The area I’m getting confused on how to respond is whether you are looking at HRT or a “cycle”? I’ll base my answers on HRT.
Q. 1. is it a bad idea to do testosterone only?
NO, good idea, I would recommend getting some Proviron to add to it though, but not needed at all.
Q. 2. what should I do if my estrogen levels climb?
Being that you would only be using transdermal testosterone and maybe some Proviron you will not have to worry about estrogen. Now if you were to bathe in the cream it might become a problem, but even then I wouldn’t think so. Transdermal application of testosterone increases DHT to above the normal levels even when testosterone is only increased to normal, the increased DHT will keep a check on estrogen, add this to the fact that you will be reaching High-normal levels at best and not supraphysiological levels.
Q. 3. do you know of any case histories of guys who’ve done testosterone only?
See this is one of the places I get confused. Are you talking about the thousands of people that have ran a Testosterone-only cycle of injectable testosterone? or people running Testosterone cream/gel? Again I’ll answer according to a hrt perspective: Personally I find a increase in well-being and sex-drive while using a transdermal (or any form of HRT)as well as increases in muscle-mass and decreases in fat-mass, I’m not talking anywhere near the level someone gets on a “cycle” but rather it would be comparative to gaining back how you felt at 18.
If you are going to use the cream, which I do sometimes, I would use it twice-a-day; first thing in the morning and again 8-12 hours later. Rubbing it on your scrotum increases absorbsion and conversion to DHT, but leaves you with a greasy sack - if you like that cool, I don’t. I’d rub it on my inner arm, neck, and shoulders - plus you can get a higher level of testosterone rubbing it elsewhere because you can put on more and over a larger area - think of your skin as a sponge, it can only get so saturated before it becomes wasted.
Now as far as creams copying a more natural testosterone wave, maybe it’s true, but the doctors recommending aren’t on it themselves; they will talk about the extreme peaks and valleys with injectable and how creams are better, but the creams have a more extreme peak and valley over a much shorter time frame = feel like shit for a couple hours, great for a few, ok for some more, repeat. Maybe the ideal HRT would be injections of testosterone AND morning cream? I do not see that added health benefit of flutuating from let’s say 200-1000ng of testosterone daily to follow a “more natural curve”
You had asked about the levels reached with various forms of application. I personally am at 240 naturally, around 550 with 5mg/test of cream, 700 with 10mg/test of cream, 950 at 105mg/week Prop, 2100 at 350mg/week Prop, These are MY numbers and vary for everybody and aren’t really relavant other than it shows that for me injects lead to a higher level, a personal feeling of having a more even test level and well-being.
You really need to decide or at least make it clear whether you are looking at just feeling better/younger or are after the benefits of a cycle; and from experience I would rather inject myself twice-a-day than have a greasy scrotum and have a peak and crash everyday. My recommendation is that if you want to do it fine, you will have benfits from it, just be careful about touching others the first hour or so after you put it on, and consider that not only will you probably not enjoy having a greasy sack, women don’t like a greasy/smelly sack at all.