How to stop TRT?

NotNewAnymore · Mar 24, 2022

So after a few years on TRT. (125mg Test E E6D)
A few years where I felt pretty good.
I now have to stop

Scalp acne is out of control.
Painful cysts and nothing helps.
Well years ago I was on 2 rounds of Accutane for it and it helped for years.
And it has returned again now....For the 3 time.

It is so painful and shameful that I just cant take it anymore.
Acne on a ~50 year old is embarrasing.
Feeling depressed and suicidal, worse that before TRT with T in the bottom end of scale.

It is likely DHT that is the problem, since an AI did nothing.

I have tried so many remedies but nothing helps:
Emu oil.
Tea Tree Oil.
Antibacterial soap.
L-Carnitine.
B5.
MSM.
Nizoral.
...You name it.

Anyway, how should I go about stopping?
I am doing this without a doctors help, since that would cost me 2-3 months salery, which i dont have.

Anyone ever beat persistant acne?
Anyone stopped TRT after 3 years?

Thank you for your time.

Systemlord · Mar 24, 2022

NotNewAnymore said:
It is likely DHT that is the problem, since an AI did nothing.

An every 6 days protocol, you will have testosterone spiking high within 48 hours and also DHT, smaller doses more often is the way to go to minimize the conversion of T->DHT. These peaks will be smaller if TRT is dosed more often and at lower doses.

NotNewAnymore said:
It is likely DHT that is the problem, since an AI did nothing.

Yes.

Systemlord · Mar 24, 2022

NotNewAnymore said:
Anyone stopped TRT after 3 years?

A lot of men can just stop TRT and return to baseline in about 4-6 weeks or once the cypionate washes out of your system, because the HPTA is being suppressed by the exogenous T and once out the HPTA usually fires back up.

Fortunate · Mar 24, 2022

How about try lowering the dose for a while to see if acne clears?

Topical retinoids have worked OK for me. They can aggravate acne flares in the beginning, before they start to work.

A course of oral antibiotics along with topical medicines may be helpful.

But, I'd consider lowering your dose, which may help. Are you on hCG, too?

Frizzle · Mar 24, 2022

I would say high(er) doses of B5 (but you’ve already tried that) to clear up your acne or laser therapy.

Systemlord · Mar 24, 2022

NotNewAnymore said:
It is likely DHT that is the problem, since an AI did nothing.

NotNewAnymore said:
Scalp acne is out of control.

I had really bad scalp acne when my dosage was absurdly high.

NotNewAnymore · Mar 24, 2022

Systemlord said:
A lot of men can just stop TRT and return to baseline in about 4-6 weeks or once the cypionate washes out of your system, because the HPTA is being suppressed by the exogenous T and once out the HPTA usually fires back up.

Without using HCG, Clomid or Nolvadex for X amount of time?

NotNewAnymore · Mar 24, 2022

Frizzle said:
I would say high(er) doses of B5 (but you’ve already tried that) to clear up your acne or laser therapy.

What dose are you thinking?

NotNewAnymore · Mar 24, 2022

Fortunate said:
How about try lowering the dose for a while to see if acne clears?

Topical retinoids have worked OK for me. They can aggravate acne flares in the beginning, before they start to work.

A course of oral antibiotics along with topical medicines may be helpful.

But, I'd consider lowering your dose, which may help. Are you on hCG, too?

Can you reccommend a topical for use in hair?

Antibiotics like tetracycline helps, but acne returns after.

Systemlord · Mar 25, 2022

NotNewAnymore said:
Without using HCG, Clomid or Nolvadex for X amount of time?

Yes, I did and it only took 4.5 weeks to return to baseline.

NotNewAnymore · Mar 26, 2022

Systemlord said:
Yes, I did and it only took 4.5 weeks to return to baseline.

That is impressive.

Anyone use a Deca base with 20% Test as TRT?
Like 100mg deca and 25mg Test EW?

tareload · Mar 26, 2022

Pharmacologic doses of nicotinamide in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions: a review - PubMed

Various skin disorders with an inflammatory component often have been treated with steroids and/or oral antibiotics. However, long-term use of these agents has drawbacks: steroids may induce numerous serious side effects such as hypertension, immunosuppression, and osteoporosis, and overuse of...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The role of nicotinamide in acne treatment - PubMed

Safe and effective treatment options for acne vulgaris are needed to address side effects and increasing rates of antibiotic resistance from current treatments. Nicotinamide is a vitamin with potent anti-inflammatory properties that could offer a potential treatment option. We aim to summarize...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nicotinamide - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/exd.13819

Nicotinamide: An Update and Review of Safety & Differences from Niacin

Oral nicotinamide is an affordable OTC supplement with demonstrated benefit in the treatment of a range of skin conditions, most notably AK and NMSC.

www.skintherapyletter.com

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/138875/dth12481.pdf;sequence=2

Have you considered oral niacinamide or spoken with your dermatologist about it?

