Hey guys,
I am new to the site and I am looking for advice. Thank you for taking the time to view this. I will try to make it as short as possible.
I am 33 years old, 160lb, athletic build. Work out everyday, eat clean, sleep well, cardio 3-4 times a week. Drink on weekends.
I started TRT in January of 2017 (29 years old). My pre-TRT labs showed my Total T was at 260, Free T at 10.6. TSH was 3.3 uIU/mL. 90 days after starting TRT the TSH was still 3.3. Every year after that TSH was 2.5, 2.9. Always on the high end but well within the lab ranges.
My TRT doc had prescribed 200mg Test Cyp once a week, 1mg Anastrozole EOD. HCG 500IU 3x a week.
This protocol worked for me, I did not feel a difference compared to pre-TRT, so it did not give me any issues (anxiety, panic, moodswings). It did give me BPH symptoms (enlarged prostate).
I was on this protocol for 2 years. On labs my E2 was always on the low end, 8.1, 11, 13, but I felt fine. Never felt the “crashed” feeling.
Early 2019 I decided to come off TRT as I did not feel any benefits from the extra cost of staying on. I don’t care about gym gains, I got on this to feel better mentally, physically, overall well being.
My doctor instructed me to take HCG 2000IU per week for 8 weeks at the same time wean off Testosterone 0.10ml per week.
Doctor said clomid or nolva were unnecessary.
2 months after coming off I still felt okay, I thought I got away with the crash everyone talks about.
Come the third month and forward, i began to experience severe anxiety and panic attacks weekly. Sometimes even in my own home. It was a brutal roller coaster.
This continued and got worse for 6-8 months at which point I got my Thyroid tested to see if that was causing it, the full panel came back with everything in range (TSH was 2.9).
I then figured let me get my Testosterone checked and sure enough my Free T was at 8.3. Total T was 544. E2 27.8.
This is when I figured out it was all caused by withdrawal from the hormones. I was unaware of it.
I immediately got back on TRT. They prescribed the same exact protocol. A lot of the panic disappeared, but I still felt like shit. After 4 months of being back on and still feeling terrible I figured one day to change the AI dose to 0.5mg EOD.
Within 7 days of doing this I was finally 100% feeling amazing. I literally felt the E2 go up and all anxiety disappeared. That was fixed, but the BPH symptoms were back.
To fix the BPH I recently lowered my dose to 0.8mL once a week, keeping the 0.5mg AI for 8 weeks and still felt great. It did not fix the BPH.
I then split my dose into 0.4ml twice a week, I am now 12 weeks in this split injection protocol, and am experiencing the severe anxiety/ moodswings.
I have tried various AI doses (0.25 EOD, no AI, 0.25 twice a week) on this protocol, with the exception of 0.50 EOD, can’t seem to feel good.
These are my labs 7 weeks into this protocol with no AI:
The doctor says we don’t need to treat the high TSH since the T3 and T4 are in perfect range in addition to the possibility of Biotin interference from the Vitamin B supplement I take.
What do you guys recommend? I will feel okay for a few days, then terrible for another few days…roller coaster…