T Nation

Discontinue Protocol with These Symptoms?

T Replacement
#1

Ugh… I’m a mess.

I joined a trt clinic about a month and a half ago.

200mg a week with compounded AI. I know… Not ideal.
HCG 100iu once a week.

I felt great at the 4ish week mark, but now I feel like death.

I went from weekly shots to twice weekly, and this week I’m doing EOD.

But I’m sure something isn’t right.

Should I stop all together until I can get Test WITHOUT compounded AI?

I fear that if I take my shot today, I’m going to crash even harder and find no relief.

Symptoms, light headache, so tired, dull mood. No motivation.

Just looking for some advice.

#2

I’d go beyond ‘not ideal’ and say it’s a mistake to take this. With them together you can’t adjust one variable without screwing up the other. That is a recipe for disaster. But you know this …

Ask them for Test without AI, and without DHEA (I’ve heard they sneak that in), I would not do a shot of what you have today. The T may go up, but you’ll feel worse if e2 goes lower.

#3

Oh yeah, if you want a clinic that’s $99-150/mo and just gives you straight test, let me know. I like my new place very much

#4

If they won’t give me a T free of AI, I will find a new place and will take you up on that offer of telling me the clinic.

So, if I don’t take anything until I get my new prescription in a couple weeks. How long until I should start to feel better?

Should I keep taking the HCG since I’m not taking T anymore?

#5

If your e2 really is crashed (I’d guess it is), then the HCG will with creation of e2 and stimulate T a little bit while you wait. Could work as a bridge.

From reading other ppls posts Royal will give you just plain ole T Cyp, but you really have to press them for it.

#6

You should start TRT in isolation without the AI and HCG, but you can add HCG later once you dial in on test only.

This way if you add the HCG and start feeling worse, then you know what to adjust/remove from your regimen. If you don’t need an AI, most men don’t, then this is another compound that can make things worse.

Also know that whenever you start TRT or change the dosage, it takes a minimum 6 weeks to reach stable hormone levels and during these first 6 weeks hormone levels will be in flux and you won’t feel consistent.

After 6 weeks things will start leveling out and you should start feeling more consistent, but feeling good will be determined if your hormone levels are at an ideal level for you.

Your dosage might be a little high for you, most can achieve testosterone levels in the high normal ranges on 100-150mg and some will see even higher levels do to varying sensitivity to androgens.

This is how I felt after introducing an AI to my regimen, light headache, tired and a dull pain behind the eyes followed by joint pain in hips and knees and excessive yawning. Some men over-respond to AI’s and can’t touch the stuff without problems.

TRT is a marathon, not a sprint. Realistically it could take 3-6 months for you to figure out your dosing, of course if you’re working with a doc that isn’t the best it could take much longer to dial in on TRT.

#7

Thank you.

I think I’m going to stop everything since the only T I have has an AI mixed with it.

Once I get T without that crap. I’ll go to 50mg twice a week and see how that goes.

I’m definitely annoyed at getting prescribed that protocol considering my estradiol was only 8 on my first test.

So it looks like I’ll have a rough few weeks either just stopping all together, or waiting for T with no AI mixed in.

I have blood work today. Actually, I’m sitting in the waiting room at this very moment.

At least this will show why I feel like such garbage. Better than being blind.

2 Likes
#8

Whoa, no shit! I’d have been hoping testosterone would increase E2. That’s just wrong. Good luck going forward. Hang in there.

#9

Yeah man, classic newbie jumping in head first without doing the research.

I’m guessing my low estradiol was the reason I felt shitty in the first place when I wasn’t on anything.

Because these Symptoms feel really similar.

I am hoping 100mg a week straight T will help raise them both.

#10

High TT with low e2 feels a lot like low T, so it makes sense e2 has a big part in how well you feel while on TRT

#11

I hope you did not take that as criticism of you, not intended at all.

That’s why you have a doctor…

#12

No man, I don’t.

I do feel foolish for jumping in and trusting the doctor, and I’m paying for it right now by feeling this awful.

I am optimistic though that eventually it will get sorted. I only found an online trt clinic after getting turned away by all my local doctors. I live pretty far into the middle of nowhere, so options are limited.

You all seem like really decent guys here. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.

#13

SmartSelect_20200731-114708_Drive
SmartSelect_20200731-114708_Drive1423×1092 456 KB

Here are my labs, it’s pretty much exactly as I thought.

He agreed to lower my dose and send it with the AI in pull form.

I think I’m going to do 60mg twice a week. Especially considered my non-trt Estradiol was 8.0 and was probably the reason I felt like garbage in the first place.

1 Like
#14

Did he test free T, SHBG, Albumin?

#15

On my first labs he did. This one was just what was shown.

#16

What were they originally?

#17

I guess those specific things weren’t tested.

I’m going to pay extra on labs to have them done next time.

It took me about a week to not feel like absolute crap, but I’m definitely still off a bit.

My new script is in tomorrow.

50mg twice a week IM is what I’m going with.

Better to go up than try to go down, I think.