Have you tried upping/lowering your dosage every few weeks? I do 185mg/week for two weeks then do 200mg for two weeks and back down to 185mg and so on. Libido is the one thing I can tell a difference from when doing this. It’s always high. It’s not enough of a dosage change to cause your body to go nuts but just enough to keep things interesting.
not necessarily. when i increase my dosages, for instance in one case where i blasted my old steroid cycle dose, i may have had an increase in erection for a short time but not libido.
I always wondered why the dosages i used to use for steroids worked before i ever needed trt, but now they don’t. My only assumption is that adding test to an already balanced body will work wonders as opposed to jacking test up on a body thats already in dysfunction.
The only times my libido went up was my first shot of hcg during a restart attempt, every time i take testosterone after a long lay off in between, or my short stint with hgh during weeks 2-3 where i had a good amount of libido for 10 days.
Maybe i took for granted how difficult it is to have balanced hormones while injecting testosterone into your system. I used to take testosterone 500mg twice a week with no AI nor hcg. Now i take testosterone and i simply get nothing whether i take my regular trt dose or if i jack it up. Other times I’ve had weak libido but it was there, maybe that was my body slowly balancing out.
I feel like something is genuinely off thats preventing my body from balancing out or using testosterone properly, however i can’t convince my Dr. to do anything else like prescribe wellbutrin or other things without at least giving his protocol a try first, and at least he’s willing to try things without offering much resistance as long as its in reason.
I gotta meditate and take care of my mind during this process. Its approaching 3 years and its been hard. But if i keep switching up and being impulsive, Im gonna drive my journey to healing further and further away.
I’ll keep this thread alive and update you guys week to week, about every monday or so.
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As promised, I’m going to log. I partially want to do this because I need to stay accountable to myself and discipline. I never really stick to one protocol for extended time and because of my impatience, but if this is going to get solved, i need to do the long game.
TRT RTR (Road To Recovery) Log Week 1
A few weeks ago i decided to pay for the services of Dr. Thomas O’Connor, the anabolic doc himself.
He recommended that I drop the hcg & AI and do test for a period of time, about 4-6 weeks to be exact. I was hesitant for fertility reasons, but hopefully I won’t be off for too long and everything will be okay.
I’m on 100mg E5D and took my second shot the of protocol this morning.
In addition, I’ll be doing everything thats positive for my mental health. I NEED to meditate everyday because its certainly the only way ill be able to stay calm and patient. I’ll also be including natural supplements like black maca, ashwagandha, milk thistle mucuna pruriens, amongst others.
Next shot Friday & see you next week!
PS:
I feel a tiny bit of libido, just a tiny tiny bit. it feels like my member wants to react, but it just doesnt have the juice to do so, unless i concentrate reallllly hard. Hopefully thats a good sign going forward.
When I change my dosage and on a daily protocol, I feel good pretty much all the time, unless on an EOD protocol, then it’s good one minute and not so good the next until levels become stable.
If I remember correctly, you have Free T3 below midrange, adequate Free T3 is needed for TRT to work. Some need Free T3 75% of the range to feel normal.
It’s common to see previous steroid users lose the benefit of androgens, for some it’s limbic system damage and there’s no guarantee of recovery.
I’m hoping dialing in a proper T/E2 ratio will have a positive effect on my t3 levels. Why are they lowish? I haven’t found an answer as non of my bloodwork seems conclusive as to why.
I know stress, oxidative damage and adrenal fatigue could hurt T3 and other structural things like inflammation doesn’t seem to be the cause. Like i said i gotta take the long game plan and at the very least dial in my T and estrogen and get as close to hormonal balance as possible. From there it’ll be easier to see what outliers are hindering my recovery.
He thinks i need to find the right test dosage and i’ll be fine. If it were that simple, i feel like i would’ve been fine already. But i reserve judgement and i know no further improvements can be made unless we trial and error things first.
and damn, the limbic system damage isnt exactly encouraging, but lets hope that it isn’t that serious.
This is not how it works, testosterone does not affect Free T3 levels. As of right now your Free T3 is not in the healthy ranges, most healthy men have Free T3 and testosterone closer to the top of the ranges.
testosterone and t3 have a relationship.
I’ve used thyroid hormones and they haven’t helped.
my latest free t3 bloodwork should 3.0 which is still on the lower end but has been the highest its been. Idk why as much as idk why its low in the first place.
Unless you have something that I could consider, then this seems like something that could have a positive effect, after all, our bodies don’t read the text book.
I’m taking it one step at a time and seeing what i can eliminate and as well as what problems stick out.
TRT RTR (Road To Recovery) Log Week 2
Whats up guys, week 2 update:
nothing has changed as of yet, however i will have a phone call with my Dr. O’Connor this wednesday and I’m going to speak to him about starting wellbutrin.
I don’t mind balancing out my levels and doing his regimen, but i know it won’t solve the issue.
I remember March of last year, before i even considered trt and looking at my blood levels after hcg monotherapy and i was shocked how good they were.
Bloodwork 03/20/2018:
Total T 772 (249-836) ng/dl
Free T 173 (30-150) pg/ml
Bio Available T 451 (72-460) ng/dl
LH 4.2 (1.7-8.6) mIU/ml
FSH 1.2 (1.5-12.4) mIU/ml
Prolactin 8.6 (4.0-15.2) ng/ml
E2 21.45 (7.02-49.06) pg/ml
SHBG 30 (10-57) nmol/l
Idk about you guys but these levels are as perfect as they get and i felt absolutely nothing.
