Considering TRT

Tank88

Tank88

Member
Hi guys

I guess this is a question that has been asked a lot on here and I’ve read through some of the older posts too. I recently got some blood work done and got the following results:

Total test: 370 ng/dl
SHBG: 30.2 nmol
cFT: 7.63 ng/dL

Im 35, about to be 36, ive been working out 15 years, im a pretty active person, working out at least 4 times a week, doing walks, tennis, golf, etc. Recently Ive noticed issues losing fat/weight (increasing cardio, diet changes leading to very little change), cholesterol increases despite diet improvements, lower vitamin D levels, decreased sexual function, bad sleep, excessive sweating. My workouts are still pretty good, but i can see a difference compared to 12 months ago.

Ive done a bunch of otc test boosters in the last few years, m test, animal stal, optimize t, apex hyperion, alphamax, sustain alpha, probably some im forgetting too. But i never get a lot from these, especially if i compare my experience with the ones of ppl on here who use the same products. Ive done some light pro hormones in the past, epiandro, androsterone, 3ad, 4ad. Always done clomid in pct. My last run was about 10 months ago.

should i start to think about doing trt? Is there anything else on the market i should try for one last try (thinking of running mtest with clomaplex or maybe arimahex with hyperion). I know trt is a life long commitment, and i still want to have kids in the future.

any feedback or thoughts will be appreciated!
 
Tank88 said:
Hi guys

I guess this is a question that has been asked a lot on here and I’ve read through some of the older posts too. I recently got some blood work done and got the following results:

Total test: 370 ng/dl
SHBG: 30.2 nmol
cFT: 7.63 ng/dL

Im 35, about to be 36, ive been working out 15 years, im a pretty active person, working out at least 4 times a week, doing walks, tennis, golf, etc. Recently Ive noticed issues losing fat/weight (increasing cardio, diet changes leading to very little change), cholesterol increases despite diet improvements, lower vitamin D levels, decreased sexual function, bad sleep, excessive sweating. My workouts are still pretty good, but i can see a difference compared to 12 months ago.

Ive done a bunch of otc test boosters in the last few years, m test, animal stal, optimize t, apex hyperion, alphamax, sustain alpha, probably some im forgetting too. But i never get a lot from these, especially if i compare my experience with the ones of ppl on here who use the same products. Ive done some light pro hormones in the past, epiandro, androsterone, 3ad, 4ad. Always done clomid in pct. My last run was about 10 months ago.

should i start to think about doing trt? Is there anything else on the market i should try for one last try (thinking of running mtest with clomaplex or maybe arimahex with hyperion). I know trt is a life long commitment, and i still want to have kids in the future.

any feedback or thoughts will be appreciated!
Click to expand...
OTC arimahex might work out for ya. For something more serious, enclomiphene is the way to go in my opinion
 
OP I’ve been on TRT for 11 years now. The only thing I regret is not doing everything I could to jump start my natural production. Clomid has been used for this. There’s a ton of other ways. I’d start with other OTC supplements like Arimihex before doing anything else.
 
Hi tank.. I would tell you to get on Arimahex and try to dial in a helpful dose. I quit TRT and find Arimahex to be the absolute closest thing to TRT in market today. I am not telling you that you need to stop what your doing or telling you to stack other products. Just give Arimahex a solid couple months and see if it does what you need.

If not I doubt you will find anything stronger OTC for raising sex hormones, at which point TRT may be what you need.
 
xR1pp3Rx said:
Hi tank.. I would tell you to get on Arimahex and try to dial in a helpful dose. I quit TRT and find Arimahex to be the absolute closest thing to TRT in market today. I am not telling you that you need to stop what your doing or telling you to stack other products. Just give Arimahex a solid couple months and see if it does what you need.

If not I doubt you will find anything stronger OTC for raising sex hormones, at which point TRT may be what you need.
Click to expand...

No sides or other known issues to worry about with the 6 oxo?? I never knew 6 oxo could be an alternative to trt so this is very interesting to me.
 
