I had my bloods done on Tuesday and just got the result. I’m on 12.5mg cypionate every second day, 125ui HCG every 4 days and that’s it no AI.
I feel ok but not tip top. Maybe there’s room to increase everything by a fraction? My SHBG is the highest it’s been in years it had gone very low - below 21 at some point. My E2 is also staying very low without an AI.
Attached results from UK lab.
Basically your labs shows a 41 pmol/L or 11 estradiol to be optimal, insanity! Normal adult male estradiol is 20>, little prepubertal boys would be fine with an estradiol at 11.
As for why estrogen is low, low levels of aromatase enzymes.
The ranges for estradiol in the US (20-40 pg/mL or 73-146 pmol/L) were originally derived from men with Total T <500 ng/dL or 17.35 nmol/L.
Many guidelines, doctors in the UK are not the authority in the matter of male hormones.
You need more hCG.
Thanks I suspected it was low E2. How about I double my HCG to 250 E4D and check again in 6 weeks? I wonder is there room to increase my T and by how much? Should I just see how the HCG goes first?
It’s funny that my aromatase appears low because too much E2 (and low SHBG) was my problem for 3 years and now it’s flipped. For the better though I’m guessing, I’m generally healthier, I just need to adjust accordingly.
250 IU is the lowest dosage you should attempt with hCG, response to hCG is usually seen at or above 250 IU. Every 4 days is to far apart. 250 IU hCG is a daily dosage.
Due to the very short half-life of hCG (2 days), you need minimum 400 IU twice weekly. If you space the hCG further out than this, I’m afraid your estradiol levels will not be consistently elevated.
If you were just using hCG for testicular atrophy, you might be able to get away with dosing hCG further apart or cycling it.
Increase the hCG dosage first, leave the TRT dosing where it is.
High E2, probably resulting from very high free T, which probably resulted from SHBG below 20, was a serious issue for me until recently and led me to persistently crashing my E2 with AIs. Also when I was on 125iu HCG EOD my last bloods (6 weeks ago) showed above range LH. My point is I’m very nervous about sudden large increases. What do you think about 250iu EOD for starters and test in a couple of weeks?
This isn’t usually the case, hCG and TRT suppresses both LH and FSH. You’re drawing all this out by making such tiny changes.
You went from one extreme to the other, high E2, now low E2, and it’s setting you up for a long dialing in process.
You’re well below normal hCG doses, respond begins at 250 IU. Your estrogen is 11, you’ll need more hCG to get it 20>.
If you want to play it safe, hCG 350 IU twice weekly.
Thanks I’ll start with twice weekly. I’ve already had gyno issues I’ll just play it really safe for a few weeks and take it from there.
Regarding my LH…have you heard of the assay that wrongly detects HCG as LH? Can only assume that’s why I had above range LH whilst on cypionate and still have detectable amounts…
Hey. So I went up to 350 twice a week and around 5 days ago started feeling really bad. Total loss of libido, ED, bloating, puffy face. I’m guessing my E2 has shot up? Can’t get bloods until after new year.
I’m just wondering if I drop down to 250 twice a week how long can I expect to wait for my E2 to start falling?
Sounds like you went in the wrong direction on your dosage causing fluid retention. I don’t expect things to get better if they’re this bad this soon.
The half-life of hCG is 2 days.
I was taking 125 E3D before (and E2 was hovering at the very low end) so maybe I should go 250 E3D? 350 was probably too much of a leap. I dunno what’s going on with me - I’m such an over responder it’s like I’m always on a knife edge.
