How Do I Come Off TRT Properly?

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

I need a break from TRT for a bit, perhaps a restart later. Could never get the side effects under control no matter the dosage, protocol, etc. Been on for 2.5 years, never cycled off. Got myself titrated down to 80mg per week and stayed there for a good 10 months (somewhat effective dose for me with the least sides). Recently dropped it again, and this time feel like ASSSSSS. Fatigue, headache, etc., but mentally more than anything, surprising amount of anxiety/depression/etc.

Obviously, Iā€™ve learned cold turkey would be a mistake for me, as well that Iā€™m super sensitive to dosage adjustments. So what are guys doing that help coming off? Just powering through?

Iā€™m not a body builder, so I am unfamiliar with PCTā€™s or cycling.

2

What side effects were you experiencing? Do you have labs for 80mg a week?

TRT isnā€™t ā€œcycledā€ and if you are stopping, within intent to stay off, you should immediately do a PCT/restart. That info is generally pretty easy to find on the internet. HCG, Clomid, tamoxifen.

3

Sides on TRT have always been a problem for me. Ridiculous acne (forget going shirtless), sleep problems, hair loss, etc. Those three in particular never let up despite various IM protocols, dosages, etc. More test is not better for me, those sides just all increase, plus I get a load of sexual sides as well. HCG caused anxiety.

No current labs for 80mg a week no. I have some old ones I can post that would likely be unchanged.

Iā€™m floored by how bad dropping my TRT dose just 25% is. Perhaps too much too fast?

4

20mg Nolva (Tamoxifen) daily for 4-6 weeks, wait 4 weeks, get lab work and see if LH, FSH, TT have increase

3 Likes
5

Thank you!

6

When should I start a PCT by the way? Only when off TRT completely? How long after last dose if so?

Also, as I appear to be super sensitive to dosage reduction, what would be the proper way to titrate the dose down? Say, 10mg a week until zero? or 10mg a week down to 40 and say fuck it?

All I know is suddenly dropping a long term dose by 20% was NOT the right call for me.

7

3-4 weeks after last shot. I never tapered off, so canā€™t comment on that. Also didnā€™t use HCG as part of PCT, but I see that recommended a lot

8

Check out this thread

https://t-nation.com/t/stopping-trt-after-7-months-help-with-plan/275739/17

9

How much arimidex do you guys recommend when running just HCG? Iā€™m trying to avoid acne breakouts during PCT, and previously even 150iu hcg combined with my TRT (120mg cyp) would cause severe breakoutsā€¦

Currently on TRT (no hcg) .375mg of adex on Monday and Thursday tanks my e2 to zero but stops all acne. I figure that without any test in my system that the e2 from hcg wonā€™t be as high compared to when on test, so taking .375mg once per week should be enough.

I plan on running 650iu EOD for 4 weeks and then 20mg nolvadex for 4 weeks.

Thanks

10

Been trying to make TRT work for me for just over 2 years, really only having success with it at the start. Tried numerous protocols, dosages, as well as HCG for a couple months and just canā€™t seem to get it to work. Lately been feeling like shit mentally, anxiety/worry and a bit of depression now which is highly unusual for me. Feel like a menopausal woman. Also sleep like shit.

Working with a TRT NP who isnā€™t big on dosages over 100mg per week, which is fine as Iā€™ve had sexual sides above that I donā€™t like. My current protocol is the result of trying to find the balance between effectiveness and a shitload of sides I seem prone to based on dosage (all manner of sexual sides, acne, thinning hair, sweating, sleep problems, mental issues)

Age 41
6ā€™, 176lbs.
Drawn in trough AM

Current protocol 70mg Enanthate IM once per week (been 9 weeks at this protocol)
CBC & Lipids all normal unchanged

Dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA-S] = 9.1 <15.0 umol/L
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone [TSH] = 0.62 0.32-4.00 mIU/L
Thyroxine Free [Free T4] = 12 9-19 pmol/L

Estradiol = <40 <162 pmol/L (under 0-10 pg/ml)
Testosterone Total= 13.3 8.4 - 28.8 nmol/L (383.3 ng/dl)
Testosterone Free = 350 196-636 pmol/L (101 pg/ml)

The biggest difference in values that I can see is my current E2 is way lower than it used to be. When I felt TRT was working well for me, it was consistently over 100, yet now is low enough to not be able to measure accurately at the same protocol 12 months later. I have never taken AIā€™s, just HCG approximately 12 months ago and a bunch of protocol changes trying to dial it in.

