T Nation

Extremely Frustrated - What is Going On?

T Replacement
#1

It’s been a year now trying different things. Mainly anastrozole by itself and then recently hcg + anastrozole. My symptoms brain fog, sleep, lack of sex drive etc… have not improved at all. I do have IBS as well that is difficult to control.

I’m really frustrated.

I’m 30, Male, 5’11 - 205LBS. I used to lift weights 3-5x a week. Now my energy levels are barely there to even want to go to the gym and crush a workout. For the last year or so I’ve had all the symptoms of low T. Stress, moody, no more morning wood, trouble concentrating, brain fog, lower libido, a random bald spot on my scalp, trouble sleeping, tired all the time, fat gain around the belly. I’ve had more anxiety and just haven’t felt like myself for a while.

My diet is semi clean. I’m not a perfect eater but I’m also not going to McDonalds every day. I’d say I average between 2300-2900 cals a day of mixed variety. Alcohol use is non-existent.

March (First Labs):

E2 - 33
Total T - 575
Free T - 78
Bioavailable - 168
SHBG - 33
Serum - 4.7

Free Testosterone
11.8 ng/dL = 2.05 %
Bioavailable Testosterone
301 ng/dL = 52.4 %

June (On .5MG Anastrozole per week):

E2 - 17
Total T - 769
Free T - 126
Bioavailable - 260
SHBG - 29
Serum - 4.5

Free Testosterone
18.3 ng/dL = 2.38 %
Bioavailable Testosterone
448 ng/dL = 58.3 %

November. (Off Anastrozole - Very Similar To March)

E2 - 34
Total T - 560
Free T - 75
Bioavailable - 154
SHBG - 34
Serum - 4.5

Free Testosterone
11.5 ng/dL = 2.06 %
Bioavailable Testosterone
282 ng/dL = 50.4 %

February 2020. (350iu x 3 per week HCG + 1MG Anastrozole)**

E2 - 6
Total T - 645
Free T - 110
Bioavailable - 231
SHBG - 26
Serum - 4.6

Free Testosterone
15.4 ng/dL = 2.39 %
Bioavailable Testosterone
386 ng/dL = 59.9 %

Now what?

#2

Stop taking anastrozole for starters. It’s more likely to make you feel like crap than to let you feel good from boosted test levels. An E2 of 6 would make just about anyone feel lousy.

Anastrozole is more likely to make these worse than help them, especially if you’re not on test.
Try not taking anything and getting a more comprehensive blood panel done. There’s no real reason to think low T is your problem. If it is, you’re handling it all wrong.

#3

Are you doing this underground? If so, I would consult a TRT doctor/practice, get a thorough physical and complete labs.

#5

I’ve gotten full comprehensive labs done. Everything is in the normal range.

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#6

Nope this is through a Bodylogic MD Clinic.

#7

Are you taking testosterone at all, or just the AI and HCG?

#8

Care to post the numbers? With ranges?

#9

I hope no one guaranteed that HCG would have you feeling good in no time, most guys have problems on HCG from what I see, the same goes for anastrozole.

Your AI dose is crazy high.

#10

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My previous ALT a few months ago before HCG/Anastrozole was 32.

#11

I feel like the solution is obvious here. Or am I missing something?

#12

I would like to have kids at some point. Doctor was hesitant to mess with my fertility at only 30 years old.

#13

Sure, I’m just trying to get a better understanding of your situation.

From what I understand, you’ve tried HCG and Anastrozole, and combinations of one or the other, and been having issues since you started. I am also assuming you have not been given or tried testosterone replacement.

What prompted you to go to the to the clinic in the first place? Can you list all of the symptoms you were having before starting hormone therapy?

#14

I have great results with HCG and .25 AI. That is not a universal opinion. The AI keeps me in or near the range and I feel worse without it.

#15

Moody, no more morning wood for the last several years, trouble concentrating, brain fog, lower libido, a decent bald spot on my scalp, trouble sleeping, tired all the time, fat gain around the belly. I’ve had more anxiety and just haven’t felt like myself for a while.

#16

You could always restart spermatogenesis later on with HCG+FSH and/or clomid.

I wouldn’t want to father children while in a disease state and unhealthy.

#17

have You had your thyroid tested? Maybe I’m grasping at straws, but I have a thyroid disease and had all of those symptoms from it.

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#18

If I am you, I would try testosterone for three months, with a reasonable dose so you do not waste time. At least you will know if TRT will help. I would also have thyroid evaluated. If TRT is your solution, you can add hCG when you are ready to conceive. Good luck.

#19

I agree. It seems you’ve only tried things that work for very few people. AI’s tend to make people feel bad. HCG makes some people feel bad but some better. I’d drop all of that and go to say 150mg of T a week, give it a few months, see what happens.

#20

You stated in the initial post that the AI hasn’t helped, nor has the AI combined with HCG. Your Testosterone is a decent number (Not fantastic, but not terrible), your SHBG is normal. That points toward something else being the problem, but the labs would not indicate anything in particular. My guess is you actually need physical activity, preferrably something you are actually interested in and thus motivated to do. And cleaning up the diet never hurts. As Highpull said, it isn’t going to kill you to try testosterone for 3 months. Some people don’t feel well in reaction to HCG, some feel lousy on anastrozole, most feel lousy if their E2 goes down to 6. You could be reacting poorly to one or both of those and offsetting the benfits you would otherwise get. It happens. Testosterone is the better place to start medication wise, by itself. Fertility is a non-issue, you can have that whenever by using other drugs temporarily.

1 Like
#21

What are your liver values?? You mentioned brainfog so…