I would like to hear from you guys who are doing TRT what physical and psychological changes you are experiencing compared to the time before being on TRT. How big of a change is it overall? Is it what you have expected?
I am considering doing TRT myself for a while now and I am really curious to hear about your experiences.
From the looks of your avatar you don’t have a T problem. Why do you want to go on it?
It is no where near a nice as natty T as long as you make enough. It really helps those that can’t make it anymore not so much those that can unless you cycle.
I second @hrdlvn but just to answer your question, I’ve been on TRT for about 4 months now. It’s definitely not a magic pill. Any improvement I have made (which is noticeable but not miraculous by any stretch of the word) I have dieted and worked my ass off for. That being said, combining TRT with that hard work and cleaner eating…
Before
Current
Edit to answer the second part of your question. I’d have to say that I feel like a new man. It’s a little rocky right at first, or when you change protocols, but once I broke through that I felt better than I have in a long time. My erections are back without huge amounts of effort. Mentally I am more focused. My drive to work out harder has been amplified. Evening naps are a thing of the past unless I eat high GI carbs too soon before a workout, and even then it’s just more tired and not nap territory. Overall, it’s changed my life, and my entire outlook.
Nice work. Congrats.
Five years. Increased energy, strength, joints feel better, increased libido, lost 15-20 pounds of fat, gained 10-15 pounds of muscle, lost five inches off my waist.
Trt drastically increased my quality of life. I dont even think most of the benefits came from the actual testosterone itself. I had low t but I had zero estrogen. The first thing I noticed was three days after my first injection. All my joint pain was gone especially in my shoulders. It was an amazing feeling. Once I got my e2 up in was like a new man. I’m still learning why. Estrogen upregulates serotonin and serotonin is converted into melatonin among other things. It’s a cascade effect. Before trt I was obsessive and honestly a bit dangerous. I wasnt in my right mind. My reflexes are far better now. My strength levels are way way higher. I went from benching 225 for three reps to benching 225 for 16 reps in 6 weeks. My workout partner and I were shocked. My wife says I’m a totally different person now and she likes it.
Nice !! So how did you up e2 because my knees are hurting everyday. Now my left hurts and it’s never hurt ever in my life… I took a little more T to try and create more and witched to eod to see if that helps with e2.
“for a while now” erm trt is for life?
Yah unless you want to go back to the low t life. Your body will never create more T after starting trt. It will probably create less. That’s why one starts. There body is not producing the hormone.
Interesting. My blood test pre trt showed low e2 and not horrible T but was sore all the time! Now I worked out hard and have physically demanding job but man I was just constantly aching. The one positive thing I have noticed since starting is that I’m nowhere near as sore. Maybe my issue was just low e2?
You lost all that weight in 4 months? That’s fantastic. That loooks more like a 12 month transition.
Yes sir and thank you. And thank you to @highpull as well.
The funny thing is that the before is my pre TRT pic. That was how far I had made it by busting my ass and cleaning up the diet for a year before I realized I had low T. To be fair, as bad as that pic looks (196 lbs there) the diet and exercise had brought me a long way but my body wouldn’t respond any longer. Before I started anything (I don’t have a pic of then) I was 212lbs. I wouldn’t know the the BF% from then, or the pre TRT pic from above (I don’t know where the scale stops displaying a percentage and just says “really? Dude you’re a fat ass”), but now I’d guess I’m at around 19-20%? My current weight is 182-184lbs.
Testosterone increases protein synthesis. This aids in recovery. Low estrogen is terrible for you. In studies high estrogen in men caused a 100% higher mortality rate. Men with Low estrogen had a 300% higher mortality rate. With low e your at risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular events.
Yea low e with high androgens is baddd news.
Thanks for your feedback everybody. Nice transformation @bmbrady77!
I feel like I am experiencing various (possible) low T symptoms, such as fatigue, bad sleep (getting better), anxiety, low libido/ED problems, lack of motivation.
