Is it Time for TRT?

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

First time poster here; depressed about possibly starting and just looking to hear from others who know more about this and have gone down this road.

38yr old male; 5’11; 192lbs. Attempt to work out all the time, but CONSTANT sprains and strains fuck everything up. Very low energy (I’m in bed before 8 every night), brain fog, depression, mild ED. Diet is pretty good; it could always be better but I eat well.

I’ve had 3 separate tests over the last 6 weeks:
#1: total T= 301; free T=7; SHBG= 23.2
#2: total T= 184
#3: total T= 280

The local low T clinic wanted to start treatment after the second test, but due to issue with their pharmacy and delayed time to receive meds I decided to look elsewhere. I have a consult with TRt nation today.

I guess I’m just looking for guys opinions in my labs and if you think replacement is the only path toward at this point. I don’t care about gains, just want to have enough energy to play with my kid.

2

Post labs with ranges please. Did you test more than TT the subsequent labs? Would like to see FSH, LH, and E2 and a minimum.

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3

They did not test any of those things you mentioned. I can’t get a real doctor to look into this, so I’m at the mercy of the steroid clinics who really only care about your test numbers so they can prescribe you a cycle.

4

I don’t know where you are located, but most clinics still test all these things. There are a lot of good ones out there. Most are still pushers to a degree. Assuming standard labcorp ranges you definitely are low. But I would want to know if primary or secondary before starting treatment.

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Located in the Midwest. Initial labs were done through the chain “low T center”.

6

Ok. Well… you could switch and try a competent clinic that does telemedicine like Defy. If you don’t care ‘why’ you are low T then you could probably follow your docs advice and start a protocol for TRT. What have they suggested? Its pretty obvious you would like benefit.

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I have a call with TRT nation today, which gets good reviews on other forums and seems to be comparable to defy; so I’ll see why they say.

The low T clinic wanted to blast me with a 200mg loading dose right there, and then do 200 per week after; with AIs as needed.

If I go this route, I have no intention of doing 200 per week. Probably half that, broken up into several doses. I want to avoid AIs

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8

Yeah that’s the TOT gold standard. Basically give you too much T then control your excessive E. If you must use them discuss starting 100-150mg/wk with NO AI and follow up labs.

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9

Listen to @blshaw and understand your situation now. LH, TT, FT, SHBG by equilibrium dialysis. Primary or secondary?

You wont know after treatment. If secondary you could also consider hCG monotherapy first and assess symptoms after 6 to 10 weeks.

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How would treatment protocols differ?

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It would be good to know should you decide later on TRT isn’t for you. Also if primary, infertility is likely, and so you would waste time and money trying fertility protocols.

12

Labs with references like said.

But looking at your numbers and how you are feeling then it will likely improve your quality of life.

I’d work in about 140mg per week as a starting point with no a.i and be prepared to use a bit of a.i as needed once you are settling in.

HCG is something some people bother with if fertility or small bollocks is a problem for you.

For me
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Test with a tiny bit of a.i as needed has been really life improving.