9 months on TRT, questions about DHEA & progesterone

Bud Black · Apr 16, 2017

Gents here are my labs. I have very little libido, slight headaches and insomnia.
I am injecting only .15 2x a week (E3D) test cyp 200mg.
was taking at time of these labs DHEA 50 with Pregnenolone 200.
Stinging Nettle Root
Multi Vitamin
Hematocrit is 44
I have had slight headaches for the past few weeks off and on and insomnia started about the same time. No libido to speak of and no nighttime or morning wood. sex maybe 2x a week.
Only thing I have changed I started drinking coffee again & am eating very low carbs, moderate protein and veggies.
Could the DHEA & Preg be the issue?

Vince · Apr 16, 2017

Your labs look good to me. You're supplementing with a lot of DHEA, I wonder why your levels show only 194.6. Could your body be adjusting to your new low carb diet?

Vince Carter · Apr 16, 2017

I aree with Vince; is that 200mg of Pregnenolone? Did you take DHEA/Preg the morning of your blood draw?

Bud Black · Apr 16, 2017

DHEA/preg were taken evening before bed. I also think now my adrenals are taxed. Going to lay off coffee. Could be adjustment to the low carb as well. Thx gents

johndoesmith · Apr 16, 2017

Wait, you're only injecting .15mL 2x a week, or 60mg per week?

When were these labs taken relative to injection?

Honestly, there's nothing wrong with these labs, not even something that can be tweaked. Low libido isn't always caused by hormones, sometimes it can be psychological or situational.

British Indian Guy · Apr 16, 2017

Bud Black said:
DHEA/preg were taken evening before bed. I also think now my adrenals are taxed. Going to lay off coffee. Could be adjustment to the low carb as well. Thx gents

That is a lot of dhea.your estrogen will soon go through the roof.

Bud Black · Apr 16, 2017

Yes JD only a small amount, Dr. thinks now the reason I lost DHEA and Low T was chronic fatigue. So I am weaning off the test. This test was absolute bottom of trough.

johndoesmith · Apr 16, 2017

Bud Black said:
Yes JD only a small amount, Dr. thinks now the reason I lost DHEA and Low T was chronic fatigue. So I am weaning off the test. This test was absolute bottom of trough.

That's not how this works. TRT will never cure hypogonasism. It only treats.

I suggest you find a new doctor if your current doctor is advocating "tapering".

Vince Carter · Apr 16, 2017

johndoesmith said:
That's not how this works. TRT will never cure hypogonasism. It only treats.

I suggest you find a new doctor if your current doctor is advocating "tapering".

I agree...that's not how this works. At all.

JV63 · Apr 16, 2017

British Indian Guy said:
That is a lot of dhea.your estrogen will soon go through the roof.

This is not necessarily true and should not always be pushed as an absolute.

johndoesmith · Apr 16, 2017

JV63 said:
This is not necessarily true and should not always be pushed as an absolute.

Thank you for that, I wanted to post the same thing you said, but it's often controversial.

There is zero evidence that DHEA raises estradiol in men.

CoastWatcher · Apr 16, 2017

Bud Black said:
Yes JD only a small amount, Dr. thinks now the reason I lost DHEA and Low T was chronic fatigue. So I am weaning off the test. This test was absolute bottom of trough.

As was mentioned above by others, this is a puzzling statement. You are weaning...toward what end?

Bud Black · Apr 16, 2017

I changed Drs. and my new endo wants me to taper off and draw new labs to see just what happened to me, he said since my first Dr. did minimal blood work and we really don't know why my DHEA and Test were low (T3 and T4 are perfect) but thats all he checked before starting me on .3 Test Cyp and DHEA/Preg E3D. helped but not perfect. but my test levels were over 1100 and my E2(sensitive E2) bounced like a ball from 10-120 trying to get the dex right is crazy.
My new Dr wants to go back to square one. I am not looking forward to this at all. I went thru an extreme gallbladder surgery a yr ago and 3 months later started having lethargy and depression. GP suggested a bio-identical Dr, so I went.

Bud Black · Apr 16, 2017

CW New Dr. want me to wean off and get new labs to clarify my situation. I know its not going to be easy

CoastWatcher · Apr 16, 2017

Bud Black said:
I changed Drs. and my new endo wants me to taper off and draw new labs to see just what happened to me, he said since my first Dr. did minimal blood work and we really don't know why my DHEA and Test were low (T3 and T4 are perfect) but thats all he checked before starting me on .3 Test Cyp and DHEA/Preg E3D. helped but not perfect. but my test levels were over 1100 and my E2(sensitive E2) bounced like a ball from 10-120 trying to get the dex right is crazy.
My new Dr wants to go back to square one. I am not looking forward to this at all. I went thru an extreme gallbladder surgery a yr ago and 3 months later started having lethargy and depression. GP suggested a bio-identical Dr, so I went.

I'm still puzzled. Not with you, but with what it is your doctor hopes to see by reducing you to a hypogonadal state. Good doctors have patients transfer into their practices on a regular basis and they aren't asked to engage in some sort of dry-out. You've been ill-served by physicians since you first sought help. You were sent to a bio-identical physician who didn't do a proper workup, and now you could spend weeks in hormone-hell. Where do you live?

Bud Black · Apr 16, 2017

CW Northwest Arkansas, I am trying to figure this out, truly. But as educated as I am (chemist, soil scientist) it is a mess. I saw your post on daily and thought seriously of that as well. SHots are nothing for me to administer. I would look forward to any advice and thoughts.

British Indian Guy · Apr 17, 2017

I used dhea 25mg daily way back in 2012. It gave me spontaneous boners for a couple of days which soon disappeared again. I got tested and it raised my e2 to 203 (44-156) and progesterone 5.4 (1.3 - 2.9), uk measurements.

Dhea is made from yams and yams are used to make progesterone cream.