I have been off my AI for two weeks, and I’m doing better without the AI. The odd thing was that I was here, reading about guys who had dropped their AI, and they each they were doing better, but had to “power through” some sides for about 30 days or so, but after about 4-6 weeks they were feeling and performing a lot better. A couple of weeks later, I was talking with an acquaintance, who is also a TRT guy who was saying he dropped his AI, and was doing “amazing”. Finally, I get a call from my doctor’s office telling me to discontinue my AI, as he and Dr. Crisler did, and in 30 days get some labs done.
There seems to be a new paradigm of dropping your AI, and it also seems that guys are feeling and performing better, as a result of dropping their AI.
If you have dropped your AI, this thread is for YOU. If you are not in that category please use a different thread, to share your opinion on the unrelated topic.
Thank you.
Always good to hear when TRT works out for someone!
I would however like to add that my doctor recommended i drop the AI at one point and convinced me to bear with the inevitable sides that would follow. The biggest side that I got from dropping the AI was insomnia. I could only sleep 6 hours once every 3-4 days. It was nuts and I got really ill twice in 2 months from sleep deprivation and exhaustion. Turned out although my E2 was still “in range” on the higher side, it was causing me to get insomnia. The side effects were showing no sign of going away so i hopped back on the AI and when it finally kicked in I was sleeping like a baby again.
Just be cautious is all I’m saying.
Thank you for sharing your “dropping AI” experience. Your are absolutely right, about being cautious. In fact, that is part of the reason for the post. Lately, I’ve been hearing that a lot of guys are dropping their AI, and doing better, then out of no where I got a call from my doc who is dropping his AI, as Dr. Crisler did prior to his passing away. My TRT while using an AI wasn’t very good. I believe I’m an over responder, and it was the to high, to low story day after day. Now without the AI I’m definitely better, but with very modest sides that do seem to be passing and no insomnia. It’s only week two so I’m just taking things a day at a time.
Thanks again for your post, it helped!
I don’t think side effects from discontinuing aromatase inhibitors are inevitable. I had zero and know of others who report only feeling better.
I’m happy to hear a positive experience! In the past two weeks, I have had a few sides but they’re mild, and they seem to be subsiding. I’m certainly not an expert, but it appears that my system maybe compensating, and therefore balancing me out. Good luck with your TRT.
Thanks for your post!
Once I dropped HCG I realized that even small amounts of AI were driving my e2 <5 on the standard test, so I dropped it 5 weeks ago and feel great. I take 200mg/week of T cyp e3.5d, and only use an AI when I blast, and even then it’s only .25mg per week. Two things I noticed when I stopped:
Waking up at 4-5 AM WIDE AWAKE most nights. Usually sleep until 8-9.
Slight anxiety during the day out of nowhere. It usually passes in less than an hour and I haven’t found a way to stop it yet.
Overall tho, without all the drama and fanaticism regarding estrogen and AI use, with reasonable doses of T, I don’t need any anastrozole anymore.
Thanks for the info, particularly the fact that your dosing 200mg weekly. Personally, I’m at 175 mg weekly, which many say, at these, doses or higher, your crying out for an AI. As I mentioned, in an earlier post, I’m 2 weeks in at zero AI and I’ve has some sides, but mild. It seems that everyone I’ve spoken with, typically say that you’ll probably get some mild sids, but after about 4 weeks things pass… One guy in particular, is cruising with an E2 of 50 and he’s happy, and horny as a clam.
Thanks for the post, it was encouraging!
Plenty of others taking 150-200mg once weekly with E2 slightly high. Mine (200mg/week) has been running between 50-55.
I’m guessing that you 200mg weekly and 50 E2 aren’t causing you any problems, with sides? Did you experience sides at first, and they faded away or were you one of the more fortunate, and just didn’t experience any sides?
Funny i find this thread, I just dropped my AI last week and am feeling great. 250mg wkly split into ED injections w. 250iu HCG EOD. I was taking 1.75mg AI and had no libido. Been about a week since stopping completely. My initial plan was to discontinue use for a week or so then pick back up at a lower dose, around .5-1mg weekly, but so far after a week, I see no reason to begin using an AI again.
Energy is better, libido is coming back around slowly, stronger erections are some positive things I’ve noticed in just a week. Only negative sides would be that some water retention is coming back. However, I feel its more a natural level of water being retained, whereas on 1.75mg AI, my estrogen was too low and I was all dried out. I liked the low estrogen look, but the positives greatly outweigh this small side effect. Cheeks are a little puffier, that’s all. Funny though, I gained about 4 pounds since dropping AI, presumably water .
