Quitting TRT how has that gone for you? I'm pretty much there!!

[jasil]

My TRT regimen was 200mg/week. I was on that for 2 years almost and did the whole gambit from every 7 days intramuscular, to E3D, to subcutaneous. I would take 1/4 of Arimidex E3D as well.

All T did for me was help me put on mass and grow tons of body hair. I retained a fair amount of water, but other than that no real difference. I always said I didn't know what I'd quit first Test. or Viagra well it's definitely Test. Viagra is the game changer Test just makes you bigger and hairy (at least me).

For the past 7 weeks I've just been doing 80mg every week and my last shot was like 12 days ago, so I think I'm just going to stop.

Longterm I just don't believe having your T float around 1000 peaking at 1200+ is good for you and I was 400 ish before I started. I'm not sure what my number are now, but they can't be very good.

I feel no different except I've lost a little muscle mass anything non prescription to help the boys to start natty production again.

TRT was fun at least I tried it, but it's for guys with serious gonadal issues or guys looking to be like Stallone and buff at 65 imo.

 

[Megatron28]

Why don't you target having your TT in the 600-800ng/dl range?

Are you aware of the long-term health risks associated with Hypogonadism?

Did you do n HPTA Restart or did you just stop cold turkey? I recommend getting blood work.

 

[jko30]

I will get my bloodwork results hopefully today. I stopped cold turkey but starting pct now. Have also consulted with my dr. I really hope nothing permanent has happened. Its been 6 weeks and feel completely shut down. I really dont know what to expect or to do. I am hoping pct will restart everything. Is it possible to function normally again?

 

[Megatron28]

I will get my bloodwork results hopefully today. I stopped cold turkey but starting pct now. Have also consulted with my dr. I really hope nothing permanent has happened. Its been 6 weeks and feel completely shut down. I really dont know what to expect or to do. I am hoping pct will restart everything. Is it possible to function normally again?

Why are you hijacking this thread?

 

[halfwit]

If you had a TT of 400ng/dL, you likely didn't need TRT to begin with as long as you weren't suffering low T symptoms other than penis problems.

I will NEVER come off TRT as I personally suffered (for a decade nonetheless)

• A lack of libido - women (most importantly my wife) did not exist. The ONLY reason I wanted sex at all was to feel emotional gratification.
• Extreme atrophy of muscle tissue. I was a member of the 1800 club since I was a teenager, yet couldn't chest press 120lbs at the age of 32.
• Development of diabetes. Unfortunately I was too late to reverse that one. Needles are a part of my life with or without TRT.
• I became morbidly obese. Before I started TRT, I weighed in at 496lbs; that's WITH me trying to exercise every single day too. No testosterone, no metabolism.
• I was becoming hypothroidic. Luckily TRT did help bring me back to subclinical levels of TSH, but I did develop some adrenal issues that I have to live with.
• I developed idiopathic non-localized anxiety. Benzodiazapenes and other not-so-great drugs and I are no longer strangers. I was able to drop the drugs completely with TRT. Even my restless leg syndrome abated 90%.
• Memory issues were very present. In fact, I honestly have blank spots in my life during those ten years that I seriously have no idea what happened. I remember major events to an extent, but it's like nobody was behind the wheel all those years.
• I was estrogen dominant. Imagine a 500lb 6'7" man acting like a woman. Yes, I nagged the wife about household chores as I became a shut-in. 'Nuff said.
• Related above, but I consider it a separate note of importance. Having anxiety stepping out the door, and always being "bitchy" did not afford me much of a social life, or even a job worth mentioning. I lost many opportunities for friendships and possible career advancement.

I didn't make this list to have you reconsider OP. I made it because I have paid dearly a price that has made me very passionate about this topic.

Does everyone need TRT? No, of course not.

However, there are things that we don't always see happening in front of our very eyes that we dearly miss when they're gone. I have spent the last five years plus learning as much as I can when it comes to hormones and have painstakingly set everything right. I cannot stress how much of a challenge it has been, but I would gladly do it again instead of remaining ignorant to what my body was screaming at me for years.

