I’ll update my post and you can follow me there because I’m interested in seeing what will happen.
Clomid will spike E2 so it is suggested to take an AI with it. This is mentioned in the stickies. My E2 was < 22 when I got it tested.
Clomid is primarily being used as a stimulation test. Prolactin is what has likely shut the top end of my HPTA down so the idea is to get that kicking again and seeing how the body responds.
I can’t comment on your system returning to baseline or if you need PCT after just one injection. Maybe KSMan can; that is out of my knowledge base.
Getting an EKG today and have an appointment with a cardiologist to try to understand why I’m feeling chest tightening/minor pain. At this point I am cancelling my TRT until I get to the bottom of this. Never had this feeling before. Down and down the rabbit hole I go.
Our original LH labs were similar, but your Prolactin was double mine. I wonder what your SHBG was. I found out that despite being within normal range for Total Test, my high-normal SHBG - 54.5 (16.5-55.9) was affecting how much was freely available since it binds to sex hormones. Of course you can guestimate this by comparing your Total and Free ratios, but SHBG specifically might be worth adding to the labs.
I’m saving this thread. In some ways we are similar. These are my values with the same ranges:
My Total Test - 793
SHBG - 78
Free Test - 10
TSH - 2.6
E2 - 30
I don’t feel terrible day to day but I have almost no sex drive. I’ve been taking an Iodine supplement for several weeks. Afternoon temp still around 97.4. Seeing a specialist on 12/23 because the urologist I saw had no idea what he was doing, he just wanted to give me Cialis and call it a day. My thread is here if you’re curious, I’ll post an update later on.
Yes, sir. My ND told me to add a low dose iodine supplement to the list and to take until we retest. We are at the point where she is willing to start me on TRT - Depo/HCG and adding arimidex in later after initial 3 week E2 test.
KSman, I’m at a crossroads. It appears that my prolactin and TSH have both come down to better levels over a period of 1.5 months, presumably from correcting some nutritional deficiencies by taking the multi-vitamin? I am still suffering from a bad libido, feeling fatigued, overall lack of motivation, etc. My T, on paper, is clearly “better” than many others who come to this forum, so I’m stuck between just accepting that despite my best efforts, this is going to be as good as I ever feel, or as a second option to chose going on TRT. At my levels and with my symptoms, what would you recommend?
You are at E2=22pg/ml now and it seems very unlikely that you can do TRT without anastrozole. Can you get doc on board to this E2 target? If you start with anastrozole, the lab at 3 weeks allows for calculated dose correction instead of seeing the obvious and expected E2>22pg/ml.
Remember that selenium is critical for thyroid at this point.
So I’m finally starting TRT. Doc is recommending 120 mg test cyp per week, which I’ll split into 2 doses. She said that half the guys in her clinic don’t need any AI, but I expressed to her my experience in the past with mild gyno when estrogen wasn’t controlled. She said she prefers to start with one variable at a time, but prescribed anastrozole should I feel like my E2 is spiking. Granted, I was on much higher doses when that happened. The idea is to test 6 weeks out and then see where we are at before adding in HCG to the mix.
That sorta makes sense to me. Is there anything I am overlooking? Will 120mg/wk be enough to make me feel better? I’ve seen some studies saying that this range only gets them to a total test of about 500-600ng/dl, which is basically where I’m at now. What’s miserable now is my Free T, so anyone have any clue how 60mg x 2 per week will affect my currently high SHBG and low Free T levels?
I have almost an identical protocol and experienced the same chest tightening at the beginning. Went away after about 3 months. Then I took my onboarding physical for a GS position and found out I have a sinus arrhythmia. No cause for concern, apparently, it just means there’s a nerve that causes my heart rate to change when I breathe in.
Yes, she seemed to think that while nothing guarantees fertility with HCG, that there would be no negative consequence of starting after 6 weeks of so.
I am still having the issue. Chest pain over my heart, mostly just a pressure combined with indigestion feeling during the day, turning to a small ache/pressure upon deep breathing and when laying down.
I have looked at pleuritic chest pain, pericarditis, lung issues like pulmonary effusions, musculoskeletal things like Costochondritis, and still can’t narrow it down. EKG is clear, hematacrit is ok. My primary conventional doctor thinks it is probably musculoskeletal, the cardiologist of course recommends getting a stress echo, which would cost me 1200 out of pocket before satisfying my deductible. I’m a mountaineer so in above average cardio condition and afraid it would be a waste of money. Ughh.
Interesting you mentioned the indigestion feeling; when I told my family doc about the chest tightness, he dismissed it as related to indigestion and said if it didn’t go away he would prescribe Prilosec if it didn’t go away. I argued, because I didn’t notice any indigestion. Like I said, It ended up going away on it’s own, but you can get Prilosec OTC. Maybe that would help.
2 weeks in to TRT @ 120 mg/week Test Cyp split into 2 smaller doses…
I’ve noticed a subtle increase in the oiliness (increased conversion to DHT) of my skin, but my libido, energy and mood have all been slightly worse. I am also experiencing some potentially elevated estrogen symptoms with some subtle nipple sensitivity, mild insomnia, and subtle bloating (water retention (after workout was 4 lbs less!)).
Because of this I thought I’d get a snapshot of the 3 key biomarkers are:
Total T: 557 (348-1197) (Basically unchanged from pre-TRT)
Free T: 6 (8.7-25.1) (Has never been this bad)
Even though my symptoms confirm this finding, I was really surprised by this since this was the one biomarker I had expected to change the most. I have read that guys with naturally high SHBG usually have it drop considerably when on TRT, so even at sub-optimal TT, I would have significantly more Free Testosterone. For whatever reason, it is still being bound up.
Estrogen (E2 Sensitive): 12.5 (8.0−35.0)
I’ve been eating well, meditating daily, working out, and resting appropriately. I know TRT can be a roller-coaster for the first several months, and I’m really hoping that things improve with time…