I replace all my hormones. Here is what I learned.

[Hormetheus]

Insane and dangerous? 40mg is not, in the short term as a once off thing. Theres nothing wrong with testing something out to see if it works.

Yes but why test something if you can´t healthyily stick with it in the long-term? In case you are low C 20mg HC is more than enough to "test" it out.

 

[rlm55]

Do you have any before and after panels that you could show us?

 

[Robotics]

Did you do any cycles between 2016 and 2020?

 

[Hormetheus]

Did you do any cycles between 2016 and 2020?

Never did any cycle in my life.

 

[Hormetheus]

Do you have any before and after panels that you could show us?

I have lots of panels. Some of the lab values I included in my "How to fix your hormones" in Section 5 here How To Fix Your Hormones: The Ultimate Guide

 

[Gingkohagane]

You certainly look great in both photos but the difference is of course very obvious.

That is such an understatement!

 

[Hormetheus]

That is such an understatement!

Thank you! Paradoxically I did take fitness more seriously back then than I do now.

 

[Gingkohagane]

Thank you! Paradoxically I did take fitness more seriously back then than I do now.

How often do you work out?

 

[Hormetheus]

How often do you work out?

Now during corona I try to do one exercise per muscle group per day. Takes like 10min or so

 

[Gingkohagane]

Now during corona I try to do one exercise per muscle group per day. Takes like 10min or so

Classical resistance training? What do you think about HIIT?

 

[Hormetheus]

Classical resistance training? What do you think about HIIT?

Yes. I think HIIT is great. Esp. for its neurogenic/cognitive effects as well as upregulating the expression of antioxidant systems due to the associated oxidative stress during peak activity

 

[DragonBits]

I have lots of panels. Some of the lab values I included in my "How to fix your hormones" in Section 5 here How To Fix Your Hormones: The Ultimate Guide

I am unable to locate any lab results in your guide. I would want to see your values before starting. Why not just copy and paste your blood tests before your started?

Since you must have at least 20 sets of blood test, why not put then into an interactive spread sheet to see how they changed over time?

In your 20s, it's fairly easy to build out muscle and get lean no matter what you do.

" If I had to, I would sign a contract to rather live 10 more years with my new vitality and then die instead of living to one hundred with the dreadful state I was in before."

It's a pretty common thought for young men to have, but I dismiss it as bravado which will change. After all, it's an easy thing to say when you likely have 40+ more years to go.

BUT when I see people in their 50s, 60s, 70s,80s, 90s, they all cling to lift despite not being able to see, being in a wheel chair, etc.

Think about Christopher Reeve who remained paralyzed and unable to breathe on his own. He wasn't willing to call it quits despite his horrible condition.

I am 100% behind TRT, BUT I don't believe being in the upper part of say thyroid hormones to be "optimial" as longevity has been associated with higher TSH and lower TH levels.

However, I am not willing to go on a starvation diet just because science says calorie restriction increases life span, on the other hand I don't want to take drugs / hormones that make me feel good for a short time only to lose 10+ years of life expectancy.

 

[Vtail]

longevity has been associated with higher TSH and lower TH levels.

I would be interested in reading more about this, since I am in this boat. Can you post a link(s)?

 

[DragonBits]

I would be interested in reading more about this, since I am in this boat. Can you post a link(s)?

It's pretty easy to find. Google longevity thyroid.

The things to keep in mind, by higher TSH they meant ~1.68, with a range of 0.450-4.500, that isn't a dramatically high TSH by any means. They also referenced T3/T4 levels.

We don't know if raising TSH by take hormones would have the same benefit.

Life Expectancy Within the Reference Range of Thyroid Function

This study uses the Rotterdam Study cohort to assess the association of thyroid function with total life expectancy and life expectancy with and without cardiovascular disease among euthyroid individuals.

jamanetwork.com

My take away: I won't take thyroid hormones to raise my thyroid hormones such as T3/T4, which lowers TSH to nearer the bottom of the range. IMO the popular internet meme that the "optimal" thyroid range isn't based on any research.

BTW, at first I did take Armour Thyroid and after that T3/t4. I was hoping it would increase my metabolism to help lose weight. It had an effect, my levels did change, but I didn't think it was worth it for that pupose.


Conclusion:

At the age of 50 years, participants with low-normal thyroid function live up to 3.5 years longer overall and up to 3.1 years longer without CVD than participants with high-normal thyroid function.

Another interesting link:

Thyroid Function and Cognition during Aging

Thyroid Function and Cognition during Aging - PMC

We summarize here the studies examining the association between thyroid function and cognitive performance from an aging perspective. The available data suggest that there may be a continuum in which cognitive dysfunction can result from increased ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Hormetheus]

I am unable to locate any lab results in your guide. I would want to see your values before starting. Why not just copy and paste your blood tests before your started?

Since you must have at least 20 sets of blood test, why not put then into an interactive spread sheet to see how they changed over time?

In your 20s, it's fairly easy to build out muscle and get lean no matter what you do.

" If I had to, I would sign a contract to rather live 10 more years with my new vitality and then die instead of living to one hundred with the dreadful state I was in before."

