KSman is Here

Close to retiring, so the switch will just be more of the same that I am doing now.

Hey KSman,

I updated my thread.

Some input when ever you get a chance would be really appreciated.

Thanks KSman. I answered your question at:

I wonder what the easiest career path for engineers who want to focus on overall health or hormone therapy. Probably some kind of life coaching where you take money to give advice but point people towards practitioners. I’ve been stuck in internet forum TRT hell for months, would gladly have paid someone to help me navigate it.

KSMan - Maybe you can add something here or make a sticky for Resets in younger men (~30) and your thoughts on SERMS.

KSMan - First - a sincere thanks for all the time and wisdom you have put into the forum, I really appreciate you. I took your advice and tried and the AI’s, but the results have me confused… would you take a look when you get a chance… thanks man!

Guys, I’m going to go out on a limb here:

I keep a thread about my progress and questions related to TRT in the forum, for the most part I post there unless I find the topic to be a bit off the subject. It might take KSMAN a few days to reply but he always does. I’ve never needed to ask him in another thread to check my stuff out.

Patience, we need to give this guy some room to breathe. He’s an invaluable resource to all of us, let’s not burn the dude out and stalk him in threads to look at our shit.

1 Like

Feel bad bothering you KS, but could you please check out my thread have a few questions on adenoma.

Please link to your threads, so its not an easter egg hunt.

Have been busy, son home from college this week.

KSman, when you get a chance, can you take a look at my new lab results I posted yesterday? 3rd post from bottom of first page:

Thanks!

Hey KSman - Added some SERM restart questions for you here: http://tnation.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_training_performance_bodybuilding_trt/young_with_low_t_but_no_symptoms?id=5484843&pageNo=1

What are you thoughts on depositing at a sperm bank for younger guys? Necessary I’m sure if someone is dealing with TRT only but what about if they are using SERM/HCG?

In the San Francisco Bay area (very high cost of living), it’s $750 for the first year to deposit a single sample and $200 per year after for storage. More for multiple samples.

hate to bother you KSman, but if you do have time and can check out my thread I would really appreciate it.

Add my SERM/sperm bank questions to my own thread: 30yo Low Test - Advice on Bloodwork - Testosterone Replacement - Forums - T Nation

Ksman, how did you test your gh to know you were low? Igf1? or like this?

Unfortunately it is not possible to determine this on a single blood test. You will need to come into the hospital for part of a day for special blood tests. This involves injecting a hormone into you (either insulin or glucagon usually, although others are sometimes also used) and seeing if the body can respond as normal by releasing enough growth hormone. Blood tests are performed every 30 minutes to look for this growth hormone response.

Just curious

Also could you please have a good look at my thread and answer the last question posted please. I know you are a busy guy and I have to many questions but your help is greatly appreciated :slight_smile:

Wow!
You are a like a modern day T superhero!
I just wanted to thank you for all the time, thought, and effort you have put into helping others!
It’s refreshing to see!

[quote]KSman wrote:
About my AI use:

When I started AI six years ago, I had E2=37 while my T was in the 900’s. That E2=37 make be feel bad, libido and mood problems, brain fog, easily startled, hated loud noises, intolerant and easily irritated. I was a bitch! With 1mg/week anastrozole, I life was great and nothing ruffled my feathers. I was a stud!

Last year or so, my labs started to come back with lower and lower E2. My dose had not changed. Over time I had increased E2 to match increased T doses and that had been keeping me near the E2=22 target.

As my E2 levels started to drop, my doc told me that he sometimes sees guys not needed AI anymore after having used it for a ?long? time. That did not make any sense and I dismissed the idea.

I had a E2=<7 from Labcorp and dismissed that a a lab failure because we have seen that several times.

Then we switched from my getting labs on my own from Labcorp [via LEF] to Quest via doc. So we get <15 from quest and now we have no idea what is going on. I had cut AI dose in half and was below 15 and really did not learn much from that lab report.

I have stopped AI for now. Definitely putting my head in a different space, but I an not feeling bad. I do feel more connected to my emotions and less what I had termed emotionally dry and analytical.

The change in my aromatase situation also occurred during the time frame where I slipped into iodine deficiency, then did 50mg iodine per day for two weeks. That recovered low body temps and had an amazing effect on QOL. Also, earlier, my TSH increased with my near death surgery/infection 2.5 years ago. That event shifted my thyroid function some how and the result was TSH=0.98–>1.60. My body temperatures were good after that, I was monitoring body temps every day for quite a while, doing self delivered IV antibiotics. TSH has dropped some since then.

I, and others, have pointed out that when there is a lot of peripheral T–>E2, the amount of AI required to “correct serum levels” might have the effect of lowering T–>E2 inside the brain. The implication is that this might have negative effects. However, we know that serum E2 does get into the brain, so that waters down any such arguments concerning reduced T–>E2 inside the brain. The T–>E2 inside the brain does create E2 for local consumption. So this is a muddy situation on which to draw conclusions. If we had inter-cranial fluid E2 levels before and during AI… any volunteers?

My AI needs had increased and I found that taking Rx Arimidex was delivering the same E2 levels as with RC anastrozole. RC potency did not seem to be the issue.

So reasons not known. My E2 levels dropped on an unchanging AI dose. I cut dose in half, but switch from Labcorp–>Quest really lost an opportunity to see what was going on.

So still lots to learn. The concept that one’s AI needs would decrease was really hard to accept after getting married to importance of AI. AI had changed my life for the better.

Aromatase activity is not controlled, it is open loop. This implies that the change is not from a change in a hormone feedback look system and thus would seem to be a result of changes at a cellular level.

[/quote]

In regards to the AI. Do you ever check your own SHBG? I was lead to believe that there’s a feedback loop on SHBG production due to exogenous intake of hormones. This would impact your free levels because SHBG has greater affinity to T.

Are you currently writing a book? I’m currently in med school and would love to read your findings and be able to apply them to my practice.

AI: I do not ever test SHBG because there is nothing that I can do directly about it. No progress on book.

GH - IGF-1: IGF-1 provides a very good indicator or GH status. There is no need to take any direct GH labs. Testing for GH release in response to a specific stimulus can be useful, but not needed to determine if one is deficient or not. Docs got hooked on that stuff to demonstrate that the pituitary is not creating GH, but low IGF-1 indicates a deficiency, fast, easy and affordable.

KSman…can you please read my last post before going to see Dr. tomorrow, Monday 25th.

Thanks

Hi Ksman, do you think you could look at my thread about potential Arimidex side effects? I’m afraid it’s got me pretty concerned, and I was hoping for your comment . . .