I need help with my testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) protocol

[Neverquit]

I need help with my trt protocol

I have been visiting this site for a while and decided to join because i need some advice. I do not mind changing or lowering my dosages. I just need some guidance because what i am going through is a nightmare.
I was reading different posts about getting your Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) dose right. I started taking testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) with hcg and arimadex after I suffered hypogonadism from taking pain meds for years for my back from spinal surgeries that I had. I am also 46 years old and I just got married to a younger woman who is understanding but that does not fix my problem. I went a few months ago to a fertility doc where I live to try Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) (or trt) because I am not producing test naturally anymore. I started with 100 mg of test twice a week for two weeks and then changed docs to a fertility doc who would prescribe HCG,The Doc put my on 150 test a week with 2500 HCG IM injection and arimadex 1mg every other day, after 3 weeks with the new doc and 5 weeks since I started test my test level was 1100 and good estrodial it worked good for about 6 weeks then i started holding water and my dick started getting soft (also my sleep was jacked up and I woke up a lot) and I could not fuck my wife. I decided to do a restart with clomid and torem for two months because when it was my own body I never had these issues and sadly the restart did not work. I was tired and unable to have sex so I went back to the doc and this time the protocol is the same but I am taking 1000 mg of hcg intramuscular and 3/4 a cc of test of 150 mg. THE only reason I am taking HCG is because my wife and I want a child. I think the hcg is contributing to my problem. I am overweight which means i am aromatizing more but this driving me nuts! I do not know how it is for you guys who are on this but I can get hard when I do not want to and when I want to get hard I have to work at it or it will just not work it can be hard and then just go soft. It is REALLY humilating. I have only been on the test IM shots for two weeks. I also have been splitting the dose into two shots which helps my sleep and I am thinking of going eod sub shots instead of IM injections to get even levels. I am getting lab work done next week but i have to tell you I am miserable and really need some help. I dont need lectures just help. I dont care what I have to do, I can get the meds no problem.I just need to be able to have a reliable boner when I need it. If you have ANY suggestions on a protocal that would REALLY minimize these problems that works for you then please feel free to share them with me because i just got married and this is a nightmare for me! Oh the intramuscular injections are what my doc ordered but I do not think he knows what to do and I need to take some action to correct this FAST!! I also wanted to say that I want to multiple inject eod or twice a week sub with a insulin pin becauseonce a week injections really messed my sleep up when i injected once a week and I also have sleep apnea and use a cpap. Any good protocol ideas would be appreciated> i just want to be able to have reliable sex with my wife. I am going be on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for life so I have to get it right and the sooner the better. I do not know how much longer i can take this. It has only been two weeks on the new protocol but I need to figure out a way to get this dialed in. I am not greedy and I dont want super high test levels. I just need something reliable

 

[slipperyslope]

2500iu of hcg and 3.5mg of of Arimidex a week seems like way too much. The 150mg of test cyp should be good.

If you felt good for a month, that's a start. Sounds like your estradiol (e2) could have crashed, from too much arimidex, after a month.

Are you still on the same protocol? If so, get a blood test done on the morning of your next injection (before you inject) and see what your total test and e2 are at. I bet your e2 is off.

Most people feel good somewhere in the 1000 range total test and e2 in the mid-twenties.

Good luck.

 

[Neverquit]

The protocol I am on now is twice a week injections of 75mg test eth, 1000 mg of hcg via intramuscular and aridmex .5 every other day, now I have only been on it two weeks and so maybe I need to give it more time, I want to use the minimum amount of hcg I can so I am leaning towards 250 3times a week sub injections vs 1000 IM injection. As most of you all know, these docs are set in their ways and I am lucky to even get this, however I must do whatever it takes to get this under control. I am asking for advise from those of you who have been through this and advise on how to change this protocol, at this point I am thinking about dropping hcg down to 250 twice a week just to avoid the e2 problems, I feel that i metabolize this stuff quick because everytime I give a shot of test I only feel it for two days, this is why I am thinking of doing every other day. As of now I give myself a shot every 4 days so for example Tue then Friday then Monday and thursday etc, I am thinking a sub injections with a divided 150 dose would be around 4 injections a week 37.5 every other day, and keep the arimadex down to .5 every other day or .25 if I use the liquidex, I am not sure where to go, I have tried sub injects and other than the lack of pain, I can tell no difference, any way, I am not sure if I need to be on this for months to get this right or not, I just no my dick is not reliable with this stuff and it sucks bad, I also think it has a lot to do with hcg but I am VERY open to suggestions, so that I can get a stable level as soon as possible, if it was not for fertility I could drop the hcg if it is what is causing my problems, my doc said anything less than 1000 a week of hcg and I will not be able to father children, really sucks

 

[03ACE]

Ok, try to remain calm. I know it is hard to do when things aren't going well, but getting worked up isn't going to make ANY of your issues any better. That isn't a poke at you, it just seems like you are pretty fed up at this point. Understandable, but you need to realize that none of this gets fixed "FAST!". It will take some time to dial in. I am still making minor adjustments since starting testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in January.

