Thanks for the compliment and suggestions. I agree and have really been contemplating cutting out drinking for an extended period. It seems counterproductive to my goals to be drinking at this time.
Though one thing I wonder, if E2 is so beneficial then it seems anything that raises it would be a benefit but in practice that isn’t the case in my situation.
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I hear you. My bday in Sept was my goal date and its been very easy. Very freeing indeed. Not to mention all the money saved. There was literally zero reason to continue to consume.
The drinking didn’t come up at Thanksgiving with my wife’s family so that was easy. It WILL come up when we host xmas with my family…since I wont have a keg and fridge full for them. The easy part is that NO ONE wants to talk about it. They want to talk about it even less when they learn there was no “rock bottom” situation and it was just a choice LOL.
There are tons of men who dont even “feel” their testosterone when e2 is too high. Im one of them.
I need an AI, absolutely need it, there are MANY who do. Dont let some smuck convince you otherwise, cause they are just ignorant.
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You didn’t even provide a shred of evidence or reasoning after making this abrupt claim and using absolutes in an area where many people have found successful protocols without AIs.
I’m with you. I aromatize on 200mg of test cyp. and have the bloating, sweating, and overall don’t feel great with high E2. I take an AI and feel WAY better without the side effects of high E2. Most importantly, my mood is way better when my E2 is under control. I think and speak clearer with a balanced E2 number. I sleep better too.
I think the most important message, out of most of the comments above, is that everyone is different and responds differently to AIs, TRT and other meds.
I also eat pretty well compared to most. I lift six days a week, drop in a few cycling sessions 2-3 times a week. I am at 17% body fat, but am not aiming to drop lower mostly because I like the strength aspect of my training the most. I also only drink one or two times a month max, with 4-5 beers when I do have fun.
An AI is critical to my daily well-being.
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You can tell by your posts that you aren’t where you want to be. I feel for you and I know what it’s like. I doubt I’d be any different in the same situation. I hope you get there.
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I was the exact same way. Would feel great, then suddenly shitty, then would take the AI. Then, things would be great for a while, or at least descent, then suddenly I felt worse more often and would tweak my protocol. Over and over for a whole year until I decided to give up the AI.
Straight up was Gollum mode, with the AI as my precious.
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I don’t mean to be offensive but at 17% you’ll probably have a lot of aromisation going on.
You may not need the AI at 10-12% due to less aromisation as fat is where most of it happens.
What is your AI dose?
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Yeah priority 1 should be shedding some of that bodyfat. At least be under 15%.
Im not offended - even if you think 17% is too fat for Test. I also dont have a problem taking an AI.
Even if you think dropping to 10-12% would help me get off an AI, how would you explain the post above from mtman who easily fits the 10-12% bodyfat% and takes an AI?
There are some who aromatize more than others. There are some who are sensitive to E2. I dont think there’s anything wrong with taking an AI if it makes me feel optimal and in control of my health. All of my bloodwork, outside of E2 (when not on an AI) is great. BP dropped, cholesterol looks great…but most importantly, I feel awesome.
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Sorry, the last reply was meant for the post above.
My AI dose is .5mg twice per week.
Testosterone aromatizes in several places in the body, including the brain. It’s not just fat. There’s also no hard scientific rule that no one will need an AI if their bodyfat% is 10-12%.
The point of this entire topic “Is this forum mainly Anti-AI while on TRT?” - I am not against an AI. I feel awesome with it. I also was shedding hair with high E2…with an AI, the shedding stopped.
I think your comment tends to show that there is a anti-AI mentality from some users who use general statements to support the anti-AI claims.
Injection dosage and frequency is the solution to the aromatization problem. Everyone can feel great without needing an AI on a TRT dose if they simply lower their dose and consider increasing their injection protocol.
@pandab55 Have you ever tried TRT without an AI? Seems like you’re biased after recently starting TRT off the bat with an AI.
I have no doubts that changing the protocol could help the aromatization…just like dropping body fat too. I think lowering my dose would help as well (200mg/single injection per week). I’m also 39 - the older we get the more we generally aromatize.
To me, it’s not about whether I am on an AI or not - it’s about how do I feel on my current regimen. I am not biased either way…I started on .25 anastrazole that was mixed with my test injection. However my E2 was too high so my doctor increased the AI to .5mg twice per week. My E2 was causing symptoms that I did not like.
While some people do great without an AI, some can also do great on an AI (like me). I am not judging those who are anti-AI, and I don’t care if they are pro AI. I like once weekly injections…it’s easy. I dont overthink it…I never miss a dose. I like having 1500+ test in my system…it does wonders for my lifting in the gym. Taking 1mg of Anastrazole per week works for me.
I would never suggest that what works for me will work for everyone else. So I am not biased either way…I think the best course to follow is to work out your own specific program with your doctor.
@pandab55 you have a very poor understanding of TRT. I don’t like telling people they’re wrong, but it has to be said.
Three things. 1) You started with an AI and didn’t even give a non-TRT protocol enough time. 2) You’re on weekly injections because they’re “easy”. That’s the laziest thing I’ve heard on this entire forum. I’ve heard dudes in their 70s more proactive than that trying TRT for the first time. 3) You “like” having 1500+ in your system. TT doesn’t even mean shit, FT is what is readily available for your body to utilize. You focus on the wrong metrics and it leads you to think irrationality about TRT.
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I don’t think it’s entirely your fault for thinking this. This field is very niche and there’s a lot of false information out there and a lot of poor/outdated advice given by doctors, even those specializing in TRT.
No they cant.
That’s not actually particularly true. New research is showing that the general understanding of SHBG and how free that test actually is has a long way to go. Trying to simplify things into only worrying about free T or believing that no one need an AI are doing yourself an injustice. No one really knows much about it right now. What the absolute top of the field know right now will likely be laughable in a few years. Some guys are not right with E2 above a certain number. We may not understand why, it may fly in the face of what we “know”, but none of us can say that individual is wrong. Absolutes just leave us closed off to learning more.
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Serious question - do you have any studies or literature you can link to? I’m 43 and wonder about these things as I get older.
@equel Bro, as Dexter mentioned - you’ve got problems, even on an AI. And if I’m being honest you’re probably the least qualified person in this forum to advise anything on TRT. Not because you’re right or wrong, but because you make ridiculous statements without backing it by any reasoning whatsover every time.