TRT over a year and starting to have libido and ED issues

P

Paul13

New member
I've been on the forum for info for awhile but this is my 1st post. A little background about me. I'm 49 years old 5'10 190lbs active and relatively in good shape. Started TRT a little over a year ago for pretty much the same reasons as everyone.
My initial labs were:
Total test 300 then tested again at 345
Free test 82
E2 23
Started test cyp at 160mg per week split in 80mg every 3.5 days
Labs came back at:
Total test 1181
Free test 328
E2 40
Did the labs a day before next pin.
I felt great, libido great, wood great. I didnt think the E2 was high enough to warrant any adex so didnt take any.
Lately I've had low libido, no morning wood, not really rock hard having sex, and really tough to orgasm. I thought based on the numbers I was pretty good but not feeling it. Anyone go though something similar?
 
Welcome!!! ^^^^^these + did you have more than 1 lab done in over a year? What's your protocol just the test every 3.5 days? Sounds like E2 issue to me, went through the same symptoms dialing in my protocol, but definitely didn't take a year. Current labs and protocol would go a long way to getting you advice from the experts here.
 
The first lab was a year ago when I started and the second one was 6 months ago. That was about the time I started not feeling the way I did the first 6 months. It's not complete ED but just not as hard, not as sensitive and takes forever to cum. Also not crazy horney like I was. My protocol is like what I said. 80mg every 3.5 days, no AI. I do have adex and my last 2 pins have taken .5mg each to see if there's a difference. I just didn't think 40 on e2 would give any symptoms. When I did cycles a couple years ago I know my e2 got higher than that and I was still wanting to bang all the time.
 
I would recommend running blood work again. Let's see if anything has changed. See the link below in my signature for info on getting private blood work.

Are you donating blood regularly to control HCT?

Any other medications that you are on?

Do you take cialis daily? If not I would strongly recommend 5-10mg daily.
 
^^^^exactly this. You're hard pressed to find a better advisor than Mega! I trolled off his advice forever before I made the leap. I've been there man - on top of the world (or at least my woman) to lack of drive and half wood like before pre-trt. This board will help get you straight just follow the Jedi's advice....and my .02 get lots of bloodwork done until dialed in, then run it again if you ever feel "off" and report back here. Hope you feel better soon!
 
Thanks for responding Mega. I have followed your post over the last year. Yes, am planning on getting blood work the next couple weeks. Was wondering if I should be on the adex for the blood work or should I get a reading of what my e2 is without it? I do donate blood every 2-3 months. Not sure if just a coincidence but around the same time I had shoulder surgery for a torn rotator cuff, labrum and biceps tendon. Was only on opioids for a couple weeks but out of the gym for almost 4 months. I haven't taken Dailey Calis but took viagra a couple times because I'm recently divorced and need to put on a good show for the ladies!
 
Paul13 said:
Thanks for responding Mega. I have followed your post over the last year. Yes, am planning on getting blood work the next couple weeks. Was wondering if I should be on the adex for the blood work or should I get a reading of what my e2 is without it? I do donate blood every 2-3 months. Not sure if just a coincidence but around the same time I had shoulder surgery for a torn rotator cuff, labrum and biceps tendon. Was only on opioids for a couple weeks but out of the gym for almost 4 months. I haven't taken Dailey Calis but took viagra a couple times because I'm recently divorced and need to put on a good show for the ladies!
Click to expand...

Ideally get the labs without the adex so we can see where you are at. Problem is you already took some. So so guess now just keep doing the adex and we will see where it puts you. In the future, it is nice to get blood work before you change any variables.

Give daily cialis a try. I promise you will like it.

And concur with everyone else about adding hCG to your protocol.
 
If you are donating blood every 2-3 months you will need to to monitor your ferritin. Serum Ferritin levels can drop quite a bit with regular whole blood donations. This is not an issue with platelet aphoresis. If it's low enough you may even need Venofer.
 
daleb said:
If you are donating blood every 2-3 months you will need to to monitor your ferritin. Serum Ferritin levels can drop quite a bit with regular whole blood donations. This is not an issue with platelet aphoresis. If it's low enough you may even need Venofer.
Click to expand...

Sorry Paul- not trying to hijack your thread here.

daleb - the Ferritin level point is a new one to me, but makes sense. Is that something they check when you donate or do you have to add it to your scheduled blood work? How often should you have it checked? (I donate regularly on TRT, why I'm asking)...thanks!
 
check it once, if its 0-15 ng/mL you need venofer. 15-100 ng/mL supplement with iron. If your 100 - 150 ng/mL. no real worry 150+ maybe start to be concerned about iron overload.

circling back to OP. for erectile dysfunction and low libido Ferritin, and Thyroid should be checked before sex hormones. I think the last study i read on ED, some 60 percent of ED is related to Thyroid issues.
 
daleb said:
check it once, if its 0-15 ng/mL you need venofer. 15-100 ng/mL supplement with iron. If your 100 - 150 ng/mL. no real worry 150+ maybe start to be concerned about iron overload.

circling back to OP. for erectile dysfunction and low libido Ferritin, and Thyroid should be checked before sex hormones. I think the last study i read on ED, some 60 percent of ED is related to Thyroid issues.
Click to expand...

