Time to update this journal. I haven’t posted anything because I haven’t really had any information that was beneficial. For this update, I have tagged a few people that expressed an interest in updates.
@anon10035199
@jebrady03
@hd44
@bkb333
Flashback to my first post in Nov 2017:
Weight 130, libido drastically decreasing, tired, sleeplessness, fatigued, cold hands and feet – and I felt “blah”. Testosterone 900-1300; SHBG topped out at 120; Estradiol was virtually undetectable. I had a gazillion tests run to see if anything would be the “ah-ha” moment – but that never happened.
I began taking tests with the sole purpose of eliminating disorders. Brain MRI, penile doppler (READ: stick a needle into your penis), urinary stress, kidney ultrasound, heart testing. Some symptoms pointed to Thyroid so thyroid markers in blood were tested repeatedly. Thyroid tests have always shown that nothing was out of whack (in numbers).
I supplemented with saliva and urine testing to provide an alternate perspective to the testing results. (For 24 hours, I had to collect all urine; and keep it stored between uses in the refrigerator. Explain that one to anyone that opens the refrigerator).
Then I got on TRT in March 2018:
Once we got my dose above 1500 (and tested it as high as 3000), I began Danazol therapy and felt progress. The high dose of T didn’t bring down the SHBG; it came down only after Danazol was started. I began feeling good – the world wasn’t “blah” – it was in color again. Estradiol increased but only slightly. Lack of spontaneous erections were still a major unaddressed issue. I began sleeping well.
To clarify, I have written repeatedly that “… my libido (sex drive) is kicking. It is my arousal (erections) that aren’t doing me any favors. Libido is also in the brain and it is functioning correctly.”
In October of 2019, I submitted to a battery of heart related tests to see if there were any issues with blood flow (cold hands and feet, ED issues). They found no flow related issues of any kind.
February 2020, diagnosed with Sleep Apnea:
“Nitric oxide is important in regulating blood vessel dilation.” My Nitric Oxide has ALWAYS been low. “I continue to read that there is a well known connection between sleep apnea and decreased nitric oxide levels.” Tried the CPAP/APAP machine for a few months. Hated it and stopped. Learned to sleep on my side which I still don’t like – but I am sleeping. Using the CPAP machine did not outwardly affect nitric oxide levels or erection strength.
And then there was COVID:
I kept delaying my pellet re-insertion thinking I would be returning home “soon” and I wanted a full 6 months of pellets in my system. Before I knew it, a year passed since my last pellet insertion. I was off of TRT and I wasn’t feeling bad!
In November of 2020, I returned to my doctor after being away for one year. Since I was off of TRT, we discussed other possible treatment methods. He asked whether I wanted to try alternate T-delivery methods (shots, gels, etc.). I declined, because I still believe that Testosterone supplementation wasn’t what I really needed.
My Doctor explained about trials he had been reading about using Chlomid off-label to boost or “kick-start” Testosterone production. I’m game for just about anything.
I tried with 25mg Chlomid per day. After about 6 weeks, Testosterone had risen about 50%. But SHBG increased also. The lab used the wrong vial/tube for my Estradiol test and corrupted the blood so I don’t know what the results would have been. I noticed erections being even less than normal (and that meant very few).
Next was 50mg Chlomid per day. After about 6 weeks, Testosterone had risen an additional 25%, making my increase from pre-Chlomid test to now – a full 94%! I also grew a vagina. Well, not quite, but I had ZERO erections at this dose. SHBG decreased but Estradiol was a very high 46.
I reduced my dose to 12mg (when you break a 50mg tablet into 4, you lose tiny pieces and powder which is why I say 12mg and not 12.5mg). I stayed with this dose 12 weeks. SHBG doubled from the previous level. Estradiol decreased to 27, which was below the maximum range of 29.
I had not been testing FSH, although I knew it would increase from “0” once I stopped TRT. It returned to 31.5!! Prior to TRT, I also had unusually high FSH.
My Testosterone was 774; a decrease overall, but still an increase since the beginning of the Chlomid trial. Testosterone percent was 1.62% due to the elevated SHBG. Interestingly, had my SHBG not changed from the last test, my free T percent would have 2.38%. SHBG is a bitch.
Morning wood continues to be strong. I am now testing a 5mg daily Cialis in an effort to bring back spontaneous erections AND to see how blood flow is affected.
TL;DR: “But how do you FEEL?”
Surprisingly, I feel good. I sleep at night – not without waking up and changing positions – but I get 7-8 hours of sleep every day. I weigh about 147 pounds, up from when I started this journal. I am no longer on a carb restricted diet but I do try not to scarf down an un-necessary amount of food. I still experience cold hands and feet which still indicate blood flow issues. I sleep with socks now which I believe has been a help with blood flow to my feet.
On a humorous note, every doctor asked about my stress level and whether it could be affecting how I felt. Pre-Covid stress level felt like semi-retirement. Post Covid? 90 days of business closures followed by 2 hurricanes including one that flooded my home, and a severe freeze … all followed by the Great Flood of 2021 which put 8” of water into my home. I now have stress levels we can quantify!! Even with all of that, I still feel better.
What is in the future? June 2021 – almost 4 years later.
I plan to increase my L’arginine (following Dr. Ruterbusch’s online suggestions) as well as continue the daily Cialis for at least a month. I do not plan to return to TRT. I have been taking 50mg of Danazol per day for many months. I may return to 100mg daily to test what it does to my SHBG levels without being on TRT.
Thank you to those of you who have followed my journey and expressed interest in the treatment directions I took.