My endocrinologist is super liberal and really great. No, don’t pm me asking for his contact information. His first goal was getting me up to 1200ng/dl of testosterone (high end of normal). Now we are there using 150mg of testosterone per week and like 2mg arimidex/week.
He wrote the new prescription for double that dose, which is 300mg/week. Is there any harm in doubling this dose as long as I adjust my arimidex to mitigate the aromatazation? I’m no endocrinologist, but my guess is that this would have my testosterone levels at about 2000ng/dl! That sounds awesome from an athletic standpoint, BUT my health is always the #1 priority.
His quote, “Professional athletes take magnitudes greater amount of testosterone than you do and they aren’t exactly dropping off like flies.”
My fears: I don’t want this to come back to haunt me when I’m 40 and organs are failing or something like that.
At 300 mg a week, you will be on steroid levels, not trt. I would anticipate many health concerns from this approach if it is long term. Here are a few possibilities…
Increased red blood cells, high blood pressure, liver problems, heart lesions, high dht levels. I am sure there are more…but this is all that comes to mind.
You are at the top of the normal range right now, I would be very cautious about doubling the dose…unless you have a good reason to.
[quote]bholiday wrote:
At 300 mg a week, you will be on steroid levels, not trt. I would anticipate many health concerns from this approach if it is long term. Here are a few possibilities…
Increased red blood cells, high blood pressure, liver problems, heart lesions, high dht levels. I am sure there are more…but this is all that comes to mind.
You are at the top of the normal range right now, I would be very cautious about doubling the dose…unless you have a good reason to.[/quote]
Well if that is indeed the case, then it’s not something I want to pursue. What would the health risks be if I merely cycled the higher dose (i.e. 150mg/week for 9 months out of the year, and 300mg/week for the other 3.)?
[quote]Dr. Pangloss wrote:
So, you can’t drink coffee but a steroid cycle is OK?[/quote]
I am in awe that you somehow remember that I am Mormon. Are you a wizard? Seriously, I haven’t posted here in over a year and yet you somehow see my username and remember that I’m Mormon? I’m impressed.
But to answer your question, some things we have to take on faith. Our prophets can’t legislate every aspect of our lives. Our church gives general health guidelines and the rest of it is up to your own good judgment.
I am not an expert on steroids so I am not sure. However, I do not agree with your doctors approach of shooting for numbers (ie a t level of 1200). If you are doing trt, the goal is to take enough to remove symtoms and improve your health…not more…not less. This is based on labs and symptoms.
All hormones should be considered…not just testosterone. When one hormone is increased…there is an effect on the other hormones.
For example, you are taking a high dose of arimidex…this is a result of your taking more testosterone than your body probably needs or can handle…the excess is turning into estradiol (and dht).
In other words, your testosterone may already be too high, and your doctor wants to double it?
Too much testosterone can create problems just like not enough testosterone can.
Definitely be careful. High testosterone can reduce cortisol levels and increase DHT. High DHT often means acne, BPH, and hair loss. I have had some of these side effects and I am on only 160mg/wk.
I’m kind of in the same boat as you. My endo is OK with my T staying in the 900-1200 ng/dl range, but he hasn’t really considered any other hormonal effects. If anything, he’s lax; not liberal. He hasn’t even checked E2, and does not think it’s necessary, but I do worry that cruising with these levels can affect my other hormones.
I decided to check my E2 on my own, and I’m waiting for results. I might also go ahead and check cortisol and DHT considering that I will probably be at these T levels for awhile.
The other thing we have in common is the desire to up the dose or “cycle.” My endo will not up my dose of androgel, that would be less effective than injections anyway, but I know a guy (who knows a guy…) who’s offering a 10 week cycle of T injections at 500mg per week.
I am with you 100% of the way that health is the #1 priority, but I have the privilege (or curse) of having no natural T or nuts to worry about. From what I’ve deciphered so far, temporarily upping your T when on TRT is no more dangerous than running a T cycle when off TRT as long as you monitor everything. But I worry that once I up my T and cycle, the temptation will be there to do it over and over, or go longer each time. If anybody else is in this boat, please let me know.
Keep in mind my main purpose as a newb is to do research on this site, not give advice, but I thought I’d let you know I can relate.
Well I guess you have to decide what you want. Do you want the higher dosage to pack on mass? That would be the only deciding factor to go higher. I mean you are feeling fine as is.
Most of the guys here are after quality of life improvement not necessarily looking to get huge on high amounts of test.
Honestly I have a hard time understanding your doctor. You are already above range and he wants to double your dosage?
Damn you get doctors who will not prescribe when needed and you have others like your doctor giving it away like it is going out of fashion.
How he gets away with it is amazing. Sounds to me he is extremely negligent.
