Is HRT worth it?

[AGELESS]

WOW !! What can I say.....you bet....

[DragonRider]

HRT seems like a big pain and it seems most people are constantly changing there protocol and increasing there meds.

It's only worth it if you WANT to continue having sex.

I have been wondering this same question. I hear al the positive experiences while ON but I also see men trying to PEEL themselves OFF once they get tired of pinning themselves for the rest of their lives. They a real bad situation on their hands. What happens to your nuts once they have been out of use for 5 years?
Are they done for good? Are you worse off once you come off? Ie: total erectile dysfunction?
Do you have to PIN till the day you die!?

Total erectile dysfunction is why you start.
Yes (pin till you die), unless you use the gels. Well worth it if you WANT to continue having sex. Personally, I found out how wonderful sex was when I was 19 and I can't imagine life without it.

This is kind of off topic. I am in kentucky and looking for HRT here.
How do I find a clinic and about how much is it?

NEVER go through a clinic. It is ridiculously expensive. Going through a urologist or a endocrinologist, your insurance will pay large portions

[Blergs]

yes it is worth it!

[Dutchman]

It's only worth it if you WANT to continue having sex.

Personally, I found out how wonderful sex was when I was 19 and I can't imagine life without it.

This!

[luclyluciano]

Not telling you what to do (just discussing) but how about using DAA instead? At least you'd encouraging your own body to produce it's own hormones and Testosterone.I have been using DAA for about 10 days now and just noticed I a could lift my all in one toolbox effortlessly. This normally was a two handed struggle for me. Results are subtle so far.

[Dutchman]

Not telling you what to do (just discussing) but how about using DAA instead? At least you'd encouraging your own body to produce it's own hormones and Testosterone.I have been using DAA for about 10 days now and just noticed I a could lift my all in one toolbox effortlessly. This normally was a two handed struggle for me. Results are subtle so far.

Once upon a time, say back in my late 40's where you are now, that would have been an interesting thought although I was still funcitioning well despite declining total test. By my late 50's Viagra was a welcome addition. Now I need the test cyp which restores me to my teenage years (three times in 1 day is like living in fantasy land when you hit my age), it boosts my stamina in the gym as well and as a result I am staying exceptionally strong and muscular as long as I do my part with training, diet etc. IMHO test cyp should be the given to most all guys by the time they hit 60. Let's see my daily vitamin checklist for seniors: 15,000 mgs of D3, check!, 3000 mgs of Omega 3s, check!, 100 mgs of Test Cyp, check! etc etc

[Knowbull]

Dutchman, I would really appreciate your input here, as an older guy, been around here awhile. Im on the fence with this, how would a guy know he would benefit from some minor T replacement, in the form of Androgel? Thanks

[kingdong]

I reccomend whos on the fence about TRT to try DAA plus an AI at least one before they decide they need TRT. DAA alone made my balls swell, despite the fact that 1) I was already a guy who probably had high test levels, and 2) I didnt even take it with an AI, and my body fat wasnt very low either. A guy whos test is in the gutter would probably respond even better. Just lower the AI dose if your joints get sore.

Remember, LH is really important for sex. When your producing lots of test, LH is generally high. A test injection wont increase your LH though, but it can possibly decrease it.

[DragonRider]

I recommend whos on the fence about TRT to try DAA plus an AI at least one before they decide they need TRT. DAA alone made my balls swell, despite the fact that 1) I was already a guy who probably had high test levels, and 2) I didnt even take it with an AI, and my body fat wasnt very low either. A guy whos test is in the gutter would probably respond even better. Just lower the AI dose if your joints get sore.

Remember, LH is really important for sex. When your producing lots of test, LH is generally high. A test injection wont increase your LH though, but it can possibly decrease it.

You have to keep in mind that generally when a man needs TRT he is going to be older and is not producing the normal amount of testosterone even for a male in his age group. Older males will not be able to do anything, at this point in time, to restart normal production. Therefore, they will need something that can be used long term (literally, for the rest of their life).

The current recommendations for DAA, say not to use it for more than 8 weeks. There are no long term studies to show what it will do if used longer than that time frame and there is already an article suggesting the possibility of kidney damage from long term use.

If LH is so important for sexual function, it begs the question, how can men who have been castrated resume sexual function with TRT therapy?

The post below comes from a castrated male on this site: http://ehealthforum.com/health/topic234.html Emphasis mine.

Yes, im a castrate male on TRT, so I know these issues 1st hand. All desire and drive is lost if i stop hormone replacement therapy, but i function still, just cant reach oragasam very well, and it dosnt seem important. When im on TRT i am normal.

Not telling you what to do (just discussing) but how about using DAA instead? At least you'd encouraging your own body to produce it's own hormones and Testosterone.I have been using DAA for about 10 days now and just noticed I a could lift my all in one toolbox effortlessly. This normally was a two handed struggle for me. Results are subtle so far.

But how long can you SAFELY continue using DAA?
Men who NEED TRT, need it for the rest of their lives.