It's a pretty common thought for young men to have, but I dismiss it as bravado which will change. After all, it's an easy thing to say when you likely have 40+ more years to go.

BUT when I see people in their 50s, 60s, 70s,80s, 90s, they all cling to lift despite not being able to see, being in a wheel chair, etc.

Think about Christopher Reeve who remained paralyzed and unable to breathe on his own. He wasn't willing to call it quits despite his horrible condition.

I am 100% behind TRT, BUT I don't believe being in the upper part of say thyroid hormones to be "optimial" as longevity has been associated with higher TSH and lower TH levels.

However, I am not willing to go on a starvation diet just because science says calorie restriction increases life span, on the other hand I don't want to take drugs / hormones that make me feel good for a short time only to lose 10+ years of life expectancy.

Many great points made.
Time will tell whether I regret my decision, however, as of now it was the best decision of my life. Also, who knows whether the world will still exist once I am in my 50s?

This connection holds true for only a subset of people with low levels of LDL, as thyroid hormones are quite antiatherogenic. Furthermore, I agree with "feeling well" vs. "living long"

 

[Gingkohagane]

Yes. I think HIIT is great. Esp. for its neurogenic/cognitive effects as well as upregulating the expression of antioxidant systems due to the associated oxidative stress during peak activity

What do you do? Sprinting, boxing, jumping,..?

 

[Hormetheus]

What do you do? Sprinting, boxing, jumping,..?

I do long-distance running (15k) twice per week, and daily resistance exercises. Right now I do not do any HIIT because of patellofemoral knee pain

 

[JimGainz]

I am new to this group. Thanks for having me.
I want to share my journey with hormone replacement because I believe it might be useful to others.

My story: I am a medical student in my last year. I replace all of my hormones.

In early twenties my life was starting to go down the gutter. My life started to fall apart in every domain. At one point I was at the brink of suicide. I found out multiples of my hormnones were low.
I started hormone replacement. Whereas before my life was a nightmare, it has been great ever since. I have been doing this for some years now.

What I take. But what works for me might not work for others.

• TRT: Test Cyp (50mg subQ 2x/week), HcG (250iu subQ 2x/week)
• cortisol: cortisone acetate (20mg/d HC equivalent) (split into 4 daily doses)
• thyroid: 1.25 grains NDT + 6.25mcg T3 (a few hours later in the day)
• GH: 0.5iu genotropin pfizer (aiming for IGF1 of 250) prebed
• fludrocortisone 01.mg/d morning
• melatonin: 0.25mg sublingual prebed

Everyone is different, but the target range I aim for is in the upper tertile of the youthful reference range. Just falling somewhere within the reference range is not “optimal”. The reference range covers 95% of the population. Certainly more than 5% of the population have hormones bad enough to warrant intervention.

This is how I look now vs. then.

https://imgur.com/GWmzPJF

.

If you are specifically interested in TRT, I wrote a guide about it here.

How To Replace Male Sex Hormones. An Ultimate Guide To TRT.

From SARMS, clomiphene, injections, benefits, risks, side effects, blood tests, signs & symptoms, therapy of choice, dosages, doctors…

thingsvarious.medium.com

I am aware that this is rather uncharted territory, esp. in a DIY kind of way. As a medical student in my last year I am well aware of the risks. But to me the cost-benefit analysis is a no-brainer. If I had to, I would sign a contract to rather live 10 more years with my new vitality and then die instead of living to one hundred with the dreadful state I was in before.

I do extensive blood tests (complete hormone panel, metabolic health, general health) around every 3-4 months. I would´t dare doing anything (not even starting) without it.

Other stuff I do: keto/paleo, HIIT, weekly rapamycin, a bunch of supplements (all of them together less worth than a slight alteration in hormones), some exercise every day, sleep around 6h (wake up refreshed without alarm -before HRT I needed 8+).

After years of studying, researching, experimenting, testing I did a writeup about some stuff I have learned along the way.

My goal with all my writing is to point people into the right direction to remove biological shackles allowing them become the best version of themselves and live life fully.

Had I known what I know now, it would have saved me lots of time, money, happiness, effort, researching, experimenting. And suffering. I hope some of you find value in it . Enjoy.

How To Fix Your Hormones: The Ultimate Guide

I am open for any feedback and criticism.


I am sure some of you are quite knowledgable and experienced and might give valuable feedback/criticism and point out blind spots or other stuff I didn´t think about. What are your thoughts on all this? As I am in my mid twenties, do you think this is sustainable for decades?


For questions/feedback you don´t want to post here my email: [email protected]

That was an absolutely brilliant article. I applaud your efforts and hope that you become a doctor who can further educate the masses and medical community. We need more of those.

 

[Hormetheus]

That was an absolutely brilliant article. I applaud your efforts and hope that you become a doctor who can further educate the masses and medical community. We need more of those.

Thank you very much! Yes, it will take a few years then I will be a licensed practitioner and I can further educate the masses on the importance of hormones. Hormones are vastly underrated and can give many people their life back

 

[DixieWrecked]

could one apply 1% HC cream to the scrotum?