You can do a lot more damage with low E2 than high E2. There’s no question that the AI’s are overused.
It will be interesting to see how you feel going forward. That’s a really high weekly dosage plus HCG. I’m doing 200mg plus HCG and couldn’t hack it without AI. I started feeling symptoms mainly just moody and anxious around 35 E2. I’ve been doing .7mg /wk and the feel ok but very fatigued. Trying to lower AI as well but I don’t know if I can get to no AI.
Congrats! I’m only in week 2 so I get where your coming from. I’ve had a few mild sides, but they seem to be passing. Most of the TRT guys I’ve spoken (chatted) with say that they found there best feelings were at the 4-6 weeks mark after zero AI. I’ve noticed a continued progression in libido, and sides reduction. I don’t know how much of my post you were able to read, but I was like you tired of the negative effects of using an AI. I spoke with those who had abandoned their AI, and just a few days after I stopped my AI, I got a call from my doctors office, saying that AI are not needed…strange. So it seems your in good company. Many of the guys shared that, their E2 sensitive scores are around 50-55 and they feel great.Thanks for the post.
Best of luck!
No high E2 side effects, in fact I feel better with higher E2 and lipids have also improved.
I probably should mention the my LC/MS/MS E2 level runs in the 70s. Immunoassay is 50-55.
I’m curious too how it will go. A while back, I needed the 1.75mg anastrazole weekly to handle 200mg. This AI dose may have been slightly too high, as low estrogen symptoms very slowly started to show… wasn’t aware they were symptoms of low E at the time and I let my estrogen crash way too low. I’m gonna be cautious moving forward and predict that I will eventually need some AI, but I already know the dose will be much lower. I’m debating already starting at .25mg E3.5D to prevent dipping into any high estrogen territory, but as of now, I’m going to continue to let my estrogen recover for a few more days.
@hardartery I agree. Having experienced both high and low estrogen since starting TRT, I can definitely say that low E2 symptoms also feel much worse. With too high estrogen, yeah I get a little emotional and libido/erectile function is in the bucket. But with low estrogen, I had those same symptoms while losing all drive and motivation in life. I’ve never battled with depression, but low estrogen really took a toll mentally. Zero motivation to talk to friends or family. Just really odd stuff. I don’t agree with the people that say AI is poison… but it definitely needs to be used with caution.
Interesting. I’ve heard of some guys just feeling much better with estrogen in the 50s. My estrogen must’ve been <10 because I have labwork at levels I felt pretty good on somewhere that show my sweetspots somewhere 20-30.
Any thoughts on reintroducing AI at a much lower dose early on to avoid those sides? Or do you recommend I hold out for the full 4-6 weeks? I have a little existing gyno on my right side that I’m worried could flare up again unless I take action now. I can tell it is a little more sensitive now, but besides that no negative things. I’m considering taking just .25 or .5mg anastrazole anytime I start to notice a flare up and then overtime I should recognize a pattern with it and just make that my new AI protocol. Regardless, I’m not going back to that 1.75mg Anastrazole again.
Regarding dosing an AI. First, since your having gyno symptoms, I would say your at max on E2 /T and you need to come lower on E2. As for dosing your AI, try this. Get yourself a milligram scale. You can get one on Amazon for about $25.00. If you can, buy your AI in capsule form, do that since you can seperate the capsule and get the power, otherwise get the tablets and crush them into powder. Anastrozole’s (Ana) half life is about 48 hours, so every two days, you will have 50% of whatever your previous dose was, in your bloodstream. Start out with .20 Ana. Just take the Ana powder weight it on your mg scale and dose .20 Ana. In two days you will have .10 in your bloodstream, and so on. On day two take another .10 and now you back to .20 in your bloodstream after a couple of weeks of this dosing pattern you will know if your to high or low on Ana. The difference now is you have a baseline to work from so you will always know exactly what your blood level is. Through trial and error, patience and small dosing you’ll find your perfect Ana dose, and therefore your correct blood level. Remember, this stuff is very strong, so a little goes a long way. Lastly, you need to avoid taking big swings with Ana it will put you in the dumper in a New York second! Good luck!
Or, dissolve it in vodka and dose accordingly with an eyedropper.
Yes, I know about dissolving the Ana in the vodka, this is much more controlled, far more accurate. You will know exactly what your dosing, and your blood level. This is important since I imagine you will need a lot of fine tuning. But do what you prefere.