Good to know, thank you. I am stable now on 240mg/wk, but it’s been 7 weeks and I didn’t feel good until just about the end of last week. But in my cycle days we used to frontload a lot the first couple weeks. If I blast this summer I would use that approach again
Beginning of Week 6 of my dose reduction from 56mg to 36mg.
Wow, I actually made it to Week 6. Last two weeks have pretty much been a nightmare, but only partially related to T.
For some reason after eight weeks on my last dose I started getting incredible starving hunger for no reason. This went away for the first couple weeks I reduced my dose and then came back with a vengeance this last few weeks. I have read about other people going through this, but usually it’s at the beginning of TRT, not after 20 months. That said, I am clearly still dialing in. The other part of my shitty couple weeks was a very nasty stomach flu which almost sent me to the ER. Just… ugh.
But as I said I am still dialing in. I haven’t had too much in the way of negative symptoms that I would usually get on a protocol change (depression, tiredness, malaise, anxiety, memory problems, dead libido), but it’s difficult to tell since I’ve felt like such crap physically the last couple weeks. I have at times been anxious and at times been depressed. But for the most part I can tell that I would be feeling excellent if it hadn’t been for the stomach flu and this nasty hunger.
In response to the hunger, I’ve modified my diet, added protein, started whey shakes, and have been eating more often. But when I say starving hunger I mean a hunger that reappears an hour after a large full meal. And at that point it feels like I haven’t eaten all day. The hunger gets way worse than that, sometimes feeling like I haven’t eaten for a week. Painful. At the moment, it does seem to be settling down and responding somewhat to my dietary changes. I’m hoping to be shut of it soon because it has been hell.
I did sweat quite a bit in the middle of the night last night which to my understanding is a sign of estrogen dropping. I also woke up feeling uncharacteristically weepy this morning, and that’s honestly just not a word in my vocabulary. It’s not a feeling I normally get. But this morning everything was on top of me and I was about ready to throw in the fucking towel. After a couple hours it went away. These are decent indications my hormones are still fucking around trying to find a level.
On the positives:
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My energy seems as good as any time in the last 10 years.
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My mood is tough to gauge… it’s been a bad one at times lately, but like I said, it’s tough to feel good with the after effects of a stomach flu or with a nagging starving hunger no matter what I eat. That said - for the most part I am happy.
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I do still seem to be “gliding” through my days. A very good sign especially considering I didn’t feel physically well all day today. That “glide” is where I was after 11 weeks on this dose back in August/September. At that point I had reduced from 80mg x1 to 32mg split between two doses per week. Insane. If you go back in this log I am totally fucked with the numbers I was quoting at the time. I mean at several points I still thought I was on “100”. I was never on 100. The most I ever got out of a syringe regularly was 80. I finally tested everything in November.
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Sex dreams. WTF! I’ve lived almost my whole life, and 20 months of TRT, without serious sex dreams - not for a lack of interest - and I’ve had two in the last two weeks. Total WTF. And they were both quite nice.
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Libido seems to be getting pretty healthy. Again not feeling optimal physically but that stuff is definitely working.
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Concentration and memory have given me very few issues lately. I would say both are actually close to top of my expected range right now. I had a huge struggle with these pre-TRT, and also the odd struggle with them during other dose changes. But so far so good.
Interesting log for sure, especially on such low amounts.
Sometimes i wonder if the one’s that don’t see results or feel TRT are the ones that need to go with super lower dosages than normal.
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I felt the same way the first year they started and now I wake up every single night like a fucking Samurai (sword in hand) like “fuck I just want to sleep”. I feel sorry for my future wife.
It sounds like the Flu probably offset some of the TRT gains you were making so you probably need to give yourself a little time for your body to get back to normal before making any judgments on progress.
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Nearing the End of Week 6. Dose change from 56mg down to 36mg per week.
I’m keeping in mind dexter’s point about my illness disrupting my progress on this latest dose. I think that point is worth putting a pin in.
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My TSH from about six weeks ago came back at 2.8. It’s well in range for the test, but I know it’s still fairly high. I’ve seen plenty of comments on here about 2 and above. I don’t have previous readings to hand but I will be seeing the doctor this Tuesday. Unfortunately whatever bloodwork I squeeze out of him will be taken on the way to my peak.
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I’m going to try to get a full T panel. I couldn’t get a better appointment without waiting a while, so I’m rolling with it. I know from experience I peak at between 40 and 42 hours. This blood will be taken around 24 hours after my shot.
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I should note that overall I am somewhere between good and excellent. Energy is very good. I still get tired most evenings but at most it’s usually only a half hour nap and then I’m fairly wide awake the rest of the night. I have not been sleepy during the day for quite some time.
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Libido is good. Wood is good, morning and night. Sensitivity is not, but I’ve been ill and I’m only really just getting back on track. I would say right now it’s not the steel bar he’s been on past doses but again, dexter is a wise man with good insight, so I’m not sweating it. I don’t really sweat libido until last anyway.
