There Is No 'Raising T Naturally'

[quote]KSman wrote:
Maybe we should have diabetics stop insulin when changing health plans![/quote]

It is ridiculous. Meanwhile I had documentation from my doc going back to 2002! I had to prove I am still hypogonadal.

Actually, it was almost three weeks without medication because of lab scheduling and work. I felt like I was out of my mind and didn’t have patience for a damn thing! I was tired too.

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

It pays to stay lean for adequate levels. As for everything else, nothing is going to cure hypogonadism except TRT, HCG, or clomid, just nothing.

And one wouldn’t even get optimal results from exercising without adequate levels in the first place? I have, when I was untreated. Let’s just say it was extremely unpleasant. There’s no pump, you feel like you’re running on empty constantly, and the recovery is abysmal. [/quote]

I know what you’re talking about Brickhead. I was 202 when I got myself tested and it sucked, I always felt fatigued and tired even my legs felt heavy. I tried OTC’s but to no avail. I tried the supplements which showed promising results in clinical studies like D-Aspartic acid & ashwagandha, and also products with enough anecdotal evidence behind them like tribulus, megadosed them but nothing happened.

Eventually I went for HPTA restart with Nolvadex and adex and it worked wonders. I was back to normal and felt really great afterwards. I think that things like OTC supplements, high fat diets, maintaining a certain level of leanness and strength work with big compound movements helps you to keep your t-levels up only if your internal system is working optimally otherwise you’re going to get disappointed.

What about Synthroid’s (levothyroxine) effects on testosterone?

Last week my endo Rx’d levothyroxine 25mg QD for a 1-month trial to see if it would increase my testosterone (which was 328 ng/mL).

[quote]Ambitious wrote:
What about Synthroid’s (levothyroxine) effects on testosterone?

Last week my endo Rx’d levothyroxine 25mg QD for a 1-month trial to see if it would increase my testosterone (which was 328 ng/mL).[/quote]

I’m no physician but I think one should give you T if you are hypogonadal. This seems odd.

[quote]jasper41 wrote:

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

It pays to stay lean for adequate levels. As for everything else, nothing is going to cure hypogonadism except TRT, HCG, or clomid, just nothing.

And one wouldn’t even get optimal results from exercising without adequate levels in the first place? I have, when I was untreated. Let’s just say it was extremely unpleasant. There’s no pump, you feel like you’re running on empty constantly, and the recovery is abysmal. [/quote]

I know what you’re talking about Brickhead. I was 202 when I got myself tested and it sucked, I always felt fatigued and tired even my legs felt heavy. I tried OTC’s but to no avail. I tried the supplements which showed promising results in clinical studies like D-Aspartic acid & ashwagandha, and also products with enough anecdotal evidence behind them like tribulus, megadosed them but nothing happened.

Eventually I went for HPTA restart with Nolvadex and adex and it worked wonders. I was back to normal and felt really great afterwards. I think that things like OTC supplements, high fat diets, maintaining a certain level of leanness and strength work with big compound movements helps you to keep your t-levels up only if your internal system is working optimally otherwise you’re going to get disappointed.[/quote]

It’s great you got fixed up.

[quote]Ambitious wrote:
What about Synthroid’s (levothyroxine) effects on testosterone?

Last week my endo Rx’d levothyroxine 25mg QD for a 1-month trial to see if it would increase my testosterone (which was 328 ng/mL).[/quote]

Well, if hypothyroidism is disrupting your HPTA than it may be wise to fix your thyroid first. But there can be many things you may need to inquire and test if you’re really interested in finding about the root cause of your problem. Read the stickies

and

Also I don’t think that synthroid can directly increase your t levels, and that too in one month.

BrickHead:

I’ve searched your posts trying to find what worked for you and what you tried - is there a summary of your “case” that you could link to? I would send you a PM but I can’t for some reason :frowning:

Thanks!

[quote]Ambitious wrote:
BrickHead:

I’ve searched your posts trying to find what worked for you and what you tried - is there a summary of your “case” that you could link to? I would send you a PM but I can’t for some reason :frowning:

Thanks![/quote]

I used Androgel or Testim for 10 grams a day for twelve years. I have been on Testosterone Cypionate for 100 mg per week for the past two years aside from a recent three and a half month stint mono therapy of HCG 9000 IU per week.

I used the HCG in the hopes that it would make me fertile but it did not do the job in getting my T levels to my usual 700’s to 900’s readings.

