I did start a 2nd thread here because I have some pharma questions about my current routine. I am 56 255 lbs…former athlete, sedentary job, trying to turn my life around. Started TRT with 70mg T-Cyp, 125iu HCG, .25mg anastrazole with a Sunday/Wednesday injection routine T-Cyp IM, and HCG Subq.
Been on 5 weeks, did a blood test 4 weeks in T was 952 and E was 23. I am a low SHGB guy so under direction of Ksman and Systemlord I started splitting my initial recommendation from my Dr. which was once per week of the above routine which was 140mg T-Cyp, 250iu HCG, and .5mg anastrazole.
Long story short I have been getting a bad bloat for a day or two after injections, painful pressure in left side dull ache in testicals. I am contemplating the T dose being too high. I know most have told me it should be .50mg T-Cyp E3D, 250iu HCG E3D or even EOD, and .5mg anastrazole with T-Cyp injection days. Because I am a low SHBG I cannot hang on to all the extra T is what I am told. I will say my fog has lifted, I do have more energy but that bloat is not good.
You’re splitting you case up and info is lost, context is lost. If you’re still having problems after 6 weeks from a protocol change it’s time to decrease dosage when you know you’re already near the high normal range.
I get acute bloating and water retention with hcg that takes effect after about 5 hours of injection. If you’re done with kids, suggest dropping the hcg to see if bloating goes away. You can take nolva or Clomid in its place if needed.
With low SHBG, perhaps, your free E2 is higher than E2=23 implies and causing symptoms. But need to point out that this is the first time I have thought about this consideration. So if valid, this suggested that you need lower [total] E2 labs and to complicate things, some companies reporting floors may leave you blind. Try 0.5mg anastrozole twice a week and pay close attention to how you feel and be prepared to bail out if needed. Any fixed change will take a week to reach final anastrozole serum E2 levels, so there is a time delay. I think that you will notice changes on a shorter time scale.
Down the road if you manage to lower E2 and still feel less than optimal, try DIM 100-200mg and calcium d glucarate 250-500mg affecting your free E2 and ridding excess free E2.
That’s a tough one. If you are doing 140 still maybe should continue the .25 X2. If u are able to get labs try to get e2 done after 7 days. Not good to crash estrogen. I know I crash e2 when my penis sensation goes down.
You will know quickly if stopping HCG helps the bloating.
Let us know how it goes
Ok stuck with my .35mg of T-cyp IM, .125iu of HCG subq, and .25mg anastrazole this morning. I do this routine E3D. Already bloated, back hurts, feel like I am full of air. HELP, don’t know whether to drop to .25mg T-cyp, or up HCG, or up HCG and up anastrazole to .5 mg E3D???
There’s been a number of men who for some reason feel terrible while taking hcg. I get bloated and start retaining water within 5 hours of injecting more than 200 iu’s.
You need to start getting methodical. Stop injecting hcg for two weeks. If hcg is the problem, you should start to feel better within a week. After two weeks, if you’re still having issues, it’s likely the anatrazole that’s making you feel bad since your e2 is in an “optimal range”.
Another piece of advice is to only change one variable at a time. If you change two things at once, you won’t know what’s responsible for what. With your e2 being at a “good” number, I’d bet money on you not responding well to the hcg.
If after two weeks without any hcg you don’t feel markedly better, you need to look elsewhere, likely your estrogen and anastrazole/arimidex.
@Hostile Ok I am going to do just that my next injection day is Wednesday. I assume I should still take my .25mg anastrazole with my injection routine of Sunday/Wednesday?
I would continue using for the two weeks without hcg. Keep in mind your T & E will likely decline slightly without hcg, so your AI dose will likely have to be altered/reduced at some point. Low E is worse than high E, most people agree.
After the two weeks without hcg, if you feel better, I would get bloodwork done to see where you’re at. Make sure you get “male sensitive array” for your estrogen test.
Ok the more I read about low SHBG guys it seems most are injecting EOD or MWF. Just wondering if I would find more of a sweet spot if I were to injecting EOD or MWF? I am going to take the advice and stop HCG for 2 weeks just to see if the bloating and constipation go away. I will stay on my .25mg of anastrazole with my injections on Sunday am/Wednesday pm routine.
If after 2 weeks my bloating issues are gone I would like to try a MWF routine of T-Cyp of .235mg MWF and see how that affects me. What would your advice be on the anastrazole? Right now they sent me capsules of it at .5mg. Should I do the vodka stuff and dilute it down and take .16mg MWF??? Just want to get a sweet spot dialed in.