I’d keep an eye on PRL. Normally I’d say this is too high to run long term, but if your health markers looks good, HCT isn’t too high, then I’d run with it
Yeah, 12.3 is the highest I’ve seen. My previous high was 9.5. It’s been as low as 3. I wonder if Danazol could be depleting my dopamine, which is perhaps why I’ve felt down.
Edit: Interesting. Last time I was on this exact protocol, my PRL was 5.6. Wonder why it’s twice as high now… and wonder if a dopamine agonist (like Cabergoline could help with my dreary mood and benefit libido, too)
Please take what I say with a grain of salt. If it were me and this was my body, I would try and fix ALL of these lab markers that are out of range. I would also NOT be taking a drug like danazol to “fix” a perceived problem like high shbg. I still believe you are waaaay overdoing it with the test. Not trying to be harsh, but I’m not seeing much progress with respect to your lab values being within healthy, normal limits. It seems you haven’t learned anything. You need a more conservative doctor who knows what they’re doing and cares about your long-term health. Again, this is just my advice so take what you can from it. Looks like your kidney, liver, and blood values could use a lot of improvement. LOWER THAT DOSE. you’ll feel like shit for a bit, but your body will thank you later!!!
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I appreciate your honesty, man! Not harsh at all.
I should note that my lab values (cholesterol, kidneys, liver) are very similar to my numbers from Jan. 2017, before I did any HRT-related activities – but I know they could be better.
I’ve actually been thinking of taking a more conservative approach with my protocol. In fact, I’ve tried this a couple times over the years, but it’s never worked out, and I’ve always gone back to a more aggressive approach.
When I take T on its own, I feel good in terms of subjective well-being (positive mood), but have no libido. When I add an SHBG-focused adjunct like Danazol, I do have a libido, but end up in a weird headspace. I’m just not myself, feel angry/depressed, etc.
I do think my high SHBG is a real issue. High SHBG is probably not always an issue, but I started TRT because I had no libido and it was in the 180s. I’m not worried about the number, per se, but I don’t expect any guy to have a libido with an SHBG so high.
So, my friend – if this were you, what exactly would you do? I’m thinking of, for the short-term, just dropping Danazol, but I’m also open to lowering my dose. How long do you think the period of suffering would last?
Also: if you have any recommendations for finding a new doctor, I’m open. I was so frustrated with my exploration of local docs, though. Two of them actually had never heard of “SHBG.”
I know they’re not legal in most places, but have u ever considered using compounds like primobolan or masteron? U could kill 3 birds with one stone. Lower SHBG, lower E2 and lower prolactin. I know u didn’t feel the best on Oxandrolone, but primo and masteron have a unanimous reputation of making guys feels better. While anavar is hit or miss. Most guys feel good on it, but there’s also plenty of guys that feel worse on it. That’s not the case with primo and masteron. They make guys feel better, in almost every case.
And u can easily get ur HDL up through diet, if ur worried about a DHT derivative negatively effecting HDL.
Primo and masteron are also notorious for improving sexual function.
Also it’s easy to find a telemedicine clinic that will give u the proper treatment ur looking for. I personally use defy medical, and am very happy with them. But I’ve heard great things about matrix as well. Here’s their website. And checkout this guys YouTube channel, him and his wife use matrix and love it, and they have a discount code as well. But there’s plenty of great options nowadays, in regards to HRT clinics. No need to ever go to a doctor that doesn’t know what they’re doing
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Thanks so much for the help, brother!
Interesting suggestion, man. I’ve never used primo or masteron. I’m guessing that would replace the T-cyp? I believe @dextermorgan likes mast.
I’d like to stick with Defy if possible…they have robust infrastructure that makes everything easy (as you know). But getting a second opinion also might be smart.
Looks like Defy doesn’t sell primo/mast, unless I’m missing something
Ya I’m with Defy and couldn’t be happier. Just heard great things about matrix.