If you use too much It can give you sides just like real test.

aggression, acne, raging boners... a lot could happen~!
 
Thanks for the suggestions^ guys, appreciate the help and advice on here as always! I definitely want to explore every option before committing to trt
 
Hey man. I am in a similar boast as you. I am 36 and my test levels were around 400s (dont recall the exact number and I dont have the results right now). My free T was also low.

That said, numbers are not the only part of the equation as symptoms play an important role. I had many of the "low T" symptoms and started TRT back in September 2023. Since then, everything has had a positive turn really. My energy, workout routines, stamina, sexual drive, mood, etc.

If you want to try some OTC supplement that can increase your natural testosterone and you feel its making a difference then go for it. Now, I do want to say that going on TRT was probably one of the best decisions I've made. On the other hand, I already have 2 kids, so I think that if I didn't have children or I was planning on having more, I would do what you are doing.

Best of luck!
 
TRT can be (and mostly is) for life. To play the game, constant bloods/monitoring, taking "this" to correct "that" can get tiring.
The thicker blood, the possible prostate issues (and minor) risks associated. Its mostly safe for most, but I ran into issues.
Its very individual.
(Prostate, anxious, thicker blood) on only 125 mg. Its powerful stuff.

I recently switched to enclomiphene and have full physical w/ bloods coming in 8 weeks.
I'm feeling much better, Prostate (BPH) subsided (mostly), anxious feeling gone, I will check hematocrit during my bloods.
Its a serious decision only you can answer and decide... Asking folks here if you should do it, again, only you should decide this...
 
Tank88 said:
Hi guys

I guess this is a question that has been asked a lot on here and I’ve read through some of the older posts too. I recently got some blood work done and got the following results:

Total test: 370 ng/dl
SHBG: 30.2 nmol
cFT: 7.63 ng/dL

Im 35, about to be 36, ive been working out 15 years, im a pretty active person, working out at least 4 times a week, doing walks, tennis, golf, etc. Recently Ive noticed issues losing fat/weight (increasing cardio, diet changes leading to very little change), cholesterol increases despite diet improvements, lower vitamin D levels, decreased sexual function, bad sleep, excessive sweating. My workouts are still pretty good, but i can see a difference compared to 12 months ago.

Ive done a bunch of otc test boosters in the last few years, m test, animal stal, optimize t, apex hyperion, alphamax, sustain alpha, probably some im forgetting too. But i never get a lot from these, especially if i compare my experience with the ones of ppl on here who use the same products. Ive done some light pro hormones in the past, epiandro, androsterone, 3ad, 4ad. Always done clomid in pct. My last run was about 10 months ago.

should i start to think about doing trt? Is there anything else on the market i should try for one last try (thinking of running mtest with clomaplex or maybe arimahex with hyperion). I know trt is a life long commitment, and i still want to have kids in the future.

any feedback or thoughts will be appreciated!
Click to expand...
I'm on trt and have been for around 6 years now.

The first 2 years on trt we're amazing. Great mood ' High libido' More muscle mass etc.

I'm not sure why but over time these benefits seem to all dissappear. I actually feel worse than prior to trt. Looking online this seems very common with trt? It must down regulate neurotransmitters and neuro steroids over time?

I've tried playing with my dopamine system. I've tried different doses. I've tried lowering/raising estrogen. I've added in dhea/Pregnenolone and nothing has brought that spark back.

I'm not saying this will happen to you. I just would rather you thought about it before hopping on.

Sounds like you have tried all the best test boosters. In my opinion I find test boosters garbage. A 100 point jump in the range will do nothing for you.

Have you looked into hcg?
 
The things you mentioned like low vitamin d, poor sleep, etc., can also be the cause of low testosterone rather than the side effect of low testosterone. I would try to get those things dialed in first.
 
