Will being on T-replacement eventually screw up many other hormones in the body?
I keep hearing this on other forums and it seems pretty crappy 
everyone is different genetically, and everyone reacts differently. some people have low T and can treat their low T with simple replacement and go on with no side effects… however most of us are not perfect genetically or else we wouldn’t have low T to start with.
what happens in a lot of cases is that when you try and fix your Testosterone levels you uncover other previously existing problems (thyroid, cortisol, etc), and in some cases, adding extra T (or too much T) can “screw up” your other systems.
everyone also has a different genetic optimal T level. If you push your levels above your optimal levels, then your system will try to return to balance by taking evasive action (dumping T to Estrogen or DHT, diverting DHEA to estrogen and bypassing T, etc.)
More to the point, TRT can make other preexisting hormone problems worse as TRT creates metabolic demands that weak adrenals and/or thyroid function cannot support. TRT does not create these problems. If other systems are weak, they need to be managed.
TRT can often improve weak thyroid function, but not major thyroid problems. Conversely, fixing thyroid levels can allow T levels to improve.
All things are interconnected. All systems support other systems.
TRT can lower total cholesterol levels while leaving HDL mostly unchanged.
Do not forget that Vit-D3 is converted to a steroid hormone vit-D25 that is mission critical for health. Low vit-D25 levels can make all systems sub-optimal. Cell wall permeability is important to support hormone receptors and other cellular activities. You need EFAs in your diet. For most that is fish oil capsules.
You should not think of these things as one thing will fix everything. Just as T only TRT can create estrogen imbalances and low LH levels [managed with hCG].
Yeah the same thing that happens to your nuts happens to your pituitary.
[quote]cjackson25 wrote:
Yeah the same thing that happens to your nuts happens to your pituitary.[/quote]
The HPTA repression of TRT occurs because the pituitary gland is not getting a signal from the hypothalamus to release gonadotrophins [LH/FSH]. The effect on the testes is a down stream effect. hCG replaces the lost LH stimulation of the LH receptors, but that has no benefit to the hypothalamus-pituitary function. While a SERM can work on the top-end of the HPTA, there are side effects that make long term use of SERMs inappropriate.
Some releasing hormones in the pituitary have cross effects in the pituitary. So one can be concerned that a lack of one releasing hormone might have some undesirable effects on other things. But this is really only a unfounded speculation.