I take 500 mg orally twice daily. Used to have minor acne in certain areas and now it's strangely clear. I take it to prevent recurrence of skin cancer but the acne counter is a quite welcome side effect. Probably won't clear up historical structural damage from cystic acne but over a few months it's worth a try. Time constant for noticeable improvement probably a couple months.

Make sure you get a legitimate product or ask your pharmacy to order. It's OTC in US. Best wishes.

Deleted member 43589 · Mar 26, 2022

If you are trying to get off testosterone and get back to baseline you might try taking a peptide called GnRH Triptorelin. This peptide acts as an agonist analog of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, thus reversibly repressing expression of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The below study found that a single dose (100 mcg) of triptorelin, within 1 month, caused the patient’s serum testosterone to return to the normal range, as well as the patient reported a return to normal energy and libido. This was a patient that admitted to 13 years of multiple steroid use

Smokin Joe · Mar 29, 2022

I am a firm believer in the herbs Ashwagandha and or Cistanche .
Plenty of documentation on how they affect the Pituitary gland.
I use them to restart and have been successful.
Your TT won't be 700 hundred but it will usually bring you back to base line. My base is normally 450-500.
No free t for me though unless I'm on TRT.

Fortunate · Mar 29, 2022

NotNewAnymore said:
Can you reccommend a topical for use in hair?

Antibiotics like tetracycline helps, but acne returns after.

Anything with ketoconazole. Nizoral.

mistury · Mar 29, 2022

Have you tried both lowering your dose AND moving to an every day or every other day dosing?

NotNewAnymore · Mar 30, 2022

readalot said:
Pharmacologic doses of nicotinamide in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions: a review - PubMed

Various skin disorders with an inflammatory component often have been treated with steroids and/or oral antibiotics. However, long-term use of these agents has drawbacks: steroids may induce numerous serious side effects such as hypertension, immunosuppression, and osteoporosis, and overuse of...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The role of nicotinamide in acne treatment - PubMed

Safe and effective treatment options for acne vulgaris are needed to address side effects and increasing rates of antibiotic resistance from current treatments. Nicotinamide is a vitamin with potent anti-inflammatory properties that could offer a potential treatment option. We aim to summarize...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nicotinamide - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/exd.13819

Nicotinamide: An Update and Review of Safety & Differences from Niacin

Oral nicotinamide is an affordable OTC supplement with demonstrated benefit in the treatment of a range of skin conditions, most notably AK and NMSC.

www.skintherapyletter.com

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/138875/dth12481.pdf;sequence=2

Have you considered oral niacinamide or spoken with your dermatologist about it?

I take 500 mg orally twice daily. Used to have minor acne in certain areas and now it's strangely clear. I take it to prevent recurrence of skin cancer but the acne counter is a quite welcome side effect. Probably won't clear up historical structural damage from cystic acne but over a few months it's worth a try. Time constant for noticeable improvement probably a couple months.

Make sure you get a legitimate product or ask your pharmacy to order. It's OTC in US. Best wishes.

No, I have never heard of it before.

NotNewAnymore · Mar 30, 2022

Fortunate said:
Anything with ketoconazole. Nizoral.

I use but it does not seem to work.
I leave it in the hair for min. 5 min before rinse.

NotNewAnymore · Mar 30, 2022

mistury said:
Have you tried both lowering your dose AND moving to an every day or every other day dosing?

Right now it's been 2 weeks since my last 125mg Test E injection and I still get nasty scalp acne.

If it dont go away after quitting TRT then i dont know what could cause it.

Too early to tell I guess?

NotNewAnymore · Apr 26, 2022

Update: after 4-5 weeks off TRT the Acne was gone.

It MUST be DHT that is the problem.

I feel pretty "normal" like before TRT after 5 weeks.
Boring pumps in the gym, but OK libido and wellbeing.
Meybe a little tired and now smaller looking too....As to be expected.