If the basics are not in place (nutrition, sleep, low stress), don't expect much if anything from TRT.
TRT, at 53 years old, did very little for me. My test went up, but nothing else changed. It was not until
I really worked hard on the basics that changes started to occur. I thought TRT was going to be the holy
grail, but it did nearly nothing without the basics being solidly in place.
 
bell1986 said:
I'm on trt and have been for around 6 years now.

The first 2 years on trt we're amazing. Great mood ' High libido' More muscle mass etc.

I'm not sure why but over time these benefits seem to all dissappear. I actually feel worse than prior to trt. Looking online this seems very common with trt? It must down regulate neurotransmitters and neuro steroids over time?

I've tried playing with my dopamine system. I've tried different doses. I've tried lowering/raising estrogen. I've added in dhea/Pregnenolone and nothing has brought that spark back.

I'm not saying this will happen to you. I just would rather you thought about it before hopping on.

Sounds like you have tried all the best test boosters. In my opinion I find test boosters garbage. A 100 point jump in the range will do nothing for you.

Have you looked into hcg?
Click to expand...

This is an interesting observation. I've been on 2 years in April and up until the last few months it's been amazing. Am on 80mg a week but as you said, the mental benefits appear to have tapered off, recover isn't as good as it was initially and I've used Dermacrine as well.

Got bloods done today so pending on those results will decide whether to come off or stay on as like you said I feel slightly worse than before I started.

Wonder how many others have had the same?
 
botk1161 said:
If the basics are not in place (nutrition, sleep, low stress), don't expect much if anything from TRT.
TRT, at 53 years old, did very little for me. My test went up, but nothing else changed. It was not until
I really worked hard on the basics that changes started to occur. I thought TRT was going to be the holy
grail, but it did nearly nothing without the basics being solidly in place.
Click to expand...

You’re not unique in that regard; everyone assumes steroids are magic, and that ideology tends to trickle down to doses seen in HRT.

Once the adjustment honeymoon phase is over, what you are left with is the reality that this is to replace a deficit. If you want supraphysiological adaptations, you always need to increase the dosage beyond what you are currently accommodated to. And then that novel stimulus will become routine, plus there is diminishing returns and increasing health impact with escalating dosage.

Anything over baseline health is ultimately a temporary venture, from a longterm perspective.
 
bell1986 said:
I'm on trt and have been for around 6 years now.

The first 2 years on trt we're amazing. Great mood ' High libido' More muscle mass etc.

I'm not sure why but over time these benefits seem to all dissappear. I actually feel worse than prior to trt. Looking online this seems very common with trt? It must down regulate neurotransmitters and neuro steroids over time?

I've tried playing with my dopamine system. I've tried different doses. I've tried lowering/raising estrogen. I've added in dhea/Pregnenolone and nothing has brought that spark back.

I'm not saying this will happen to you. I just would rather you thought about it before hopping on.

Sounds like you have tried all the best test boosters. In my opinion I find test boosters garbage. A 100 point jump in the range will do nothing for you.

Have you looked into hcg?
Click to expand...
ive heard the range they put you at varies from doc to doc. just curious what your free and total test are
 
Stacks1 said:
The things you mentioned like low vitamin d, poor sleep, etc., can also be the cause of low testosterone rather than the side effect of low testosterone. I would try to get those things dialed in first.
Click to expand...
i know a few people who were hypogonadal range before they started using a cpap machine and were in high normal range after. saw the labs with my very own eyes
 
lanky said:
i know a few people who were hypogonadal range before they started using a cpap machine and were in high normal range after. saw the labs with my very own eyes
Click to expand...
Shitty sleep completely throws off your hormones and overall health.
 
my total test is 67ng/dl right now from quest,i dont feel as crappy as i thought i would..still have strength in the gym but no pumps. legs feel weak and my gait seems slower
 
lanky said:
my total test is 67ng/dl right now from quest,i dont feel as crappy as i thought i would..still have strength in the gym but no pumps. legs feel weak and my gait seems slower
Click to expand...
thats considered normal for women. you should be worried about your heart muscle deteriorating with those numbers
 
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