I can relate to you, as I am pretty overweight, on a CPAP, etc. I'm not an expert on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), endocrinology, etc., so take this for what it is worth.

Fixing a problem, medical or otherwise, is rarely accomplished by changing lots of things at once. Even if you are successful doing that, you won't know which thing made the difference! So my suggestion would be to stay on your current protocol for another month, then get some bloodwork done to see where you are with T and E2. Change one thing at a time from there. Either adjust your HCG, or T, or Adex. Not all of them at once. Within a couple months, you will be dialed in and life will be good.

 

[kaoz123]

Your adex is to high I crashed my e2 just taking .5 adex twice a week. I switched to .25 3x a week n feel better. I would also go with 250 ius 2x a week of hcg.

 

[grind4it]

Cut you Adex down. IMO,your E2 (estrogen) is jacked. My sweet spot is .25 mg Every Day. You might need to drop down to .25mg Every Other Day.

In regards to the HCG; it's my option that is too high. I feel good at 500iu (sub q) two times a week (Monday and Thursday). Some guys on here like the HCG at 250iu X2 week. Personally, my bean bag shrivels up at 250iu 2x week.

Bottom line; you need to make a change and wait a couple of weeks before you make additional changes. I would base my decisions on the way I feel, and verify with blood work. Hang in there it's going to take a few weeks to get right.

Good luck

 

[THE-DET-OAK]

Cut you Adex down. IMO,it is way to high. My sweet spot is .25 mg Every Day. Start with that for Two weeks. You might need to drop down to .25mg Every Other Day.

In regards to the HCG; it's my option that is also too high. I feel good at 500iu (sub q) two times a week (Monday and Thursday).some guys on here like the HCG at 250iu X2 week. Personally, my bean bag shrivels up at 250iu 2x week.

Bottom line; you need to make a change and wait a couple of weeks before you make additional changes. I would base my dissensions on the way I feel, and verify with blood work. Hang in there it's going t take a few weeks t get right.

Good luck

 

[Neverquit]

I appreciate everyone here, My doc wants a blood test 3 weeks after I started which is next week for me (dont ask me why) and not 6 weeks which would tell more about what is working, I am on a two times a week protocal injections subq 75 mg with a one time IM HCG of 1000, I was looking at very recent thread where a dr crisler (on a radio show) was giving positive views about sub q 3 times a week and the less need for arimadex, even if I will need a Aromatase inhibitor (AI) but have less e2 conversion that would be great. I am leaning that way, divide a 150 dose 3 times a week and alternate with 250 hcg every other day, and do arimadex at 1mg or less a week, I can only get down to .25 if I use the liquid version via research chems, but i have not had luck cutting the pill below .5 but I already know that twice a week injections are less drastic to my sleep than one and I feel more normal It is too bad that doctors are so behind the curve with this stuff, It would be great if they would go along with these small changes but I do not see happening unless there are years of studies that confirm what most of you know already.Who can wait for that, we only have today and hopefully tommorow!

 

[maxxmill17]

i didnt have much luck with liquid adex..always seemed too strong no matter what i did...you can have compounding pharmacy make adex any stregth you want...i have .10mgs ...also why subq with test ..i still feel any oilbase belongs im...just my thought

 

[BigFella]

Neverquit

Just remember your screen name!

Mate, I really feel for you.

I'm with the other guys here - don't stress, relax, give it time. And how fucking impossible is that???

Look, I'm 61. I've been through a bit, and the worst was depression. I also have five kids, in two batches, the last born when I was 51.

You have not told us whether you are shooting blanks. Do you know? If you find out that you've got lots of little wriggly things it might change a lot - because I reckon it's mostly psychological. right now I'm guessing you don't know whether you are fertile. If you don't know that then you probably worry about lots of things.

Communication is the key. Talk to your wife about this. You're in this together! Don't blame ourself. You're probably overweight and stressed because you have been doing the he-man thing of earning the money for the family. She will know that!

In case it sounds like I'm experienced - sorry, I'm not. Done a shitload of research though. From that I'm guessing the above (mostly psychological, get a sperm count done, talk to your wife who loves you) plus the Aromatase inhibitor (AI) dose seems way too high.

