So I will give specific details as to what’s puzzling me and my TRT journey for over a year.
Unlike the majority on here who complain about possibly feeling a low before their next injection shot, I actually tend to feel better towards the end of the week if I am to inject once weekly. Same dose with a higher frequency like ED/EOD makes it worse and the “average” is not good.
I have had times when I would drop the TRT altogether for a week or 2, and suddenly my mind would be clear and I would have stronger erections and over all feel better until the eventual crash if I just drop it cold turkey.
While not perfect, I have had luck in using an AI with higher doses, but didn’t do so well with lower doses without AI. To be fair I never actually went as low as 100mg per week. I remember once I did drop to around 120mg per week split into EOD injections and felt like crap. TT was 900, E2 was 20.3, and FT was 26.
So I will summarize in saying that I have been having better luck with higher dose and AI, and its what seems to work compared to everything else I have tried. It still ain’t perfect and I feel I can do better. Can anyone make sense of my situation?
Can’t recall exactly, maybe a month tops maybe less, wouldn’t be surprised if it was only 2-3 weeks. But before we go down the rabbit hole of giving it time, how would we explain the 2nd point I made, also the point of feeling better on AI literally within a day or 2 after ignoring E2 for periods of time.
My initial thoughts are that you may be better off with a lower dose, maybe 100mg per week. If I were in your shoes, I’d try 100mg per week, for at least 8 weeks without an AI.
Give it at least 8 weeks without any protocol changes. AT LEAST 8 weeks. Sometimes it takes a little longer.
My guess with point 2, is that if your dose was too high, you’d feel better after your levels came down. But that’s just a guess.
A while back when I was on Anastrozole, and I noticed my BP going up, and a little anxiety kicked in, I’d take 1/4 mg of anastrozole and I’d almost immediately feel better(within an hour). So I understand that an AI can make you feel better. But now that I’ve let myself adjust to the hormones without an AI, I don’t get anxiety, and I have a sense of well-being that I never had while on Anastrozole.
I get what you are saying and for long term I am considering the less meds the better. I just find it weird that I felt better towards trough on less frequency and felt better after 1-2 weeks of skipping T doses. Yet somehow reducing my dose would require more time to feel benefits rather than feeling like garbage like I did? Like that what I am saying with point 2, how can i instantly feel better when its actually more drastic than reducing my dose? My E2 was 20 with that 120mg eod protocol, which I would assume to actually be frowned upon around these parts, yet 100mg per week will work?
Edit: I guess there is still the argument of 100 mg being low enough dose for me for what ever reason.
Remember that TRT is a lifelong journey. Sometimes we don’t find our best protocol right away. We need to be patient. I’m a perfect example. It took me 7 years to realize that I didn’t need an AI. Like I said, if I were you, I’d try 100 mg per week for at least 8 weeks. If you inject it all at once, or split it into 2 doses per week, just keep it the same for at least 8 weeks. Then evaluate after that. It’s a pretty safe protocol to try. And don’t get frustrated if you feel worse before you feel better. Let it ride for at least 8 weeks.
Makes me wonder how I would go about doing a full on cycle if I ever decided to do that. Because essentially we are assuming for some of us the T levels alone can be too high?
What is your protocol and levels? A bit of side conversation; I always wondered what TRT would be like if the bulk of the protocol is actually HCG and T is the supplemental part. Something like 1000-1500 IU HCG and like 80 mg of T, maybe even 60mg, something just to supplement the HCG.