NO MORE AI !!! FEELING AMAZING!

[_CTI_]

I wanted to share my experience because it has been an absolute game changer for me as far as my TRT is concerned. I was diagnosed with low T about 18 months ago and have been trying to get "dialed in" for a while. I learned about shbg, tracking my sensitive e2, the half lives of different esters, the pharmacokinetics of different hormones and ancillary drugs, proper supplementation / diet and almost anything else you could think of.

I ended up on somewhat of a progressive protocol if you take into consideration what a lot of men are subject to these days. I had a daily protocol of 24mg test cyp, .1mg arimidex, 10000iu vit D, 2mg Zinc, 1mg copper, 50mcg T3, 600mg magnesium. I was in the gym 4 days a week with a solid strength and conditioning program. At best things were OK. I didn't start TRT to be OK. I wanted everything that was promised to me when I started this journey.

Enter Dr. Keith Nichols. His idea of keeping the male estrogen levels above 60 blew my mind a bit. He has a slew of other ideas as far as TRT is concerned that seemed to go against a lot of what I thought was dogma and I was intrigued. I was also fed up with just being OK. I flew down to see Dr. Nichols and fully committed myself to his protocol, which for the most part includes thyroid management, compounded T cream applied to the scrotum 2x daily, pregnenolone, dhea and in my case metformin to manage insulin resistance.

After only about 2.5 weeks on this protocol I feel better than I've ever felt. I'm not exactly where I want to be but I'm definitely on the road to getting there. Strength is up (even on a calorie deficit), sex drive is improving and overall well being is improving day by day. And the best part: NO MORE E2 MANAGEMENT! I'm getting labs in 2 weeks and will follow up. Dr. Nichols told me TRT isn't that hard to get right, and as of right now, I completely believe him.

 

[cigpk]

Interesting. What kind of total/free T are you targeting with an e2 around 60?

 

[fifty]

So you are doing cream to the junk rather than injections now?

 

[Tman]

I wanted to share my experience because it has been an absolute game changer for me as far as my TRT is concerned. I was diagnosed with low T about 18 months ago and have been trying to get "dialed in" for a while. I learned about shbg, tracking my sensitive e2, the half lives of different esters, the pharmacokinetics of different hormones and ancillary drugs, proper supplementation / diet and almost anything else you could think of.

I ended up on somewhat of a progressive protocol if you take into consideration what a lot of men are subject to these days. I had a daily protocol of 24mg test cyp, .1mg arimidex, 10000iu vit D, 2mg Zinc, 1mg copper, 50mcg T3, 600mg magnesium. I was in the gym 4 days a week with a solid strength and conditioning program. At best things we OK. I didn't start TRT to be OK. I wanted everything that was promised to me when I started this journey.

Enter Dr. Keith Nichols. His idea of keeping the male estrogen levels above 60 blew my mind a bit. He has a slew of other ideas as far as TRT is concerned that seemed to go against a lot of what I thought was dogma and I was intrigued. I was also fed up with just being OK. I flew down to see Dr. Nichols and fully committed myself to his protocol, which for the most part includes thyroid management, compounded T cream applied to the scrotum 2x daily, pregnenolone, dhea and in my case metformin to manage insulin resistance.

After only about 2.5 weeks on this protocol I feel better than I've ever felt. I'm not exactly where I want to be but I'm definitely on the road to getting there. Strength is up (even on a calorie deficit), sex drive is improving and overall well being is improving day by day. And the best part: NO MORE E2 MANAGEMENT! I'm getting labs in 2 weeks and will follow up. Dr. Nichols told me TRT isn't that hard to get right, and as of right now, I completely believe him.

Keep us updated.

 

[_CTI_]

Interesting. What kind of total/free T are you targeting with an e2 around 60?

I'm actually not sure. I have about 20-30 labs from the past year and a half and I'm a little sick of chasing numbers. My guess is I'm going to come in around 1200.

 

[_CTI_]

So you are doing cream to the junk rather than injections now?

Correct sir. Cream right on the junk. I don't know how to explain it but scrotal application feels very different. Most noticeable aspect is the lack of anxiety I used to get.

 

[_CTI_]

Welcome to the club. I haven’t taken an ai since end of January iirc. Wish I’d figured it out as quickly as you did.

I just couldn't do it anymore man...trying to nail down that range was impossible for me. And when I did, I felt like shit! It was crazy.

 

[Sean Mosher]

_CTI_, please post your labs next time around.
Would love to see them.
Thanks for sharing your journey!!

 

[Deleted member 16042]

Looking forward to the long term review. Please come back and share your labs and ongoing story. Hope it works for you for the long term.

 

[BradWI]

I quit mine about 6-8 weeks ago. Libido went from a level 4 to level 9.

 

[madhacker]

I wanted to share my experience because it has been an absolute game changer for me as far as my TRT is concerned. I was diagnosed with low T about 18 months ago and have been trying to get "dialed in" for a while. I learned about shbg, tracking my sensitive e2, the half lives of different esters, the pharmacokinetics of different hormones and ancillary drugs, proper supplementation / diet and almost anything else you could think of.

