I began TRT about 3 weeks ago, on my 35th birthday.
My son was born 4 days later, so my life has changed in many ways. I’m here for guidance and support.
Thank you, THANK YOU for reading my case, and thanks to everyone who wants to come on this journey with me.
SOME QUICK BACKGROUND ON ME:
I’m small. My username is meant to be funny. I have always been short and skinny.
10 years ago I began lifting weights. Heavy weights, low reps, long rest periods.
I changed my diet to a very clean, high-calorie 40-40-30 diet.
Egg whites, oatmeal, chicken breasts, spinach, brown rice. You know.
Since then I’ve grown - very slowly - from 129 pounds to 145.
More about that later.
WHY I’M ON TESTOSTERONE THERAPY:
I have a great doctor - she’s very open, and knowledgeable about TRT.
Unlike many people here, I didn’t approach my doctor about starting TRT - she actually suggested to me.
I went to her in February for a comprehensive blood workup.
My wife and I wanted to have a baby, and I wanted to get a clear picture of my health.
(By the way - we did get pregnant. My son was born 20 days ago.)
When my labs came back, my doc said I had Low T, and she suggested therapy, which sounded scary to me.
I said I’d think about it.
All summer I paid attention to any signs or symptoms that may have been due to Low T.
Fast-forward a few months. My wife was pregnant, our sex life all but disappeared.
In the mirror, my body started looking… bad. No muscle tone, just unattractive.
I felt depressed and bitter, my libido was gone. I was socially withdrawn.
What finally motivated me to go ahead with TRT was a hydrostatic body fat test I did last month.
It revealed my body fat as 20.8 percent.
For a guy as small as me, that means I’m basically bones and fat.
Along with my body fat results, I got a chart.
The chart told me what my body fat percentage would be, if I lost 5 pounds of fat, 10 pounds, etc.
The chart said if I lost 16 pounds of fat, I would weigh 129 and be 11% bodyfat.
That’s exactly where I was 10 years ago.
10 years ago I weighed 129 and was 11% bodyfat.
This means I’ve been working out, eating right for 10 years and I’ve gained no muscle at all.
Or, I’ve lost all the muscle I may have once gained.
This was a shocking revelation to me, and it made me feel bitter and hopeless.
MY CURRENT REGIMEN
I called my doctor and made the appointment to begin TRT.
My doctor basically prescribed the exact regimen recommended here by KSMan (Test Cyp, AI, HCG), with a few differences.
She prescribed 180mg/mL Testosterone Cypionate (it looks like a lot of guys here are on 200mg/mL).
I inject a small amount (.05mL) IM into my quads DAILY.
My doctor says small daily injections eliminate peaks and valleys, and more closely mimic nature’s secretions.
I use a little 30-unit syringe with a 1/2 inch 29g needle.
Along with the Test Cyp, I’m taking 0.25mg of Anastrozole (Arimidex) daily.
This seems to be a higher dose than many guys here.
Twice a week I also inject HCG subQ into my belly fat. I forget the dosage - I’ll come back and update.
LABS
From my original doctor visit in Feb:
Testosterone, Serum 486 ng/dL range: 348-1107
Free Testosterone 8.2 pg/mL range: 8.7-25.1
Estradiol 20 pg/mL range: 7.6-42.6
Additional labs taken before beginning TRT:
Pregnenolone, MS 24 ng/dL
Dihydrotestosterone 29 ng/dL range: not given, although the report says “Low”
DHEA-Sulfate 202.4 ug/dL range: 160.0-449.0
LH 2.3 mIU/mL range: 1.7-8.6
FSH, Serum 3.5 mIU/mL range: 1.5-12.4
PSA 0.5 ng/mL range: 0.0-4.0
My labs also revealed low HDL-2 (the good cholesterol) and low Vitamin D3. I’m now supplementing both daily.
My doctor has recently recommended that I add DHEA and Pregnenolone to my TRT regimen, but I have yet to discuss this with her.
