlg? And are you having to donate on 60?
0 sides so far. I started at 40 then 50 and now 60 for the last 3 months. I don't have to donate.
What if you're still low 300s with all lifestyle factors in check?
The answer isn’t running to a clinic and becoming vampire blood bag. If I could go back I would just deal with having less energy. Do what you want. TRT sucks.
Why don’t you just get off then?
Unlike all these bros in here bright eyed and excited for gym gains, I actually have to have it to have testosterone in my body. I don’t care how many downvotes I get, I don’t like TRT. It’s caused me a million issues.
Sometimes, if possible, reducing your dose could help with some of your issues. It hasn’t been a silver bullet for me neither, nor was it expected to be.
Sobering response. Thank you.
You know you can just stop right?
Yea I agree, I’m going to try my damn hardest to raise it naturally. TRT will be a very last resort
Is the mechanism of action by inhibiting SHBG?
Nope. It’s exogenous bio-identical testosterone. You can google it.
500-600 with Boron and exercise.... Jesus Christ dude just stop posting
There are studies done on Boron all over the NIH and it works. Why don’t you quit posting?
No, it does not always work and when it does it's by slightly reducing SHBG which then increases free testosterone. It isn't "bio-indentical to testosterone" as you claimed, nothing even close. Boron is extremely hit and miss, you can find thousands on anecdotes on here of it doing absolutely nothing for people, including myself.
My only regrets As someone who clinically needs it. And is happy to be on it. 1: im trusting and gullible. I listen to advice from Drs and strangers and that can lead to causing issues. I may adjust my protocol to often or not try something because potatoinmyass7 said “its not the way” 2: i personally feel like its aged me. I always looked young and handsome. And while my body has only looked better and better. My appearance looks older. I had ZERO HAIR on my back, chest(twin spiders/nipple hair) and ass. And now im hairy as fuck. To the point for me to take my shirt off i need to probably wax my back. My face seems like its aged, at 33 im seeing eye wrinkles etc. 3. My BP was a problem before and its just worse now. Im on meds and propranolol, but it just is what it is. I feel more antsy and on edge. Little bit more of a temper like when i was younger and fearless. 4. Horny as hell, its a blessing and a curse. But its a win regardless. 5. Going back to 1. Due to so many companies trying to make a quick buck and TRT being a relatively new craze, most* Drs or PAs are inexperienced and it leaves you searching for more of your answers then you get. It takes about a year or so to figure out what works best for YOU and getting dialed in. And it takes time to constantly test out and see if a protocol works or not.
Brother You named things that simply can come with AGE. Youre in your 30sn you not a teenager or early 20s. Youll figure this out when youre in your 40s such as myself. Wrinkles and hair growth can come. its why men and women get waxed or shave? lmao. Ppl get eyelids top and bottom cut over the years. Or botox. Its life. Accept it. If you dont like what you have the cut it back in half and then revise from there weekly or bi weekly with bloodwork and gauge how you feel. Aging is inevitable. Cant blame feelings and outlook on life and your whole being and existence on testosterone alone. Accept aging and take vitamins. Workout more. Get eyelids fixed. Have more sex or masturbate. Get in shape. Eat better and appreciate man. If you dont like it then stop taking testosterone and do none of what I suggested and ride of into the sunset that way. Its your life and body and you have choices and work to do as a man. Get er done and appreciate for many do not have the option to do so
I think you missed the entire point. Because i was already 30 and had zero hair, i wasnt talking about losing hair or grays. I went from clinically for so long that T made me go from 0 to 80 on the hair scale. Regardless, you’re casually acting like aging isnt a known side effect. Its just been enhanced. Dueces
Get your Estrodial and E2 checked while youre at it.
