Why is my Libido Tanked on Test E? ...Again.

[RolyPoly]

My first cycle was 500mg Test E, had great results, holy-grail of work-out type shit, lost fat and gained muscle at the same time. But my libido tanked.

I could get it up but would lose wood in the middle of sex. Sex just didn't feel as good as it normally did, and I just wasn't thinking about it all the time like I did pre-cycle.

This cycle I'm only doing 250mg/week of Test E. I'm running 500iu of hcg a week, which keeps my balls making T. So it's not "you're getting shut down for nothing". It's 250mg /week ON TOP OF what the balls put out.

At 500mg Test/week + hcg, my total T came in at 4,100! I think 250mg test will be fine. I have reasons for doing it at this dose, but it's too long of a story...

Once again, my libido is shit! I've got a willing lady and have... OK sex with her. Lose wood in certain positions. It just sucks.

I do have recourse, Viagra works reasonably well - although NOTHING like the one time I took it before doing gear. Cialis works retardedly well. I have solid wood whenever I need it for 5 days after one 20mg pill.

But both those things are a band-aid. WHY is my libido shit??

I ran arimidex .5mg/EOD first cycle and it decimated my E2. I think it came in at 12 or 14. Dry joints, horrible cystic bacne, no libido.

I tried every dose schedule you can think of on the a-dex and never found the sweet spot.

In PCT with no Ai, I had GREAT libido, and crazy rock hard erections. ??? Just clomid. Recovery was a breeze even after 18 weeks on. 1 month post pct my Total T was back where it started. I credit HCG for that. Game..... changer!

3 months OFF gear and my libido hadn't recovered. However, off cycle I do take zinc 60mg/day. I finally thought, wait a minute, zinc is a natural AI, could it be crusing my e2 like a-dex was?

Got blood work done.... e2 14! Fuck me!

I got off the zinc and my libido started to recover, and all my bacne that had persisted 3 months post cycle cleared within days. But I got back on 2 weeks later, cause it was time.

This time I'm running NO ai. :-O I know, blasphemy, I'll surely die of exploding gyno. except..... I have no high e-sides at all. I feel GREAT except for this libido issue. Every day is a good day in the gym, stronger, leaner. And NO BACNE this time.

The other factor is I am on propecia, so I can not be a balding middle-aged fuck. I'm 41. I've been on propecia since I was 19 and it never affected my libido before.

I'll get bloods next week. But I doubt it's E related. with no AI it's certainly not low E this time.

The one other thing I'm thinking is I started splitting 5mg propecia tabs into 1/4's about the same time I started gear. And I'm kind of reaching for the bigger "pieces" (they're not all exact 1/4's). So I'm likely closer to 2mg/day instead of 1mg.

Soooooo maybe I'm just OD'in on propecia and crushing DHT too much? My volume of ejaculate is WAY down, about half what it normally is. That jives with my too much DHT supression theory.

Propecia is kind of like an AI for DHT. In that I think you gotta' be careful with it and not CRUSH dht, or you'll kill your libido just like if you crush E2. I ENVY you bastards that don't have to deal with balding.

My next steps are:

• Try cutting my propecia dose in half. Go EOD or cut them in half again.
  
• I've got proviron on hand. Could try that.
  

Both of these are a hair loss risk. Balding RUINED my dating life. So given the choice... I'd still rather have hair and have to take cialis for the girls that want to fuck me, than have no hair and a great boner that only I will ever touch. Life, ehhh?

Any other ideas what is screwing my libido? I'm on no other supps at this point except 1 vitamin C pill a day.

What I'm taking:
250mg Test E / week
500iu HCG / week
1.25-2mg propecia / day

That's it! I'll get bloods done in a week. Yeah, it COULD be runaway E2.... but I really doubt it. I don't seem to convert a lot like some guys do. Diet is on point. Balls are normal, not atrophied. I don't drink alcohol or smoke. No other drugs prescription or recreational, except I have taken 1 Viagra and 2 cialis "as needed" over the last 6 weeks. Low blood pressure. I'm 6 weeks in to this cycle. All is good excpet libido??