REQUESTED CASE INFO:
Age: 35
Height: 5 feet, 6.5 inches
Waist: 32 inches
Facial hair: I can grow a full beard. Thick, coarse hair.
Body hair: I have fine, sparsely placed body hair.
A small amount on my upper chest, a lot of hair on my lower legs, normal pubic hair, very little hair elsewhere.
Where I carry fat:
Apparently everywhere, if you look at that hydrostatic test. Distributed fairly evenly.
I have more fat in the waist and belly.
How this has changed:
I used to just carry fat in my waist, mostly in the lower back. The belly fat is new.
Health history:
I have had, since childhood, a condition which I believe is Levator Ani Syndrome.
Look it up if you wish - it’s basically a chronic painful muscle spasm of the pelvic floor, occurring every 6 weeks or so.
It basically feels like having a painfully full colon.
This summer I began to notice my nails becoming weak and flexible.
I take Biotin and use a nail cream, and this is now not a problem.
My hair is thicker now as well, from the Biotin.
I have had asthma since childhood - not a single asthma attack since beginning TRT.
I have allergies to dust and pet dander. I have pets. I take Claritin daily.
Testosterone related symptoms:
In March (after these labs) I experienced a constant ache in my right testicle for about 2 weeks.
As I mentioned, I’ve been trying to pack on muscle mass for 10 years without success.
I’ve tried many workouts, many supplements and many high-calorie diets over the years.
I noticed, this summer, a MAJOR decrease in the volume of my semen when I ejaculate.
I’ve had lethargy, low libido, little or no drive. I’ve been socially withdrawn and unmotivated at work.
I also have been getting super annoyed by just about any human interaction.
(This is already gone since I’ve started TRT. I’m more outgoing and I’m enjoying people.)
Rx and OTC drugs:
Claritin daily.
Q-Var, an inhaled daily asthma prevention drug, I have stopped using since TRT.
Vitamin D3 5000 iU daily
Biotin, daily
A generic Costco multi-vitamin, daily.
Omega-3 capsules, 1 daily.
Hair loss drugs:
I’ve been using Minoxidil 5% (Costco brand), 1 mL daily, on my scalp for one year.
I have a thinning hairline and crown.
I use the Minoxidil MUCH less often now because I don’t want to expose the baby to it.
Diet:
Breakfast / lunch / snacks : very clean, no junk, no white flour, no sugar, with an occasional cheat.
Dinner: My wife cooks, I eat what she makes without complaint. Sometimes healthy, sometimes not.
No desserts.
Protein shakes, multiple times daily. Optimum 100% Whey Gold Standard.
Training:
2X or 3X weekly, in the mornings. 5-10 min cardio warmup, followed by 45-60 mins of lifting.
Moderate to heavy weight. 8-12 rep range. 2 minute rests between sets.
I supplement with BSN NO-Xplode before workouts for energy and focus.
Testes ache ever: Yes, in March for about 2 weeks.
Morning wood: soft, inconsistent.
Soâ?¦ here’s where I am.
3 weeks on TRT. My personality has improved. I’m more friendly, less withdrawn and less irritable.
I have a more positive outlook - maybe just because I feel like I’m taking control of my body.
Now, about my goals.
I’ve told people that this is about my health, and it is.
I want to feel better, and know that I’m more healthy.
My real, underlying motivation, though, I actually feel a little guilty about. It’s vanity.
I want muscles. I want to look great with my shirt off.
I’ve never had that - I’ve always wanted it.
I’ve looked like the before photo for 10 straight years, with no after in sight.
I’ve felt inadequate my entire life.
Always being smaller, being shorter, being seen and treated as less than a man.
Having the body and the voice of a little boy.
I’m losing my hair now. I have no more muscle tone.
People once saw a little boy, now they see a little man. Weak. Too thin, but with too much fat.
I want to look and feel like a man.
I want to be a superhero to my son, and an Adonis to my wife.
I want to be strong, be sexy, and to truly know myself and my capabilities.
That’s my goal.
Thank you for coming with me on this journey.
- Nate
please do…