Restart Attempt (PCT After 2 Years On TRT)

[babyface58]

Background:

I've been on TRT for the past 2 years.

I've been taking 250iU HCG every other day. My T levels have been between 800 - 1,400 ng/dL for the past 2 years on TRT.

As a side note, I've noticed my testicles have slowly shrunken a bit over time, however, even with the use of HCG.

Current Situation:

I took my last testosterone injection, and began PCT 5 days later, by starting off with HCG only.

Week 1:

-HCG 1,000iU EOD
-Exemestane 12.5mg EOD
-GHRP-6 & CJC-129 100mcg/day

Week 2:

(I read that 2,000iU of HCG is better for PCT so I increased the dose for this last week. I also read Dr. Scalley's protocol that suggested taking the clomid and nolvadex along with the HCG... so pivoted and adopted that protocol for the last week of HCG injections... I also added cabergoline to lower prolactin levels caused by Clomid and improve my sex drive. I also added GHRP-6 and CJC-129 to increase IGF-1 and HGH since Nolvadex has been shown to lower IGF-1 levels.)

-HCG 2,000iU EOD
-Clomid 100mg/day
-Nolvadex 40mg/day
-Exemestane 12.5mg EOD
-Cabergoline 0.5mg/week
-GHRP-6 & CJC-129 100mcg/day

Week 3:

-Clomid 50mg/day
-Nolvadex 20mg/day
-Exemestane 12.5mg/day
-Cabergoline 0.5mg/week
-GHRP-6 & CJC-129 100mcg/day

I'm now going onto my 5th week of PCT... but here is the bloodwork results after only the 3rd week on PCT:

• Total Testosterone: 87 (348 - 1197 ng/dL)

• Free Testosterone: 2.0 (8.7 - 25.1 pg/mL)

• Estrogen: 2.9 (8.0 - 35.0 pg/mL)

• LH: 1.4 (1.7 - 8.6 mIU/mL)

Really bad numbers all around. All extremely low.

I know this is only week 3, and I don't expect my numbers to be even 500... But with the Clomid, and everything I've done so far, I didn't think my numbers would be THIS low... Is this normal for the 3rd week of PCT?

I got the bloodwork done a week after I discontinued HCG. So maybe he clomid/nolvadex didn't have enough time to do their jobs to stimulate my HPTA.

What do you think I should do?

Like I said, my testicles are still a bit smaller than they were before I started TRT... Maybe I didn't wait long enough after my last injection to begin the HCG, and it didn't get to do its job increasing my testicle volume?

I've noticed my testicles have gotten a little bigger since I've been on PCT, but they're not 100% back to normal size as of right now.

Will they get bigger with continued Clomid use? Or should I start my PCT over again, and run the HCG for 2 more weeks to try and restart my testes?

Really not sure what to do at this point based on this bloodwork. Not sure if I'm on the right track.

 

[JimiThing]

Listen hcg, esp at the dosages you were taking is suppressive. It will take a bit of time for the serms to kick in and get those #'s up. It takes 3 days for hcg to clear system which means you have only had what 4 days of not taking anything suppressive. The weeks ahead should yield big changes in LH, FSH and test #'s for sure. After you cease serms wait at least 6-8 weeks for final bloods to accurately assess your recovery. Also why the ai and caber now ?
Best of Luck.

 

[babyface58]

Yeah that's what I'm hoping the issue is - Just the fact that I had less than a week off the HCG before the bloodwork still has me surpressed. Kind of a weird time to get bloodwork I guess. I would have been better off getting it while I was on HCG, to see how I responded to it I suppose.

Thanks for the advice.

After seeing my numbers I'm stopping the exemestane because it looks like I don't need it.

And cabergoline is because clomid has been shown to increase prolactin levels which hurts your sex drive, and I'm trying to get through this while keeping my girlfriend happy at the same time and not fucking up my sex life completely. I've already not been able to get it up during this PCT and she cried and was worried that she's not satisfying me in bed anymore... so I had to tell her I was just tired, etc... It's just a shock for her because she's used to me pounding the shit out of her 2-3x a day when we see eachother (when I was on TRT), and now all of a sudden I can barely get it up. Trying to avoid more shitty sexual experiences. Cialis has helped.

My other concern though is that my testicle size hasn't returned to 100% normal yet, which makes me wonder if I should have stayed on the HCG longer until my testicle size was back to 100%.

This leads me to wonder if I should revert back to using HCG only for the next few weeks to try and restore my testicle size before continuing with the Clomid/Nolvadex...

 

[JimiThing]

you dont want to use hcg at high doses for too long. It can result in leydig cell desensitization and then your screwed for good.
Id just hop on the serms, the will reverse testicular atrophy as well, in time.

 

[babyface58]

Alright I'll stick with the SERMS and get my bloodwork checked again in 3 weeks to see how things are progressing and to make sure my E2 doesn't get up too high since I took away the Exemestane.

 

[Atlaz]

How did you feel on TRT ?

 

[babyface58]

I felt amazing on TRT. So strong in the gym. Crazy sex drive that left my girlfriend sore. Tons of energy. Felt like a man.

Now going through this PCT I feel like a pre-pubecent boy. I'd love to fully recover my natural T levels and be able to stay natural, just because TRT is so high maintenance. You've got injections, boxes of syringes, HCG, Arimidex, traveling with the meds is a pain in the ass, injecting is a pain in the ass, trying to hide it from everyone is a pain in the ass... Not to mention the side effects: acne and hair loss.

At the end of the day, the positives didn't outweigh the negatives. I just hope I can fully recover so I don't have to go back on TRT and deal with all that shit again. Lots of pros but so many cons that go with it.

 

[Atlaz]

I felt amazing on TRT. So strong in the gym. Crazy sex drive that left my girlfriend sore. Tons of energy. Felt like a man.

Now going through this PCT I feel like a pre-pubecent boy. I'd love to fully recover my natural T levels and be able to stay natural, just because TRT is so high maintenance. You've got injections, boxes of syringes, HCG, Arimidex, traveling with the meds is a pain in the ass, injecting is a pain in the ass, trying to hide it from everyone is a pain in the ass... Not to mention the side effects: acne and hair loss.



At the end of the day, the positives didn't outweigh the negatives. I just hope I can fully recover so I don't have to go back on TRT and deal with all that shit again. Lots of pros but so many cons that go with it.

Im there with you man. I have been on TRT for two years now and do not see any major difference as to before. Im losing hair and retaining water even with good E2 levels and T levels. Im seriously thinking off going on a PCT ..............

 

[Big_rich]

Before reading this I had contemplated blasting and cruising. Maby I will just continue to cycle until trt becomes a must. Good luck with your recovery

 

[babyface58]

Im there with you man. I have been on TRT for two years now and do not see any major difference as to before. Im losing hair and retaining water even with good E2 levels and T levels. Im seriously thinking off going on a PCT ..............

Oh yeah, I did notice the water retention as well, I had puffy bags under my eyes all the time, and they went away as soon as I got off TRT.

Yeah it can't hurt to try a PCT and see how you feel after a few months once your body adjusts.

 

[babyface58]

Yeah, it's definitely a shock to my system after being on TRT for 2 years. Everything was shut down for awhile. I'd definitely keep cycling to keep your system working.

Thanks.