My Story. Sure It Has Been on Here a Million Times

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

Hello all,

I am here feeling desperate and very lost. First of all I know I am a dick and understand I had no business getting into the mess I am in. Anyhoo.

Currently I am 42 years old and usually in very good health. However back in 2017 I decided to run a course of Test Enathate @ 1ml a week. After growing massive and having adverse reactions to it I stopped. I am very sensitive to most supplements. After I stopped I realised I was hugely bloated and wanted to get the bloat down. So I procured myself some Arimidex from an Anabolic place in London. Thinking I knew what i was doing I took one tablet 1mg a day and it was getting my bloat down and also i noticed my dick was working right again. Then one day it all went to shit. My joints started hurting, i had hideous BO and my dick was useless. After reading up i realised i crashed my E2.

So, I left it how it was and hoped to recover naturally. It did not happen. I met my new girlfriend and sex was terrible, i felt so sorry for her. My erections were so weak and i just wastn myself. i wanted sex but it just was useless. Things got slightly better over time but it was very hit and miss. I knew I was goosed. Into 2018 and I was working hard but always tired. I could only hit the gym once every 3 days and that was the hardest thing in the world just getting there. Feeling weak in the gym too. So I concluded my Test must be low.

So i got a medicheck blood test and these were the results.

D.H.E.A. Sulphate 13.1 umol/L 0.44 - 13.4
FOLLICLE STIM. HORMONE 2.5 IU/L 1.5 - 12.4
LUTEINISING HORMONE 2.4 IU/L 1.7 - 8.6
TESTOSTERONE 8.5 nmol/L 7.6 - 31.4
Free-Testosterone(Calculated)*0.16 nmol/L 0.30 – 1.00
SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOB 29 nmol/L 16 - 55
17-Beta OESTRADIOL 71 pmol/L < 192

My free testosterone was in the gutter. Now I knew I was goosed. Not knowing what to do or thinking clearly (panicking I got in touch with Balance My Hormones .com. The subsequent blood test i took yielded the following results

ENDOCRINOLOGY
Prostate Specific Ag(Total) 0.54 ug/l 0.00 - 2.00
THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 2.15 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.2
FREE THYROXINE 15.9 pmol/l 12.0 - 22.0
FREE T3 4.8 pmol/L 3.1 - 6.8
TESTOSTERONE 10.1 nmol/L 7.6 - 31.4
Reference Ranges apply to adults
SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOB 30 nmol/L 16 - 55
PROLACTIN 139 mIU/L 86 - 324
17-Beta OESTRADIOL 50 pmol/L < 192

From these results I gained a prescription for TRT and started the course. I did it for 5 weeks ans again I didnt like it. The arimidex .5mg every 5 days had an effect on me down below and it made me feel neutered. I was also taking Hcg 500IU every 5 days. but again I had to stop. After a while the same symptoms appeared. erection issues, I cannot ejaculate for anyhting during intercourse, but can masturbating it is pure crap.

I decided to embark on some PCT to try and restart myself HPTA. So i took Clomid at 50mg a day and Nolva @ 10mg a day. It made a difference!! While I was no way near normal, my erections had got better and er thats about it. Still struggled to ejacualte. Now I finished this about 9 weeks ago and steadily It my libido and erections have dropped off. I then decided to try a Natural test booster. I took Testolyze and it helped somewhat. But I feel dead now in my private parts and my balls have a dull ache. My paranoia is taking over too and i think maybe my prostate is swollen. I stopped the testolyze yesterday as i felt it was making my balls hurts and my semen quanitiy has dropped off since taking it. Might not be linked but right now i just odnt know anything.

I am at my wits end. i am not the best writer so please excuse the drivel. But i am unsure what to so next. I am thinking endochrine dr. Or try one more round of pct: HCG 1000 iu EOD for 10 days then Nolva @ 20mg per day for 30 days? And see where i am at. Currenlty abroad until mid jan so cant do any bloods until then.

Can anyone please give me a steer. A good Dr or what I should try next. Its the not knowing that is killing me.

If you have come this far, thank you and all messages welcome.

2

It sounds like you over-respond to arimidex, once weekly injections can cause your levels to swing and large infrequent injections can increase estrogen in some. You should just do micro injections multiple times per week and forget about arimidex.

What you’ve been doing is injecting large infrequent dose of testosterone which can cause estrogen to get out of control, which is what happen to me, then you start taking arimidex and suffer (me to), you should inject micro doses EOD or every day so that you don’t have a need for arimidex.