 

[Megatron28]

First of all, hCG does not keep your Natty turned all the way on when running exogenous test. Make no mistake about it -- your HPTA is shut down. hCG just keeps a trickle coming out so that your testicles don't totally atrophy. This is why PCT goes better after having used hCG on cycle.

What you are describing is a classic E2 management issue. Get your E2 checked. Sounds like itnis either too low or too high. Given that you were not using an AI my guess is too high. And note that hCG can cause Intratesticular Aromatization which is not controllable with an AI. This could be ast play too.

Why are you running a TRT dose of Test? Why shut yourself down for slightly better than where your Natty comes in at?

 

[Mad- scientist]

estrogen is a bitch to control....

 

[Teutonic]

Goddamnit man. I know more about you than my workout partner of 25 yrs. Fuck me.
But it s cool.
Ur 250 a week is not a cycle, it s a healthy trt dose or what we in the know call a cruise.
HCG---was covered.
E2--paramount

At 41, 10 years my junior it s time to face facts and prioritize. I ll readily admit I know less than hair loss and it s chemical remedies than I do most topics that have no bearing on ME. The more gear I do the more haircuts I m recguired to get and my nail s grow alarmingly as well.

I am Mr. Low dose. And having had a pill issue 8 yr s ago I m a firm believer less chem s extrogenously introduced is better for the body. Period. 90 percent of us here are vain to varying degrees or pursue size and strength for other reasons like work---me. (and I m vain to) Defeating natures plan is bound to carry it s pitfalls. Is going bald that big of a deal if it "WAS MEANT TO BE" ?

I VE FOUND WITH MY INJURIES CERTAIN SEXUAL POSITION S WITH BLOOD CIRCULATION AND INJURIES FACTORED IN HAVE MY PLEASURE RECEPTORS competing with pain signal s sent to my GABA and my dick.

I am not bashing u Sir. Please take no offense. Just an older dude whose been pounded by life work and circumstance. Staying hard in and out of bed is getting harder. Getting to orgasm is nigh impossible w o a partner who can take a pounding or getting real acrobatic.

I think it s in ur head--the one up top--if it thinks the one down there is not gonna perform---it ain t gonna.

T

 

[.Vision.]

Sounds like your SHBG is why to high.... take some prov and try an lower it! it will assist with the balance of e2 as well!

 

[DickBlazer]

I can tell you Propecia destroyed my sex drive and any hope of an erection worth a shit while I was on it years ago.

 

[cbburrr]

Is there a topical hairloss remedy you can use instead of the oral?

 

[.Vision.]

i can tell you propecia destroyed my sex drive and any hope of an erection worth a shit while i was on it years ago.

zinc

 

[Megatron28]

Is there a topical hairloss remedy you can use instead of the oral?

Dude, it is just hair. If you are going bald it is just a matter of time. Get some clippers and cut it short.

 

[RolyPoly]

Thanks for taking the time to read my huge-ass post, and providing feedback. I appreciate it!


My nautural production is SHIT, which is why I did a cycle in the first place. My total T was 409 pre-cycle and 400 post PCT. You are NEEEEEEEVER going to put on meaningful muscle mass at those levels. For the same reason women don't - they lack the proper anabolic environment. As soon as I got on gear all my hard work in the gym and kitchen actually started paying off.

Peak of first cycle total T at 4,100! I don't need it that high to accomplish my goals. All drugs have sides, I want the lowest effective dose. I'm thinking at 250mg/week, I'll still be able to get my total T up around 1,500-2,000. Whih is 400% - 500% higher than my natty levels!

Anyway don't get too hung up on that, my post could well have read "I'm on a high TRT dose and my Libido is shit." You know what I'm saying?? Whatever the dose, my libido is still a problem. I'm doing something wrong.

I realize I'm 41, but in the months just before my first cycle, after 3 months of zinc supplementation I had the best hardest erections of my life. I brought home a BIIIIG girl from the bar one night and still had an amazing erection and great sex. I was 40 when this happened. 18 months later it's in the toilet. So it's not age.

