25 Yr Old. Total T 458, Low Vit D

Body temperatures have been fine going all the way back to early February - 98.6F afternoon and ~98.0F morning. All my other symptoms have improved so far.

After experiencing just 75mg/week I’m positive that my T has been a problem for a long time. Things haven’t stabilized just yet but I’ve had some moments where I felt like I did back in high school. And that was when I had half the cheerleading squad fighting over me Lol.

Update:

Week 6, 7/18 - 37.5mg test cyp Tuesday+Friday and 250IU hCG Tuesday+Friday

  • Felt a little strange after introducing hCG - like I passed a sweet spot with the first injection and had a good euphoria then second injection gave me a weird ADD-like feeling like I couldn’t focus on anything.
  • Still improved morning erections
  • Front squats Mon-Fri - worked up to 1x140lbs

Week 7, 7/25 - 37.5mg test cyp Tuesday+Friday and 250IU hCG Tuesday+Friday

  • Strange feeling from hCG subsided and morning erections still strong. General energy is better.
  • Front squats Mon-Fri - worked up to 1x145lbs

Week 8, 8/1 - 37.5mg test cyp Tuesday+Friday and 250IU hCG Tuesday+Friday

  • Decent energy and good morning erections. Libido is more “I’d destroy that” rather than “She’s sexy”.
  • Cognitive function is definitely better - wittier and can type way faster lol
  • Front squats Mon-Fri - worked up to 1x150lbs

TESTOSTERONE, TOTAL 748 250-1100 ng/dL
TESTOSTERONE, FREE 117.6 46.0-224.0 pg/mL
TESTOSTERONE, BIOAVAILABLE 246.9 110.0-575.0 ng/dL
SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN 30 10-50 nmol/L
ALBUMIN, SERUM 4.6 3.6-5.1 g/dL
ESTRADIOL 34 <=39 pg/mL

WBC 5.8 3.8-10.8 x10E3/uL
RBC 4.69 4.20-5.80 x10E6/uL
HEMOGLOBIN 14.6 13.2-17.1 g/dL
HEMATOCRIT 43.8 38.5-50.0 %
MCV 93.4 80-100 fL
MCH 31.1 27.0-33.0 pg
MCHC 33.4 32.0-36.0 g/dL
RDW 13.0 11.0-15.0 %
PLATELETS 189 140-400 x10E3/uL
MPV 10.7 7.5-12.5 fL

I am wondering if I am very sensitive to hCG. Ever since the second shot of 250IU I’ve felt a little different - maybe slightly moodier at fist but nothing dramatic just not a positive change.

Overall everything has been very positive so far. Without even looking at FT and BioT, I do think I would benefit from the full 100mg/week. My energy is decent but then again I am used to having none and not working out - more would be great. Anastrozole will come into play if I go up again on dose and that will probably be another battle with the doctor.

Thinking this through a little more - TT=748 is just above TT[Mid]=675, FT=117.6 is just below FT[Mid]=135, and BioT=246.6 is below BioT[Mid]=342.5. This is also exactly how I feel - OK but not great.

E2=34 was measured with the Quest insensitive assay and I’m wondering if I should cross check this by doing a LabCorp and Quest insensitive E2 test in the same day.

I am considering switching to an EOD protocol to help control E2.

Also, labs were done half way in between injections.

Would be interested to hear your thoughts @KSman.

Levels may be affected by lab timing.

Can you get dose of T increased?

E2 is more than desirable. You would need an AI to reduce. If you increase T levels, E2 will rise proportionately. Your are reporting E2 changes.

Yes, the urologist stated that I can go up until my symptoms are relieved but no higher than 100mg/week.

We have not discussed AI’s as part of the protocol but I know that he knows about anastrozole use.

Is there any significant effect on E2 from an EOD injection protocol?

Update:
Week 9-13, 8/8-9/5 - 21.5mg test cyp EOD (75mg/week) and 125IU hCG EOD

  • Still decent energy and morning erections
  • More mental energy and better cognitive function
  • Front squats Mon-Fri - worked up to 1x180lbs

TESTOSTERONE, TOTAL 316 250-1100 ng/dL
ESTRADIOL 30 <=39 pg/mL

WBC 5.8 3.8-10.8 x10E3/uL
RBC 4.68 4.20-5.80 x10E6/uL
HEMOGLOBIN 14.8 13.2-17.1 g/dL
HEMATOCRIT 43.8 38.5-50.0 %
MCV 93.7 80-100 fL
MCH 31.7 27.0-33.0 pg
MCHC 33.8 32.0-36.0 g/dL
RDW 12.6 11.0-15.0 %
PLATELETS 178 140-400 x10E3/uL
MPV 9.9 7.5-12.5 fL

I am thinking that the last TT lab is an error. My injection protocol is EOD so blood was drawn in between injection days.

