Consultation with Defy Tomorrow. Nervous if TRT is Right for Me

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

I’ve gone through the usual thyroid stuff on here, with a good thermometer, temps are 98-99. - looking more for personal opinions. I’m 33.

Basically, T has been around 580 since last year (2016). Also have a pituitary adenoma. Started adding resistance training, didn’t get any higher. Tested 580 last November. Started dropping this spring, going as low as 380 (tested later in the day though), but generally around 480. Endo tried me on clomid, first week was GREAT, but then started getting really emotional and losing libido, and had to stop. Felt alright for a while after stopping, T came back at 750ish a week after stopping, then 640 last week. The symptoms have been returning slowly as my T drops back down. I don’t want to get too into numbers or technical things here, but FT% is usually just under 2% as well.

I’m having clear cut symptoms of low T, which began before even seeing my low T bloodwork come back. Depressed without reason, unmotivated, antisocial, anxious, irritable, tired, gym gains slowing, etc. At the rate I’m going, my business partner wants to replace me, my girlfriend is concerned, my friends don’t want to be around me.

2 endos think it’s the tumor causing it, and a neurosurgeon says it’s probably unrelated depression and suggested an SSRI. There’s really nothing terrible going on in my life, and everything seemed fine while clomid was working.

My concern is that my T will actually be fine, and that I’m wasting my time and money, and going to be stuck on it forever, and not feel any better. I keep looking over my bloodwork (4 low T tests so far), wondering if it’s a fluke caused by other factors. But then regardless, that first week on clomid was life changing - I’d give anything to have that back.

What would you do?

2

Did you have E2 tested along with Test? Forum usually asks for all labs including ranges.

3

Sure did. It’s been 22-28, except for recently after trying calcium gluconate (now it’s <20 which is probably just making things feel worse).

4

Did you have it tested the week you felt like shit?

5

Well you already know you felt great when in the 750 ranges in the first week of clomid, so your T won’t be fine do to the fact that as we age it gets lower and lower. Don’t expect TRT to fix all your problem, but it will help you deal with the problems you do have and it will be easier than it is now. An SSRI will only make things worse, these medicine lower T even more.

Doctors are quick to prescribe SSRIs since that’s how they were trained, they almost never consider that your emotional problems might be caused by low hormones. Low thyroid function is the reason why some are depressed and are often scripted SSRIs when what they need are thyroid hormones.

Most doctors are interested in the cause, they only want to bandage the situation. It’s similar to applying a band aid on an open gushing wound. TRT will be life changing, but the first few weeks could get rough for awhile and you just need to wait for TRT to start working.

TRT is for life, you don’t ever stop it. You need to realise you will be on it for life, accept it and know that when you reach your 70’s you be one tough dude with boatloads of energy and all the other elderly men will wonder why you’re in such good shape.

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6

No…I wish. My endo left it off that test for some reason. Unfortunately the window passed and I’ll never know…

7

TRT is for life, you don’t ever stop it. You need to realise you will be on it for life, accept it and know that when you reach your 70’s you be one tough dude with boatloads of energy and all the other elderly men will wonder why you’re in such good shape.

This is my biggest point when I discussed it with family, and they asked “what if it doesn’t fix your problems?” I said at least I won’t have to worry about low T levels as I get older, so it’s preventative if nothing else.

8

The amount of men today over the age of 50 with low hormones, the conservative estimate is 50 percent are low hormones and even more are hypothyroid do to eating crappy and living a sedentary lifestyle and then you have all the toxins affecting everyone, multiple factors. Low hormones has a consequence, heart disease, alzheimer’s, dementia and cardiovascular disease over decades of low hormones.

If your family knew these facts they would be singing a different tune.

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9

Correction @NH_Watts : I got it tested after week 1, but not after week 2 when things started going downhill. Here’s a breakdown:

Thurs: took 25mg clomid, felt really great
Sat: took 25mg clomid, felt great
Monday: took 12.5mg clomid, still feeling pretty good
Tuesday: took 12.5mg clomid, starting to feel a little lousy
Wednesday: started feeling emotional, stopped clomid

Blood test on that Wednesday showed T at 599 (my previous normal) and E2 at 28 (slightly higher than my normal). FT was at 117, the highest it’s ever been.

Wondering if the added E2, along with not keeping on the clomid backed off the T a little, and that’s what left me feeling worse. If that makes sense.

Switched to so-called enclomiphene (from an online vendor) on Thursday, felt great again, but a few days later, started having similar issues, stopped 5 days later. Still feeling better than baseline though.

T at 754 a week after stopping so-called enclomiphene, E2 unknown.

10

I think you should consider Anastrozole (Arimidex) over Comid. I’ve read that clomid can cause these emotional issues where Adex does not.

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11

It definitely does. I tell everyone who asks about it that it’s not worth it (clomid). Shoots your libido down too.

12

Your response to clomid is a typical one, most in the beginning feeling good tapers off after a while even with excellent numbers. You will find many similar stories here.

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13

True, forgot about that. T kept climbing but didn’t feel much better. Slightly better on the enclomiphene, but even that got nowhere. Side note, if you dig around, it failed clinical trials for that - basically should’ve worked way better than clomid but didn’t.

14

I think u mean nolvadex not arimidex

15

Some guys start trt then after a few months do a restart. Successful with younger guys. So it is possible for you to try trt for a year…

16

Successful restarts are rare, over 30 your chances are slim. Another reason why guys go on TRT and off months later to try a restart is because do to their incompetent doctors, their forced into quiting. Those that get balanced right off the bat wouldn’t trade the way they feel for anything. There’s less of a reason to do a restart.

17

It should return you to base levels or a bit less. Why wouldn’t it esp if you used HCG and testes never stopped working

18

Nope, I like arimidex.

19

Don’t expect TRT to fix all your problem, but it will help you deal with the problems you do have and it will be easier than it is now.

This one really hits home. Maybe my problems aren’t a result of the low-ish T, but maybe the extra brought me to a level where I’m better equipped to handle it. Valid?

20

In my case it solved the irritability and cranky mood, TRT made me as calm as a turtle. Almost nothing bothers me.

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