I also get raging morning wood and nocturnal erection so I don't believe it's bloodflow.

What you are describing is a classic E2 management issue. Get your E2 checked. Sounds like itnis either too low or too high. Given that you were not using an AI my guess is too high. And note that hCG can cause Intratesticular Aromatization which is not controllable with an AI. This could be ast play too.

I think you're right. Zinc is a pretty potent natural anti-E, and the best wood I've had was after 3 months of zinc supplementation. The only thing that confuses me about that is AFTER my first cycle, zinc supps put my E in the toilet and killed my libido. But maybe you guys are right and managing E is just a BITCH.

Sounds like your SHBG is why to high.... take some prov and try an lower it! it will assist with the balance of e2 as well!

That's an easy enough one to try, I have prov on hand, I can just try it for a week.

Is there a topical hairloss remedy you can use instead of the oral?

Yep. I'm doing that too. TBH, my hair is LUSH right now, it's the thickest it's been in 10+ years. So I could easily cut propecia dose to half per my plan, and it would still be acceptable. Like I said I've been on propecia since I was 19 and never had any issues till now.

The one other time my libido completely tanked was before any gear, I tried 'stinging nettle' in an attempt to raise natural T. Completely broke my dick! Destroyed it, dead dick, couldn't even GET it up let alone keep it up. I've since read nettle is a powerful DHT bloker on it's on.

For guys with MPB that want to keep their hair it's a balancing act, you want to lower dHt enough to keep your hair, but not so much that you lose your libido.

I was gonna check Total T and E2 sensitive, but I could also add on SHBG, and DHT, to see where they are.

I think I have enough info on the DHT to make an educated guess and start 'treating' for that NOW by cutting the propecia dose in half. I'm gonna' do that now before I get bloods and see how it is in a week.

 

[Megatron28]

Zinc is not a potent AI. That is just flat out wrong.

Women's Natty T peaks around 70ng/dl. 400 is significantly more than that and gains can be had at that level with a good diet.

 

[RolyPoly]

Just following up here for the sake of thread followers / googlers. NOT to get into an argument with those who have already posted info I don't agree with... I'm choosing to silently disagree and not respond. Arguing on internet forums is pointless.

I agree'd with guys saying, that the cause of my symptoms was most likely high E. I held off on getting bloods because I was going to make a change by treating for that with a-dex. There's no point in getting bloods if you're still changing things.

I treated with adex twice a week @ .25mg. My erections started getting better/stronger after about 10 days or so. They continued to get better and were rock solid - for SEX not just morning wood - at about 4-5 weeks. Loads also returned to normal volume. At 6 weeks or so, erection strength backed of a TAD, but still very good, and much improved.

For anyone suggesting it was psychological... If anything I was thinking MORE about this than ever. But when the E came down into the zone, erections came back and sex was great. Psychological ED is certainly possible, but this was all hormonal.

Got bloods done around 6 or 7 weeks:

• Total T 1,339
• E2 at 19

That's actually a tad LOW on E2 for me. I do better at 20-30. And that kind of lines up with having the strongest erections around the 4th/5th week. E was probably still slowly coming down.

The last couple days I noticed just a TOUCH of joint pain in my shoulder at night. So I'm probably right there at the edge of too low. I'm gonna back off the adex dose just a tiny bit, going forward and I think I'll be good.

For anyone saying 250mg is not adequate for a cycle or to make gains.... Ok, you won't gain as much as you would at 500mg. But my Total T going into this was 300 (It's been as good as 409, but was 300 going in) And now it's 1339. That's an over 400% increase.

I'm KILLING IT in the gym, and have dropped 2" off my waist. No I don't look like I'm roided out, but I have dramatically improved my body composition, and shape, bigger chest/shoulders, smaller waist. Things I just could NOT do before despite years of effort.

If youre natty T is 1150, then yeah my cycle doesn't make sense. But if you're low end of normal going in, this is a great dose.