So now my doc has me on my usual T cup for 100 mg per week and HCG 500 IU twice per week. He suggested I could use even more HCG for mono therapy, but I was not in the mood to get into more trials to see if it would work because this has been a very busy summer. Actually, I wouldn’t want to drag ass at any time of year, whether exceptionally busy or not. The T and HCG combo is great.

Brick,

any idea how the fertility side of things is going now?

I got on TRT in Oct '14, the “standard” protocol for the first 3-4 months, then started pushing the Test up for “dem gainz”…didn’t see much because I was probably too fat and aromatizing much at the time. Tapered and got off everything around April-May for fertility concerns.

I had a blood test in May after 2 weeks back at a normal 100mg/wk dose, still had total T up at almost 1700. I’d guess that somewhere around the 2nd week of June I’d have been back at baseline T levels. Feeling ok, but definitely not as good as on the T and my plan is to put a bun in the oven and probably go back on on e we get past the first trimester. I’ve read it can be anywhere from a few months to a year or more to restore fertility if lost, and my suspicion is that mine was affected, as we had been trying the whole time I was on the T.

[quote]dez6485 wrote:
Brick,

any idea how the fertility side of things is going now? [/quote]

I am unsure how fertility is going and I should get a prescription test soon for a test, but with wedding planning (getting married on Sunday) and all sorts of events going on, I have tended to forget some stuff this summer so far.

[quote]

I got on TRT in Oct '14, the “standard” protocol for the first 3-4 months, then started pushing the Test up for “dem gainz”…didn’t see much because I was probably too fat and aromatizing much at the time. Tapered and got off everything around April-May for fertility concerns. [/quote]

I seriously don’t mean to be a wiseass with this question, but it’s one I ask often: why tamper with medicinal dosages? This is medicine to treat a condition after all. If 100 mg per week works and is what is prescribed, why use more?

[quote]

I had a blood test in May after 2 weeks back at a normal 100mg/wk dose, still had total T up at almost 1700. I’d guess that somewhere around the 2nd week of June I’d have been back at baseline T levels. Feeling ok, but definitely not as good as on the T and my plan is to put a bun in the oven and probably go back on on e we get past the first trimester. I’ve read it can be anywhere from a few months to a year or more to restore fertility if lost, and my suspicion is that mine was affected, as we had been trying the whole time I was on the T.[/quote]

We plan on trying as soon as possible. Like, you know, when the wedding is done, start trying! :slight_smile: All I know is that 100 mg of T per week with 500 IU HCG twice per week has me feeling VERY good and I am unwilling to go back to 9000 IU of HCG per week. I did not feel awful, but as I said in my other thread, I did not feel like myself by the end of the third month and the T level remained in the 400s, not my usual 700s to 900s; I didn’t feel like myself.

“9000 IU of HCG per week” is totally stupid. LH can be too high and E2 uncontrollable as high hCG also desensitizes LH receptors [which you may have experienced]. MORE IS NOT BETTER!

You can do 10mg Nolvadex ED or EOD and check LH/FSH levels after 3 weeks. Nolvadex works just as well as clomid and avoids the nasty estrogenic side effects that some guys get. The LH+FSH will do a lot more for sperm count than hCG. On hCG have you done a sperm analysis?

Brick,

To answer what may have been more of a rhetorical question- “why mess with dose?”…simply, blast and cruise appeals to me. I’ve always had interest in cycling, but never the opportunity real, then it presented itself so I dabbled, but the timing was just wrong. Rather than get deeper into it and perhaps destroy my fertility I decided to pull back and won’t go back on until some stage of pregnancy. Of course if we go a year with no pregnancy, we will need to start investigating further…

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

[quote]Ambitious wrote:
BrickHead:

I’ve searched your posts trying to find what worked for you and what you tried - is there a summary of your “case” that you could link to? I would send you a PM but I can’t for some reason :frowning:

Thanks![/quote]

I used Androgel or Testim for 10 grams a day for twelve years. I have been on Testosterone Cypionate for 100 mg per week for the past two years aside from a recent three and a half month stint mono therapy of HCG 9000 IU per week.

I used the HCG in the hopes that it would make me fertile but it did not do the job in getting my T levels to my usual 700’s to 900’s readings.

So now my doc has me on my usual T cup for 100 mg per week and HCG 500 IU twice per week. He suggested I could use even more HCG for mono therapy, but I was not in the mood to get into more trials to see if it would work because this has been a very busy summer. Actually, I wouldn’t want to drag ass at any time of year, whether exceptionally busy or not. The T and HCG combo is great. [/quote]

Hi,
Which felt better? The Androgel or injections? Can you give a comparison?

