First Cycle Questions

Pharma / TRT
1

Here is a bit of background information:

I’m 28 been working out for the past 2 years steady, but on and off since I was 16. My test levels are around 10.0nmol/L naturally but doctor doesn’t seem to think thats low since its in the normal range. I have a varicocele on my left testicle and wonder if maybe thats contributing to the low T levels. I had my levels checked when I was 20 and they were in the 10nmol/L - 13nmol/L range back then too. If I want to cruise for the rest of my life and remain fertile what would I dose Test E at and HCG at? Why do endos not like to prescribe TRT?
I found this research paper that stated:
An 8 year study of men with total T levels of 12.1 nmol/L or less showed that those men who then took testosterone greatly reduced their risk for heart attacks, strokes, and overall mortality.

Here is my cycle plan it is quite mild in comparison to people saying run 500mg for your first cycle. I want to avoid all the cardiovascular problems I can.

Weeks 1-15: Test E 150 mg E3D (Mon and Thurs)

250iu HCG EOD or 500iu 2x a week

0.5mg Arimidex E3-4D or based on blood work

If noticing gyno will take Nolvadex 20mg ED for 14 days or till it clears up.

Weeks 16-17: Nothing except continue the HCG 250mg EOD or 500mg 2x a week and AI for the HCG increasing aromatase causing increased progesterone and estrogen levels

Weeks 18-21: 40mg Nolvadex ED for first 2 weeks then 20mg Nolvadex ED for last 2 weeks

My main questions are as follows:

How are my dosage amounts and times for each compound?

When should I get blood work done?

How will I know how often I need to take arimidex as I don’t want to crash my E2? Should I not worry so much about the E2 levels and just base taking the arimidex off of blood work? Or base it off my side effects?

Should I run HCG at all?

In my 2 weeks after my last pin when I am running the HCG and AI how often should I take the arimidex and could I cut the dose in half like 0.25mg E3D since the exogenous testosterone is leaving the body and HCG can’t be responsible for too much E2 aromatization.

I was thinking of running GHRP2 with Mod GRF 1-29 both at 100mcg post workout and bed time for the whole cycle(18 weeks) any thoughts on that?

Should I run finasteride as a precautionary measure to MBP? What would dosage be?

I do have blood work done for Total T, Free Androgen Index(not sure if that is the same as free t), LH, FSH, TSH, Free T3, Free T4, SHBG, Cortisol, LDL, HDL, Triglycerides, IGF-1, Fasting Blood Glucose, random GH, and stimulated GH, but no E2 I didn’t realize the Endo didn’t put it on the lab requisition; will get the test done though. I can post all these results if that will better help give an appropriate AI dose. I chose to go with arimidex as it is non suicidal and won’t take as long to recover if I do crash my E2.

PS - I am in Canada in Alberta and would love if someone could recommend a TRT doctor. My Endo doesn’t think I need TRT since I’m still in the reference range.

2

You want to go with how you are feeling, but most guys use 150-200mg per week. The hCG dose of 250IU 3/wk or 350IU 2/wk will suffice.

In part, conformational bias, it’s how they were trained. Also, they go strictly off lab ranges, not symptoms.

Then you do not want to block E2.

Fine, since you are running a "cycle’ and not TRT.

Six weeks in.

Base AI use off of symptoms. I would not start with it, especially since you do not know your starting level.

You do not need to now, unless you are currently trying to conceive.

Post IGF-1 result.

No.

3

Varicoceles are known to lower testosterone, find another doctor who doesn’t overly focus on the numbers. Your current doctor has no critical thinking or analytical thought and probably knows next to nothing about where on average men your age are scoring and most likely doesn’t care for the fact that he’s thinking that it’s alright for a 28 year old to have the same testosterone as an old man in his 80’s.

Most men on average your age are scoring in the 28 nmol/L ranges, not in the 10 nmol/L ranges, dear lord Trump runs higher numbers (16 nmol/L) at 72 year old. Your doctor just doesn’t specialize in male sex hormone health.

You should always do research before taking prescription drugs, finasteride can screw you for life!

https://www.pfsfoundation.org/

Your asking for cycle advice in the TRT section of the forum, I would go to the pharma section if wanting advice on higher than normal replacement doses.

4

IGF-1 218 RefRange 93-250ug/L
Cortisol 202 RefRange 138-690nmolL
Glucose Fasting 4.7 RefRange 3.9-5.8mmol/L
Triglycerides 1.48 RefRange 0.00-1.69mmol/L
HDL Cholesterol 0.74 RefRange >1.20mmol/L
LDL Cholesterol 2.87 RefRange <3.40mmol/L
Cholesterol:HDL Ratio 5.8 RefRange 4.0-7.0
Cholesterol (F) 4.28 RefRange <5.20mmol/L
FSH 3.0 RefRange 1.4-18.1 IU/L
LH 5.0 RefRange 1.5-9.3 IU/L
Free Test 10.10 RefRange 5.80-28.00nmol/L
SBGH 12 RefRange 13-71nmol/L
Free Androgen Index 84.2 RefRange 14.8-94.8
TSH 4.72 RefRange 0.35-5.00mIU/L
Free T3 4.6 RefRange 2.6-5.7pmol/L
Free T4 15.8 RefRange 9.0-19.0pmol/L

5

With your IGF-1 level, no need.

6

Well that’s reassuring and kind of embarassing that my total T is lower than Trumps. Do you think a varicocele could lower total T to a point that’s 18nmol/L lower than average at my age? Last urologist I saw said varicoceles don’t lower testosterone. Sometimes I wish we had private healthcare up here so one can pay and get an issue addressed instead of the issue being minimized. Apologies, I posted in TRT because that’s what I’m potentially looking at doing and figured a test cycle at 300mg a week with no other steroids is pretty close to TRT. I will post in Pharma as well. Do you have an understanding as to how SGBH works and why mine would be low and still have low total T?