The previous labs show TT=748 and E2=34 on a twice per week protocol, blood drawn hallway between injections. There’s no way my E2 stayed at 30 and TT dropped to 316.

Anyhow, I am still feeling pretty good. Libido could be slightly better but I’m able to workout 5 days a week pretty hard and I have more energy to do things I want and not need a nap.

My only concern is my nipples are sensitive. This may be just increased sensation from more T but they’re also a little puffy. I remember having a small lump beneath my left nipple in high school and it seems the same small lump is back. The next doctor appointment is Friday so I’ll discuss anastrozole and upping my the dose.

Update:

Week 14-15 9/12-9/19 - 21.5mg test cyp EOD (75mg/week) and 50IU hCG EOD

  • Urologist recommended reducing the hCG to see how it affects my nipples sensitivity. Sensitivity decreased by the end of the week due to hCG’s short half-life, so I will be keeping it at 50IU EOD.
  • Front Squats Mon-Fri - worked up to 1x190lbs

Week 16-20 9/26-10/24 - 26mg test cyp EOD (91mg/week) and 50IU hCG EOD

  • Nipples felt good from reducing hCG so I upped my test to 91mg/week. Everything has improved positively and there are no symptoms of high E2.
  • Front Squats Mon-Fri - worked up to 1x205lbs

Last week I did some digging into the ketogenic diet. I’ve known about its inflammation benefits for neurological disorders and it’s reputation as a great fat burning tool, but there was a small piece that finally sold me on it and really just makes a ton of sense: when dietary fats (ketones) are the primary fuel source the body and brain are constantly fueled by switching to burning body fat as necessary without the ups and downs from insulin/glucose on a carbohydrate based diet.

This is profoundly useful to me because something changed in my body after being subjected to a major stress event and I simply don’t respond to my diet the way I used to. Most days if I don’t eat every 2-3 hours I just feel dreadful. I have spent a massive about of time optimizing my nutrition through food choice and meal timing, which has worked but it was mainly a band aid.

I’ve also made tremendous progress with my TRT protocol and I was feeling pretty darn good, but on last Saturday I cut the carbs out and dove into a modified ketogenic diet which was 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbohydrates.

I admittedly felt god awful for the first two days - angry, edgy, semi-emotional - but when I woke up on the third day I felt like I used to feel when I was sixteen. My head hasn’t been that clear in probably ten years and my energy felt almost endless. My flexibility is better, endurance is better, dry skin is gone, healing is faster, hair growth is fast, and I just look and feel more alive. I’ve felt excellent for the past week and a half, and from what I’ve read the first two weeks are the hardest as your body adapts to ketosis, and athletes can expect to keep adapting for up to six months.

I understand that this type of diet is looked down upon by the weight lifting community but there’s definitely something here that is misunderstood. I’ve been researching this like crazy and what’ve I’ve gathered is that most of the science is settled on the benefits of the ketogenic diet and that there can be tremendous increases in strength/endurance and quality of life but this is mainly dependent on ancestry/genetics because some people simply respond better to conventional carbohydrate diets. Dom D’Augustino, one of the leading researchers and practitioners of the ketogenic diet. Dom fasted for 7 days straight and then deadlifted 500x10 followed by 585x1. Lol

A few facts that I’ve compiled about the body burning ketones as its fuel source:

  • Increased steroid receptor density
  • Oxygen is 5-8% more thermodynamically efficient
  • The heart is more hydraulically efficient
  • Wounds can heal at a 20% faster rate
  • Blood flow to the brain is increased by 10%
  • Ketones can have a positive effect on blood lipid profiles

There are still some negatives to a fat based diet such gut microbiome issues, possible adverse effects on blood lipid profiles depending on ancestry, and increased transport of toxics due to fat availability. However, I’ve struggled with this for so long and I believe I’ve found the solution so I hope someone reads this and gets something out of it because I feel like a massive weight has been lifted off me.