Extra body hair seems to be a small price (I've become quite good at shaving everything) to live a quality of life that I can be proud of. I can only hope to be as jacked as Stallone when I'm 70 - and will certainly give it my best effort. I guess I'm trying to say that you should go ahead and see how you fare, but don't start accepting compromise when it comes to your body.

My 0.02c

Note: I realize that this is a MONSTER post, but I feel very strongly about this stuff and need lots of words to convey that over text.

 

[Dreaded Pirate Roberts]

At 250mg a week I was at 1150

I've been off for a while and my test is 360 and I have arthritis. Going back on for sure.

 

[jasil]

I used to always call BS on the guys saying they felt their E2 creep up or there T wasn't as high they could tell. Over the month my E2 (before dialed in) was from 60-120 and the only side I had was nipple tenderness itchy too. Shoot back in the day they didn't even know what that was Estradi-what lol.

My test was high as 1487ng/dl with a low of mid 800's over the past two years and sometimes I was super consistent, paying for private mdlabs every month plus my DR's mandatory every 6 months full blood work with PSA etc.

I don't like pinning at all, but will say Megatron I can't argue with the 600-800ng/dl number that would seem ideal (on paper). With that said I know two guys with Prostate cancer (I know Test doesnt' give you that only if you already have it it's like gas on a fire), but my point is they are on ADT therapy no Test like under 50 ng/dl and they are fine. One plays racquetball and workouts and the other plays golf. Neither are a IFBB pro, but both are leaner guys with a little bicep sweep in shape not really buff.

In my experience Test just isn't that critical unless you want to be a body builder or have no libido at all (most mental imo). Just my experience with TRT it seems to effect everyone differently which also aids in my believe it isn't that critical.

 

[jasil]

Why? Miss the muscles or other reason? Why did you get off?

 

[jasil]

Glad to still see you here Halfwit and YES with your story I definitely would never get off either!!

 

[Megatron28]

I used to always call BS on the guys saying they felt their E2 creep up or there T wasn't as high they could tell. Over the month my E2 (before dialed in) was from 60-120 and the only side I had was nipple tenderness itchy too. Shoot back in the day they didn't even know what that was Estradi-what lol.

My test was high as 1487ng/dl with a low of mid 800's over the past two years and sometimes I was super consistent, paying for private mdlabs every month plus my DR's mandatory every 6 months full blood work with PSA etc.

I don't like pinning at all, but will say Megatron I can't argue with the 600-800ng/dl number that would seem ideal (on paper). With that said I know two guys with Prostate cancer (I know Test doesnt' give you that only if you already have it it's like gas on a fire), but my point is they are on ADT therapy no Test like under 50 ng/dl and they are fine. One plays racquetball and workouts and the other plays golf. Neither are a IFBB pro, but both are leaner guys with a little bicep sweep in shape not really buff.

In my experience Test just isn't that critical unless you want to be a body builder or have no libido at all (most mental imo). Just my experience with TRT it seems to effect everyone differently which also aids in my believe it isn't that critical.

I think when you drop below 200ng/dl that you may see things differently. Hypogonadism exerts a strong effect on a man's life. I hope you don't end up suffering from Hypogonadism though. Good luck to you

 

[CobraMustangSVT]

If you had a TT of 400ng/dL, you likely didn't need TRT to begin with as long as you weren't suffering low T symptoms other than penis problems.

