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This is not a chat room, please normally find members’ topics and post into those.
Evan1000 make one post into this thread 24 months ago and has been missing since then.
So you do not have many options for Evan1000.

Oh great one.

Got labs back, would really like your input if you know anything about lipoproteins. My LDL/HDL levels and ratios are OK-great, but my lipoproteins levels are out of range and I have no idea what it signifies or what I can do to fix it.

Hey Ksman,

Can I please get a reply here? Help Dialing in Dosages (3 Lab "Snapshots" over a year) - #23 by K_11

I feel like I’m so close on my protocol. I know I have an issue with an enzyme that breaks down anastrazole, so I am considering .25 at E6D. My doctor wouldn’t prescribe aromasin because he’s unfamiliar with it.

I’m also looking for commentary on creams and the point that they better mimic the daily cycling of testosterone as a healthy person, and low-T at night may be beneficial to wind down. Could I not just re-apply the cream after working out?

Just wanted to thank KSman for all the insight you have provided!

@KSman - would really appreciate your input on my thread. I’m having a rough time.

@KSman, my thread keeps getting lost in the shuffle. I have new lab results that you suggested I get and I’d really appreciate any insights you may have.

Hey KSman. Been lurking these forums for the past year and have gleaned invaluable advice from your posts. I’m a 21 y/o male with hypothyroidism. I’m on thyroid meds currently and have been dealing with low free test for the past year. My thyroid meds are driving up my SHBG which is lowering my free test. I’ve tried stinging nettle, avena sativa, lowering my estrogen, etc… I’m about ready to start TRT since exogenous test is one of the few sure-fire ways to lower SHBG. My most recent blood work came back with elevated LH which has never been a problem for me before. I’m concerned I’m dealing with primary hypogonadism. could you take a look at my situation when you have a chance? I posted everything including bloodwork in the following thread.

Thank you so much.

KSman, could you take a look at my thread. It seems my restart has failed. I was planning on waiting until my minor AF was resolved before going back on my T-cyp protocol. But now I feel I should just go back on TRT and deal with the adrenals concurrently. Can you confirm if this is an acceptable plan? Thanks

KSman,

I started the .25 mg arimidex you recommended in my thread. About 2 hours later, I became overwhelmingly tired…so bad I could barely stand up. I just woke up after a deep, 4 hour nap and feel brain dead. Is it possible I crashed my estrogen from a .25 mg dose?

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KSman, when you have a minute would you mind taking a look at my labs and see if I’m missing anything?

KsMan,

Is there any validity to dr krissler saying creams produce more DHT than injectables which makes men feel better on creams?

Perhaps for a guy who is a strong over-responder. I have not see that symptom reported before. Is it from a pharmacy? Hard to believe that E2 would decrease that fast. Anastrozole cannot remove existing E2, only reduce T–>E2 reduction. Rate of fall is determined by how fast the liver clears estrogens from your blood. And when E2 is low from an AI, the half life means that lower E2 will persist for days, not hours. So you can observe that aspect as well. When E2 gets low, guys report loss of libido, low energy, some sore joints or clicking joints, mood problems. Never seen sleepiness before. If you are an over-responder, stop for 5 days, note changes in how you feel as E2 levels recover as these will help you understand these effects, then resume at 1/4th the expected, or prior dose. If you suspect that your product is wrong, do not take it. A few simply have adverse issues with anastrozole, sort of rare, and Aromasin 6mg EOD is a good option to try. Most have no adverse effects from anastrozole at all. If E2 is too low, you are feeling that, probably not anastrozole itself. When you read the pharmaceutical side effects published for AI’s, those are things reported by post menopausal women taking high doses trying for E2–>zero as part of their cancer treatment. Those are effects of very low E2. In a TRT context, we use low doses of AI to modulate E2 to lower levels that are mostly good for libido, fat loss and fat patterns, energy, mood, socialization etc. A very different outcome and objective from E2–>zero.

You are going to have to consider these issues and find out what works best for you. Either the drug is suspect, you have some other coincidental thing going on or you simply respond very strongly and unusually.

Absolutely as there is a lot of 5-alpha reductase in the skin form FT–>DHT conversion. But part of that package is the fact that the same thing can be said for aromatase in the skin driving FT–>E2.

Note that gels which cover large skin areas have more of these effects and higher concentration creams applied to inner arms involves less skin for these effects, so E2 and DHT generation is less than 1% gels. The effects of this T applied to skin is limited with creams, so higher concentrations do not create proportionately greater conversion per unit area because the enzymes are saturated at some point and more T does not increase the rate, but duration would be to some extent.

T is needed for many aspects of male sexual function. But DHT is absolutely critical. When males lack enzymes for T–>DHT or lack DHT receptors, they have micro-penises. So I do not need to get into other of details to make the point, DHT is important.

A link makes things easier.

Here’s a link for you. Hope it works. Thanks for your help, I’m still getting used to how the forum works. 30 Y/O Just Started TRT. Trying to Learn All I Can):

Gotcha. Thanks for all your replies!

Krisslers argument is that cream is the “gold standard” for TRT as it “mimicks the daily rise in the morning and lowering throughout the day of a young man” as well as the DHT thing. It seems you offer injections as gold standard as you see so many thyroid issues causing absorption problems and absorption problems in general. As well as estrogen, but it seems daily drops of anastrazole could counter that problem.

If someone aborbs cream just fine, and expense isn’t a concern, would you recommend cream over injections? If so, what’s your opinion on exercising an hour to an hour and a half after applying cream?

If you exercise soon after applying cream it will be lost in sweat. How soon do you think the absorption takes?

With thyroid problems, common, creams and gels are simply not absorbed.

Creams and gels are vastly more costly than T cyp/eth.

Is a daily rise in T really of importance? No proof. Should be stated as a daily rise in FT followed by a big drop in FT lower that injected FT.

If creams work well for you, if you do not sweat it off, and the cost does not bother you…

Most are not bothered with having to inject, gels and creams isolate guys from those horrors.

I have repeated most of what you already know.

I have switched over to Aromasin (6.25 mg/day) and am not noticing the same fatigue.

I found a great doctor who is willing to work with me. I mentioned all the concerns you brought up in my thread regarding my thyroid, my high estradiol/shbg, and my low free test. He was very open to what I had to say. He asked me if I’d considered clomid or HCG monotherapy. I responded that, since my labs don’t indicate secondary hypogondasim, that I don’t think either would really help in my case.

He then asked, “Would you like to begin TRT?”

I told him I’d like to avoid it if at all possible, but that if all else fails, I will take the plunge.

He recommended I run aromasin for the next 4 weeks to lower my estrogen/shbg and that we would retest in 4 weeks and go from there.

Two Questions:

  1. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t AI monotherapy tend to have a low success rate? I"m just not seeing many reports online of guys who tried it with great success.

  2. In the event that AI monotherapy does not improve the free test, should I begin TRT?

Hello KSman,
Please help so I can go back to my doc a little more educated with my problem,

Thank you

Hi KSman

I am getting some blood work done tomorrow, I was hoping you may have time to review what tests I should get. I have included them in my latest reply over at

Thanks so much for your assistance!