I made a really long post I think most people won’t read. To shorten it up, I had Awesome results in gym, sexually, energy and sleep + well being for about 2 weeks on 100mg daily of Androgel.
Then everything went back to normal. What happened??? I just started on injectables three days ago (T Cypionate 200mg a week) but have not gotten the benefits back yet. Also taking Anastrozole and HCG but am injecting HCG for the first time today.
My question is what do you think stopped the benefits of the Androgel after a two week period like that?
2 weeks are nothing and you need to be patient to assess what you’re feeling. There are many guys never dialling in their dosages and are not patient enough to understand what it is doing for them. These guys are their own worst enemies and never give the body the chance to settle and adjust.
I’m at week 4 and haven’t felt anything yet. Seems like it has kicked in for you and the initial response is very overwhelming for some and settles in. Back to above sentiments on your injection protocol.
If you think you are back to where you were in regards to symptoms, you could do labs and see where your E2 and T,FT is. If not good, adjust doses accordingly, if good, remain patient and remember it can take 8 weeks for something positive to show.
I just felt so good it is very hard to not be that way now. I think I will get some labs. I just wish I had done labs when I felt so good so I could aim for those levels again now.
Any ideas why it would be great and then disappear like that though?
My guess is that your E2 got to high. Gels have a very high T–>E2 aromitization rate. You’d be surprised how a seemingly small increase in your E2 can ruin everything.
200 mg of T cyp per week is a lot! Your E2 will definitely go up and needs to be managed. It’ll probably take 2mg of adex to keep the E2 in check. Also, that level of T cyp will cause thickening of the blood. Be prepared to donate blood often. Hopefully, you are doing two injections/week!
Yes sir I am taking .5 every few days. Supposed to be taking .5 Arimidex every other day. Think that is enough? We were shooting for high T but I am not a bodybuilder. Just want to be apex. Lol.
If you are bent on taking 200mg of T cyp per week, then I would go with 2mg of adex. You haven’t said how many times you are injecting per week. If you inject 100mg twice per week then I’d take 1mg of adex at the time of the injection and monitor how you feel. Then do lab work including a CBC after four weeks. Have labs done halfway between injections.
200mg/week is above the “normal” TRT dose and below a cycle dose. If your TT and FT are really high, you will eventually develop a dangerously high HCT, Hemoglobin and RBC. Unless you are the rare testosterone hypermetabolizer. Just my 2 cents.
I am injecting 100mg on day 1 & 4 (every few days) intramuscular shot.
I am doing this:
Cypionate Protocol: 1/2 ml 2x weekly (Day1 & 4)
Arimidex (30) 1MG capsules : estrogen blockers
Arimidex Protocol: Take 1/2 tablet 2x per week (Days 2 & 5)
HCG (4) 5000 unit vial : stimulates natural testosterone production
500 units (50U on insulin syringe) 2x per week (Day3 & Day6)
I am ok with giving blood regularly if needed. I don’t care about getting my Testosterone numbers high for the sake of getting them high - I just want that great feeling again.
I got to feeling great initially using 100mg of Androgel per day but then something went wrong. I was applying to nuts because I heard absorption was better (I know this is not advised). I quit Androgel and moved to injections when the benefits of Androgel stopped after week two.
I wonder how much 100mg of Androgel daily (with a small amount applied to nuts) would increase my testosterone to? I was at 254 before starting. Whatever that did it was perfect for me. But then E2 got out of balance or skin adapted to stop absorbing or my body down-regulated receptors because the benefits went away after week two…
Again, this is just my opinion based on general knowledge, that adex dose is low for 200mg of T cyp. Many on TRT use 1mg of adex to control E2 while taking 100mg of T cyp per week. You will know if your E2 is high. Loss of libido, ED issues, water retention, malaise, possibly too emotional, no gains in the gym, etc.
I do feel tired but am still getting morning wood and my veins are more visible (which happened when I felt good). But I certainly don’t feel like I did at my best.
I am just scared to drop E2 too low because I hear it takes longer to get it raised than to lower it. You know what I mean?
Could be a few things. It could be high or low e2. It could be that your thyroid or other systems are now the weak link with the testosterone cyp being supplemented and can’t “keep up”. It could also be the “honey moon” phase is now over. TRT boosts dopamine which aids in the increase of mood, energy and libido. Our brains are always searching for equilibrium so when our dopamine levels increase, typically our dopamine receptors lose their sensitivity to return ourselves to baseline.
It’s hard to give any guided guess without your labs and more information.
I wish I had labs from when I felt so good. Then I could shoot for that. But I didn’t do labs so quick.
I hope it was E2 so I can adjust and get back to that. Libido exists now but only if I decide I want to have sex. Before, I was just in the mood all day. Does that make sense?
I will get labs and post them. Since I just did my 2nd shot (.5ml twice a week) I should probably wait a few weeks before labs again right? .
How long do you guys think I should wait to do labs again so that the Test Cyp, HCG and Anastrozole are all working and stable?
You started just now, maybe you can get labs at start of week 3. Keep a day fixed that you get your labs whenever monitoring, otherwise your labs will present the situation on a particular day and not give the whole picture.
It’s also imp in my opinion that you split the injections as suggested in the TRT protocol for injections thread. Then you would not be worrying about fluctuations and your e2 from week to week. You can dial in your particular AI and T dose and labs also make quite a stable reading. You could inject subQ, I have started straight with them, would not want to start injecting at 25 and go with decades worth of muscle damage. SubQ is optimal for more frequent dosing and quite painless and quick.
Seriously Sub Q works as good or better? Because that would be much less effort. I forgot to switch needles today and stuck myself twice in the ass with the 18 gauge. Dang!
Blood work, man. Your E2 followed your test and is now probably too high. High E2 negates a lot of the effects of testosterone. It usually takes longer than two weeks for the skin to become resistant. Also, the receptors did not downregulate. That is a myth.
Subq is fine, absorbs slower though so it will take a little longer to build up the blood levels but will provide more steady levels as time goes by.
You can use 26-30g needles to inject in the stomach fat twice a week; I have done only one bloodwork 2 weeks in and levels were good, but yes I have not felt a symptomatic response from therapy yet, which may have been due to the slower building up which I don’t know about really. I am only 4 weeks in. But I would hate to pin myself with such a thick needle twice a week or even every week. It just takes a min to prepare and inject subQ.
Cool man. I will start trying that. Tired of my ass being sore. Lol. I swear I hit a nerve the other day and it fel liem electricity in my ass. As often as I do it my arse is sore on both sides!
