Advice on low dose daily testosterone

[Gunga]

That's awesome man! Panic attacks are no joke. How bad were yours? Were you medicated at all for them? How long have you been on trt? How long for it to help? Did it get any worse before it got better?
Sorry for so many questions! Just trying to learn as much as I can.

Libido has been much better when I added the cream to the protocol. It took a few months and then I had an epiphany that I hadn’t used Ativan in months. Previously I was using it 1-2 times weekly to stop/reduce panic attacks. I’ve been on TRT for 7 years but really have been dialed in the last 9-12 months. The advice on this thread is spot on given my anecdotal experience. I just think trying your best to mimic your body’s natural physiology simply makes sense.

 

[UCFguy01]

That's awesome man! Panic attacks are no joke. How bad were yours? Were you medicated at all for them? How long have you been on trt? How long for it to help? Did it get any worse before it got better?
Sorry for so many questions! Just trying to learn as much as I can.

I too had panic. Once I got my levels up panic faded. I'll get stressed every now and then and feel panicky, but long gone are the days of daily depression and panic. I used to take Xanax a lot for panic, anti depressants, etc. Testosterone is what saved me from the anxious depressed feelings daily. I've been on trt for 6 years. I had panic attacked starting at 30 years old. 6 years later I discovered TRT. My older brother was the same way. TRT helped his anxious panicky feelings too. It's hereditary to have anxiety and panic but I like the natural fix of higher T levels to combat it.

 

[IndyColts18to88]

I too had panic. Once I got my levels up panic faded. I'll get stressed every now and then and feel panicky, but long gone are the days of daily depression and panic. I used to take Xanax a lot for panic, anti depressants, etc. Testosterone is what saved me from the anxious depressed feelings daily. I've been on trt for 6 years. I had panic attacked starting at 30 years old. 6 years later I discovered TRT. My older brother was the same way. TRT helped his anxious panicky feelings too. It's hereditary to have anxiety and panic but I like the natural fix of higher T levels to combat it.

that's awesome to hear... what is your protocol/what works best for you and your brother? Did it get worse before better or just gradually get better?

 

[IndyColts18to88]

I too had panic. Once I got my levels up panic faded. I'll get stressed every now and then and feel panicky, but long gone are the days of daily depression and panic. I used to take Xanax a lot for panic, anti depressants, etc. Testosterone is what saved me from the anxious depressed feelings daily. I've been on trt for 6 years. I had panic attacked starting at 30 years old. 6 years later I discovered TRT. My older brother was the same way. TRT helped his anxious panicky feelings too. It's hereditary to have anxiety and panic but I like the natural fix of higher T levels to combat it.

Oddly enough, mine started at around 30 years old, also!

 

[UCFguy01]

Oddly enough, mine started at around 30 years old, also!

That's so odd. That makes me think it's not only hereditary(all my family has anxiety) but it must also have to do with aging. I had no idea what anxiety was until it hit me at 30. Makes me think that it is hormone and body chemistry related. As you age, your hormones start becoming not optimal. Everything starts kind of declining the older you get and then anxiety rears it's ugly head.

Testosterone definitely helped my anxiety....or maybe it was higher estrogen from the higher testosterone? Or higher levels of both may have been the key.....who knows?

 

[slicktop]

Thanks for the reply! I wasnt sure if my SHBG being on the lower end, maybe ED or EOD would work better overall, long term... my gf is diabetic and has to take 4 sometimes 5 shots per day (subq), so i figure one a day wouldnt hurt me.

Madman is on top of it, as usual. I agree with everything he's stated so far. I'm just jumping in to say that as a member of the community that does daily shots, don't do it unless you need to. Every 3.5 works great for many guys, so there's no reason to not try that first. I moved to daily shots to help keep my E2 under control with less AI. Unless you have a very specific reason to do daily shots (and at this point, it's fair to say you don't yet), I wouldn't do it. Think about diagnosing any mechanical malfunction... a good mechanic/electrician/repairman/etc. always starts with the most common issues and only elevates it if needed. I would follow the same course.

 

[Willyt]

That's so odd. That makes me think it's not only hereditary(all my family has anxiety) but it must also have to do with aging. I had no idea what anxiety was until it hit me at 30. Makes me think that it is hormone and body chemistry related. As you age, your hormones start becoming not optimal. Everything starts kind of declining the older you get and then anxiety rears it's ugly head.

Testosterone definitely helped my anxiety....or maybe it was higher estrogen from the higher testosterone? Or higher levels of both may have been the key.....who knows?

This has been eye opening thread on the panic attacks. I had same experience in my mid-30s despite having nothing prior to that. Then I found out my father went through same thing.

The timing is curious because mid-30s is when I suspect my testosterone started dropping. No blood tests back then to prove it, just a hunch.

