Still trying to find libido

[goolapsh]

Lol this is exactly why I’m confused. Conflicting opinions all over the place. I did seem a little more horny when my e was lower. Do you guys think that libido is more closely linked with dht or e or a combination

 

[MensHealth]

I’ve been on topical cream (not applied to testicles) and now shots. I was on the 100mg dose of cream and that brought my dht up but not my t. So I switched to shots. I’ve been taking daily shots now for 6 weeks at 150mg per week. My shbg is 15, e2 47, t-778, ft- 159 (max is 155). It seems one doctor in particular preaches cream applied to testicles, which I did while on shots just to try it out, and it didn’t do anything for my libido, but instead gave me high e2 symptoms like moodiness. I’ve tried supplements like horny goat weed with limited success. Has anyone out there switched from shots to testcular application only and received better results as far as libido??? I can’t seem to find anyone who has, just the doctor who preaches it. Also my erections are still weak.

There could be something else going on effecting your libido if you haven't had any improvement on hormone replacement therapy. There are several treatment options to improve the strength of your erections from PDE-5 inhibitors, Nitric Oxide Boosters, Wave Therapy.

 

[Vince Carter]

Lol this is exactly why I’m confused. Conflicting opinions all over the place. I did seem a little more horny when my e was lower. Do you guys think that libido is more closely linked with dht or e or a combination

Trial and error. You may notice how quickly an E discussion becomes very opinionated because there is no answer that some one can give. The only thing that worked for me was trial and error. For following the "ratio", or having my E2 North of 50 and as much as 88, all I got was a zit covered back, anger and temper issues, ED, night sweats, and on and on. Taking the time over the better part of a year I've done nothing but get better and better with having my E2 in the single digits.

 

[Systemlord]

Lol this is exactly why I’m confused. Conflicting opinions all over the place. I did seem a little more horny when my e was lower. Do you guys think that libido is more closely linked with dht or e or a combination

Lower SHBG guys tend to have more problems keeping estrogen under control, I have the same problem as I'm low SHBG. When my E2 is high, libido and erections are missing. If I take a small dose AI, erections come to life within hours and last all day, but do to over responding to AI's it never lasts as my estrogen gets too low, low estrogen also kills erections. Estrogen is the most difficult thing to control while on TRT.

The best way to control estrogen in increasing injection frequencies, smaller doses more often lowers estrogen without needing an AI. Daily injections is your best chance to lower estrogen and regain your libido and erections.

Losing weight will also go a long way at lowering estrogen.

 

[n2turbo2]

My E2 is 120 and my libido is threw the roof, erections are rock hard. This whole estrogen thing makes no sense to me ? SHBG 74.3

 

[Vince Carter]

My E2 is 120 and my libido is threw the roof, erections are rock hard. This whole estrogen thing makes no sense to me ? SHBG 74.3

Which is misleading until you look between the numbers and realize all that E you claim to think is making things good, is actually all bound up and not free to work in your body. Its like thinking you're doing so well but only basing that on your Total Test, and ignoring Free T

Your 120 E is not what it's represented to actually be, having your SHBG value there is what you really need it paired with to know what's going on.

 

[Gman86]

My free t was high. Just over the top of the range. I test with quest diagnostics

Its actually not high. I’ve been getting my labs down with quest for about 5 years now, and the free T range has been (46.0-224.0) every time except once. One time the range did come back as 155 being the top end. At the time, I thought that they had adjusted the range, due to males having lower testosterone levels now, but then all my free T labs, from there on out, came back with the old range. So your free T of 159 is mid range actually.

 

[Gman86]

Lower SHBG guys tend to have more problems keeping estrogen under control, I have the same problem as I'm low SHBG. When my E2 is high, libido and erections are missing. If I take a small dose AI, erections come to life within hours and last all day, but do to over responding to AI's it never lasts as my estrogen gets too low, low estrogen also kills erections. Estrogen is the most difficult thing to control while on TRT.

The best way to control estrogen in increasing injection frequencies, smaller doses more often lowers estrogen without needing an AI. Daily injections is your best chance to lower estrogen and regain your libido and erections.

Losing weight will also go a long way at lowering estrogen.

So I assume you don’t take an ai currently? Have you been able to get your erections and libido in the sweet spot wthout an ai?