I will NEVER come off TRT as I personally suffered (for a decade nonetheless)

• A lack of libido - women (most importantly my wife) did not exist. The ONLY reason I wanted sex at all was to feel emotional gratification.
• Extreme atrophy of muscle tissue. I was a member of the 1800 club since I was a teenager, yet couldn't chest press 120lbs at the age of 32.
• Development of diabetes. Unfortunately I was too late to reverse that one. Needles are a part of my life with or without TRT.
• I became morbidly obese. Before I started TRT, I weighed in at 496lbs; that's WITH me trying to exercise every single day too. No testosterone, no metabolism.
• I was becoming hypothroidic. Luckily TRT did help bring me back to subclinical levels of TSH, but I did develop some adrenal issues that I have to live with.
• I developed idiopathic non-localized anxiety. Benzodiazapenes and other not-so-great drugs and I are no longer strangers. I was able to drop the drugs completely with TRT. Even my restless leg syndrome abated 90%.
• Memory issues were very present. In fact, I honestly have blank spots in my life during those ten years that I seriously have no idea what happened. I remember major events to an extent, but it's like nobody was behind the wheel all those years.
• I was estrogen dominant. Imagine a 500lb 6'7" man acting like a woman. Yes, I nagged the wife about household chores as I became a shut-in. 'Nuff said.
• Related above, but I consider it a separate note of importance. Having anxiety stepping out the door, and always being "bitchy" did not afford me much of a social life, or even a job worth mentioning. I lost many opportunities for friendships and possible career advancement.

I didn't make this list to have you reconsider OP. I made it because I have paid dearly a price that has made me very passionate about this topic.

Does everyone need TRT? No, of course not.

However, there are things that we don't always see happening in front of our very eyes that we dearly miss when they're gone. I have spent the last five years plus learning as much as I can when it comes to hormones and have painstakingly set everything right. I cannot stress how much of a challenge it has been, but I would gladly do it again instead of remaining ignorant to what my body was screaming at me for years.

Extra body hair seems to be a small price (I've become quite good at shaving everything) to live a quality of life that I can be proud of. I can only hope to be as jacked as Stallone when I'm 70 - and will certainly give it my best effort. I guess I'm trying to say that you should go ahead and see how you fare, but don't start accepting compromise when it comes to your body.

My 0.02c

Note: I realize that this is a MONSTER post, but I feel very strongly about this stuff and need lots of words to convey that over text.

Thanks for this post. I was actually considering quitting too. I read this and I had a lot of these issues before. I was gaining weight, I lost 30lbs since starting TRT. My A1C was at 6, now it's at 5.2. I was a shut in and such a bitchy man that my first wife left me and the second one was getting stressed out. I also got the fat around the middle too. I had a strong libido but had sexual problems (came too fast, couldn't get hard enough, would get hard and then go soft inside, etc.) .

Now that I've been on TRT for almost 2 years and reversed all these problems, I was actually thinking that I can stop TRT and just continue the way I am now without TRT.

Now that I read this, I'm reconsidering.

 

[Mprtz]

...With that said I know two guys with Prostate cancer (I know Test doesnt' give you that only if you already have it it's like gas on a fire), but my point is they are on ADT therapy no Test like under 50 ng/dl and they are fine....

The notion that elevated testosterone fuels PC growth was a medical assumption rooted in the observed fact that ADT or castration prevented or halted PC development.

The "fertilizer" or "gasoline" analogy seemed to make sense, but was not based on any clinical data.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/540617_2

 

[halfwit]

Thanks for this post. I was actually considering quitting too. I read this and I had a lot of these issues before. I was gaining weight, I lost 30lbs since starting TRT. My A1C was at 6, now it's at 5.2. I was a shut in and such a bitchy man that my first wife left me and the second one was getting stressed out. I also got the fat around the middle too. I had a strong libido but had sexual problems (came too fast, couldn't get hard enough, would get hard and then go soft inside, etc.) .

Now that I've been on TRT for almost 2 years and reversed all these problems, I was actually thinking that I can stop TRT and just continue the way I am now without TRT.

Now that I read this, I'm reconsidering.

Yeah, it's crazy how we begin to take feeling "normal" for granted. I don't normally like to get THAT in depth about the hell that I've been through (sounds like you're definitely part of the club), but just thinking about quitting scares the hell out of me.