 

[IndyColts18to88]

This has been eye opening thread on the panic attacks. I had same experience in my mid-30s despite having nothing prior to that. Then I found out my father went through same thing.

The timing is curious because mid-30s is when I suspect my testosterone started dropping. No blood tests back then to prove it, just a hunch.

Runs in my family, also...I had it mildly as a kid, but from age 16-29 I had no issues at all...and that's the time my natural T would have been highest.

So, part of me wonders if it is hormone related and part of me also wonders if taking the shots would make it worse for some reason

 

[UCFguy01]

Runs in my family, also...I had it mildly as a kid, but from age 16-29 I had no issues at all...and that's the time my natural T would have been highest.

So, part of me wonders if it is hormone related and part of me also wonders if taking the shots would make it worse for some reason

I don't think taking shots or any other type of TRT would make it worse. It's way more likely it would make it better. TRT is like my crutch. I could always tell when my pellets were running out(when I was on testosterone pellets) because I'd get that "hollow shell of a person" type feeling and the anxiety would come back. Insert new pellets and two weeks later.....voila!!! I'm back to being normal again

 

[IndyColts18to88]

I don't think taking shots or any other type of TRT would make it worse. It's way more likely it would make it better. TRT is like my crutch. I could always tell when my pellets were running out(when I was on testosterone pellets) because I'd get that "hollow shell of a person" type feeling and the anxiety would come back. Insert new pellets and two weeks later.....voila!!! I'm back to being normal again

What is your current protocol?

 

[Tman]

Testosterone helps my anxiety, so long as I take small doses and keep my peak below 1400. Otherwise, a different type of anxiety occurs.

 

[IndyColts18to88]

Testosterone helps my anxiety, so long as I take small doses and keep my peak below 1400. Otherwise, a different type of anxiety occurs.

What is your current protocol?

 

[UCFguy01]

What is your current protocol?

I've been on 20mg a day for a while now. No HCG.

I was taking a little AI(1/4 pill twice a week) but I've since stopped.

 

[Bigd99ss]

My panic attacks WENT AWAY when I got my testosterone levels up. I currently dose 10 mgs daily of Test Cyp and my levels are around 650 Ng/dL at trough. I felt night and day better doing daily injections vs twice weekly. That said my SHBG is 15. I inject in my shoulders and it works the best for me. I would get small lumps and bruises occasionally if I injected sub q in the belly fat. Like Cataceous I also feel MUCH better on smaller doses. Matter of fact I think he just sold me on reducing mine a bit more to 8mgs daily. My hematocrit and blood pressure have been creeping up. Good luck!

How long have you been on this protocol ? I just switched to daily of 12mg my shbg is 12-15

 

[Charliebizz]

It's so different for everyone. I'm a low shbg guy 12-15. And I absolutely hate daily injections. I've tried them numerous times at different doses. And I feel crappy overall. I do much better on 3x a week mwf

 

[Bigd99ss]

It's so different for everyone. I'm a low shbg guy 12-15. And I absolutely hate daily injections. I've tried them numerous times at different doses. And I feel crappy overall. I do much better on 3x a week mwf

What’s your dose ?

 

[S1W]

It's so different for everyone. I'm a low shbg guy 12-15. And I absolutely hate daily injections. I've tried them numerous times at different doses. And I feel crappy overall. I do much better on 3x a week mwf

Same here.

Also I'm an even lower SHBG guy on more frequent injections. It seems to drive my SHBG further down.

 

[Charliebizz]

Same here.

Also I'm an even lower SHBG guy on more frequent injections. It seems to drive my SHBG further down.

Do

What’s your dose ?

90mg of test e a week

 

[Charliebizz]

Same here.

Also I'm an even lower SHBG guy on more frequent injections. It seems to drive my SHBG further down.

Do you take an a.i. my e2 has been as high as 85 when I was on 140mg a week. And as low as 20 when I was on 80mg a week. I also have had it 65 with t levels of 500 and 33 with t levels of 500. Without feeling much different. I'm not really sure if the e2 is an issue with me. I have consistent nocturnal erections. My libido is ok it goes up and down. My eq isn't great but I'd say 75-80% strength. I have anastrozole on hand . 125mg but I really would like not to mess around with it if I don't have too.

 

[S1W]

Do you take an a.i. my e2 has been as high as 85 when I was on 140mg a week. And as low as 20 when I was on 80mg a week. I also have had it 65 with t levels of 500 and 33 with t levels of 500. Without feeling much different. I'm not really sure if the e2 is an issue with me. I have consistent nocturnal erections. My libido is ok it goes up and down. My eq isn't great but I'd say 75-80% strength. I have anastrozole on hand . 125mg but I really would like not to mess around with it if I don't have too.

No, not currently. My levels on 60mg E3.5D tend to be around TT 900 and E2 47 at trough.

Recently, however, I've been thinking about adding an AI just to see if it makes a difference for the better.