Guidance for Self-Medicating TRT?

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

Hi guys!

I wanted to introduce myself and also ask for some insight and advice.
Any help or guidance at all is greatly appreciated!

Im 38.
I have next to no labido or desire… Sometimes it feel a bit horny, but no more that a few days a month.

Im always fatigued and poor concentration. I need to sleep a lot and dont have much in the way of motivation.

I take antidepressants and work with a therapist…

These signs and symptoms have been there since mid 20s.

I enjoy the gym and focus on weight training…

A few yeara back i read about Low T… Something clicked and it made sense…
I went to a dr in the UK, i gor my bloods done. He said that it wasn’t a T issue and said to see a sex therapist.

I ended up leaving the UK and am now in Germany… I found one Urologist but said low T was highly unlikely… He was also super rude, so i never went back

I just got the results back from a saliva test… I will include all results below.

Anyways i decided to self medicate… I just did my first shot… I will take 125mg Test E a week… Split into 2. I also have somw HCG being shipped to me…
I have some Clomid on stand by, in case i come off.

Reading more, i will get some Nova for emergency.

I just wanted a little guidance or input, from anyone that has the knowledge to offer.

Cheers!!

February 2017
Serum albumin level - 47gl
Serum level -15.6 nmol/l
Serum sex hormone binding globulin level - 27 nmol/l
Serum free testosterone level 342 pmol.

August 5th 2020
Free testosterone 68,00 pg/ml

Thanks again

2

You need to provide reference ranges.

The anti depressants are notorious for destroying any desire for sexual activity. Also anti depressants can lower testosterone. You mention fatigue and poor concentration which could be thyroid related.

Do you have any thyroid testing including TSH, Free T4 Free T3, and Reverse T3?

3

Thanks for the reply!

Nope, no testing for anything else.

I have been on and off antidepressants since i was about 17…

There have been longer periods without them… During that time i was pretty down about things.

Sex has always been a bit of an issue. I just loose interest in it fairly quickly into a relationship. At rhe start im pretty horny, but after thay nothing at all.

How long realistically do you think i can run Test at a low dose, without any medical input?

4

There are guys on this forum, that have been self prescribing trt for years. Stay up on your blood work, just as if you were seeing a doc.

I geuss, to be a bit snarky, you a can run whatever you want for the rest of your life. :slight_smile:

5

SSRI’s aren’t exactly going to help libido/sex issues… that’s like the #1 side effect, no way around that

What are the reference ranges for the tests you had done already? The values don’t mean much without those.

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6

I’ve been self treating for over 5 years now.

Unless testicle atrophy is a huge concern, forget the HCG. Based on a lot of guys here, it causes a lot of issues.

You don’t need clomid and you probably dont need Nolvadex. At 125/week you should see/feel some changes. What you dont want to do is - take such a low dose that it induces aromatization but does not give you the necessary Test to create a good T/E2 ratio.

You may find yourself not needing the anti-depressants. A proper Test/E2 ratio will do wonders for your entire body including your mental health.

Edit: It takes a while for the body to reach homeostasis. Don’t freak at the first shot or the first time your nipples get itchy. Don’t start downing nolvadex either. Itchy nipples do not equal gyno. You MAY feel some tissue under your nipples but it will likely go away or never get big enough to be a concern. TRT is a lifetime and a treatment no different than insulin treatment for diabetes. Treat it like that.

7

Im really hoping that the depression is a side effect of the Low T.

I feel genuinely excited to be starting it… There is also a bit of a thrill with me ‘going it alone’ apart from all the help on here!!

So with the range it was

Screenshot_20200811-201334
Screenshot_20200811-2013341080×2248 328 KB

Il see how i feel after a couple of months… I can always go up to 150 - 200.

Ok, so with the HCG… The main reason is not to freak my girlfriend out with the shrunken balls. Also we will probs have a baby in a few years.

Thanks everyone!

8

So you did bloodwork or a saliva test? You need to get real bloodwork done if you’re going down this path, IMO anyways. I haven’t seen anything that shows they are accurate, at all.

Which results are these even for? It says Testosterone Test in the screenshot with the ranges, but in your first post you said free T was 68.

Get bloodwork done.

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9

You need more testing before undertaking TRT, let’s say you have a thyroid problem, TRT will won’t do much of anything and could make things worse.

You need blood work.

  • LH-Luteinizing Hormone
  • FSH-Follicle stimulating hormone
  • Prolactin
  • Cortisol
  • Ferritin
  • Thyroid Panel → TSH/Free T4/Free T3/Reverse T3/antibodies
  • CBC-complete blood count
  • Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
  • Lipid profile/panel
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10

It was a saliva test.

Here is the thing, i have now pinned my first shot.

I want to keep going for a few months and see how i feel… Il then go to the dr and get the bloods done.

It could also be looked at as a ’ cruise ’ without the blast.

Many people will run that…
I understand that if i feel good with thw results, i will be running it forever… I have put a lot of thought into this decision.
I have never run a cycle before…
I decided on this

11

Shoulda had proper bloodwork done before starting. You’re kinda just shooting in the dark.

SSRI’s can increase your prolactin level, which can cause sexual side effects. That might be your whole problem.

When I went on TRT in my 40’s the doc gave me 150mg a week and it suppressed all of my natural production. But I was done having kids so I didn’t care.