 

[CobraMustangSVT]

Yeah, it's crazy how we begin to take feeling "normal" for granted. I don't normally like to get THAT in depth about the hell that I've been through (sounds like you're definitely part of the club), but just thinking about quitting scares the hell out of me.

I agree. I really started taking it for granted these past couple of years. Everyone's noticed a big difference. More social, less irritable, more logical, more confident, more aggressive, etc. After being like this for a while, I started saying to myself, "Now that I'm here, I don't think I need TRT anymore. I can just quit and pick up where testosterone left me off." Reading your post snapped me back to reality and made me remember where I was just a couple of years ago.

Thanks

 

[deathwagon]

I'm on the fence about quitting TRT too. I think I may just be one of the rare cases where TRT is ineffective. I started therapy about 10 months ago with an initial TTL level of 200. My dose has slowly been increased, I'm now taking 180mg per week, with a trough TTL of 663 (range 348-1197). I don't feel any better than I did at 200 ng/dL, with the exception of slightly reduced insomnia. The trade off for that slight change are side effects including heavy acne, dramatic hair loss, body hair growth, testicular atrophy (with HCG) and very significant treatment expense. So for me, it just isn't worth it so far. I'll continue for a couple more months, but if my symptoms don't improve, I'll have to quit.

I understand that my results are probably atypical, but it's just not working for me thus far, so I can sympathize with others who aren't seeing any benefit.

 

[halfwit]

I'm on the fence about quitting TRT too. I think I may just be one of the rare cases where TRT is ineffective. I started therapy about 10 months ago with an initial TTL level of 200. My dose has slowly been increased, I'm now taking 180mg per week, with a trough TTL of 663 (range 348-1197). I don't feel any better than I did at 200 ng/dL, with the exception of slightly reduced insomnia. The trade off for that slight change are side effects including heavy acne, dramatic hair loss, body hair growth, testicular atrophy (with HCG) and very significant treatment expense. So for me, it just isn't worth it so far. I'll continue for a couple more months, but if my symptoms don't improve, I'll have to quit.

I understand that my results are probably atypical, but it's just not working for me thus far, so I can sympathize with others who aren't seeing any benefit.

What's your estradiol at?

 

[deathwagon]

What's your estradiol at?

It was at 20.9 (range 7.6-42.6 pg/mL sensitive) on 07/07, so that wasn't the issue. Free test is in the normal range, but slightly lower than expected at my dosage. A recent increase in test cyp dosage bumped my E2 slightly above range, but I'm adding an AI this week to alleviate that. All the side affects are the same and no change in symptoms vs when E2 was at 20.9.

I too would be interested in others' experience with discontinuing TRT, just in case it comes to that end for me.

 

[halfwit]

It was at 20.9 (range 7.6-42.6 pg/mL sensitive) on 07/07, so that wasn't the issue. Free test is in the normal range, but slightly lower than expected at my dosage. A recent increase in test cyp dosage bumped my E2 slightly above range, but I'm adding an AI this week to alleviate that. All the side affects are the same and no change in symptoms vs when E2 was at 20.9.

I too would be interested in others' experience with discontinuing TRT, just in case it comes to that end for me.

Interesting. I would imagine that you'd see a difference akin to night and day as 200ng/dL is really low. I was at 120ng/dL, and am literally not the same person at all.

Hopefully you can figure out what the issue is.

 

[IMT staff]

I think people expect too much out of TRT. Also its hard to see the benefits it gave you until you come off. You have only been off for 12 days so your just beginning to experience the effects without it.

To each their own but TRT makes me hornier than I've ever been.

Ive never taken cialis or viagra.

 

[halfwit]

I think people expect too much out of TRT. Also its hard to see the benefits it gave you until you come off. You have only been off for 12 days so your just beginning to experience the effects without it.

To each their own but TRT makes me hornier than I've ever been.

Ive never taken cialis or viagra.

Ohhh Todd. You owe it to yourself to try cialis; it's amazing stuff!

I have read they're pushing to make it OTC too.