Downsides to Increasing TRT to Conservative 12-Week Cycle?

Hello I’m contemplating doing a conservative cycle of about 300mg/week. I have been on trt for a few months and the results have been great. Are there any downsides to doing a cycle while on a trt protocol? Would it be 12 weeks, 300mg and then just back to my try dose? Would I change my hcg dose of 400iu/week. I’m 38 fwiw.

Thanks

Probably not. Twelve weeks would be fine, but you could make it as long as you want. There is no need to change the hCG dose.

The real question is will you actually see any benefits from 300mg a week. Please log this so that we are kept abreast of your situation. What is your current TRT dose?

Most beginner cycles are 500mg, I’m also thibking of doing the same thing but would do 500mg test e a week. After I fix my proc problem lol

I understand your desire to bump your dose but a few months is not long enough to change protocol. Give it some time

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I am asking but I am mainly concerned about safety. My initial t numbers were in the low 400s, but high shbg kept my ft way down. I’m now hovering around 1000 tt with lower shbg and a higher ft. I am taking hcg 400iu twice a week as I plan on having kids within the next two years. I’m 38. Anyhow, I would want my cycle to be conservative and I’d like to do it at or below 12% bf to keep estro sides down. Thus, I’ll probably start it after Xmas.

If you have been a member long enough you’ll notice every now and again men come to T-Nation broken from cycling, androgens no long work and they are on a island of suffering.

Yes I have read the horror stories. I guess what I still don’t understand is, if 120mg/week shuts you down, then what’s the difference if you inject 300mg? Is the lower dose inherently Safer? I’m coming up on three months being in try and it has been great, but it hasn’t been the miracle I’d thought it would be. Just wondering if I should experiment with a higher dose or get off.

It’s going to take longer than 3 months to see maximum benefits, it takes beyond 1 year to see maximum results. Hormones are not fast acting like drugs or caffeine, your body will take time to use these new hormone levels.

Thank you for you reply but your first comment was a bit disconcerting to me. I have ocd I should say lol

I mean, I’m going to be 39. I’m in relatively good shape, eat right, and I am enjoying being on trt. I had levels in the low 400s before. Just wondering whether or not I should stay on. I tend to think catastrophiy when it comes to certain things and this is one of them.

If we are talking about shutting down your HPTA, then no. The larger dose won’t shut you down any more than the lower dose will shut you down.

Testosterone levels start decline by 40, so your levels will only decline further as you age. There are many studies showing only benefit to those on TRT and worsening outcome for those with low testosterone levels.

Bend your OCD to your will, ponder what will become of you if you have lower than normal testosterone. A testosterone level in the 400 is suboptimal and risking cardiovascular disease.

Testosterone Threshold for Increased Cardiovascular Risk in Middle-Aged and Elderly Men:

The locally weighted regression showed that total testosterone levels of 440 and 480 ng/dL were associated with increased Framingham CVD risk and an increased probability of increased hsCRP, respectively. Men with sexual dysfunction (poor sexual performance, decreased morning erection, and loss of libido) had significantly greater CVD risk.

Thanks for your response. This is new to me. I want to be the a good dad and good husband and trt has given me the energy and pep I have lacked in the past.

@rocgenova
I personally think if you are going to do a cycle then 400-500mg is likely the better starting point than 300 especially if it’s a 12 week cycle. At 200mg it took about a year to see very noticeable body changes (6 months for minor changes). I’m going to do 500mg for 12 weeks soon myself. Since you have OCD and likely have a propensity to over analyze things (both a good and bad thing, not judging) if I were you I’d read up on all the side effects so you know exactly what is going on. When you start to experience some of those things you won’t be stuck going crazy in your mind about them. You see so many people who don’t have OCD blame every little thing on E2 and don’t give themselves enough time for the symptoms to dissipate on their own. This usually ends up with them overdoing it and making things worse. I know because I’ve been there myself. In the end once you educate yourself you’ll know what right for You and it may end up being 300mg. Definitely keep a log either way as I would love to read it.

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Those that cycle, do they get the extra from. uGL? Or are these from prescriptions.

Probably both, but if prescription then it is through multiple doctors. Most probably use underground sources.

I would ride out your gains from TRT for as long as possible. Like it was said, it takes time to see physical changes once starting TRT. I’m 3 months in and have just started noticing a slight improvement for my ED. The only thing that was almost “instant” when I started TRT was an improved libido. Get your body stable and enjoy that for some time before doing something that could mess all that up. Just my 10 cents.

Ugl in addition to trt for me. Although every now and then I’ll happen to “misplace” my prescription and need extra bottles sent. :smile:

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I’ll echo what has been said already regarding the dose. 300mg isn’t going to be terribly dramatic. My last blast was 420mg/w and it was underwhelming.

Underwhelming in what sense?