First permanent symptom? As in, once everything stabilizes? Because after my first shot, my energy levels went up, then crashed - I usually took my energy levels to be the first symptoms addressed.
The devil’s in the details with ole SL.
He said RESOLVE, which implies done, finito, final. If you had a symptom that went away and then came back then it wasn’t “resolved”, just temporarily relieved.
That’s because TRT shutdown your natural production leaving you only with exogenous testosterone where before you had both exogenous and endogenous testosterone shortly after your first shot. Add to the fact that having low levels of testosterone and then all of a sudden you were in T heaven and once everything calm down, your HPTA shutdown ending the TRT honeymoon.
Now you must allow your body time to adapt to TRT, could be a couple of weeks before everything balances out once levels build up in your system.
So, would ideal energy levels be at the same level I had after my first shot (honeymoon phase)? Is that where you ended up optimizing at?
You will improve as serum levels stabilize and increase over the initial 6 weeks, but if you want honeymoon the closest you get is a blast later. You never catch that first high.
2 Likes
Been many a dead man, or at least strung out junkies, that would give you a HUGE nod of agreement right here.
1 Like
@ [marcusgoldman] “How long have you been on TRT for?”
I’ve been on TRT since March 22nd. That was when I took my first shot. Do you take one shot or split the dosage? I found that a single shot was too much for me to handle all at once but splitting my dosage up (Tues- Fri) has helped become more stabilize from day to day.
I don’t get any peaks or troughs, i’m pretty even now. With that being said I got my updated labs.Estrogen has gone up as well as total T so Doc wants to add 1/2mg Anastrozole tab ever time I take a shot.
My Test C already comes with 1mg Anastrozole mixed into but apparently that’s not enough… Total T is up to 1127! Doctor wants to keep me on 200 ML a week and then take the Anastrozole meds after my shot. He said that it could be high because I had just taken a shot a few days ago so we’re going to monitor it and check back in two months.
ALBUMIN (g/dL) 4.9 Range 3.5-5.5
AST (SGOT) (IU/L) 20 Range 0-40
ALT (SGPT) (IU/L) 21 Range 0-44
Prostate Specific Ag, Serum (ng/mL) 0.5 Range 0.0-4.0
Testosterone, Serum (ng/dL) 1127 Range 264-916
Comments: Above high normal
LH (mIU/mL) <0.2 Range 1.7-8.6
Comments: Below low normal
Sex Horm Binding Glob, Serum (nmol/L) 35.5 Range 16.5-55.9
Estradiol (pg/mL) 33.1 Range 7.6-42.6
WBC (x10E3/uL) 7.5 Range 3.4-10.8
RBC (x10E6/uL) 5.27 Range 4.14-5.80
Hemoglobin (g/dL) 16.1 Range 13.0-17.7
Hematocrit (%) 47.2 Range 37.5-51.0
MCV (fL) 90 Range 79-97
MCH (pg) 30.6 Range 26.6-33.0
MCHC (g/dL) 34.1 Range 31.5-35.7
RDW (%) 13.7 Range 12.3-15.4
Platelets (x10E3/uL) 321 Range 150-379
In relation to your test your E is not high IMO. I would avoid the extra AI if I was you but that is just my .02.
Nice. What improvements have you noticed and where was your T before you started injecting? Have you noticed any improvement in your concentration at all?
Thanks rise80! I have been a bit more "irritable this last week so i’m on the fence if I should take it or not. 
Checking my Free T and bio available T. Way above my age range but cool I guess. 
“Nice. What improvements have you noticed and where was your T before you started injecting? Have you noticed any improvement in your concentration at all?”
Total T was 610 ng/dL
Estrogen was middle of the road at 27.3 pg/ml
After a month on 200ML a week (split dosage) of Test-C…
My concentration is perfect now.
I have no attention issues at all and I’m no longer hyperactive.
I feel like a totally different person and it’s crazy. I’m full of motivation, focus and energy to get pretty much anything done. My “will” to do stuff and not be lazy is remarkable but it took about a month and half for me to get here.
That’s amazing dude. Looks like you stayed at the same protocol when starting?
Also noticed that you had pretty decent T to start with - did the Dr feel that adding more T to the mix would increase your free T?
So at 18 months you got those results. I am in 10 weeks, and haven’t noticed much yet. I was able to get stronger with low T, but I would like that 65 lb deadlift pr. Was there much wait for you? Was it like a few months in you started noticing?
Thanks man! Yeah He believed that getting my numbers up would help me a lot.
My Total T was in range but my SHBG was high and my free T/Bioavailable T wasn’t that great I guess from what I’ve read online and the calculator I used. (source: Free & Bioavailable Testosterone calculator)
My doctor says he works with how the patient “feels” not necessarily what the numbers say because everyone is different.
TESTOSTERONE, FREE Males (adult): 35-<40 years: 4.65-18.1 ng/dL
MINE WAS 8.85 ng/dL on the lower end.
Not sure how good the source is: Search Results
That’s interesting. Just tried that calculator, never noticed the Albumin, any idea what that is?
And what is the range for the Free T supposed to be? What’s the difference between Bioavailble T and regular T reading?
Thanks man
Hi mnBen87.
I have no clue how I was able to add that much weight in 6 weeks tbh.
I’ve been working out for a few years before TRT so my form on everything is damn near perfect but I just never got any muscle from working out. Strength gains before TRT were slowly coming up but not like other guys around me…
After getting on TRT I was able to start added like 10lbs every week to the 345lbs I was pulling and then one day I realized I hadn’t been using my lifting straps at all and I was banging out 410lbs 5x! NUTS!
I feel and my body is starting to lose fat around my stomach and my wife says that my shoulders, traps and legs are getting huge. I have a really really fast metabolism so not I’m sure what that could do with the TRT i’m injecting.
From what I’ve read Albumin is a protein in our blood that binds to stuff and transports it around. Apparently testosterone that is bound in *albumin is not bioavailable.
Bio available /Free T is Testosterone that your body can use to rebuild/repair, etc. Here is a link to what your numbers should be for your age range. Someone on here might have better data. I just found this online.
https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/83686
1 Like
This is at the top of the calculator. just read that last part…
"These calculated parameters more accurately reflect the level of bioactive testosterone than does the sole measurement of total serum testosterone. Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) circulate in plasma unbound (free approximately 2 - 3%) ,bound to specific plasma proteins (sex hormone-binding globulin SHBG) and weakly bound to nonspecific proteins such as albumin. The SHBG-bound fraction is biologically inactive because of the high binding affinity of SHBG for testosterone. Free testosterone measures the free fraction, bioavailable testosterone includes free plus weakly bound to albumin"
Keep in mind, that belief about SHBG holding test bound and not bio-available is based on a study using cultured cells with no testosterone affinity failing to interact with bound testosterone. The fine print is important when you read a study.
1 Like
wow, Thanks for this information hardartery. I had no idea.
So much to learn…