Anyway, something with this is making me feel worse on it than off and just looking for help.

Also, I live in Canada, which has pretty shitty healthcare lately, so these are the only test results I have besides PSA.

11

You keep saying youā€™ve tried numerous protocols but only see you mention once weekly dosing and dosing is way to low for a once weekly dosage.

You said in your first post you feel shit below 80mg weekly, and now you are at 70mg and coming up low on estrogen.

Have you ever tried twice weekly or even EOD injections?

Are you excersising or just sitting around waiting for TRT to do all the work?

I tried this approach I didnā€™t work out too well, I didnā€™t start turning a corner until I got off my fat ass.

Learning how to eat, cook healthy food was the biggest challenge.

12

You keep saying youā€™ve tried numerous protocols but only see you mention once weekly dosing and dosing is way to low for a once weekly dosage.

I have indeed tried twice a week at both 100mg and 80mg for almost 8 months. I preferred the once a week, no idea why it worked better for me, just does.

You said in your first post you feel shit below 80mg weekly, and now you are at 70mg and coming up low on estrogen.

I agree, was my attempt to taper gradually and experiment with coming off completely. Going higher does indeed make me feel good mentally, but it brings out sides I do not want.

Have you ever tried twice weekly or even EOD injections?

Yes

Are you excersising or just sitting around waiting for TRT to do all the work?

Iā€™m active, healthy, and a great weight, but I donā€™t want to insult anybody on here by saying that I work as hard as you guys. You would consider what I do minimal.

I tried this approach I didnā€™t work out too well, I didnā€™t start turning a corner until I got off my fat ass.

I get it, but not the same issue here.

Learning how to eat, cook healthy food was the biggest challenge.

13

Thatā€™s your likely issue, but without AI use donā€™t know why it would be that low

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14

No idea either. Iā€™ve only used 2 drugs for hormones, Test E and HCG. The only thing I can think of is either 2 months of HCG use or switching dosing protocols back to x1 week.

Iā€™m leaning to it being the use of HCG based on my E2 history below:
E2 = 34.86 pg/ml on 150mg x1 week IM
E2 = 32.68 pg/ml on 100mg x1 week IM
E2 = 28.06 pg/ml on 70mg x1 week IM
E2 = 32.69 pg/ml on 76mg x1 week IM
E2 = 26.20 pg/ml on 76mg x3 week IM
E2 = 13.10 pg/ml on 80mg x3 week IM +HCG 250IU x3 for 30 days
E2 = 12.50 pg/ml on 80mg x3 week IM +HCG 250IU x3 for 60 days off HCG for 14 days at time of test
E2 = Not readable <10 pg/ml on 80mg x1 week IM ā† 4 months since HCG
E2 = Not readable <10 pg/ml on 70mg x1 week IM ā† 11 months since HCG

No other values have gone wonky during these tests but Estrogen and it looks like HCG did something that my body canā€™t recover from.

15

So strange, you would not expect to see that kind of trendline

16

Hcg in some men greatly increases progesterone which could be one plausible mechanism for inhibition of aromatase.

17

Any idea why it would keep screwing with aromatase after discontinuation of HCG?

Could this also be described as restarting testicular production that has continued in some half ass capacity for months after? I went on HCG originally because I had shut down my balls with my initial higher doses of TRT (200mg, 150mg) and they became embarrassingly smaller. HCG very quickly had them growing and for the most part they never did return to small status even 10 months after stopping HCG. TRT dose hasnā€™t gone above 85mg since HCG.

18

The fact that they stayed larger is likely due to having low e2. But low e2 sucks. Iā€™d get dht and progesterone labs done. Those are two things that we know can oppose estradiol

19

Ya, I have neither value. Closest I have is DHEA-S at 9.1 umol/L with a lab value @ <15.

Low E2 certainly does suckā€¦ Itā€™s effects are predominantly mental/emotional for me vs. physical.

20

Maybe try 3x a week with no hcg. Iā€™ve seen guys e2 increase on that strangely compared to once weekly. Maybe larger shots are now increasing dht too high and opposing e2 more. Somehow what weā€™ve come to being able to predict will happen doesnā€™t always happen. It is strange. Have you changed anything diet wise, exercise or sleep?