T Nation

TRT Honeymoon Phase, HPTA Shutdown

T Replacement
#1

The more I research TRT the more I see these topics mentioned around the internet. I’ve heard different info about these occurrences. This includes timeframe, type of symptoms and duration of effects.

How did everyone’s personal experiences with the honeymoon phase leading into HPTA shutdown affect them?

Personally, I’m on my second attempt at TRT. The first time I knew nothing about the HPTA shutdown effect and didn’t experience any sort of crash. I felt great for months until I ceased treatment. This time I’m gradually starting to feel good again with some bumps in the road here and there. It’s only been two weeks but I have had two days so far where I felt like Superman and my libido is high-school level. I’m guessing this is the honeymoon phase? The thing I fear the most is feeling the way I did pre-TRT. Does it get that bad again until evens out?

#2

If you take care of estrogen, and pin twice a week you shouldn’t have any crashes.

Edit: and don’t stop. TRT is for life

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#3

I did not experience anything like a let down. Improvement noticed in two to three weeks, and continued from there.

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#4

Trust me, it wasn’t my decision to stop. I was having panic attacks and didn’t know my elevated E2 (47 at the time) could be the cause. My urologist said he’d never seen that before and took me off, said I’d only have “some irritability and fatigue.”

#5

What a dick! Stops ur treatment instead of treating the symptom. How much Test are you on per week?

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#6

Yeah, the disturbing part is he’s some sort of Dartmouth hero, was supposed to be really good.

Right now I’m on 20mg EOD Test Cyp.

#7

I asked this in a previous thread so I guess I’m just looking for reassurance at this point. I acknowledge I’m only two weeks into injections and due to the influx of hormones my body will be up and down before reaching homeostasis.

My question is about depressed mood. Last week I had this happen for a day or two but it usually only lasted an hour to two hours a day. I woke up feeling deeply depressed yesterday and it continues today. I don’t have a history of feeling this depressed so this is brand new and completely shitty. Anyone else experience this phenomenon?

Edit: Just realized I haven’t had morning wood these last two days either. Now I’m wondering if this is the famed shutdown. Also experiencing fatigue again.

#8

By reading some of your posts in this thread and others, it appears to me that you are hyper sensitive to even very slight changes in your body. Fluctuations are normal and for most people they aren’t very significant, but for you they seem to have amplified effects. (Ie for most, a little bit of fear will surge a small bit of adrenaline and elevate the heart rate. For you, a little bit of fear response seems to be full blown panic attacks)

When I was a kid, I had that type of response and I hated it! If I had allowed it to persist I would probably be exactly where you are right now as an adult. I wish I could tell you how I turned it around, but the truth is that I really don’t fully understand it. The best I can describe it is that I just made a conscious decision one day at around 14 years old that I wasn’t going to let my mind go crazy. I just kept that thought and hung on to it every time I freaked out and eventually over time I just quit freaking out.

Calm down brother. Take a few deep breaths and reassure yourself that you’re not going to die. Wait a couple days and see if those symptoms subside or do they hang in or get worse. If they last for more than a week consistently then go to your doc and get some bloods drawn to see what’s going on. In the meantime, try to quit psyching yourself out.

Give it time bro. I’m 7 weeks in and I still don’t have morning wood every morning. Some mornings I do but some I don’t. No big deal. It still works very well when I need it to and that’s what counts to me.

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#9

I’m definitely hyper aware of physical/mental changes, especially since I withdrew from testosterone last year. These posts I’ve made lately are generally not reflective of my normal state of mind. I think it’s extra rough because I always thought of myself as a tough person. But these feelings of deep depression and high anxiety that come on unprompted are new to me.

Thanks for your advice, trying to breathe through it.

#10

Answer this. Are you gradually getting better? Or worse?

#11

I felt like I was getting better, last two days have felt like I hit a wall out of nowhere. Symptoms are currently the same as pre-TRT, except now with depressive episodes instead of anxiety.

#12

Thought I’d ask again for some insight. Like the thread title states, I’m guessing this is the famed shutdown of endogenous hormones.

Feeling like a car wreck: body aches, weakness, lethargy, depression, headaches, low appetite, sweating profusely, no drive, feeling mentally aroused by women but body is not responding (very rare I have this problem).

