I'll hijack this thread because it seems dead. Here's a recent tale that may be related.
I've been cruising for several months on 175 mg/wk Test Prop, 50 mg EOD. That's equivalent in testosterone base to 200 mg/wk Test E.
Along with that I've been taking PSL aromasin, and found I needed 1/2 tablet - 12.5mg every day. About a month ago I switched to onlythebestaas aromasin, and started doing the same 1/2 tablet 12.5/day.
After a couple weeks I started having a number of symptoms. Loss of libido. Very hard to climax. Sore knees - meaning all the connective tissue around the knees. And a burning pain in joints that would come and go, a lot of the time while driving or laying in bed. I knew I needed to get a blood test, but the holidays kept pushing that back so i went on for a few more weeks. Along they way I cut the aromasin dose in half to 6.25/day.
Then finally got tested after a few more weeks at that level. Testosterone came back >1,500 ng/dL which was a bit of a surprise. I expected 1,300 ish, so thought I'd be ok with the standard (non LC/MS) test. I guess it's a bit high because I've also increased HCG to 1,000 IU 2x/wk. And estrogen <5 pg/ml.
So I found the culprit, estrogen was crashed. Explains the achy joints. Now I know it also causes loss of libido and trouble climaxing. Valuable info. Another clue along the way was I was watching TV and there was a really sad moment, the kind that when your estrogen is high would choke you up - but I felt nothing. Skin was also non-oily.
Now the important part to me is also that the PSL aromasin appears to be bunk, or at least really inconsistent. That explains why for the last couple of years I've had hell trying to get my estrogen where I want it. Sucks to finally have it proved, but good to know that source is no longer worth considering. Conversely their Test Prop is good to go.
Since then I took four days off the aromasin and popped a couple dbols to try to get the estrogen back up. Seems to be working. Libido is back, joints are still iffy but getting better. Going forward I'm going to cut it back to 6.25 mg EOD and get tested again in a couple weeks. Hopefully now with a solid source of asin I can land on a dose that works.
It was so frustrating over the last few years when I'd get one blood test that showed I needed less than typical, which I consider 12.5 mg EOD for 500 mg/wk Test, and then another test months later that showed I needed double the typical. Maybe IMT will wade in here and say we need to stop taking the bathtub crap.
