TRT journey (help)

Pharma / TRT
1

Hello all, i am a 29 year old somewhat fat, pretty muscular male that over the years have lost interest in sex, ed problems and gotten more and more tired ant fatique, so this winter i got my labs, took 2 test, labs came in at 270 and 400, shbg 28.

The big problem here is, due to the higher test value, i wont get help from doctors, so i took matters in to my own hands and ordered testosterone enanthate and have been on that for about 3 months now.

First month i went from a lazy angry motherfucker with a limp dick, to a happy, horny dude, always up for adventure,

Somewhere during month 2 my erections got weaker, libido Went down and my energy and overall well beeing have gotten lower.

Protocol as follows, first 3 weeks i was on 125 a week split e3d subq, and i allways felt shit on day 3 so i upped it to 200mg a week, here came the big improvement, after i started feeling decrease in benefits and a little lump behind my nipple i took 0.25mg arimidex day after injection for 2 weeks and lowered the dose back to 125, felt the crappy day 3 mood again and upped to 175.

I am under no circumstansions a health care provider, neither am i big on the topic, so i read a lot, and now i feel that i dont really know what to do, will check e2 when money allows it.

I am now searching knowledge here and i hope to get some thauts from you, sorry for my crappy english, i am from a none english speaking country.

2

Are you still somewhat fat?

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3

So… IMO you need to give it about 6 weeks in between dose changes. It takes 4-5 just to reach steady state blood levels. Seems like your freaking out and making changes way to quickly.

With a normal SHBG like yours a typical TRT dose is around 150mg for optimal levels but you need follow up labs to confirm. 200mg is almost certainly higher than needed and could cause E2 issues.

Settle on a dose, stick with it for awhile without throwing in aromatase inhibitors and then adjust with time and follow up
Labs.

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4

So….i tried the sub Q method and labs showed me that it was not as effective as the IM was for me. Might be a cause. E2 issues may also be a cause, and many people don’t realize that test levels that are too high can yield similar symptoms as too low. Doubt that is your case.

HOWEVER. You never mention working out or exercise. Test/steriods/supplements/whatever can only do so much, you gotta do your part.

5

I do no Weight lifting at a gym, i hike and do a lot of walks and fishing etc, very active work with lots of heavy lifting and no sitting still, i an 5’8 and weigh 217, at my biggest i weighd 260 but then i went down to 205, and that was my starting weight on trt, the 12 lbs i gained since then was pretty much first 6 weeks on T, arms, shoulders, chest and legs are hard and firm, so most of my fat is belly fat.

Very correct about the panicking, the lumps gave me lots of panick, hence ai and lowered dosage.

Do you think my current doser on 175mg is way high? I have been on that for 2 weeks now and feel a slight dip on inject day, not at all as big as on 125 but a little more tired, more likely to take a afternoon nap.

6

Yes, at my biggest i was arround 260, at trt start i weighd arround 205, and first six weeks on T i gained 12 lbs, pretty much all my fat is belly, hard and firm arms, shoulders, legs and chest, i am 5’8.

7

I am inpatience and i know that, may be terrible thinking of me but my initial thauts where that 125 semi worked, 200 worked, lets see if that causes problems, and there where lumps starting to form, no itching nipples or so, just a little more acne and some greasy skin, i am now on 175 and will try ti stick a while now, maybe try to lower further to 150.

8

The big needles are hard to find here where i live, hence subQ, insulin tools is plentyfull, i do no gym at all, active lifestyle tho, hiking, walks, fishing, very active work, no sitting at all, walking, lifting heavy etc.

9

I would address this first and foremost. Getting body composition squared away will go a long way toward improving testosterone.

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Sounds like a good plan. Avoid lowering your dose and taking arimadex at the same time. That’s a recipe for feeling bad and tanking estrogen. You should instead do one or the other for awhile and see if you improve. Gyno doesn’t form overnight and often subsides on its own .

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My thinking was to lower esteogen right now, for a short period, while my body uses up the high dose test, a combination of not really knowing what i do and a bit of panic.

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May sound like excuses, i dont know, but for someone who have struggled with weight all life, big family woth small children, and low T, diet and excersice is not a easy task, i have tried but energy and motivation just doesnt excist, forst 6 weeks on t tho, thats the energy and motivation i need.

13

The secret is: it isn’t an easy task for anyone.

Exercise is more for health benefits; not fat loss. Exercise is a poor fat loss tool. But nutrition is definitely worth pursuing. A lot of dudes experiencing symptoms of low test are ALSO experiencing symptoms of poor nutrition and lifestyle.

If you can eliminated ultraprocessed foods, eat more red meat and eggs, get more regular exposure to sunlight, stay properly hydrated, sleep well, minimize stress, and engage in some regular walking and basic resistance training, you may see many of the benefits you are seeking.

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Tbh i check in on all those, except resistance training and stress, try to cook good food for my family with good ingredients, buy a lot of eggs and meats from local farmers, grow lots of my own greens and veggies.

A lot of being outside, fishing, building projects, walking, running arround on a playground etc.

Heavy physical work.

My weight problem is evening snacks mostly, i know what i eat and what i should not eat, a good day of eating and being active is Kinda defeated by a 1000 kcal, 100g carbs night snack in front of the tv, working on that tho, at least replace a chocolate bar or potato chips with a whole grain sandwich or some cottage cheese or something.

15

Often, late night snacking happens because we don’t get enough nutrients during the day. The body is smart: it will do what it takes to survive. If we make it to the end of the day and didn’t give the body what it needed, it will crank up the hunger hormones so that we binge until we FINALLY get what we need and THEN we get to sleep.

I like Mark Bell’s approach of eggs/egg whites late at night. It’s VERY hard to overeat them.

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I do think i am really not hungry, most of the time i crave something sweet and carb rich, but i will try to increase my daily egg intake to at least 1 or 2 boiled eggs per day.

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A little update, i have started eating better now, periodic fasting, 14 hours 7 days a week, working on going up to 18 hours 5 days a week, eat chicken and broccoli for lunch and cottage cheese for breakfast, 90g protein, 18g carbs and 480 kcal, then ~1000 calorie dinner, low gi high protein, made from single ingredients, beans Peas, sallads broccoli, good proteins, chicken, steak, salmon etc. Down 8lbs so far. 212 lbs, goal is to be below 200 by new years and 190 by easter.

18

Good work. What you’re doing with moderate weight loss and cleaning up nutrition will do far more than the test for overall well being.

The other folks have given perspective on T dosing. Here’s mine: I’ve settled in at 100 mg per week of test cyp. My next labs are due in a couple weeks but feel good. I’m 43, 5’7", 180 lbs (who knows on bodyfat, but I’ve got striations in my delts so meh). Lifelong lifter, started at age 11. Maybe I’m a high responder? Regardless, I was skeptical of that dose being “too low” but I’m patient and waited 3 months. Minor ups and downs but overall: good.

You can’t and shouldn’t feel like Superman/Wolverine/Bane 24/7 if you are taking exogenous test for health. Patience, patience…

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My goal with trt is feeling human, sex more than 4-6 times a year, at least once a month, work my day, go by the store on the way home, cook dinner for the family, play with the kids and then round of the day, pretty close now, still a little high i think, forgot yesterdays shot and now i have been on 50mg e3d, but today i felt better, maybe will try 50mg e4d.

20

Great goals. Hope you get it figured out. It’s a blessing when you start to feel "normal " or like your younger self (at much smaller level but closer).