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Heart rate has really settled this week. It has been so insane for so long, this is the first week in a long time it is just “normal”. I’ve only found it racing maybe once. Whereas any given week this year it has been racing for a quarter to half of each day. It was terrible when I was settled on 80mg a week split into two shots. It would race and pound in my head from just walking up ten stairs. I wouldn’t get out of breath but I knew that wasn’t right. That stopped when I reduced the dose but it still raced a lot for seemingly no reason at all.
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I should mention that my starving hunger issue seems to almost be a thing of the past. Thinking about maybe doing a quick new thread on it for people searching in the future. It was an absolute nightmare. I am just about 24 to 36 hours over it now. It sounds like it’s just “hunger” but man I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I’ve lived with a steroid (prednisone) induced hunger before. That was actually pleasurable to have and eat on it even though I was extremely sick with Crohn’s Disease at the time. This was something very different. No pleasure to be had anywhere including even during sleep.
Not positive it’s gone for good, but I at least feel like I’ve treated it and I’m over it. I’ve settled on eating more protein and more often for the foreseeable future to help keep it away but I don’t think that’s a forever thing.
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On that note, my mood, concentration and even anxiety are all in the very good to excellent range. The last two days I have been exceedingly calm. That “T calmness” that I only get when I am dialed in. Along with that comes a nice self-assuredness, too. I’m loving that.
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All in all not bad for 6 weeks. The last time I was on this dose (beginning of this log), I felt pretty darn good after 6 weeks, and then got progressively better through Week 15. Weeks 11-15 I just felt like a fucking king on everything except libido which itself wasn’t terrible. Feels like I’m really on the way up here. Fingers crossed.
Ahhhh… a quick update.
Middle of Week 7 and things certainly seem to be rounding into form.
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I am going to do a separate post on this starving hunger thing. Does seem to be behind me now and body’s food processing apparatus appears to have adjusted to its new equilibrium.
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I’m feeling pretty good right now. Craziest thing I’d like to mention is that I was incredibly, ridiculously tired this past Sunday, which was the day before I hit the 6 week mark on this dose. I woke up after a long night’s sleep, and an hour later was ready to get back in bed. It was abnormal tiredness. I assumed it was the time change but it seemed like more than that. I laid down in the afternoon and slept 3 solid hours. I remembered a cabon copy day like that last year including the 3 hour nap) and thus was not worried… but I didn’t look it up in my personal log until yesterday. And lo and behold, that day was in July… one day after I hit 6 weeks on this dose.
So it’s always good to keep a log, kids. It’s good reassurance that I am on the right track here, and it’s come in handy more than a few times. Data is data. And trust me, that reassurance is invaluable psychologically, especially with a thing like TRT that just fucks with you and fucks with you and doesn’t really stop fucking with you until you find the right dose. Then it fucks with you for 6 to 8 more weeks. Lucky us.
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Mood has been alright this week. Nothing special but it’s good overall.
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Energy has been pretty good. Aside from 3 hour nap day I have been pretty energetic.
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Motivation has been eh. According to the ol’ personal log, I didn’t have much motivation last time I was on this dose until about 7-8 weeks in, so that’s where I expect to be next week.
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The 6 week thing seems unavoidable. I seem to have found away around some of the worst dose change symptoms this time (see earlier posts), but the body clearly needs 6 full weeks on a dose to find a level. And I think the 8 week thing is real too. It’s kind of like your body after 6 weeks says “Oh, right, so this is what we’re definitely doing? Ok.”. And then it takes two weeks beyond that to put other processes in place and optimize. An incredible machine, when you think about it.
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My mind is working very well. I feel sharp. I’ve had no memory or concentration issues, and very little in the way of intrusive thoughts on this dose change. All in all, things are really looking up.
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T Calmness, as I like to call it, has really started to kick in. That may be my favorite thing about TRT (when it’s working). It’s not like anything I’ve ever felt. I’ve had an anxious disposition since my father died in my teens a long time ago. The T calmness lets me keep a cool head even with the world going insane around me, and I love it. The people around me prefer it too.
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Libido’s been okay. Nothing special but not bad. Unfortunately that was the worst part about this dose the last time. But I’ve tried higher doses and along with some better libido comes a raft of shit I am just unwilling to deal with. Also some of the other benefits go away, so like everything in life, it’s a tradeoff. Am I willing at my stage of life to go less libido to feel like a fucking king every day, in a fantastic mood, with damn good calmness, assertiveness and confidence along with a nice normal predictable resting heart rate? The answer is… yes.
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Finally… good news on my upcoming blood work. I thought I needed to go in yesterday to get some and it wasn’t going to be an optimal time (too close to peak) but the doctor told me he didn’t need to see me and to just come in any time. So I am going to make sure to go in and get close to a trough reading, next week or two. I have requested a full T panel. We’ll see where that gets me.
Beginning of Week 8 of my drop from 56mg to 36mg per week (split x2).
Well these are some crazy fuckshit times we are living in. Hope you all are well, considering.
