It doesn’t seem like TNation supports polls, so I pose this question to you: Is TRT a numbers game or a feelings game to you? Answer, and explain your stance.
I’ll begin by saying that I started at 125mg weekly. T was mid and I chased the 22 E2 number it seemed like forever, but, 22 wasn’t my sweet spot. It’s 5-10.
I’ll admit, I’ve done my fair share of cycles and B&Cs, but, I’m posting this in TRT because I started at T of sub-80. I needed TRT.
Jump to bumping to 250mg test e weekly. E2 remained constant and T jumped to 900, but I still had symptoms of low T.
After my first or second cycle, when T was > 1800, E2 still 5ish, I decided that was my sweet spot. I feel great. Confident. Everything you would imagine for having T again. No more brain fog is the greatest though.
So is TRT a numbers game or feelings game? I been chasing numbers for about 3 years now, but somewhat confident 500mg test e is my TRT dose.
When I’m feeling amazing I want to see what that looks like on paper, labs are a goal post and sometime the goal post needs to be moved on occasion.
Chasing numbers is a mistake unless you know where you were naturally.
SHBG is measured and a protocol is designed around this lab value. Once weekly injections isn’t ideal for a lot of men, I see why you are having problems. It looks like you might be a hyper excreter and or hyper metabolizer needing such a large dosage.
I inject 20mg EOD and feel consistent, my SHBG is low so frequent injections is a must!
Feelings. Or, more accurately… results. Doesn’t matter how ideal your bloodwork looks if you feel like crap and, conversely, if you feel great and have zero symptoms and happen to have low numbers, there’s no real issue.
I thought so but I just recently saw another, closer, doctor and told him my 2x250mg protocol. He said, since I went from the recommended 125mg every 14 days to 250mg every 14 days to 125mgx2 to 250mgx2, that I was addicted… which contradicts everything testosterone.
My doc who prescribes 500mg is moving soon and said that he’d write a referral to his replacement, but if he rejects it, too bad and I should seek others… so I went there today and he wants to start me at 125mg e14d.
Yeah I told him I feel excellent and would never go back to 125mg. That’s why I ask is 900 a number or feeling? With 250mg I still had slight brain fog; at 1800+, nothing, at least 0 low T symptoms that’d still come and go.
it’s a feelings game to a certain point… but just to clarify. is the 250mgx2 indicative of 250 twice per week, for a total of 500 per week? or do you mean 250 every week?
I’ll say this… if you’re having ‘brain fog’ or other issues that you would normally associate with low T at 900, then there is more to the hormonal story. Upping the dose is probably not the best solution.
In your case then, you sound like your fairly in tune with your body. I would say feeling has highest importance. Numbers only matter when you start going out of normal limits, say for your CBC, or PSA.
It’s 250mg twice weekly for 500mg. I would have brain fog at 75mgx2 or 125mgx1 and on and off with 250mg. But, tiredness etc. still comes at less than / at 250mg weekly with spontaneous brain fog.
Being on cycle feels great. It feels better than normal. You know what really feels good to me? a gram of test. so if all I did was go by feel, that’s probably what I’d do. I sleep great, my appetite is great, I obviously get stronger…
Some will say the numbers aren’t really important because of the broad range of what is “normal”.
My last blood results looked terrible - with more highs and lows than ever. Yet I feel the best I have felt in 2 years. Go figure.
I keep thinking the numbers provide you with a basis to use for how you feel. When you are feeling good, you want to know what your main numbers actually look like.
Is it true that the more T you are on the better you feel or is this just anecdotal? Perhaps this is just a psychological high from knowing how much T you are putting in your body? Is there actually a scientific exponential component here?