I ended up on somewhat of a progressive protocol if you take into consideration what a lot of men are subject to these days. I had a daily protocol of 24mg test cyp, .1mg arimidex, 10000iu vit D, 2mg Zinc, 1mg copper, 50mcg T3, 600mg magnesium. I was in the gym 4 days a week with a solid strength and conditioning program. At best things were OK. I didn't start TRT to be OK. I wanted everything that was promised to me when I started this journey.

Enter Dr. Keith Nichols. His idea of keeping the male estrogen levels above 60 blew my mind a bit. He has a slew of other ideas as far as TRT is concerned that seemed to go against a lot of what I thought was dogma and I was intrigued. I was also fed up with just being OK. I flew down to see Dr. Nichols and fully committed myself to his protocol, which for the most part includes thyroid management, compounded T cream applied to the scrotum 2x daily, pregnenolone, dhea and in my case metformin to manage insulin resistance.

After only about 2.5 weeks on this protocol I feel better than I've ever felt. I'm not exactly where I want to be but I'm definitely on the road to getting there. Strength is up (even on a calorie deficit), sex drive is improving and overall well being is improving day by day. And the best part: NO MORE E2 MANAGEMENT! I'm getting labs in 2 weeks and will follow up. Dr. Nichols told me TRT isn't that hard to get right, and as of right now, I completely believe him.

That's great you feel better! I don't believe that Dr. Nichols has a new found gem in treating AR deficiency though... I think that most people are experiencing high levels of testosterone and DHT, that's what his labs are showing. Creams give you those nice daily spikes which will give you a shit ton of energy. Daily shots of Test and DHT will make you feel the same and you don't need labs way above range so you FEEL better. I don't agree with high estrogen, with that said I wonder is he's seen a reduction in the weight of his thymus with all the androgens and high estrogens floating around. Moreover, if someone has AR resistance a low dose of a synthetic derivative such as Nandrolone alongside testosterone would be a better approach.

Aromatase inhibitors regenerate the thymus in aging male rats. - PubMed - NCBI

 

[fifty]

I haven’t taken an ai in nearly a month now. I haven’t noticed any big changes.

 

[HealthMan]

Not trying to p... on anyone’s party. I also fell better with no or little AI. But you can’t make any long term conclusion in just a few weeks after changing a protocol. It is almost like a new honeymoon period where hormone levels are transitioning. Please keep us posted on long term results. And glad you were able to drop the AI.

 

[Vince]

I wanted to share my experience because it has been an absolute game changer for me as far as my TRT is concerned. I was diagnosed with low T about 18 months ago and have been trying to get "dialed in" for a while. I learned about shbg, tracking my sensitive e2, the half lives of different esters, the pharmacokinetics of different hormones and ancillary drugs, proper supplementation / diet and almost anything else you could think of.

I ended up on somewhat of a progressive protocol if you take into consideration what a lot of men are subject to these days. I had a daily protocol of 24mg test cyp, .1mg arimidex, 10000iu vit D, 2mg Zinc, 1mg copper, 50mcg T3, 600mg magnesium. I was in the gym 4 days a week with a solid strength and conditioning program. At best things were OK. I didn't start TRT to be OK. I wanted everything that was promised to me when I started this journey.

Enter Dr. Keith Nichols. His idea of keeping the male estrogen levels above 60 blew my mind a bit. He has a slew of other ideas as far as TRT is concerned that seemed to go against a lot of what I thought was dogma and I was intrigued. I was also fed up with just being OK. I flew down to see Dr. Nichols and fully committed myself to his protocol, which for the most part includes thyroid management, compounded T cream applied to the scrotum 2x daily, pregnenolone, dhea and in my case metformin to manage insulin resistance.

After only about 2.5 weeks on this protocol I feel better than I've ever felt. I'm not exactly where I want to be but I'm definitely on the road to getting there. Strength is up (even on a calorie deficit), sex drive is improving and overall well being is improving day by day. And the best part: NO MORE E2 MANAGEMENT! I'm getting labs in 2 weeks and will follow up. Dr. Nichols told me TRT isn't that hard to get right, and as of right now, I completely believe him.

I don't believe it's possible for every man to have their estrogen levels above sixty. Some men testosterone levels would have to be way too high to get their estrogen levels that high or they would have to inject estrogen. I definitely believe that everyone should try not to use an AI, though I believe it's necessary for some.

 

[tcmi]

I, too, quit AI six months ago. Doing EOD injections. No HCG. Best thing I ever did.

 

[Robotics]

what is your shbg? i am guessing it is on the higher side which is why you can tolerate higher e2..

