Curb expectations... or expect more?

[readyforchange]

I've been on trt for 15 months now.

Overall, it's been a rollercoaster. A few questions for guys who have been on trt a few years or more:

1. Is feeling "great" the expectation, or is "okay" all some of us can hope for? At times, I've felt GREAT -- more confident than I've been in years, more "driven" and focused -- more like who I USED to be prior to low t struggles. But this has been few and far between.

A few days here and there -- sometimes just a few hours here and there. The longest I've felt what I consider good-to-great is about 4 weeks, and that was 6 months ago. What I'm trying to figure out is if that really good/great feeling is something that can be more often than not - and is something I should be aiming for, or if that's fleeting and I should be okay just feeling okay.

I'm at a point where my numbers look good, but I don't feel very good, and I'm not sure what to do moving forward. I have no complaints about Defy, but it kind of feels like they're the same way -- at last consult, I was just told "testosterone is just one piece of the overall puzzle."

Any advice/input here is greatly appreciated.

 

[Vince Carter]

No details of your protocol, no labs, what we supposed to be doing here?

 

[Vince]

I believe the goal for of us is to feel great, to get completely dialed in, it's probably not a reality for everyone.

 

[ERO]

TRT is often "over sold" IMHO. For a lot of guys, it over promises and under delivers. Speaking from experience.

 

[Mountain Man]

TRT is often "over sold" IMHO. For a lot of guys, it over promises and under delivers. Speaking from experience.

Maybe. I believe that TRT levels the playing field and gives you the ability to work a comprehensive program of diet, exercise, sleep, sex, and wellness. That’s where the magic is. It doesn’t result from a shot or gel. Any medication that is for improving mind or body should be dealt with having this in mind. No silver bullets.

 

[ERO]

Maybe. I believe that TRT levels the playing field and gives you the ability to work a comprehensive program of diet, exercise, sleep, sex, and wellness. That’s where the magic is. It doesn’t result from a shot or gel. Any medication that is for improving mind or body should be dealt with having this in mind. No silver bullets.

I agree 100%. One must take the big picture into account and put in a serious and sustaned effort at overall wellness. Yet for some guys - often guys with very low SHBG - TRT really doesn't have any effect in terms of relieving "Low T" symptoms.

I started TRT 6 years ago because I had low to no libido, an inability to recover from exercise or add even the smallest bit of muscle and an inability to really loose fat. Now after working with one of the top Docs in the country for years and trying literally everything - I have low to no libido, an inability to recover from exercise or add even the smallest bit of muscle, and an inability to really loose fat.

 

[HarryCat2]

I agree 100%. One must take the big picture into account and put in a serious and sustaned effort at overall wellness. Yet for some guys - often guys with very low SHBG - TRT really doesn't have any effect in terms of relieving "Low T" symptoms.

I started TRT 6 years ago because I had low to no libido, an inability to recover from exercise or add even the smallest bit of muscle and an inability to really loose fat. Now after working with one of the top Docs in the country for years and trying literally everything - I have low to no libido, an inability to recover from exercise or add even the smallest bit of muscle, and an inability to really loose fat.

My experience exactly. But I also backed myself into a psychological corner where it was driving me nuts that I had such good labs on paper and didn't feel a thing. So I stopped TRT just to find out if I would feel anything, result is my total T is down to 180ng/dL and I can't say I feel much different than when my T level was 700, 900, or even 1500, except that my sleep has improved and I no longer feel hot/flushed in the evening. WTF? But at least now my symptoms match my T level.

 

[Evilwhitey]

I agree 100%. One must take the big picture into account and put in a serious and sustaned effort at overall wellness. Yet for some guys - often guys with very low SHBG - TRT really doesn't have any effect in terms of relieving "Low T" symptoms.

I started TRT 6 years ago because I had low to no libido, an inability to recover from exercise or add even the smallest bit of muscle and an inability to really loose fat. Now after working with one of the top Docs in the country for years and trying literally everything - I have low to no libido, an inability to recover from exercise or add even the smallest bit of muscle, and an inability to really loose fat.

Is your diet, exercise, sleep, and mental health actually dialed though?

Not to come off as rude but women have very little testosterone and they’re able to lean out and gain muscle albeit with considerably greater effort than men.

I was able to gain muscle with low T, but it was a ton of work and my training, diet and sleep required perfect consistency and intensity. I was always exhausted, but with dedication it happened.

When I hear of people making claims like “I can’t xyz” I always think to myself “you didn’t try hard enough then or aren’t educated in how to accomplish xyz”.

In my case it was very difficult so I have no problems relating to people who say “it was difficult to accomplish xyz” but words like “inability” and “can’t” are red flags for me.

I’ve been on TRT for a month, and like you I haven’t seen a huge improvement in symptoms so we’ll see how things go with it. It seems like low SHBG is a common theme for guys that don’t experience major improvements on TRT.

We’ll see, worse case I’ll do it for a year and if it doesn’t seem to work I’ll do a restart and go back to my mediocre levels. Either way I’ll continue with an intense lifting and varried cardio regiment and try to eat clean. With 4 kids, sleep is always my challenge so that may be a larger factor than I realize.

 

[stx359]

After reading the poster and Defy customer who was put on TRT with a TT of 600 and whose only symptom was "feeling blah" I question whether they are anything more than a testosterone mill - not that there is anything wrong with that - I utilized a testosterone mill as well. You just have to realize that the number one goal of a testosterone mill is to collect your money every month. They are a business first not a benign patient service organization. What this means is you have to educate yourself and take control of your own care. I am 17 months in to TRT so similar to you. I have my numbers where I want them and am only making small tweaks now. I have experienced huge benefits such as body comp improvements and resumption of nighttime erections. Like many I was not responding to training before TRT and now I am more fit than virtually any 49 year old I know. I had a weird symptom associated with low T whereby I had very thin skin like an old person and would cut just by bumping into things. That cleared up immediately. TRT has had significant downsides including acne, orgasm issues and interrupting my sleep pattern. I used to sleep 7-8 hours a night and now 5-6 hours is the best I can hope for. I have wrestled with libido like many on here which is the most frustrating. Recently I started working with a national thought leader who had me add testosterone cream applied to my scrotum which has made a huge improvement. I NEVER would have learned that if I stuck with my testosterone mill.

As men we tend to be forgetful of how bad our symptoms were before we started TRT. That's just how we are wired. Those symptoms were much worse than the negative effects of TRT. I carried 25 pounds more body fat despite daily Crossfit, couldn't sustain an erection, had no interest in sex and had numerous other telltale signs. If I could get off of TRT I would. It is not something I enjoy doing. It is just a necessary part of my life now.

Hang in there. There are probably still things you can do. Find an expert and seek another opinion from a real medical practice that doesn't charge a monthly fee. And for anyone reading this who has not started TRT yet - if you don't have multiple serious symptoms of TRT do not look at it as a cure all. You WILL be disappointed.

 

[JimBob]

I agree 100%. One must take the big picture into account and put in a serious and sustaned effort at overall wellness. Yet for some guys - often guys with very low SHBG - TRT really doesn't have any effect in terms of relieving "Low T" symptoms.

I started TRT 6 years ago because I had low to no libido, an inability to recover from exercise or add even the smallest bit of muscle and an inability to really loose fat. Now after working with one of the top Docs in the country for years and trying literally everything - I have low to no libido, an inability to recover from exercise or add even the smallest bit of muscle, and an inability to really loose fat.

What does the doctor say about all of this?