That’s what I did and it worked, injecting smaller micro doses (7-10mg) every day was the only TRT protocol where my estrogen wasn’t out of control and for the first time I didn’t need an estrogen blocker, therefore mood was stable and it was the best I ever felt on TRT.

Everytime I moved injections closer together, injecting smaller and smaller doses, estrogen decreased every single time and my labs clearly show it.

Your expectations should be dialed back, it takes longer than 5 weeks to see positive changes, it takes 6 weeks for testosterone levels to stabilize in the blood and longer (6 month minimum) to feel significant changes. Forget about the HCG, it causes a lot of estrogen issues as you already know and can sour mood, bloating and ache.

I had a dull ache in my testicles for the first month or two after starting TRT, after awhile it stopped as my testicles atrophied. If your prostate was swollen you might find it difficult to urinate.

Restarts are a waste of time for those truly hypogonadal in my opinion.

3

What’s this got to do with TRT?

4

You need to measure your E2 using the ultra sensitive method. You are missing that in your blood work, but suspect that is what is making you miserable, so why no measurement?

I have seen doses as small as 0.1 mg of arimidex 2X a week. I doubt many would have trouble with that.

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5

I have 0.050 anastrozole with is the generic for arimidex, not that I’ll ever use it again.

I eventually got tired of anastrozole roller coaster and if I stop it I get the horrible E2 rebound.

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6

Why? He is low, 19.3 and 15.6pg/mL. What would LC/MS/MS tell him that he does not already know?

7

Nevermind, just glanced at the blood work, and did not see 17-beta oestradiol (have not seen it listed like that before).

8

My guess is you have gained a fair bit of fat and water ( I believe its more diet that causes bloat ) this plus the 1ml test E = 250mg test shot possibly increasing water retention. A shift on the diet could have sorted that out possibly and eased up some sides. Then you stopped injections and smashed your system with 1mg Arimidex per day = on deaths door feeling with broken dick.

you have tried a restart with limited success and judging by them numbers and your age you would most likely benefit from TRT. Something like 125-150mg Test E or cyp split twice weekly with no AI or HCG and start a diet to reduce bodyfat. I had problems like u state for 2 years, its hell man I feel for ya.

9

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Good food for thought your notes, and I am tempted to start TRT again and try the micro dosing. I only have sustanon 250 available to me right now. Would that be ok to micro dose with?

I am not sure but I do not think i am permanently Hypogonadal. Hence me wanting to get my bloods done again when I get back to UK and see a specialist. I am sure it wont be cheap although i do have Bupa so i might be lucky. But then again I am 43 next month do I just launch in to TRT because the testosterone clock is against me any way. So confusing what to do.

I have been struggling to urinate too, but I wasnt struggling until i started the testosterone boosters. Again thanks for your input I am very grateful.

10

Its the journey I am on mate. just trying to get some help. TRT is part of my journey. Emotional and physical problems are causing me to be paranoid and I dont know what is what. Thats all.

11

I think I went super low when i caned the Arimidex. My arm pits smelt like a skunks arse. My joints were killing me from my hips to my knees. I suppose I was recovering when i had those bloods done in July 18.

12

Guys, I am very grateful for all comments. Its made my day to be honest. Been at my wits end. My girlfriend is in the loop with this and she thinks it is all mental. i feel like I have been going mad.

If any one has an idea on the way forward and my course of action I am open to idea. Shall I restart TRT now or wait until I know what my bloods are again? Will be 4 week until I can do that. Hmmm

Best C

13

My full bloods from the second test. Minus the Endochrine results.