And communicate here too. Lots of people will help. Today I got a LONG pm from a guy, helping just because he wants to.

And try to do the (almost) impossible - find a good doctor.

Never quit!

 

[Neverquit]

I have just almost hit four weeks on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), I am thinking about raising my dose and I thinking about trying every other day sub inj, Now there is some good news but not much, the only good news is that I today I just now got enough energy to go really workout for one hour and a half at the gym, and when I feel the hormones coming on will feel horny for maybe 30 minutes here and there, I also am getting boners in the morning but they are not like before testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), in the old days It would be like a piss boner that would not go away until you fucked or pissed. Now it just goes away like it was never there as soon as I am awake and moving, really weird. The other thing that sucks is it takes me a LOT longer to get aroused and i have to use manual stimulation instead just thinking about it, which really sucks. I just have to hold on and believe that for whatever reason, my body is SLOWLY getting used to this and at some point my brain and body will get with the program. I have a friend who is in his early 30s and he takes 100 mg every 4 days and he is out sleeping with two models in one day? Some people just have all the luck when it comes to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) working for them.The best way I can describe testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for me at 3 and 1/2 weeks so far, is it is like when a light bulb is on (before hypogondism) it stays on until you turn it off right? The way I am with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) now is like a light bulb that will flicker on for a few minutes and it will seem like it is working then it will die off like nothing ever happened. I only feel horny when I am feeling the test surge, and that seems to be a short period usually on the second day after injection with a large amount. If I inject a small amount two or in more times a week I do not feel it (but it is just now almost one month). However, maybe it is just building up in my system to where I in a month or two I will have a consistently high levels and have something of a decent libido and sexual functioning. The way I am now there is no way I can rely on my dick to stay hard or even get hard when I want. I am not mad because I have in the last week started to get brief period where my libido and sexual functioning were good while I was awake. when I am sleeping it is better but who cares about that. It is my hope that over time my body will adjust and I can actually be horny when I want to be like I was before pituitary when to shit. I told my wife if I have to I can get those penis shots if things do not get better. That is a Last resort. But on the positive side. I have had moments in the last week where I was a reasonably horny but the problem is it would be in my car driving or at work but not at home. Like a light bulb that is off and comes back on. It is like my body and brain are not connected yet, I would rather get the shots to work then go to gel or maybe try both together. The other weird thing is all my life before testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) I would get pre cum when I got a boner but I do not now. My doc has no clue what to do with me. I am allowed to inject and self med as long as I do the follow up with him. It is really weird that my body is reacting so slow to the hormones. I heard a radio program recently where Dr Crisler was saying some of his patients piss out the testoterone? He never said how he addressed that? It seem to me that for some people even if you get the right dosage, your body is going to have to adapt and accept it as replacing what you had before. Anyway, since I split the dosage I have not held water and I can sleep, I am thinking about dropping the arimadex unless I start holding water. Again I appreciate everyone for sharing there views. I mean two weeks ago I felt nothing and could barely get out of bed so hopefully I will get my life back soon, the reason I am telling others of this nightmare is so that maybe someone else will reply and say "yeah I had the same symptoms but after 6 months I was fine" anyway I am gonna stick with it and hope for the best. I did bloodwork 3 days ago for test,estrodial and prolactin so I will know about that here shortly

 

[BigFella]

Hi Never Quit!

First: put some paragraph breaks in! It makes it easier to read.

Second: I've been thinking of you - you didn't say you know you're not firing blanks, so I'm guessing you haven't had that checked. If you do, and the doc says "Well, you've certainly got no problem there!!!" how will you feel? I bet a bit more virile.

Third: You've been on for four weeks. Give it time! I've been on cream for five months, and it just keeps getting better.

We're in there with you mate!

 

[Neverquit]

I did get checked to see if I was still making sperm cells, the first time I did testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) a few months ago, I had been on for 3 months and was using 150 mg test eth a week and 2500 IM injection a week of HCG, I did come back as being in the middle level of producing a child, so he said I could do it for sure then. I had to drop the dosage to 1000 mg of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) a week because I was holding a lot of water etc. We are gonna test in 3 months when I come in a cup and see if 1000 mg a week will keep me there. I do not want to raise the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) dosage because the side effects for me suck. He said anything below 1000 mg a week of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) and there is no way it will work. He is a fertility doc we will see

 

[zgx]

I've yet to start testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) but from what I've read it is a trial and error game and patience is definitely needed when things don't seem to be going your way. As far as libido and being ready it sounds to me that you may be putting too much thought into it which may have the opposite effect of what you want? Have you thought ED pills for the time being until your levels reach the goldie zone? At least so you don't have to stress about performance, etc?