This is why i scoff when some ppl over complicate something like meditation or some nutrient or lack of sleep (to an extent of course as no one can function being an insomniac).
I wrested all through out middle school and high school. Always had a muscular build. Don’t really drink unless socially, don’t smoke although I did have vaping binges. Here I am on TRT putting in more effort than the average person in the gym and somewhat diet. Yet my brother who hardly worked out his entire life, smoked cigs since teenage years, is a recovering alcoholic, done other drugs like crack, can have full on sex at 40 without ever taking viagra or cialis.
I am almost certain my brother is not some under cover health but doing meditation and taking fish oil. If it’s not to do with TRT directly it has to be some stress response to it in by far the majority of the times.
I would pay ANY price to be able to be normal. And not having sex without PDE5? That would be my dream.
I’m currently tinkering with 40mg test EOD and seeing glimmers of libido here and there, but very little. But I’ve had movement down low with just thoughts lately, which is huge for me. It seems to be affected positively with .25mg of arimidex. I feel like a guinea pig.
Just to chime in, but I feel you guys. I have libido AT TIMES, but erection quality is pretty dreadful. Funny enough now you mention it, I lost it suddenly when doing an extremely low calorie cut 3 years ago… I’ve never got it back. Despite being in a surplus for most of the 3 years since and also being on TRT. TRT has done NOTHING for my erections. Hell, I think sometimes its worse.
I believe this is what Roscoe was getting at when giving his opinion to OP. If these things arent broken, may not be worth risking TRT. Hopefully that wouldnt happen and the OP and others receive only benefits. But all I know is my libido is most definitely lower on TRT, and no improvement in erections. Worth noting, I had extremely low TT and FT when I started also, bottom on the reference range, so it wasnt like I was sat on the fence thinking do I need it, do I not…Now both are just above the top of the reference range, no improvement in either. Just something to think about I guess
Have you tried going out of your way and force feeding daily? I also started noticing how little I was eating to cut and maintain after that period as I never actually tracked calories. Either I suck at counting calories or my metabolism is still shitty compared to the garbage disposal I was before, eating and shitting while just burning calories being active.
While I reached some level of shredded level I never gotten before it was only fractional bonus compared to the feeling before hand.
Yeah I tried that, eating loads! I basically just felt bloated all the time! It wasnt really sustainable for me. But I was eating alot of very clean food, which meant to eat high calories it was ALOT of food. Back before my cut which coincided with my issues, my diet wasnt great, high fat foods (but not the good type). But I bet my calories were high as a result. I also didnt train anywhere near as much. I had no issues sexually.
Decided to sort my life out, cut food, trained hard, lost a lot of weight, issues started… 3 years later here we are!
Yep, nothing at all. I just cant see how my Test levels can go from pre TRT - TT 6nmol (8-27), and FT 0.2 nmol (0.2 - 0.6)… to now 34 TT and 1 FT and no improvement. Its so bizarre.
Think the next step is to trial coming off. I can always go back on, but I’m asking myself if its doing nothing for symptoms… whats the point?
My thoughts are that testosterone will help with the libido bit… as in, get your FT high enough to feel libido, but for some, when it gets that high, along with it goes E2, which we know can be a boner breaker.
That’s why I think for some, to get really optimized, you need an ai.
Their bodies don’t aromatize in the most beneficial way.
Internally it probably is though. Remember trt and having higher levels (not Supra) is established to be heart healthy and bone health. (Not to be confused with boner health ).
This is true. However its not unheard of for some people who were on TRT and had erection issues, to come off and no longer have issues. Worth a trial I guess if things arent working. If that was the outcome it would be a very hard decision to make… on TRT and long term health, or off TRT and healthy boners. At 34, I am not sure what way I would go tbh. I know that sounds crazy, but having terrible libido and erections so young is not the one.
There is definitely a sweet spot range with FT. Bottom end isnt great, but yet shoot too high and many report loss of libido. As a low SHBG guy too, I am inclined to think my FT shouldnt be too high. All that test flooding my system cant be great I guess?
I may trial coming off, just for a few months to see if there is any change. Can always jump straight back on I suppose
I don’t mean to discourage you at all. But it definitely can go both ways. My friend is a year older (he’s 36) and was on the same time as me. He jumped off 3 years ago at 33 after 7 or 8 years on trt and his issues have definitely gotten worse since coming off.
You can always jump back on. Unfortunately he is too stubborn, since he came off he thinks that he is benefitting by not being on, even though everything about his situation has gotten worse.
No probs bro I will let you know if I do. I’m seriously considering it. I’m caught between a rock and a hard place with all this. TRT doesnt work, but on the flip side, I had sub 200 Test levels naturally… do I really want to go back to that?
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