HAEMATOLOGY
HAEMOGLOBIN (g/L) 161 g/L 130 - 170
HCT 0.463 0.37 - 0.50
RED CELL COUNT 5.04 x10^12/L 4.40 - 5.80
MCV 91.9 fL 80 - 99
MCH 31.9 pg 26.0 - 33.5
MCHC (g/L) 348 g/L 300 - 350
RDW 12.3 11.5 - 15.0
PLATELET COUNT 174 x10^9/L 150 - 400
MPV 12.3 fL 7 - 13
WHITE CELL COUNT 5.45 x10^9/L 3.0 - 10.0
Neutrophils 38.9% 2.12 x10^9/L 2.0 - 7.5
Lymphocytes 46.4% 2.53 x10^9/L 1.2 - 3.65
Monocytes 8.8% 0.48 x10^9/L 0.2 - 1.0
Eosinophils 5.3% 0.29 x10^9/L 0.0 - 0.4
Basophils 0.6% 0.03 x10^9/L 0.0 - 0.1
BIOCHEMISTRY
SODIUM 140 mmol/L 135 - 145
POTASSIUM 4.6 mmol/L 3.5 - 5.1
CHLORIDE 101 mmol/L 98 - 107
BICARBONATE 28 mmol/l 22 - 29
UREA 5.7 mmol/L 1.7 - 8.3
CREATININE 88 umol/L 66 - 112
estimated GFR 86 .
For UK guidelines:
www.renal.org/information-resources
BILIRUBIN 4 umol/L 0 - 20
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE 55 IU/L 40 - 129
ASPARTATE TRANSFERASE 25 IU/L 0 - 37
ALANINE TRANSFERASE 41 IU/L 10 - 50
LDH 148 IU/L 135 - 225
CK 138 IU/L 38 - 204
GAMMA GT 52 IU/L 10 - 71
TOTAL PROTEIN 74 g/L 63 - 83
ALBUMIN 49 g/L 34 - 50
GLOBULIN 25 g/L 19 - 35
CALCIUM 2.35 mmol/L 2.20 - 2.60
Corrected Calcium 2.29 mmol/L 2.20 - 2.60
PHOSPHATE * 0.72 mmol/L 0.87 - 1.45
URIC ACID 398 umol/L 266 - 474
RANDOM BLOOD GLUCOSE (FL) 4.9 mmol/L 3.5 - 7.9
TRIGLYCERIDES * 3.3 mmol/L < 2.3
CHOLESTEROL * 6.2 mmol/L Optimum <5.0
HDL CHOLESTEROL 1.2 mmol/L 0.9 - 1.5
HDL % of total * 19 % 20 and over
LDL CHOLESTEROL * 3.5 mmol/L Up to 3.0
Non-HDL Cholesterol * 5.0 mmol/L < 3.9
IRON 12.9 umol/L 10.6 - 28.3
T.I.B.C 63 umol/L 41 - 77
TRANSFERRIN SATURATION 20 % 20 - 55
FERRITIN 353 ug/L 30 - 400

14

Hello mate, I have never posted on here but constantly read the forum posts. It sounds as though you are based in the UK ?

I am in the UK and started TRT around 9-10 weeks ago. I am 45 yo and do my TRT through a company called OPTIMALE, you can contact these if you need support in the UK, Google them, they are on hand any time of the day to offer advice.

Personally I am on Sustanon 250, 0.3ml every 5 days. I have reached a great T level but with this it has bumped my E2 numbers up really high so I have today started Arimidex 1/4 of a tablet every 3 days. Previous to this I was taking 0.5ml every 7 days with no AI but this also bumped up my E2 which is why I am trying the new smaller more regular dosing (even this may need to be reduced), I could tell my E2 was high because my nipples were tender and I felt like I could cry like a bitch at the slightest thing!

I’ve not yet enjoyed the benefits of the treatment as I am still experimenting with dosage etc, it’s about finding a balance which works for you. I have been ill (undiagnosed low T) for the best part of 20 years so it’s going to take a lot of time for me to feel normal again, I am seeing minor improvements but obviously cannot feel full benefits with a horrible E2 number, so I need to fix this. I do feel slightly “high” and a little more switched on but that’s about it, I’m still waiting for my fatigue to improve and also my depression/anxiety.

Sex is hit and miss at the minute, I’ve experienced all the usual suspects ED, PE but I am unsure how much of this was down to performance anxiety, it can get you that way also, I am not going to worry about it, the most important thing for me is to get well, get my energy back, feel happier and then the sex issues will hopefully fall into place.

I am no expert at all, I have only been at this 2/3 months myself and I do most of my learning on here, but I do have support here in the UK which really helps.

What I want to say to you is don’t lose hope, find the right support to see you through this, find a protocol that works for YOU and most importantly give it time. I was expecting miracles after 2 weeks but it didn’t happen, so I got down beat and paranoid.

Hang in there buddy!

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15

The idea is the same, smaller doses, smaller peaks and that can only help matters. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.

Testosterone boosters are scams and they don’t work and if they did no one would need TRT, if any difference is noticed, it’s a placebo effect. There’s a study out that show a number of men given a cialis placebo with no active ingredients in it showed significant improvement in erections.

It’s all in the head.

16

How does she feel during her menstrual cycle? All women are different, but some really struggle during “that time of the month”. If she is one of them, you may point that out so perhaps she can relate to what hormones can do.

I’m a TRT guy with very good results, and also an anabolic steroid user/competitive weightlifter back in the day, so I’m very pro TRT. Get it right, and it will make all the difference for you.