When Do You Guys Take Your AI After HCG?

So I have a question for you guys that use an AI. I have been taking the anastrazole right after my hcg and test shot for probably a year. I havent had much of a libido to speak of. I recently got busy and did not take the anastrazole until the end of a shot day and I noticed some increases libido. I have tried delaying the anastrazole the last couple of shot days and I do feel better like that throughout the day. On the other hand my estrogen spikes after a day or two without the AI and I get Ed, lower libido etc so I know that I need it. My latest labs had my estradiol sitting at 16.6 and I currently do a compounded .125mg pill mwf when I do my injections. I’m wandering if my best bet is to take the anastrazole at the end of the day right before bed because I do notice a drop in libido temporarily after taking it. I’m wandering if that would have me feeling the best with having the day of shots feeling good and rebounding next day after taking the pill at night. Has anyone else noticed this same feeling and also, does anyone else do something like this?

I take mine 24 hours after my shot (on the occasions I do take it). Sometimes I skip and feel ok. Not awesome, but ok

Interesting. Have you tried it any other way and found this is how you feel the best? I’m wandering if taking it at the same time as my shots I’m knocking my estrogen down too much? I feel the best when I let it climb but obviously have to knock it down some before it gets too high, so maybe 24 hrs is right for me as well.

Thats a really low value for estrogen. When i first started TRT i was obsessed with “high estrogen” and i did so many things to lower it, and i felt like absolute garbage. Once i stopped trying to alter my estrogen i started feeling great. My e2 is sometimes as high as 60 and i have zero issues.

Low E2 can cause ED, not just high E2. have you tried letting your e2 balance naturally? Currently on 200mg of test along with HCG and i don’t take anything for E2. I have also ran test higher and never altered my e2 and never had any issues. You might have to let yourself balance for a few weeks before you feel Ok, hormones going up and down can make you feel “off” but i would be concerned if i saw that low of an e2 reading… I would be terrified honestly.

Do you have any joint pain with your e2 that low? What are your other numbers on your current protocol?

I know some people need it, but i don’t think its necessary for MOST on TRT. Are you overweight?

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I though 16 was a little low too but defy has a range of 8-like 30 as normal range. I have tried letting my estrogen go and felt ok with just test but with hcg when I tried it once I was good and then three days in I couldn’t get an erection. I guess it sounds like maybe I should atleast start cutting the dose od anastrazole and see how it makes me feel? I don’t want to let it go too high but maybe let it go up some?

No I way 165

I convert mainly to estrogen though… my dht stays on low side even with my test as high as 1000. Most everything is in range lab wise

I figure TT peaks at 24-36 hours and e2 follows TT, so 24 hours after my shot. I’ve not really played around with that since it seems to work pretty well for me

Learn something new every time I get on here. I didn’t know that test peaked then and that estradiol followed. So next morning does make sense then. I can try that. I may try a little less as well

Most doctors that use anastrozole rx it at 24 hours post testosterone dose and three days later.

You need weeks for things to balance off, not days. I remember when i first started TRT, i had bad swelling in my feet, it went away eventually. Ive had days when im “off” but i left it slide and eventually i leveled out. I dont even worry about my e2 unless i feel nipple itchiness.

If i were you i would stop the anazstrazole, let your E2 come up and let it stay up for a few weeks, if you still have symptoms after weeks, then maybe address it. But that low of an E2 is not good for you.

Thank you I’ll try to let it rise some. I have had some issues when it gets too high over the past couple of years. It actually gets up into the 50s with test only, so it gets really high with hcg.

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Thank you for that info. That helps a ton.

My prescription requires me to take Test, HCG, and AI all at the same time 2x a week. Its amazing that Libido depends so much on the Estrogen control for a lot of fellas. Ive stayed away from AIs so my body is pretty good about how to deal with E. Hope you figure it out

Thanks. So you do take an ai or you do not? Yeah I hope to figure it out.

No AI for me. It took 6 months or so before my body figured it all out. At first my E was high and Doc told me to take an AI. Instead I switched to dailies. E has been a non issue for me. My take on it is, that eventually my body will learn to deal with exogenous Test, and it was the case

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Yeah I do subq three days a week but the hcg just really spikes it

HCG spikes mine too. Im not concerned about it. I take 25iu/2x a week along with TC220mg/week. I guess HCG is where my peaks and troughs come from. Which brings me to this… Injecting T EOD is going to give you spikes. Adding HCG is going to then create its own spikes. Theoretically you are overlapping spikes which may have different rates of hormonal change and release which could cause unwanted side effects. Which is why you’re now throwing in an AI in order to control aromatase. The problem is youre only taking HCG into consideration, and not the T. Anyway, if you microdose T daily, then the only real spike will be from HCG, and perhaps the peaks wont be as high either. Food for thought.

But do you have symptoms when its that high? If you do, you should let it ride for a little while. The only absolute warning sign would be itchy nipples, everything else can resolve if given time. High E2 numbers don’t mean there is a problem, E2 follows test, so if your test is high, your e2 will also be high.

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So I have a deeper question I think. I’ve noticed with scaling back the anastrazole some and taking it next day already I’m a little bloated. It’s taking me down a whole other rabbit hole and I’m wandering if my whole protocol is out of whack based on what I’m reading. I didn’t think low Shbg was a problem but from what I’m reading it can be with protocols? Can someone help me understand it? Here are my latest labs:

Test 1074
Free test 35
Estradiol 16.5
Dht 90
Shbg 17.5

Am I understanding that if I lower my dosages it will increase my Shbg some and lower my free test? Can too much free cause problems or keep you from feeling good? I’m already on mwf shots