I understand that natural production shuts down after starting TRT. If FSH and LH are suppressed, what else do these hormones do besides sperm and testosterone stimulation? I have an engineering background so i always think in these terms. I have a hard time believing that this human machine doesn’t make use of these the hormones besides the above mentioned. What unintended effects are we encountering? Any studies on this ?
LH is a precursor to pregnenolone and pregnenolone is a precursor to progesterone.
According to what i read pregnenolone is vital, not sure i get the shutting down of the HPA axis. Looks like one may fix one problem but possibly create another
Given your engineering background you might enjoy these two links (click on attached thread below)…
Long term impact of shutdown at hypothalamus/pituitary, we dont know. Receptors for these hormones in the body other places besides testes? Some guys do hCG to mimic effects of LH. Others also supplement hormones upstream of testosterone.
Another option to do TRT while maintaining or at least minimizing shutdown of HPTA:
Not attractive guys wanting the muscle building advantage of TRT+/TOT, but a very nice option to trial legitimate TRT for replacement levels.
Check out this thread:
and the thread that I linked in the last post of the thread.
They send signals, and once you start TRT those signals aren’t needed anymore. Maybe like screaming into an empty well; you can do it if you like, but it’s not really doing anything. Some guys like also taking DHEA or Pregnenolone just to keep those levels up; I’ve seen no need to (but my DHEA isn’t low even while on TRT).
Anyhoo, I wouldn’t worry about LH/FSH being zero. I’ve been at it 5 years now with no consequences of it
EDIT: besides fertility, of course. But not worried about that at the moment
Be Your Own Doctor and Do It Well or Roll the Dice
The answer is- “we don’t know”. I spouted some of my thoughts linked above.
It’s an interesting question well worth discussion.
I’m 62 not worried about fertility:). Thanks for the info