Just got my latest E2 results. As a review, I’m taking 350 IU of hCG SC EOD and 1 mg anastrozole 4x/week. High dose of anastrozole because my E2 has been too high! (I guess I’m not an over-responder!) I’m also trying to dial in my NatureThroid dosage for the thyroid. I’m up to 96 mg/day but my temps are still low, so I expect I will be raising that over time too.
In any case, my E2 was tested on July 26. I’m down to 28 (last time it was 64!) Not bad but I really need to get it down to the low 20’s. The Dr said that if I was feeling good we could leave it there, but if not, then I need try a combination of Test Cyp and hCG with anastrozole. I’m inclined to go with that. Any opinions?
Started 100mg test cyp per week. Dr wants me to do it IM and only once per week, but based on this forum, I’m going to split the dose into two and go SQ. Dropping my hCG down to 250 IU EOD. Not sure what to do with the anastrozole. I have had trouble with E2. Right now I’m doing 4mg/week. I’m hoping that with the test cyp and less hCG, my E2 will be easier to control.
As stated many times, anastrozole cannot control T–>E2 inside the testes and it is clear that that is where the problem is. You may need doses well below 250iu EOD, we have seen a few guys with this issue. If injecting T, you do not need the testes to make T, so you only need enough hCG keep them healthy.
I have been following a pretty traditional protocol for the last few months: 50mg test cyp, 2x/week, 250 IU HCG EOD, and 1 mg anastrozole EOD. I know this is a high dose of anastrozole, but I have had issues with keeping my E2 down.
I have been feeling pretty good on this both physically and emotionally (joints do not ache anymore, I have good energy, good mood overall). However, one big hole in this picture is that my libido has been quite low and there is little morning wood.
So, I decided to get some bloodwork done – complete male hormone panel from Life Extension. The problem is that the lab that did the blood draw messed up. They drew blood for all of the panels, but only sent in the samples for the tests on the first page, not the second. So I got a CBC and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels, but no info on other hormones.
I am going back for retesting next week, but they sent me the partial results. The thing that was alarming was that DHT was at 124 (reference range 30-85). So this is quite high, but my libido is quite low. My understanding is that having sufficient levels of DHT is necessary for libido and sexual function. I would have thought with high DHT levels, this would be rocking. Instead it is just the opposite! Any ideas on:
No ultrasound, but I had the blood test and it was positive for Hashimoto’s. I’m on a desiccated thyroid supplement and after some dosing issues, it seems to be ok.
Got back the latest results from my bloodwork. Interesting results.
My current protocol is:
50mg Tcyp 2x/week SC
250 IU hCG EOD SC
1 mg anastrozole EOD
81.25 mg dessicated thyroid ED
So other than total T and DHT, my hormones look pretty good. Hemoglobin and heatocrit are high. I’m not sure what that means.
Overall, I have been feeling pretty good. Physically I have energy, joints don’t ache, workouts are good. I have been building muscle and getting leaner (6’2" with a 34" waist), so that has been very good. Some very minor swelling of the lower legs and ankles that happens intermittently. Emotionally, things are pretty stable too.
There are four problems:
Libido still seems to be up and down. Morning wood is intermittent. Nothing is terrible, but it isn’t great either. This bothers me since it seems like my numbers are pretty dialed in. Does anyone have any ideas about what else could be interfering with this?
DHT is too high and I am seeing some thinning of my hair. I’d like to get the DHT numbers down so my hair stays in place
I’m taking 3.5 mg of anastrozole per week. From what I have read on the forum, this is a lot. Do I need to be worried about long term issues?
Injecting Tcyp SC is going ok, but it gets red and itchy after the injection for the next couple of days. Kinda like a mosquito bite. I am very careful about keeping everything nice and clean. I scrub the skin with alcohol prior to the injection. I’m wondering if I should ask doctor about Test propionate?
I have a appointment with my Dr on Thursday so I was hoping to get input and ideas about where to go from here. He seems pretty reasonable and open to suggestions.