I just read this, interesting thought -
In that thread, people say DHT is responsible for libido. I still have no idea. My most recent bloods were 1192 (231 FT) and 41 for sensitive E2.
This is a funny game for sure. I’m pulling for you to regain your old 7/10 self and get back to High-T Rudd in the bedroom!
Yeah I didn’t run one the first 6 months and now have this pea sized lump under my right nipple. Started at 1mg a week and am now down to .5. Doesn’t seem to change anymore and it’s been over two years. If I forget my anastrozole I do notice achy nips though. Think I’m just predisposed to it
I’m with @NH_Watts here. If you find out the hard way that you’re an over responder, you’re asking for a world of hurt. Low E2 not only feels like death, it literally puts you at risk for osteoporosis.
If your T to E2 ratio is off, you probably need to tweak your test dose.
I would agree that if you’ve had gyno before, you’ll want to keep an eye on E2, as well as prolactin. You could probably still ditch the AI if your prolactin levels are under control.
What’s the relationship between e2 and prolactin? I didn’t know they were linked?
I agree with this in general, but the only T dose that’s had me feeling good was 250+ per week, and that ran my Free T above 50 and total T around 3000, which the crowd said was problematic. It sounds insane, I know, but that’s the only point at which I’ve had a libido – and when I went down to 150, I felt like total garbage. So I’m kind of at a loss here.
How do you measure this ratio?
You should read physiolojik’s main thread (if you haven’t already). He varies his patients dosage each week or two for this very reason. Like switching between 185mg & 200mg each week or two. He explained it pretty well so I started doing it about 8 months ago. My libido is great. @bkb333 this may help you as well.
The ratio that I think makes the most sense is the 15-25:1 ratio (15-25 T for every 1 E)
Is that the ideal range from what you’ve read? FWIW, I’ve been feeling really bad and would, per my latest bloods, have a ratio of 23 (1919 Total T to 84 E).
Edit: when I felt my best, that ratio was 32 (2889 Total T, 91 E).
So if my math is correct. If my E2 would be 45 then T should be between 675-1125?
I’m definitely not saying that if you’re in that range then you are going to be perfect in every aspect. I think within this range you need to find where you sit best and like everything else there will be folks that it doesn’t work at all for. I just think it’s a good starting point. I got it from physiolojik. As we acquire more knowledge and experience with our bodies we are better able to find what works for us. The ratio is good for someone just starting and trying to make sense of things.
Here’s what’s interesting (to me): with a ratio of 23, I feel like shit.
At 32, I felt amazing. So, I would surmise, higher is better. Push it up!
But in February 2019, my ratio was 47, and I felt average to below average.
I guess that low-30s is where I want to be. So I guess that would mean either increase T or lower E (or both). Wouldn’t an AI help with that?
I know a good way to find out…
Hah, I hear you brother, though you do seem to be in the minority on that. Hard to know whether I should ride it out and see if anything changes or keep experimenting. FWIW, when I felt my best, I wasn’t taking an AI…but my T dose was (I’ve been told) too high.
@bkb333
Just try it. I’m usually the person saying never take them but they can be useful for figuring things out. The problem is if you do feel better then is it because of estrogen being lower or your body reacting to changes in hormones? Try adjusting your dose up by 10-15% every week or two and then see if that does the trick. Like 185mg up to 200mg back to 185mg back to 200mg
Have you tried 200mg?
I agree
You just calculate it.
Total T / E2
That’s exactly where I am at the moment, brother. Giving it some time to see how I feel, but no big changes so far (4.5 weeks in). The last time I tried this amount, I ultimately did feel pretty good, but not amazing. It was 250+ that had me feeling optimized.
FWIW, I calculated the Free T:T ratio when I was at the height of my “high-T Paul Rudd” phase, and despite my high numbers, I was only at 1.77% (as I understand it, 2-3% is optimal for most guys). This made me wonder if I was just finally arriving at or nearing where I should be.