Primo and masteron wouldn’t replace testosterone. They don’t aromatize into E2, so testosterone is always needed as a base. Primo or masteron can be used as an add on to test, to drop SHBG, E2 and prolactin, as well as give u the benenfits anabolic benenfits of the compounds themselves. They’re mainly used as muscle hardeners/ giving a dryer look, as opposed to a bloated/ watery look that compounds like test and deca might give.
Primobolan and masteron aren’t legal to be prescribed in the U.S. So no doctor in the U.S. can prescribe either. You would have to get them UGL, or do like I do and go through a source that lives in a country where primobolan is legal to buy in a pharmacy without a prescription, and they buy it legally and sell it to people in other countries. I use a source that lives in Turkey and can just walk into the pharmacy and buy a legit pharma grade version of primo, and then sell it to guys like us. There’s no pharma version of masteron unfortunately. But my source is able to get it from a pharmaceutical company in India that produces it. So it’s at least pharma grade. But I apologize in advance if u want to stick with just u.s. prescribed medications. I pray that one day primo is legal to be prescribed in the U.S. It has the potential to really help guys dial in their HRT protocols, without having to use things like ai’s. Don’t see masteron ever being legal to prescribe in the U.S., but that would obv be a great addition as well, and could definitely help a lot of guys on HRT.
And if u were comfortable getting primo or masteron on ur own, u simply just don’t tell ur clinic. All that would happen on ur labs would be that he E2, SHBG and prolactin would decrease a bit. Wouldn’t effect ur test levels or anything. So they would never know. If u have a really cool doc that would understand u could obv tell them ur on it, but otherwise u just keep it to urself. Ur HDL might decrease a little, and LDL might go up a little, but not significantly because guys on HRT would only be using low doses of these compounds, and next to test, primo is the safest anabolic there is. Masteron is a little less safe, but not by much. For HRT purposes I would stick with primo personally.
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Hmm, wouldn’t rule it out entirely, but I’d like to stick to legal stuff. Plus, like @Gandalf suggested, I should probably be looking to take less stuff. From a long-term health perspective, less is probably better.
I’m thinking I might go see Men’s Health Boston for a second opinion. They look legit and are only an hour away.
The approach of less stuff is better sounds good in theory, but I personally don’t think it applies to HRT. I think it might be the opposite actually. I personally take test, nandrolone, HGH, progesterone, and HCG, and I feel better than I have in a long time on HRT. Been on HRT for about 8-9 years total. And I plan on adding in primo in a few weeks to be able to manipulate E2 and prolactin how I want, and hopefully feel even better. I think HRT is all about using any compounds we have at our disposal to dial ourselves in and feel better. The more tools we have to do so, the better, imo.
And I live 25 mins outside of Boston, and when I first started HRT I went to a wellness doc in Boston, and he was absolutely horrible. Wasted a bunch of time and money with him, and never felt better. Then I went to a clinic in Boston, forget the name, and same thing, only I wasted waaaayyyy more money with them. All they cared about was squeezing as much money out of their patients as possible. And again, never felt better with them. Then I luckily found defy medical and got the treatment I was looking for. They have been a literal godsend. So just be careful with local clinics and local doctors. I personally would just go with a telemedicine clinic that u know is amazing. Defy has been more than amazing for me, and I’ve heard matrix is really good. But there’s honestly quite a few great clinics out there nowadays.
That’s an interesting philosophy. I’m sure different approaches work for different guys. You can probably reach optimal health through either addition (lots of experimentation/tweaking) or, for some, elimination/reduction.
I would prefer health be simpler. Even keeping track of when to inject and when to take Danazol can be annoying - not to mention the cost of continually buying more stuff, you know? My wife supports it because I make good money and don’t spend on myself otherwise, but hard to justify continuing to pile on. Plus it makes it tougher to know what is affecting what.
Good warning on docs in this area. I do like Defy and Saya in particular. They are aggressive though, so I think a second opinion would be good. I wanna be around for my grandkids someday. Plus I still don’t feel good, despite the high T dose.
