So what amount of time would you recommend taking a SERM before checking E2 levels and Free Test/Total Test levels?
And why would it be hard to find a doctor to prescribe Nolvadex instead?
For low dose clomid probably at least 30 days, but you will probably feel the effects sooner.
Nolvadex is not as well known as a low T treatment so your doctor might not have any experience with it.
Has anyone used generic nolvadex (tamoxifen)? I told my doctor to subscribe me 10mg ED of Nolvadex, and I know it is more expensive than Clomid. But it seems Nolvadex is the much better SERM.
So anyone tried generic Nolvadex (tamoxifen)? Do you think it would be ok to try it or should I just get Nolvadex?
Also, Im up to 300mg Iodine and dont feel any different.
Don’t pay for Nolvadex if you can get the generic. Most guys here use Tamoxifen.
Very good to know! I told my doctor to let me try it and he said he would have to do a little research before he would prescribe me Nolvadex; at least he is willing to try it. I’m glad to see that my prolactin is not elevated after getting it tested again. These were done at OHSU.
Also, I got some more lab tests back: (10/3/2014)
Estradiol: 20 Range: <= 47
Prolactin: 10 Range: 3 - 13
SHBG: 32 Range: 11-80
Total Test: 402 Range: 300 - 1080
Free Test: 75pg/ml Range: 47 - 244pg/ml
I’m glad to see my Estradiol is right where it needs to be as of right now. Is my SHBG pretty normal? I know it’s in the range, but just wondering. My test and free test are low, especially for my age. So now I’m just waiting for my doctor to get back about the Nolvadex or Clomid.
My doctor said no to the Nolvadex because it is used for breast cancer in Woman. I started Clomid today. I’m going to do 25mg EOD, not 50mg EOD because that is what I’ve read on here. Does anyone have any good links to studies involving Nolvadex being used instead of Clomid? I would like to send him links to some studies to try and sway him to prescribe me Nolvadex. Anybody?
So I’ve been taking 25mg Clomid EOD for 10 days now, I am just wondering if I should be feeling anything by now? Should I up the dose or keep taking 25mg EOD?
What kind of things should I be feeling? I am also wondering about the estrogen part of Clomid, I know it can decrease libido which sucks, but will that come back when I go off of the Clomid if the Clomid works? I know if the Clomid doesn’t work, then TRT might be my only option. Someone chime in!
If it’s working you should feel improved libido within 2 or 3 weeks. At 12.5 per day it might be slower at the beginning. It’s possible that it could be raising your T levels without you noticing any difference. How long before you get labs done?
Bad idea and bad advice: " I’ve had my highest T levels while combining 10 mg Nolvadex and 25mg of clomid ED. "
Nolvadex and clomid do the same thing. What is has been used for is immaterial from a functional medicine point of view. Many doctors cannot do not have any capacity for critical thinking. The reason that a lot of papers did not explore Nolvadex for effects on the male HPTA was because the mechanisms of SERMs had already been demonstrated.
I get labs done in two weeks, I am supposed to wait a month to get tests done. Should I up the dose or keep doing the same dose?
So you do not feel any changes?
Don’t change what you are doing, you need to labs to see what is happening with what you are trying now.
No I don’t feel any changes, still tired and foggy, no libido, no erections. But OK, I won’t change the dose until labs.
Would anyone think it to be beneficial for me to get thyroid labs even though my body temps are normal? And I should also be going back to get blood tests for FT, TT, E2, FSH and Lh next week to see if Clomid is doing anything. That will be 4 weeks.
So I’m starting to notice that my nipples are a little hard all the time. I assume this is because of the Clomid side effects. I’m getting blood drawn tomorrow to check E2, TT, FT, and LH/FSH. I’ve been taking 25mg EOD, but I think I’m going to take 12.5mg EOD from now on. An AI can’t do anything for this side effect right? Some guys on this forum say they notice no difference on how much Clomid they’re taking so I might as well reduce it to reduce the side effects, correct?
Updates ?
alright lab tests are back. These were taken at 8:45 in the morning on November 5.
TT:1252 Range: 348 - 1197
FT:29.4 Range: 9.3 - 26.5
E2:34 Range: 7.6 - 42.6
LH:5.6 Range: 1.7 - 8.6
FSH:4.0 Range: 1.5 - 12.4
My TT and FT are actually high. I would say the Clomid worked. My E2 is higher, so hopefully my doctor will prescribe me an AI. I have dropped my dose of Clomid down to 12.5mg EOD. Do you think I will be able to slowly decrease the Clomid and get off of it without having to do some other form of therapy?
Looks very promising. However I cannot explain the hard nips while on the SERM. I have not had the thought that Clomid sides were more than in the brain. With E2=34, AI may work well, does not look like SERM induced hyper FT–>E2.
When you reduce the SERM, E2 should be affected.
When you try to get off of a SERM, you must taper because the E2 will shut you down. You should on 1.0 mg anastrozole per week in divided doses now and when finished the taper, be on 0.5mg/week.
But more to the point… How are you feeling?
So then should I decrease the SERM to 12.5mg EOD and see how my E2 is affected before taking anastrazole?
To be honest, I haven’t noticed too much of an energy increase and I don’t think my sleep has improved all too much. But I have been getting more boners and recovering from my workouts much faster. But I seem softer, and I think that could be due to higher E2? And yeah I don’t know about the nipple thing. It’s weird. So does this mean that I’m secondary or primary? Or is that even a valid question?
Haven’t updated in a while. I’ve been doing 12.5mg EOD of Clomid for the last month and a half. After about 10 days of this, I noticed my nipples stopped getting so hard so I was happy about that. As of right now, I’ve been on Clomid for 3 months. Still seems like I have low libido, but I also don’t have a girlfriend to test this out. I do wake up in the middle of the night with a hard on sometimes, which may be a good sign. It just seems like it doesn’t get as hard as it used to. Not sure if that’s weird to say or not. It’s just not like it was, like two years ago. And I also don’t get a lot of pleasure from sex, I mean yeah it feels good, but it’s not like the best thing in the world. I don’t crave it either like some men do. Could I maybe have some dopamine problems?
I have been thinking about purchasing Tongkat Ali for the sex drive whenever I do get a girlfriend. Anybody have experience with this?
I’ve also added 500mg Ashwaghanda to my daily supplement regimen. I plan on getting some more blood tests done here soon. Should I still get LH/FSH, TT, E2, and FT tested or is that too much? Or should I test for something else?
Any input would be awesome. Sorry for the long post. Just haven’t posted in a while.
Read through your entire posts and a very similar situation to myself regarding low FSH/LH low T (im 22). My endo wouldnt look at clomid as he said I would just return to what im at now after stopping it, so be interesting to see how you come out of the clomid…
My endo believed my low LH/FSH could be from overtraining and it effecting my pitiitary output of those hormones, as my pituitary is producing other hormones fine (GH etc).
He gave me 2 months of Testogel 50mg to try and see how I feel, but if my results are from overtraining im half tempted not to try the TRT…
I dont have any symptoms of overtraining, and my cortisol response and adrenals are fine when tested… But maybe my HPTA system cant handle the gym 5-6days a week…
Something similar to your case by the looks… what the answer is I dont know? stop training I guess haha