Lastly I didn't drop the propecia, since I've been taking that for years. And I've kept ALL my hair. It's fucking LUSH and looks better than it did when I was 25.

For anyone interested, the 3 prong attak I use is proecia, minoxidil, and Nizoral shampoo. Works unbelieveably well.

My point is, even if you are prone to MPB you do NOT have to choose between steroids OR Hair. You'll have to avoid some steroids, or some doses, sure. But if you just educate yourself and experiment you can have both.

 

[Milton]

estrogen is a bitch to control....

Theres a joke in this quote somewhere

 

[Milton]

Just following up here for the sake of thread followers / googlers. NOT to get into an argument with those who have already posted info I don't agree with... I'm choosing to silently disagree and not respond. Arguing on internet forums is pointless.

I agree'd with guys saying, that the cause of my symptoms was most likely high E. I held off on getting bloods because I was going to make a change by treating for that with a-dex. There's no point in getting bloods if you're still changing things.

I treated with adex twice a week @ .25mg. My erections started getting better/stronger after about 10 days or so. They continued to get better and were rock solid - for SEX not just morning wood - at about 4-5 weeks. Loads also returned to normal volume. At 6 weeks or so, erection strength backed of a TAD, but still very good, and much improved.

For anyone suggesting it was psychological... If anything I was thinking MORE about this than ever. But when the E came down into the zone, erections came back and sex was great. Psychological ED is certainly possible, but this was all hormonal.

Got bloods done around 6 or 7 weeks:

• Total T 1,339
• E2 at 19

That's actually a tad LOW on E2 for me. I do better at 20-30. And that kind of lines up with having the strongest erections around the 4th/5th week. E was probably still slowly coming down.

The last couple days I noticed just a TOUCH of joint pain in my shoulder at night. So I'm probably right there at the edge of too low. I'm gonna back off the adex dose just a tiny bit, going forward and I think I'll be good.

For anyone saying 250mg is not adequate for a cycle or to make gains.... Ok, you won't gain as much as you would at 500mg. But my Total T going into this was 300 (It's been as good as 409, but was 300 going in) And now it's 1339. That's an over 400% increase.

I'm KILLING IT in the gym, and have dropped 2" off my waist. No I don't look like I'm roided out, but I have dramatically improved my body composition, and shape, bigger chest/shoulders, smaller waist. Things I just could NOT do before despite years of effort.

If youre natty T is 1150, then yeah my cycle doesn't make sense. But if you're low end of normal going in, this is a great dose.

Lastly I didn't drop the propecia, since I've been taking that for years. And I've kept ALL my hair. It's fucking LUSH and looks better than it did when I was 25.

For anyone interested, the 3 prong attak I use is proecia, minoxidil, and Nizoral shampoo. Works unbelieveably well.

My point is, even if you are prone to MPB you do NOT have to choose between steroids OR Hair. You'll have to avoid some steroids, or some doses, sure. But if you just educate yourself and experiment you can have both.

Good info, and at least your spacing your sentences so we can read it easier.

Some post are entire cheeseblocks so thanks for making it easier to read for us old folks hea

 

[Teutonic]

estrogen based species like women or gearheads are hard to deal with....yup.

 

[Black Beard]

"The other one thing...i started taking propecia"



You wrote this whole story, and one line explains your problem. Propecia is a scary drug. Look up Post-finasteride syndrome. Sounds like you got it. There is no hard data proving it's a real thing, but there are a lot of men who report persistent negative side effects, even after discontinuing the drug. Especially sexual sides.


Pick one, balding or low libido. You can try a lower dose too, but DHT, which is making you go bald, was also making you horny. What irony...

 

[anzel]

I was on. Propecia for a year and I was able to tell something was starting to change in me. I can't explain it. But something was off.

I starred research and post finesteride syndrome caught my eye. I dropped that drug like a hot potato.

From one item I remember reading the drug has a potential to make a permanent change in the brain.

What made me change my mind about using it is there were never long term studies done on it. And then all of a sudden there are tons of men having issues decades later.... red flag!