 

[tcmi]

SHBG is actually quite low (11 last test). Nearly five years ago when I started test, I had been put on 1 mg Arimidex per week. I’ve never felt worse in my life. From there, I’ve been experimenting and learning. My problem has always been that rollercoaster of feeling great and then crappy. I’d always assumed that it was my e2 level and that it somehow needed to be optimized at a certain level (20-30). Along the way, I added HCG because I learned that might make me feel better - even though there wasn’t any fertility need (had a vasectomy 10 years ago). The short version of the story is that I now know (at least for me), that e2 WAS the problem, but not in the way I had always expected. The roller coaster of feelings was definitely following the ups and downs of my e2 levels (backed by lab results along the way), it’s jusy that I finally figured out that my chasing an e2 level with an AI was at fault. I also learned that, in my own case, HCG was exacerbating the e2 roller coaster. In December 2018, I made the decision to stop both AI and HCG. I inject 30mg shallow IM EOD. To be transparent, the first several weeks of adjustment was not pleasant, but I was determined to stick with it. My last e2 labs were 49 ‘regular,’ and 66 ‘ultra sensitive.’ Those labs were taken at the same time. 24 hours post injection, my TT/FT was 1044/365. 48 hours post injection 803/242. Frankly, I feel great - no side effects, no more roller coaster - just stability. When I stopped the HCG; I added daily 30mg pregnenolone - I’ve tried DHEA many different times but found, for me, it also exacerbated the e2 issue. Over the years, I’ve done weekly injections, 2x weekly, daily and also experimented with daily scrotal transdermal. For me, the best balance of effort to results has been EOD injections. For anyone not already locked into a stable routine, I’d strongly suggest giving frequent injections / no AI a try - and be willing to give it at least 4-5 weeks before changing something. Online lab tests are relatively cheap and it’s easy to monitor yourself.

 

[Tman]

SHBG is actually quite low (11 last test). Nearly five years ago when I started test, I had been put on 1 mg Arimidex per week. I’ve never felt worse in my life. From there, I’ve been experimenting and learning. My problem has always been that rollercoaster of feeling great and then crappy. I’d always assumed that it was my e2 level and that it somehow needed to be optimized at a certain level (20-30). Along the way, I added HCG because I learned that might make me feel better - even though there wasn’t any fertility need (had a vasectomy 10 years ago). The short version of the story is that I now know (at least for me), that e2 WAS the problem, but not in the way I had always expected. The roller coaster of feelings was definitely following the ups and downs of my e2 levels (backed by lab results along the way), it’s jusy that I finally figured out that my chasing an e2 level with an AI was at fault. I also learned that, in my own case, HCG was exacerbating the e2 roller coaster. In December 2018, I made the decision to stop both AI and HCG. I inject 30mg shallow IM EOD. To be transparent, the first several weeks of adjustment was not pleasant, but I was determined to stick with it. My last e2 labs were 49 ‘regular,’ and 66 ‘ultra sensitive.’ Those labs were taken at the same time. 24 hours post injection, my TT/FT was 1044/365. 48 hours post injection 803/242. Frankly, I feel great - no side effects, no more roller coaster - just stability. When I stopped the HCG; I added daily 30mg pregnenolone - I’ve tried DHEA many different times but found, for me, it also exacerbated the e2 issue. Over the years, I’ve done weekly injections, 2x weekly, daily and also experimented with daily scrotal transdermal. For me, the best balance of effort to results has been EOD injections. For anyone not already locked into a stable routine, I’d strongly suggest giving frequent injections / no AI a try - and be willing to give it at least 4-5 weeks before changing something. Online lab tests are relatively cheap and it’s easy to monitor yourself.

I can completely relate to your story, and I've tried letting the AI go. However, my blood pressure jumps up to 150/100 after about 3 days without an AI. Did you have the blood pressure issue? If so, I assume it returned to normal as well. How long did that take. I would love to stop chasing the AI/E tail, but after about a week, my symptoms require the AI. Then, we cycle all over again. I might be able to push through the symptoms, but the blood pressure increase worries me the most.

 

[n2turbo2]

Correct sir. Cream right on the junk. I don't know how to explain it but scrotal application feels very different. Most noticeable aspect is the lack of anxiety I used to get.

You mean you where getting anxiety with injectings ?

 

[_CTI_]

That's great you feel better! I don't believe that Dr. Nichols has a new found gem in treating AR deficiency though... I think that most people are experiencing high levels of testosterone and DHT, that's what his labs are showing. Creams give you those nice daily spikes which will give you a shit ton of energy. Daily shots of Test and DHT will make you feel the same and you don't need labs way above range so you FEEL better. I don't agree with high estrogen, with that said I wonder is he's seen a reduction in the weight of his thymus with all the androgens and high estrogens floating around. Moreover, if someone has AR resistance a low dose of a synthetic derivative such as Nandrolone alongside testosterone would be a better approach.

Aromatase inhibitors regenerate the thymus in aging male rats. - PubMed - NCBI

I've been looking into this as well as I'm still dealing with joint issues from years as an aviation mechanic.