Hey guys, I was wondering where this anastrozole thing (or any other aromatase inhibitors) claiming that it does not work inside the testicles came up. I can’t find any study suggesting it will happen if I decide to inject a high dose of HCG or take a SERM dose that could aromatize and hypothetically raise my estradiol levels sky high. seriously, where this idea came from? is there any paper studies showing it? please, help me on this one. It does not make any sense because there are receptors of testosterone and estrogen in sexual organs, so why a medication like that wouldn’t do its job?. Thanks.
You kind of answered your own question. You’re talking about about two completely different processes here.
Estrogen in the male body is made in two ways…Both by testosterone being converted into estrogen via aromatase, and it is also created by the testicles along with testosterone in a healthy male.
AI’s do not directly lower serum estrogen…they inhibit the process of aromatase.
Simplified version:
When doing TRT without HCG, the feedback loop from the testicles to the pituitary is broken because of exogenous testosterone, and therefore the testicles shut down. In this case, the only pathway for making estrogen in the male body is through aromatase, which an AI will stop.
If you take HCG, it reactivates the testicles and they start producing estrogen again. This estrogen is not made via aromatase, so therefore an AI will have no effect whatsoever, except to keep more estrogen from being made via aromatase.
To put it another way (analogously), you’re basically asking why you can’t find any documented evidence as to why an anti inflammatory (like ibuprofen) would have no effect on a headache that was caused by a brain tumor. The ibuprofen wasn’t designed to get rid of a headache, it was designed to reduce inflammation, which consequently is the cause of most normal headaches, because the inflammation is putting pressure on a nerve. If you have a tumor that is causing the headache, then it’s not inflammation so much as it is the tumor itself applying the pressure.
So back to hormones, the AI is not designed to lower estrogen, it’s designed to stop the process of aromatase, which indirectly lowers estrogen by keeping it from being converted from testosterone in the first place.
Hope this makes sense?
1 Like
Side note…
The fact that the male body has more than one way to make estrogen should give us a clue as to how important this hormone is to our well being. We have a “backup” method (so to speak) to make sure that we always have a way to produce it.
This is why we have to be very careful about corrective actions to lower estrogen and be diligent about not obliterating it altogether. It’s not good to rid the body of something that is essential for keeping so many other systems in check.
1 Like
Hello, thanks for your replying. I think I’m understanding this…can I get my sex drive higher than before the testosterone injections? (well, it has been 4 months since I dropped it, 400mg a day, sometimes up to 600mg/day so it’s got to mean something) Yes, I know I should do the lab work I’m on Clomid (25mg/day, I would have bad side effects if I’d take a higher dosage) and trying to raise me T levels, libido, etc. Tamoxifen was destroying my sex drive (10mg/day, clueless?) but some days Clomid increase it although some days it doesn’t. May I ask you to give some guidance here? So if I check my estradiol levels while I’m taking anastrozole, it probably will give me a false positive result since I’m inhibiting estrogen anywhere but inside the testicles? Is there anything at all that would prevent excess of aromatization inside the testes and is there anything that can decrease the estrogen levels inside the testicles? Since I quit entering TRT (before I was doing a cycle) I’m really trying hard to get my hormones back for good, like it used to be a very long time ago. I’m 33 yo, btw. thanks again for your answer.
Injecting testosterone shuts down production in the testicles. TRT without HCG, along with an AI would be certain to kill all estrogen in your body, but why on earth would you want to do that?!!!
It could possibly lead to fatal consequences eventually, and will most definitely make you wish you were dead. Crashed E2 is no joke brother.
My advice to you would be to ask the guys in pharma about the proper way to do a restart. I’m not very knowledgeable in cycle/PCT practices, but I’ve read that Nolvadex is the popular route.
I would advise that you stop everything you’re doing now, and try to do a restart. Wait a few months and then get proper full bloodwork done, and try to find a competent Dr to work with if your levels are still off.