I’ll let you know how things go with MHB if I get there. I plan to ask for a referral at my PCP today.
Edit: got the referral…and my doc asking “how do you know so much about this stuff?” Thanks, forums, lol.
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I definitely understand and respect everything u just said. All I care about is being happy, and helping others be happy, and literally couldn’t care less how they go about doing so, as long as it’s not hurting someone else obv.
Have u looked into progesterone? I think prog could be a missing link for a lot of guys that are having trouble dialing in.
And I’m all about health and longevity. I’ve been a health freak my whole life. My goal with HRT is to find the perfect balance of my protocol allowing me to feel and look my best, and increase my happiness as much as possible while I’m alive, and also try to live as long as possible. I’m always trying to find the best balance between everything. Basically living as long as possible, but trying to be as happy as possible while I’m here. No point in living a long time if ur not happy.
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Appreciate the tag, but I’m not the man for bloods, I’m just here to encourage you to get huge (whilst failing miserably to do so myself!).
Sorry to hear about the negative headspace, I can 100% empathise there, no fun at all, it’s tempting to think drug changes will help (and they might) but for me I know the change needs to be lifestyle/well-being (all that stuff I like to ignore!), Which would probably also improve the blood work… But then again mast/primo could be a funner solution! 
(Not technically illegal in the UK either!).
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They aren’t legal in the US, so won’t find any clinic that sells them (legitimately)
I agree with you. Many guys on here say “i don’t want to add another med” or “i already take 3 meds, don’t need more” like why? Lol if you feel better taking something, or adding a compound in, and it’s healthy, then don’t not do it cos you’ve got a 4 drug limit. Use what you need to feel your best
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I can honestly see it from both angles. I’m with u tho, without ur health u literally have nothing. And who doesn’t want to feel their best at all times? I’m the type that will literally do anything to feel and function at my best. Hell I eat raw beef heart and liver multiple times per week. Both are pretty gross, but been doing it for years because it makes me feel and function better. I do 3 IM injections and 2 subQ injections one day, and do 3 SubQ injections the next day, and then repeat. All of this is easy. I’d legit do anything if it meant I could feel and function great 24/7, which is pretty much the case now. But like I said, I also see where guys on the other side are coming from. I personally don’t get it, but I can kind of see where they’re coming from. U just only get one body and one life, I don’t see why someone wouldn’t do everything they could to have the best life possible while they’re here. Ain’t gonna get another chance to come back and do it again. And I don’t want any regrets on my death bed and think that I could of done more to enjoy life while I was here
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Indeed but only if you want to be cut as fuck with little to no side effects besides the ladies clogging up your voice mail (hair loss and constantly hard dick)
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Damn man, you’re really doing 5 injections some days? That’s intense 
Hahah it’s actually not bad, imo. I inject my oil based hormones EOD IM. So EOD I’ll inject test, nandrolone and primo. And everyday I inject HGH subQ when I wake up, and then inject progesterone subQ before bed. And then EOD, in opposite days, I’ll inject HGH and HCG subQ when I wake up, and inject progesterone subQ before bed. So 5 injections one day, 3 injections the next, and repeat. But it’s honestly nothing, imo. If im gonna inject my test EOD, it’s nothing to draw up 2 more oil based syringes and inject those along with the test. Takes like 10 minutes total each mornjng EOD on my oil based hormones day, and then when I only have to inject HGH and HCG that takes 2-3 mins tops. Like I said, I’ll do literally whatever it takes to feel my best and enjoy life as much as I can while im here, so spending 10 minutes a day, and then 2-3 minutes a day on opposite days, is legit nothing imo. It’s just like anything else in life, u get in the habit of doing it and it eventually becomes second nature. But I can obviously see how it can seem like a lot to someone maybe only doing one injection of testosterone twice per week or something. But it’s really not bad once u get in the habit of doing it.
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