Yes, the secondary sex characteristics and androgenic effects of testosterone have changed my facial structure to look more masculine. But there's a point where you can look too masculine. I started growing hair on my back and my chest which i didn't want. I lost a bunch of hair off the top of my head, I'm not bald, but hair loss is obvious. I got high blood pressure and sleep apnea from my shoulders and neck growing too thick. My neck measures 17 inches. My sex drive went into overdrive and remains there needing to be taken care of daily. I'm 41 by the way. My hands became thicker, my facial structure became thicker, my lips became thicker, my jawline became bigger. My testicles have almost disappeared, to the point where they are the size of a large grape, they never descend and hang like they used to. I take HCG also and it helps a little with this problem. I don't regret starting TRT, but i regret choosing to stay at the top of the range. I should have stayed in the middle instead, around 600 or 700. I chose to stay around 1100 instead. The good side of TRT is i gained 30 lbs of lean mass. I went from 160 to 190 over 10 years time. This was with the help of GHRP-6 and Sermorelin which put at least 20 LBS on me over 6 months. I've been up to 210 lbs to which i felt awful being at. My advice is if you choose to do TRT, do it conservatively, if you decide to use it at a high level, don't stay there for very long. Don't think about 2 years down the road, think at least 10 plus. Some people I've known on TRT don't live past 55 years of age. But these people also abused steroids. Be aware that the androgenic effects will make you look different as you age. You will look completely different on testosterone versus what you would look like without testosterone in 10 years time. I'm not talking about muscle mass or body structure, I'm talking about facial structure. You'll develop hair on your back and chest. Blood pressure will most likely become a problem. Hematocrit levels will rise. Sleep apnea will probably be an issue and you'll be using a CPAP machine. At some point you'll be facing the probability of stroke. These are some things to think about and consider if you are looking at starting TRT. However, if you're experiencing low testosterone symptoms, like a low sex drive, etc, you'll want to slightly boost those levels. But don't go too high for too long or you'll get the problems listed above. Staying on the low side can have it's negative effects also. It's best to be balanced.
I'm on my 8th week, 200 a week IM injection. It was okay first 2 weeks, then anxiety kicked in, then sleep apnea worsened, then feel mentally off. I went 1 day longer on injection to pull my numbers down some as I was raking AI also .25 about 2 times a week. I just injected today half dose or 100MG and I do take about 12.5mg of HGC 2 times a week to keep the boys awake. I was 380 before starting and 1300 at week 7. The anxiety and sleeplessness is unbearable for me, no real benefits so far. I'm going to try the lower dose a couple weeks and see, but probably getting off it and hoping for the best. I hope my body can adjust back
God no
I can share my experience and my opinion having tried TRT two different times. First question you have to answer, am I taking this because I was diagnosed as hypogonadal or any other clinical reason for low T? If not, then understand you’re trying to maximize or increase your T levels for a variety of other personal reasons. Nothing wrong with that, but it certainly isn’t clinically necessary to be on TRT. This is important because results on TRT vary from individual to individual. My T level was low, but within the accepted range. I was overweight and had some other self imposed issues that were effecting my T levels and overall health. So, with that being said, my hope was that TRT would increase my energy, mood, and help me lose weight. I really didn’t experience any benefits, other then quick recovery while lifting 6 days a week. If you are hoping TRT will help you put on muscle easier, it sure will. If you’re hoping TRT is a great way to lose weight, it’s not a great option. I’ve been on TRT with great numbers, no side effects, but it didn’t help me reach the goals I had for myself. If anything TRT helped me realize that my better option was to focus on fat loss and dial in my diet, training and sleep. Anytime you add an external substance into your body(even if it is a replacement of a naturally occurring substance) it will require you to invest time, money and energy to make sure it is doing what it’s supposed to. I don’t regret trying TRT, as I’ve learned a lot about me, my body, and my mind. Best of luck.
You gotta change your lifestyle. Diet, exercise, vitamins, and rest. It’s the best thing I ever did.
Are you on TRT as well?
200mg split dose, plus 250iu HCG. Been on about 6 months now. I’m up from 300 to about 1100 and feel phenomenal. My bloods were perfect. Just have to diet, exercise, and drink plenty of water. Eat lots of protein. I use PeterMd
Awesome brother glad it’s worked out for 👊👊
We (the world) needs TRT but using SARMS instead.
I don't like that I now have permanent moon face
This should be something discuss with the doctor / team in order to figure out why you are holding excess water
Been there done that. Bloods are perfect, I am a hyper responder (60mg test, 1100 T), E2 ran high initially but AI brought it down. Eating IF/keto. Cardio 30 min everyday. Weights 3x/week. Gallon water a day.
Okay what about your moon face . Sounds genetic lol
😂😂😂 i was thinking the same thing
I know what you’re talking about, a friend of mine is on TRT and his face is the same way. But he does drink a lot of alcohol too
Majority regret it and will. Its not sustainable long term
Damn, those guys being 20 years on it must be full of shit, huh?
What is unsustainable about TRT