One doctor hypothesized that i changed the structure of my hpta and what not and my body doesn’t recognize my test. A bit far fetched to some degree, but with nothing else to go on, i guess it made sense to start TRT.
Shortly after i discovered i had low t3 numbers, i did go about looking to raise them naturally and with t3 medications, but even with the rising numbers, it didn’t make me feel any better in the slightest.
As previously stated, i used to do MDMA recreational throughout the summer of 2012 to the summer of 2013. Not EVERY weekend or even every month, but a decent amount during that time. I remember stopping because it didn’t feel good anymore, actually had the opposite effect and made me feel weak. i obviously needed to increase my dosage, but it wasnt something i felt necessary to do.
Test also excites dopamine too. I think over time i couldve dysregulated dopamine or my neurotransmitter total through a couple of test cycles lumped close together along with my recreational drug use phase.
Just a hypothesis, i know, but ive exhausted pretty much every bodily resource to help my body. The same thing happens every time too: it works for a peroid of time, then stops and never works again.
Maybe through it all, my neurotransmitters couldn’t keep up unfortunately, at least thats what i hope; I’m running out of options.
For dopamine, I’ve researched and compiled a list of pharmaceuticals that I’m willing to try, starting from safest to more risky:
- Wellbutrin
- buspar
- mirtazapine
- Selegiline and or MAO-B Inhibitors
- The cabers and prami’s of the world.
Obviously i hope option number works and i can ride into the sunset, maybe even try getting off trt if it works that well!
In the meantime, its one day at a time, keeping a consistent trt regimen as well as seeing how these other compounds work for me.
Obviously all anecdotal reports are mixed, shit doesn’t work the same way for everybody.
I’ll keep you posted, until next week!
Many people post good numbers on hcg but feel like shit. How I feel is more important than the numbers. I started trt with a total T of 600. Trt has changed my life. I had many people on TRT say I didn’t need it because my numbers were fine. Wellbutrin works great for a year and then no longer has an effect so it may be a good short term thing but it’s just setting the timer back. I was on wellbutrin for 5 yrs. Great the first year, no noticeable effect the rest. Came off 3 months ago and felt absolutely no different. Didn’t even have withdrawals and I was on 450mg (started at 300mg).
I’ve tried all but mirtazapine.
Only buspar seemed to help w libido and it was short lived. Maybe a week or so.
How much was your free T before you started?
My numbers are also in the 500s-600s but I’m afraid from TRT for a few reasons. The main one being fertility. There is a second reason that I don’t know how T will affect - the psychological side.
I’m very easily agitated, most of the time feeling anxious and very agitated and have anger issues.
That’s why I wanna try wellbutrin, first at least. No real withdrawal symptoms and I’m hoping in my case, even if it only last a year, it’ll help me feel the same more or less once I cycle off of it.
But so many people have so many eclectic experiences with these drugs that I think it’s worth a shot to see how they may or may not work for me.
I also don’t necessarily think Hcg is one of those compounds that don’t work for me.
I’ve started TRT about 3 or 4 different times. Each time I started I’d feel decent the first week, maybe 2 before things plateau. It always feels like the engine is just about to get going before it stalls out.
@vonko1988
Don’t know about free T before trt. If anything trt relieved anxiety & agitation for me. I’m not saying it’s a cure all for those things but it definitely didn’t worsen them. Mentally it’s helped me a lot. You already know my take because I’m pretty sure I’m told you on here that fertility is not really an issue. I’ve never seen someone not be able to conceive due to trt. Some may have to do more than others but never just broken. Make sure you take care of yourself so you can keep someone around to have kids with.
@darkdescartes
It took me 3 months before I didn’t feel like shit on T and then another 3ish months to get to where I felt good and then another 3ish months before I felt like a super human. The main negative to T is it doesn’t come with exact instructions for each person. You have to figure it out on your own all while everyone tells you to do it a different way. But when you finally get there it is worth it.
Im late to this thread so apologies if its already been brought up, I know @hardartery mentioned it a few weeks back. L-tyrosine is a dopamine precursor. Physio (the endo) has me taking 3G a day…yes 3,000mg. When I asked him about it he said, “It provides the raw materials to make dopamine and increase its uptake. Typically alcohol crushes dopamine which is why you feel foggy headed as hell the day after.” I also take 400mg of 5-HTP at bed time per his rec.
@NH_Watts
That’s very interesting. What symptoms did you relay to him that he said 3g of L-tyrosine?
None. This is his patient standard along with 3mg boron, the 5-htp, starting at 400mg magnesium glycinate and titrating as necessary (Im at 600mg nightly).
@NH_Watts
I’m taking 600mg mag gly before bed, 3mg Boron, but will start L-tyrosine now if that’s the case. So 3g is what he has everyone take? Also how much 5http?
3G, thats what he said. He has me on 400mg 5-HTP nighty
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3g l-tyrosine is good to go and standard dosage. I’d work your way up to it as it can be agitating to some people. 1.5 g, 2g, 2.5 g then 3 g. They usually recommend 5-http to boost serotonin, as tyrosine can lower serotonin. BUT serotonin for sure lowers dopamine so be careful. I’d skip 5-http all together. Not worth it. You can boost serotonin by eating more carbs.
Best combo is 3g L-tyrosine with 1.2 g mucuna pruriens (15% l-dopa)
Interesting. Physiologik is absent from the boards these days but Im sure he had a good reason for suggesting the 5-htp as well as the tyrosine.