direct testosterone replacement ==> mood swings?

[steve999]

I switched from HCG monotherapy to direct testosterone a few weeks ago. I'm normally a really laid back guy, and around the same time, I started feeling more on edge and angrier than normal.

There could be other issues than the testosterone, such as the general state of the economy, furloughs and layoffs at work while my workload is actually increasing, etc.

So my question is whether others have had mood swings after starting testosterone therapy?

 

[Gutterpump]

You doing shots? Could take a while to kick in. Your test could be low at the moment. Either way, the mood swings are likely caused by fluctuating hormones and/or e2 levels.

Post up your new protocol and how you transitioned.

 

[steve999]

You doing shots? Could take a while to kick in. Your test could be low at the moment. Either way, the mood swings are likely caused by fluctuating hormones and/or e2 levels.

Post up your new protocol and how you transitioned.

I transitioned from 1200 units of HCG EOD to 100 mg/week of testosterone cypionate (shots). I front loaded 200 mg of testosterone cypionate the first week. It's only been (3-4) weeks since transitioning from HCG to testosterone, so I haven't yet gone in for bloodwork.

My guess is the body freaks out a bit (emotions, acne, etc.) when hormone levels fluctuate, but once the chemistry settles out, emotions stabilize.

 

[EasyEJL]

hmm plus even with just 100mg, it still will feel better split into 2. you are seeing a peak that is more than double the trough...

from what it looks like on the calculator, day of injection you have the equivalent (after 2 weeks) of 19mg for the day in you, the day before injection you have 9mg. if you split it into two, your bottom is 11mg, and top is 16 so less variation

 

[rick055]

hmm plus even with just 100mg, it still will feel better split into 2

As in semi weekly injections? Why would it feel better. I have heard differing schools of thought on this.

Some feel intra-weekly variation is a good thing.

 

[EasyEJL]

because although the peak isn't as high, neither is the trough. produced by your body the variations are there, but not nearly that much day to day variation. you are talking about the equivalent of total test levels varying from 500-1100 roughly. Taking it 2x a week should bring it more into range of 700-900 as the variation. Those aren't precise #s at all, just an example of the rough math. I understand in some ways that a higher variation might be valuable if you are trying to restore natural production, but even that is iffy. If you are on TRT for life then you want to try to get your fluctuations to be as close to normal fluctuations as possible

 

[steve999]

because although the peak isn't as high, neither is the trough. produced by your body the variations are there, but not nearly that much day to day variation. you are talking about the equivalent of total test levels varying from 500-1100 roughly. Taking it 2x a week should bring it more into range of 700-900 as the variation.

I'm considering implementing the Crisler protocol with a small daily HCG injection the two days preceding the testosterone injection. Dr. John seems to recommend that as a way of (1) reducing variation per your comments and (2) preventing testicular atrophy.

 

[EasyEJL]

I'm considering implementing the Crisler protocol with a small daily HCG injection the two days preceding the testosterone injection. Dr. John seems to recommend that as a way of (1) reducing variation per your comments and (2) preventing testicular atrophy.

is it the 2 days prior or is it

day 1 test cyp
day 2-4 nothing
day 5 hcg
day 6 hcg
day 7 nothing

and repeat?

 

[rick055]

is it the 2 days prior or is it

day 1 test cyp
day 2-4 nothing
day 5 hcg
day 6 hcg
day 7 nothing

and repeat?

Dr. John's most publicized protocol (though I'm sure he has many) is HCG-HCG-T/CYP-nothing-nothing-nothing-nothing.

 

[rick055]

If you are on TRT for life then you want to try to get your fluctuations to be as close to normal fluctuations as possible

From what I understand, the gels are ideal for this; however I converted almost 100% to DHT. Total T actually dropped. Bye-bye hair, hello T-Cyp.

 

[EasyEJL]

yeah, but gel has other issues, for me the contact risk is way too high

 

[rick055]

yeah, but gel has other issues, for me the contact risk is way too high

Are you on TRT, easy?

 

[EasyEJL]

Going to be soon, just finalizing all the details. the proposed protocol was as I outlined above, which was why i was asking. It makes sense as he stated it, since the hcg has a 30ish hr halflife so it will keep test levels elevated for at least 1 day after dosing it. I had a little bit of a rough time finding a doctor I liked who wasn't going to cost me an arm and a leg up front I would have gone to see Dr Crisler, but if I had laid out the total cost of visit, airfare, hotel, etc etc I would have had no money to fill prescriptions

 

[rick055]

Going to be soon, just finalizing all the details. the proposed protocol was as I outlined above, which was why i was asking. It makes sense as he stated it, since the hcg has a 30ish hr halflife so it will keep test levels elevated for at least 1 day after dosing it. I had a little bit of a rough time finding a doctor I liked who wasn't going to cost me an arm and a leg up front I would have gone to see Dr Crisler, but if I had laid out the total cost of visit, airfare, hotel, etc etc I would have had no money to fill prescriptions

I think Dr. J will guide your local practitioner if you have one willing to do so. You don't need to travel see him for that, just if he is the treating doctor.

Interesting study on hCG posted by colkurtz suggests hCG peaks T between 72 - 96 hours. He feels hCG best done semi weekly (he's on monotherapy).

Speaking of which, did you do a clomid stim? Do you need the extra T or have you explored whether hCG monotherapy would work for you?

 

[EasyEJL]

no clomid, and although we talked about hcg monotherapy i've had such low T levels for so long that he felt it was better to use some cyp along with it for this first round and maybe move to hcg only a few months down the road