Thanks

[quote]KSman wrote:
“9000 IU of HCG per week” is totally stupid. LH can be too high and E2 uncontrollable as high hCG also desensitizes LH receptors [which you may have experienced]. MORE IS NOT BETTER! [/quote]

I think some have had problems with high dose HCG mono therapy but my doc has some patients with success with 9000 IU per week, sometimes more, up to 3000 to 5000 IU every other day! And some have stayed on those doses for years. As experienced, 9000 IU was not terrible for my well being, but into the third month, it felt like something was amiss. I do not attribute it to high estradiol because I usually test with E in the 30’s and 40’s and feel fine; but that is when my T is high normal, 700s to 900s. So I SUSPECT it was just that my T only reached the 400s and I was not getting some subjective benefits from exogenous T cup. This is just my hunch.

[quote]
You can do 10mg Nolvadex ED or EOD and check LH/FSH levels after 3 weeks. Nolvadex works just as well as clomid and avoids the nasty estrogenic side effects that some guys get. The LH+FSH will do a lot more for sperm count than hCG. On hCG have you done a sperm analysis?[/quote]

I have a quarterly appointment in September. I will discuss such matters with him and I need a sperm analysis pronto. As said, 100 mg T cyp and 500 IU HCG twice per week has me feeling VERY good. As I’ve said before, sexual function and pleasure with HCG is awesome!

I can spread the 1000 IU of HCG by taking 250 IU EOD as you suggest in your stickies but I prefer to have less shots per week. I do one IM injection of the T per week and two subcutaneous shots HCG with insulin syringes per week evenly spaced out on Monday and Friday.

[quote]CobraMustangSVT wrote:

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

[quote]Ambitious wrote:
BrickHead:

I’ve searched your posts trying to find what worked for you and what you tried - is there a summary of your “case” that you could link to? I would send you a PM but I can’t for some reason :frowning:

Thanks![/quote]

I used Androgel or Testim for 10 grams a day for twelve years. I have been on Testosterone Cypionate for 100 mg per week for the past two years aside from a recent three and a half month stint mono therapy of HCG 9000 IU per week.

I used the HCG in the hopes that it would make me fertile but it did not do the job in getting my T levels to my usual 700’s to 900’s readings.

So now my doc has me on my usual T cup for 100 mg per week and HCG 500 IU twice per week. He suggested I could use even more HCG for mono therapy, but I was not in the mood to get into more trials to see if it would work because this has been a very busy summer. Actually, I wouldn’t want to drag ass at any time of year, whether exceptionally busy or not. The T and HCG combo is great. [/quote]

Hi,
Which felt better? The Androgel or injections? Can you give a comparison?

Thanks[/quote]

Obviously, one shot of 100 mg T cyp per week is far more convenient than using gels. The only thing I can compare with the two is libido, with it being higher on T cyp. Actually, that, and I think I feel a bit more clear headed on T cyp. That’s all really. I do not plan on going back to gels even though they work. They are highly inconvenient. And with testim, there was transfer onto my fiancé, which was the reason I switched when she started sleeping over.

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

[quote]CobraMustangSVT wrote:

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

[quote]Ambitious wrote:
BrickHead:

I’ve searched your posts trying to find what worked for you and what you tried - is there a summary of your “case” that you could link to? I would send you a PM but I can’t for some reason :frowning:

Thanks![/quote]

I used Androgel or Testim for 10 grams a day for twelve years. I have been on Testosterone Cypionate for 100 mg per week for the past two years aside from a recent three and a half month stint mono therapy of HCG 9000 IU per week.

I used the HCG in the hopes that it would make me fertile but it did not do the job in getting my T levels to my usual 700’s to 900’s readings.

So now my doc has me on my usual T cup for 100 mg per week and HCG 500 IU twice per week. He suggested I could use even more HCG for mono therapy, but I was not in the mood to get into more trials to see if it would work because this has been a very busy summer. Actually, I wouldn’t want to drag ass at any time of year, whether exceptionally busy or not. The T and HCG combo is great. [/quote]

Hi,
Which felt better? The Androgel or injections? Can you give a comparison?

Thanks[/quote]

Obviously, one shot of 100 mg T cyp per week is far more convenient than using gels. The only thing I can compare with the two is libido, with it being higher on T cyp. Actually, that, and I think I feel a bit more clear headed on T cyp. That’s all really. I do not plan on going back to gels even though they work. They are highly inconvenient. And with testim, there was transfer onto my fiancÃ?©, which was the reason I switched when she started sleeping over. [/quote]

Thank you for sharing. My doc has given me the option between Androgel and test cyp and I chose Androgel because I didn’t like needles. But, I see there are more people that are on injection and they really like it.

