So I just started on treatment last week through an online men’s clinic.
45yrs, 6’1", 200 lbs
My total T was tested at 600 and my E2 was low. I have been displaying almost all of the low-T symptoms for several years, bad enough that I decided to finally do something about it. (Losing muscle mass despite lifting regularly for years, no libido, joint pain, fatigue, no motivation, no morning wood, etc.)
Prescribed 200mg per week of Test Cypionate. Also Gonadorelin and AI. I told the doc that I am not taking an AI and that I wanted to start off with just the test, split into 2 doses per week. I am not taking the Gonadorelin yet, and may not at all if I can help it.
I am aware of placebo and I’m trying to be very objective. My first injection of 100mg was last Tuesday night. Wednesday AM I lifted weights and had a decent workout. Sexy time with wifey Wednesday night and who is this guy? Awesome! Thursday I got a cold and took cold medicine all day and night. I woke up Friday AM still feeling like I just took a ton of cold medicine for a day (crappy), but went to the gym anyway. Usually, a gym day after a sick day is pretty lackluster, but I blasted through my workout at all my normal weights and added reps to my sets. I noticed that I am warm all the time (I am usually very “cold-blooded”), and I am breaking a sweat in the gym. I ran a couple of miles Friday night, good energy. Saturday AM another 100 mg shot… I am hot all day, and just feeling kinda “amped” up. I wake up at 3 AM Sunday AM and I am READY TO GO. Sunday afternoon I go lift again and absolutely kill it in the gym, I am flying through my sets. Monday AM workout and I feel like a beast, and I’m sweating again. I added 15 pounds to my bicep curls today and did every single rep of every set.
Is this possible? This can’t just be in my head, right? It’s only been 1 week and 2 shots. Holy crap I am feeling like a new person.
Probably placebo. You are likely amped up because you are excited to be starting TRT, and you also are probably amped up because you just pinned yourself. I remember doing the first pin and feeling amped after doing that.
You may be feeling something after a week, but you didn’t actually put on muscle to be able to do 15 lbs more on curls. You could have done that before, you just were not as amped. You likely have some natural T left stacked with the exogenous test, so it is a level you are not used to. You will not feel amped for your whole time on TRT. Eventually it feels normal, and you will still feel tired at times. Many guys try to chase the feeling they had when they started TRT. It is a fools errand.
There is an interesting study where they gave powerlifters sugar pills and told them it was a new powerful oral steroid that is supposed to be great for strength. They set huge PRs taking sugar pills because they expected to get a huge PR.
Probably is. Steroid hormones are slow acting, long lasting. I recall the first time I took Dianabol. My training partners told me it takes 10 days to “kick in.” I marked off 10 days on the calendar, it was a Wednesday. Went to the gym and blew away my previously best lifts, some by as much as 10-15kgs. It was 15mg of Dianabol.
I didn’t have any more symptoms, I just felt like crap from all the medicine the day before. At least they all had masks on so they are 100% safe, right… right? They would have had a 99.97% chance without the masks anyway, so I assume they should all pull through.
I tend to agree… I’ve worked out consistently for a long time and I am pretty in tune with my body and how I feel and how I make progress. I am definitely feeling some changes. Just the fact that I am warm all the time now, and breaking a sweat when I am lifting shows me it’s not just placebo. The return of morning wood is not just placebo. Motivation and energy could be placebo. I am being objective and logging everything to track my treatment and progress. I read a ton before I went on TRT and I honestly wasn’t expecting to notice anything for a few weeks.
The 15 lb PR on a curl from 2 TRT doses is the placebo part. Maybe your form was worse on the PR, maybe you could have done that lift before, but didn’t think you could. What was your curl before and after?
When I had my first ever test injection, 200 mg, I felt it the next day. I had a lot of energy. It definitely was not a placebo effect. The day after, the anxiety hit me hard.
definitely not placebo. I had the same effect after my first few injections. Felt amazing and was definitely stronger and recovered quicker. I think my natural test plus my injection had me well over 2000 total test. My trough after 6 weeks of injections was 1500. My peak had to be wayyyy up there. Definite enhanced strength and feeling of well being.