Do you have any references? My ferritin has been pretty low, presumably from donating. Last test was 13 ng/mL, though I feel no current ill effects.

I have tested as low as 11, and had some arrhythmia (PVC) which I thought might be due to low ferritin, but I am no longer sure of it. Now I think the arrhythmia may have been due to crashed E2.

I do take iron sometimes, but I'm afraid of further raising my HCT, which is already at 53 :(
 
Might be worth a shot:

This study was based on in vitro observations that naringin isolated from grapefruit induced red cell aggregation and evidence that clumped red cells are removed from the circulation by phagocytosis. The effect on hematocrits of adding grapefruit to the daily diet was determined using 36 human subjects (12 F, 24 M) over a 42-day study. The hematocrits ranged from 36.5 to 55.8% at the start and 38.8% to 49.2% at the end of the study. There was a differential effect on the hematocrit. The largest decreases occurred at the highest hematocrits and the effect decreased on the intermediate hematocrits; however, the low hematocrits increased. There was no significant difference between ingesting 1/2 or 1 grapefruit per day but a decrease in hematocrit due to ingestion of grapefruit was statistically significant at the p less than 0.01 level.
Click to expand...

Ingestion of grapefruit lowers elevated hematocrits in human subjects. - PubMed - NCBI
 
I'll put something together tonight.

Ferritin is just iron storage. Still takes EPO to make rbc's from iron.

Might want to look at sleep apnea. High altitude high intensity exercise while your sleeping is a more likely culprit.
 
daleb said:
I'll put something together tonight.

Ferritin is just iron storage. Still takes EPO to make rbc's from iron.

Might want to look at sleep apnea. High altitude high intensity exercise while your sleeping is a more likely culprit.
Click to expand...

Yes, ferritin is the storage medium, but iron metabolism is quite complicated and it takes several steps to be stored as ferritin. It was a while ago that I read up on this, but I'm not sure that ferritin is a required intermediary to form RBCs at all.

Certainly my experiment with iron supplementation seemed to do more to boost my HCT than my ferritin levels.

Maybe we should start a separate thread about this - it's getting somewhat off topic of the OP.
 
I haven't heard that one before about Ed and thyroid. Interesting. I only did those 2 doses of adex a week ago before I knew I had to have labs run again. I think it stays in your system 8 days. I will have new bloodwork done in the next couple weeks. Not sure about ferritin level but when I donate they always comment on how good my iron is. Off topic but interesting thing about hematocrit levels, I was scheduled to donate a couple weeks before surgery but got turned down because of a 99.8 temp. A week after surgery because my arm was immobilized I developed a blood clot. It sure if just a coincidence but it makes you think.
 
Paul13 said:
I haven't heard that one before about Ed and thyroid. Interesting. I only did those 2 doses of adex a week ago before I knew I had to have labs run again. I think it stays in your system 8 days. I will have new bloodwork done in the next couple weeks. Not sure about ferritin level but when I donate they always comment on how good my iron is. Off topic but interesting thing about hematocrit levels, I was scheduled to donate a couple weeks before surgery but got turned down because of a 99.8 temp. A week after surgery because my arm was immobilized I developed a blood clot. It sure if just a coincidence but it makes you think.
Click to expand...

At the blood center they equate "iron" with hemoglobin. On TRT it is very possible to have high hemoglobin and low ferritin at the same time.
 
Just got my labs back. Blood was drawn right before I gave myself my bi-weekly shot. Results:
Total test 444
Free test 93
E2 25
SHBG 17
TSH .87
T4 6.3
T3 80
Looks like my test dose is dialed in by the numbers if this is the lowest it goes before a shot. Thyroid is all in range. Not sure about this. Maybe its stress after all. Been a pretty shit year with the divorce and coming back from surgery.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

THE-DET-OAK
Kicking off a clean, doctor-monitored Test-Cyp 300 mg + Deca 200 mg + Sermorelin/Hexarelin blast – log starting today
Replies
2
Views
66
THE-DET-OAK
THE-DET-OAK
C
48 year old male on TRT adding a supraphysiologic cycle w/ some "PCT"
Replies
0
Views
802
cheroxy
C
R
Hcg and long term use (Some ED?)
Replies
5
Views
1K
MolleySorba
M
J
Low libido on test cycle along with ED
Replies
19
Views
2K
casanovaaa
casanovaaa
Hoodlum
Protocol for recovering fertility after coming off TRT to try to have kids
Replies
15
Views
2K
mikelaurey
M
Back
Top