Hi guys
New to this forum.Ive had treatment resistand depression for 20yrs along with high anxiety levels.I take klonopin and an ssri.I have been on every ssri there is with almost no relief.
I stumbled upon an article regarding low test relating to anxiety and depression.So i got my test levels checked and im below 200!
Im considering a trt dosage of 100mg per week test cyp.
Here is my main concern…
Ive read many articles that have said trt can worsen anxiety.Im prone to anxiety attacks but could this be low test.?
I worried if i do the 100mg ill have panic attacks until its out my system
What do you guys suggest.
Most find that TRT makes them more calm and collected, less emotional. But is has to be done right:
-E2 must be managed as needed to be near 22pg/ml to avoid the negative effects of elevated E2 levels.
-TRT increases/restores metabolic rate. If your thyroid function is low or cortisol low, things do not keep up and sometimes a guy can feel worse.
Please read these stickies:
advice for new guys — need more info about you <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
things that damage your hormones
protocol for injections
finding a TRT doc
You need these labs:
TT
FT
E2
LH/FSH - must be done before TRT
prolactin
DHEA-S
CBC with hematocrit
fasting cholesterol
fasting glucose
A1C if 20 pounds overweight or if glucose known to be high
AST/ALT
IGF-1 to eval GH
TSH
fT3
fT4 [please not T3, T4]
AM cortisol [at 8AM please]
Check your overall thyroid function by checking oral body temperatures:
when you first wake up, should be 97.7 - 97.8, higher is OK, 97.3 is a problem.
also check for 98.6 mid-afternoon
if temperatures good, you can skip labs for TSH, fT3, fT4
if temperatures are low, this can be from not using iodized salt and/or vitamins that list iodine+selenium
— then read the thyroid basics sticky
Long term use of tranquilizers creates many problems and stopping leads to lots of issues.
Supplements:
5000iu Vit-D3, take 25,000 for first 5 days
high potency B-complex multi-vit with trace elements and iodine+selenium WITHOUT ANY IRON
EFA’s from fish oil, nuts, flax seed oil/meals
25mg DHEA if DHEA-S below mid range
Vit-C, natural source Vit-E
Magnesium supplement [if you ever get muscle craps]
SSRI’s spoil sexual function. Perhaps you could switch to Wellbutrin if you feel its the right time.
Stopping SSRI’s is not pleasant!
SSRIs are no more effective at treating depression than placebo. However the side effects and withdrawal symptoms are hella real. Ditch them but with advice from your prescriber. Quit the benzos, thats an addiction you just dont need and its a great drug but for short term acute issues. Youre better off starting and commiting to an exercise program for depression and anxiety.
If you respond well to medications like I do, high levels of testosterone will make you feel jittery, tense, and suffer from insomnia. I took way smaller doses than most of the testimonies here and gained muscle and felt good. Doses like I see here gave me jaw clenching tension and high BP. If you start TRT I recommend starting at 25mg e3d and adding 5mg when you feel ready.
Oh and even at 25mg e3d i needed arimidex to control E2 and hCG to maintain my testes and support the other hormones like E2 progestin progesterone etc.