#13
  1. List item

Remember all it’s flu season. We on trt tend to blame almost everything on trt.

Not aroused maybe you having a bad day or just not in the fuckin mood

Depressed for a couple of days maybe it’s the damn weather

No morning wood for a few days maybe you drank too much shit

Not implying this to the OP but a reminder for all. I felt like shit a Couple days this week then I remembered I got the flu shot.

#14

You might be right about that…

The thought of the flu crossed my mind. What makes me think it’s the TRT is because I was feeling ok for a month right before starting, then consistently anxious or depressed on and off since.

#15

You gotta ride it out man, I did the same as you a couple weeks ago (about a week into T) - checkout my thread I was freaking out just the same, you have to remember this is not child’s play you are adjusting and manipulating something that largely dictates who you are physically and mentally.

First few days I had super man feeling too and then by second week woke up with anxiety and shrunk flacid size general strange feeling, I suspected high e2 along with Hpta shutdown since I front loaded and used subq I assumed a higher % converted to e2 by extra aromataze activity in the fat.

I did not want to jump to AI right away so I picked up some DIM, added zinc and a good multi increased fiber and water to flush the liver of excess e2 and things started settling down. Almost 4 weeks in now and things are stable and improving week after week - also I switched to IM and EOD.

*Magnesium and Ashwagandha got me through the anxiety until levels started straightening out.

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#16

Appreciate the feedback and encouragement

Yeah, you’re not kidding. I’ve been talking to people close to me about it and it’s insane how much it defines you as an individual.

Never tried DIM and Zinc has been negatively affecting me lately for some reason. I’ve started taking magnesium again and it’s definitely been helping me sleep better. Ashwagandha I’ve tried before and can vouch for but I’m taking an SSRI right now and don’t want to risk an interaction. Ever tried L-theanine? That stuff stops anxiety in its tracks. Unfortunately, again due to the SSRI and negative interactions I also can’t take that.

#17

I have had the same effects on me as well. I’ve been doing this TRT thing for almost two years now. And it’s been a long journey and each month I learn something new about how my body reacts to differnt protocols. It’s been a long struggle lost my current fiancé of 12 years and my current girl friend sometimes I can’t get a errection to have intercourse. I told her I don’t blmae her if she wants to leave. But rite now I have been using discounted labs to play close attention to my protocols. I was taking clomid for 3 months with 25mg ED and .2mg of AI ED and my Total T was 1000 and my free T was about 200 my E2 was about 20pg and it stayed like that for 3 months and I felt on top of the world but soon after my total T and freeT along with my E2 started to decline and I started to feel like crap. I have no clue what happend. So now I started Test Cyp and for the first 2 weeks I was great then everything started to get bad again. So now I’m and closely montering my E2 I have learned that 11pg is my low spot and 27 pg is to high so now I’m trying to find the middle point with the rite amount of dosage. But what I have learned is I feel better not taking a AI but once it gets to 27 pg it’s just as bad so I have to take a AI for a while until it lowers and then enjoy not taking it until it rises too high. If that makes sense

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#18

Damn man, sorry to hear about your fiancé, that’s a tough situation. Two years is a long time to be dealing with this stuff. It’s been 10 months of hell for me. I hope you’re not being too hard on yourself for the current sexual issues, hopefully your gf is understanding.

As far as doing TRT for two years, did you try different esters before the test cypionate? I haven’t gotten into the AI game yet, hoping not for a while. Right now I’m doing 20mg test cyp EOD and my E2 about a week ago was 23pg.

#19

Can you elaborate on fiber? Cause my e2 may be low now and this is one thing I added recently. I take the citrucel tablets - basically for constipation.

Edit. Just read. 1. Eat enough fiber: The body gets rid of excess estrogen through digestion, but you need enough fiber to keep things moving. Eat more leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fruits, and beans.

#20

Question for anyone knowledgeable. Is blood work sufficient to rule out pituitary tumor? I ask because blood work is all I’ve ever had done, never an MRI. I have the option to have an MRI covered at 100% and was wondering whether I should take the opportunity. I do have a history of multiple concussions in youth.