[quote]CobraMustangSVT wrote:

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

[quote]CobraMustangSVT wrote:

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

[quote]Ambitious wrote:
BrickHead:

I’ve searched your posts trying to find what worked for you and what you tried - is there a summary of your “case” that you could link to? I would send you a PM but I can’t for some reason :frowning:

Thanks![/quote]

I used Androgel or Testim for 10 grams a day for twelve years. I have been on Testosterone Cypionate for 100 mg per week for the past two years aside from a recent three and a half month stint mono therapy of HCG 9000 IU per week.

I used the HCG in the hopes that it would make me fertile but it did not do the job in getting my T levels to my usual 700’s to 900’s readings.

So now my doc has me on my usual T cup for 100 mg per week and HCG 500 IU twice per week. He suggested I could use even more HCG for mono therapy, but I was not in the mood to get into more trials to see if it would work because this has been a very busy summer. Actually, I wouldn’t want to drag ass at any time of year, whether exceptionally busy or not. The T and HCG combo is great. [/quote]

Hi,
Which felt better? The Androgel or injections? Can you give a comparison?

Thanks[/quote]

Obviously, one shot of 100 mg T cyp per week is far more convenient than using gels. The only thing I can compare with the two is libido, with it being higher on T cyp. Actually, that, and I think I feel a bit more clear headed on T cyp. That’s all really. I do not plan on going back to gels even though they work. They are highly inconvenient. And with testim, there was transfer onto my fiancÃ??Ã?©, which was the reason I switched when she started sleeping over. [/quote]

Thank you for sharing. My doc has given me the option between Androgel and test cyp and I chose Androgel because I didn’t like needles. But, I see there are more people that are on injection and they really like it.

[/quote]

You’re welcome.

IM injections do not hurt much. I do them on the sides of my quads, which is where I have realized the least sensation from them occurs. You can also use a 27G insulin syringe or tuberculin syringe and do them subcutaneously, which will have you feeling nothing. Compare one shot a week to rubbing gel on your body everyday, sometimes when it’s hot and you’re sweating or with your woman. It can get annoying. Also, the shots are more convenient when you are going somewhere for a few days because they are done on a weekly basis. I will not be home from this Sunday to Wednesday night. Not a problem because my last shot was this previous Wednesday and I don’t have to bring medicine with me at all.

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

[quote]KSman wrote:

You can do 10mg Nolvadex ED or EOD and check LH/FSH levels after 3 weeks. Nolvadex works just as well as clomid and avoids the nasty estrogenic side effects that some guys get. The LH+FSH will do a lot more for sperm count than hCG. On hCG have you done a sperm analysis?[/quote]

I have a quarterly appointment in September. I will discuss such matters with him and I need a sperm analysis pronto. As said, 100 mg T cyp and 500 IU HCG twice per week has me feeling VERY good. As I’ve said before, sexual function and pleasure with HCG is awesome!

I can spread the 1000 IU of HCG by taking 250 IU EOD as you suggest in your stickies but I prefer to have less shots per week. I do one IM injection of the T per week and two subcutaneous shots HCG with insulin syringes per week evenly spaced out on Monday and Friday. [/quote]

Brickhead, me too second the KSman’s advice about the use of SERM for fertility purposes. In my case also the use of Nolvadex significantly improved the semen parameters including total sperm count and motility.

[quote]jasper41 wrote:

[quote]BrickHead wrote:

[quote]KSman wrote:

You can do 10mg Nolvadex ED or EOD and check LH/FSH levels after 3 weeks. Nolvadex works just as well as clomid and avoids the nasty estrogenic side effects that some guys get. The LH+FSH will do a lot more for sperm count than hCG. On hCG have you done a sperm analysis?[/quote]

I have a quarterly appointment in September. I will discuss such matters with him and I need a sperm analysis pronto. As said, 100 mg T cyp and 500 IU HCG twice per week has me feeling VERY good. As I’ve said before, sexual function and pleasure with HCG is awesome!

I can spread the 1000 IU of HCG by taking 250 IU EOD as you suggest in your stickies but I prefer to have less shots per week. I do one IM injection of the T per week and two subcutaneous shots HCG with insulin syringes per week evenly spaced out on Monday and Friday. [/quote]

Brickhead, me too second the KSman’s advice about the use of SERM for fertility purposes. In my case also the use of Nolvadex significantly improved the semen parameters including total sperm count and motility.[/quote]

I’m gonna ask my doc about this. Thanks.