I found a workout systems that works for me and in this area I cannot really complain too much. But here are my numbers:
Vital Signs
Blood Pressure: 143/79
Heart Rate: 76 bpm
Respiratory Rate: 20 br/min
Oxygen Sat Value: 99%
Weight: 224.4 lbs
General Chemistry
Sodium: 140 mMol/L (133-145)
Potassium: 4.4 mMol/L (3.1-5.1)
Chloride: 103 mMol/L (97-108)
Bicarbonate: 31 mMol/L (22-32)
AGAP: 6.0 mMol/L (4.0-16.0)
Glucose Level: 93 mg/dL (70-100)
BUN: 17 mg/dL (5-22)
Creatinine: 1.0 mg/dL (0.7-1.3)
GFR Calc: > 60 mL/min/1.73 m2
Calcium: 10.0 mg/dL (8.4-10.4)
Protein: 7.7 gm/dL (6.0-8.3)
Albumin: 5.0 gm/dL (3.7-5.5)
Bili Total: 0.9 mg/dL (0.3-1.4)
Bili Direct: 0.2 mg/dL (0.0-0.3)
Bili Indirect: 0.7 mg/dL
Chol: 133 mg/dL (100-200)
Tg: 123 mg/dL (40-150)
HDL: 30 mg/dL
LDL: 86 mg/dL
Enzymes
Alk Phos: 58 units/L (37-117)
ALT: 25 units/L (7-52)
AST: 23 units/L (12-39)
Special Chemistry
HGB A1C: 5.1%
eAG: 100 mg/dL
FT4: 1.23 ng/dL (0.62-1.57)
TSH: 1.509 mcIntUnits/mL (0.350-5.500)
TSH (Thy Stim Horm): 1.815 mInt-unit(s)/mL (0.450-5.330)
Vit B12: 344 pg/mL (180-914)
VitD 25OH: 68 ng/mL (20-100)
Test Total: 332 mg/dL (180-827)
Free Test Calc: 7.670 ng/dL (2.000-14.000)
Free Test %: 2.31% (1.45-3.21)
SHBG: 25 nMol/L (10-57)
CBC
WBC: 4.70 10^3/cmm (4.00-11.00)
RBC: 4.96 10^6/cmm (4.40-5.80)
Hgb: 14.8 gm/dL (13.5-5.8)
Hct: 44% (39-50)
MCV: 89 fL (80-96)
MCH: 30 pg (27-33)
MCHC: 34 gm/dL(32-36)
Platelet: 268 10^3/cmm (150-400)
RDW: 13.8 % (11.0-16.0)
MPV: 8 fL
If anybody sees anything in this that could be the cause for my low T, please let me know. Except the HDL and total cholesterol everything seems to be okay.
Do not take my word for it, but you might just need more T. Dont go off lab ranges, go off symptom relief. if your stable at this level for a while and dont feel good , then this isnt good for you… right now your mid / low range. With More FREE T you will feel optimal. Its a bid decision but with your symptoms i would jump on it. youll live better and be more healthy for it.
The common theme around here is everything typically looks fine except T is low, scientists and doctors believe something downstream of the pituitary gland is causing low T in men across the globe. We are assaulted by chemical in our environment every minute of every day.
Strange that Hgb is above the range and Hct is lower than midrange, the ranges for Hgb for men is 13.5 to 17.5 grams per deciliter.
I agree. I also was eyeing that higher end Albumin. Could be a dehydration fluke, but it could be a part of the low Free T puzzle.
wow, amazing transformation. wondering how long things were rocky for you? and when the libido and erections kicked in?
Thanks man.
Things were rocky (anxiety, insomnia, etc) for about 2 weeks when I started, and about the same time frame when I changed dosages.
I never really lost libido. The erections started coming back on demand at around 4-5 weeks in. Morning wood is still hit and miss, but I don’t really give that an extreme amount of weight. It still works when called upon, without the need for Cialis or Viagra or anything like that.
One thing to add about libido. As I said I never really lost the desire, even when at low T, but I did start noticing about 2 weeks ago that I started getting erections and keeping them now during foreplay with my wife, without the need for direct physical stimulation. Before, the stimulation was a must, to get started and to maintain. I guess that could be considered an increase in libido to some degree, because the mind/penis connection seems to be a little stronger?