[DragonRider]

Im on the fence with this, how would a guy know he would benefit from some minor T replacement, in the form of Androgel? Thanks

Why? What are your reservations?
What symptoms of low T do you have?

[Knowbull]

Im 57, done several OTC cycles, low dose pulses, not really up for blood work and all, but recovery from wo's is def diminished after decades of continuous exercise. However, I dont want to shut-down, using a patch or gel will do that. Thinking maybe that, without labs I wont know where Im at.

[DragonRider]

Im 57, done several OTC cycles, low dose pulses, not really up for blood work and all, but recovery from wo's is def diminished after decades of continuous exercise. However, I dont want to shut-down, using a patch or gel will do that. Thinking maybe that, without labs I wont know where Im at.

I'm 53+. I've been working out for 35 years, been on TRT for 11 or 12. When I sought TRT therapy it was because I had extremely low energy, very poor thinking processes, no desire to accomplish or try anything and worst of all ED. Shut down was not a concern for me, it was a relief.

[kingdong]

Not telling you what to do (just discussing) but how about using DAA instead? At least you'd encouraging your own body to produce it's own hormones and Testosterone.I have been using DAA for about 10 days now and just noticed I a could lift my all in one toolbox effortlessly. This normally was a two handed struggle for me. Results are subtle so far.

This. I took DAA without an AI at a time when I wasnt lean and aromataze was probably high. My balls still got bigger. Oh, and I was 24 with what was probably a good deal more test than what my friends have(I am a beast after all). Im willing to bet that a person whos test was in the gutter would respond even better, and with an AI, your balls would probably do a lot of growing to keep your test up for a good while. Just stay on the AI for two weeks after seasing the DAA, so you dont just get an estrogen flush shrinking your balls again. Lower th AI dosage if your joints start to hurt though

[Knowbull]

I'm 53+. I've been working out for 35 years, been on TRT for 11 or 12. When I sought TRT therapy it was because I had extremely low energy, very poor thinking processes, no desire to accomplish or try anything and worst of all ED. Shut down was not a concern for me, it was a relief.

Those symptoms are classic, the thing is, I dont want to go on if I can combat through other means, wise supplementation, exercise variation, low dose pulses, etc. but, realistically only labs can ascertain.

[kingdong]

DAA works. It also increases LH, which is also important for sex. Test injections wont increse LH. Adding an AI to make the DAA work better, should give you a test boost that you should at least experience once, to say you tried one last thing before a life of pharmacology. Plus, your at the age where DHEA is recomended to boost both health and test. I highly reccomend you try the DAA/AI stack with year round DHEA, and then well see if you cant ut off TRT for just a few more years.

[dirtwarrior]

If t levels are low and someone wanted to do the HRT on the cheap with injectables what else is needed

[DragonRider]

DAA works. It also increases LH, which is also important for sex. Test injections wont increse LH. Adding an AI to make the DAA work better, should give you a test boost that you should at least experience once, to say you tried one last thing before a life of pharmacology. Plus, your at the age where DHEA is recomended to boost both health and test. I highly reccomend you try the DAA/AI stack with year round DHEA, and then well see if you cant ut off TRT for just a few more years.

It appears you missed this post above (#29). LH is not important for sex. You are also not addressing long term safety concerns of DAA use while long term TRT already has a proven safety record.

You have to keep in mind that generally when a man needs TRT he is going to be older and is not producing the normal amount of testosterone even for a male in his age group. Older males will not be able to do anything, at this point in time, to restart normal production. Therefore, they will need something that can be used long term (literally, for the rest of their life).

The current recommendations for DAA, say not to use it for more than 8 weeks. There are no long term studies to show what it will do if used longer than that time frame and there is already an article suggesting the possibility of kidney damage from long term use.

If LH is so important for sexual function, it begs the question, how can men who have been castrated resume sexual function with TRT therapy?

The post below comes from a castrated male on this site: http://ehealthforum.com/health/topic234.html

Yes, im a castrate male on TRT, so I know these issues 1st hand. All desire and drive is lost if i stop hormone replacement therapy, but i function still, just cant reach oragasam very well, and it dosnt seem important. When im on TRT i am normal. (Emphasis mine.)

But how long can you SAFELY continue using DAA?
Men who NEED TRT, need it for the rest of their lives.

[Knowbull]

Agreed, forgot about DHEA, it is a viable option and way affordable. DAA didnt work for me, Im sticking with Creatine, whey and glutamine. I think you understand where Im coming from, OTC is bad enough. What do think is a good AI? What do you think about pulsing a test patch or gel? Would that minimize endogenous shut-down? If Im not already shut-down that is.

[kingdong]

Ive heard they are loer than the levels prior to pinning, but thats if you dont use HCG or anything.

[kingdong]

Fair enough, but I was actually thinkin of 4 to 6 weeks on DAA inside of 8 weeks on and a long torm commitment to DHEA. Hes only forty eight. That might be enought to jump start hi testicles for a good while,considering that his body might not strive for equilibrium that much because it doesnt neccesarily whant low test. It would be worth a try IMO.