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So far still so good on the dose reduction. Considering the size of the dose, I’m as surprised as you are. But I was 99% sure this is what I was on when this log started, before things got fucked up.
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Mood has been very bright the last few days, despite all the depressing shit that’s going on.
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Heart rate has pretty much stopped fucking around.
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Libido is showing signs of real life I haven’t had in a really long time.
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Concentration and self-assurance are both near top of my range.
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Anxiety has really slowed. I have that nice T calmness that is basically there from morning to night. My sleep has been disrupted but I’ve been worried over the consequences of the virus and economic shutdown.
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Energy is excellent although I still get sleepy every evening. I’m fine the rest of the night.
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Motivation has overall not been great. That’s the only thing lagging. I don’t really have a ton of get up and go. Not uncommon for a dose change but I’m expecting it to kick in soon.
Other than that, honestly everything is really cranking. It’s been a rough slog but I think I have found my dose. Just gonna see how next few weeks go. Everything is surprisingly stable right now. Knock on wood.
Thanks for posting.
What you describe is the way i used to feel right before my next weekly shot of 100mg test.
A few other posters have chimed in they feel their best right before shot day.
What’s also interesting is that some had a little libido with really low pre TRT numbers… but then once on TRT, the libido bit goes away.
I may try a low dose protocol soon. Like 80mg split twice weekly. I have semi-lowish shbg.
So you are doing a total for 36 mg a week?
He is. Very lose doses.
Though knowing about the very little amounts the body naturally produces, it’s not totally crazy to try something like this just to see the reaction.
I agree. That’s why I am against the advice on here to start at 150 or 200 a week…
I am.
.09ml per shot. I am a strong outlier without a doubt, but I discovered it by accident. I doubt I would have ever tried this low a dose on purpose.
I have said that in certain desperate cases where other higher doses have been exhausted, it can’t hurt to give lower doses a try.
But it should be noted I react very badly if I’m over more than around 90mg in a given week. I mean like a living hell nightmare. So there was a clue there for me if I needed it.
Also note I am only on cypionate. Nothing else. Many people who report issues are - or have recently been - on other concomitant TRT-related chemicals so its not as easy to test/fix.
Beginning of Week 9 and everything has rounded nicely into form. This dose of 36mg per week is definitely not too low for me. Everything is rolling… mood, energy, libido… and my motivation is even kicking in, as I expected. The log I’ve kept has been very useful to refer to as the days often match up uncannily to what I went through last time I was on this dose.
So many thanks again to @dextermorgan whose post about the shittiness of certain types of syringes and the details he provided therein, got my mind turning to figuring out why my TRT had seemingly gone off the rails in October/November.
On another note, I’ve been shooting in my quads for almost two years and imagine the shock of my life when I went to grab the skin on the outside of one earlier today and I couldn’t pinch the fucker. It slipped through my fingers so I tried again and it slipped again.
I had to up my protein intake a month ago to combat this crazy hunger I’ve been having, and I think the muscles are now in the process of eating the fat. I don’t work out. I do yoga, that’s it. So, on 36mg per week (previously 56mg) my legs are getting ripped. Now, I don’t mean like you dudes on here who work out. But my wife, a competitive swimmer and therefore pretty athletic, even commented that my legs have never looked like this, and that I look like “a runner”.
I will probably start some regimen or other as my midsection is just a round ball of shit at the moment. I think a previous long term course of prednisone fucked up my fat distribution as I never really had a belly like this until after that. Then again, I never carried much weight until then, either.
But yeah, everything is rolling along. I’ve even got a good amount of T calmness and confidence. It’s hard to judge a lot about how I feel because there’s a good amount of stress going on, but I feel pretty awesome and I’m not looking to change anything. It’s nice to finally be settled on a dose.
I asked my doc for a full T panel, as I’m extremely curious about it and all he’s ever wanted to measure is TT, but now it won’t be for a couple months until everything starts to die down.
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@rwr410
Glad to hear things are going well! Rooting for you brother
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This is an important thread.
Someone getting his best results with very low doseages. 36mg a week is amazing.
How is your gym strength?
Edit: I see you don’t lift. Nevermind.
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I would love to see labs just for curiosity
The one thing I wish I could do is edit my earlier posts to put the real dosages I was on in - because what I was reporting was just not correct. But every edit seems to promote the thread to the top.
My gym strength is probably on par with the average 20 year old woman. Would like to work on that.
If my doctor’s office cooperates, I plan on getting a full T panel when things out there start to return to normal. I will share the results.
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Interesting. And this is something i was trying to ask and get info about probably a year ago.
So youre getting libido/sex drive benefits at one level, but not strength and stamina?
Looks like the benefits of TRT don’t all happen together at once… once you’re dialed in. (at least for some)
Oh sorry, no, what I’m saying is I’ve been pretty weak my whole life. Crohn’s and now I suspect hormonal issues (possibly related) made it pretty much impossible for me to build muscle until now.
T has improved my strength and stamina. It’s just nothing to speak of because I haven’t made it a priority.
I would say when dialed in, I get more benefits from T at once than many others.
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