 

[Gman86]

My E2 is 120 and my libido is threw the roof, erections are rock hard. This whole estrogen thing makes no sense to me ? SHBG 74.3

That’s awesome. I love hearing stories on the other end of the spectrum where guys with very high E2 are doing well. I eventually want to get off an ai, but you just hear so few stories about guys with very high E2 doing well. We hear about studies, and the TOT round table doctors talking constantly about their patients doing well with high E2, but I want to hear real anectodal stories directly from the horse’s mouth. So thanks for posting this.

Was this the ultra sensitive E2 test, or the standard E2 test? And how do you subjectively feel otherwise, like with mood, well being, energy levels, sleep, body fat, strength, etc.?

 

[Systemlord]

So I assume you don’t take an ai currently? Have you been able to get your erections and libido in the sweet spot wthout an ai?

I only get an erections hours after taking 1/10th aromasin that lasts days, otherwise they are soft and lifeless. My SHBG was almost midrange pre-TRT.

I should be 160 lbs as it was in my 20's when physically active, I am 233 lbs, I've got some weight to lose.

 

[n2turbo2]

Which is misleading until you look between the numbers and realize all that E you claim to think is making things good, is actually all bound up and not free to work in your body. Its like thinking you're doing so well but only basing that on your Total Test, and ignoring Free T

Your 120 E is not what it's represented to actually be, having your SHBG value there is what you really need it paired with to know what's going on.

Thanks for the reply Vince. I am new to trt about 8 months in. I am not advocating 120 a better place to be. Just trying to learn all i can, i couldnt tell you what it feels like e2 at 40. I am 51 years old and spent 5 years in low t hell.I had no libido before, it was so bad. i wanted nothing to do with sex. Now i feel like a teen again sexually. Trt has changed my life, it lifted my depression and anxiety. My whole outlook on life has changed. Just feels awesome to live life again. Thanks

 

[KenLowT]

Have you tried maca for libido? Cheap attempt and it works well for many.

I tried it and it didn't work. Snake oil in my opinion. It made my hyper, not horny.

 

[Game Master]

Libido issues might be more complicated, and might not not always related to E2 or DHT levels. Have anybody thought about neurotransmitters, like dopamine regulation? Exogenous T replacement might has something to do with it

 

[CoastWatcher]

Has your prolactin level been assessed? If elevated it can whack your libido dramatically.

 

[goolapsh]

I just wanted to update everyone on my current status. I have finally found a testosterone regimen that works for me. I was about to give it all up becasue I had lost my libido on the shots. I tried applying the cream twice a day once in the am and once in the pm. This didn’t work for me either because I couldn’t sleep at night and I still didn’t have libido. Things started coming around finally when I simply applied the full 200mg/g dose on my balls once in the morning and that’s it. There is something to be said about the fluctuating t levels throughout the day. Your body doesn’t want constant t levels and it certainly doesn’t want high t at night. So there you have it. My libido is back and I feel great. Just wanted to let everyone know what works for me.

 

[Systemlord]

Excellent news, I'm glad you found something that works and that you didn't give up.

If I fail to find success on my EOD protocol, I'll take a play out of your book.

 

[Gman86]

Extremely interesting! I actually recommended this exact thing to another guy on a different thread. I was listening to a podcast on superhumanradio where they were talking about the possible benefits from having these fluctuations, opposed to having high steady levels all day, and it just got me thinking about all the reasons why there could actually be a benefit to having T levels fluctuate. The other thing that backed up this theory is all the guys Dr. Nichol’s reported that were doing very well with just applying T cream once a day transscrotally. Either way, glad you found a protocol that’s working for you.

 

[Gman86]

I just wanted to update everyone on my current status. I have finally found a testosterone regimen that works for me. I was about to give it all up becasue I had lost my libido on the shots. I tried applying the cream twice a day once in the am and once in the pm. This didn’t work for me either because I couldn’t sleep at night and I still didn’t have libido. Things started coming around finally when I simply applied the full 200mg/g dose on my balls once in the morning and that’s it. There is something to be said about the fluctuating t levels throughout the day. Your body doesn’t want constant t levels and it certainly doesn’t want high t at night. So there you have it. My libido is back and I feel great. Just wanted to let everyone know what works for me.

So you were doing 100mg in the morning, and 100mg at night, and now you’re just doing 200mg in the morning? So total dose per day didn’t change?

 

[goolapsh]

So you were doing 100mg in the morning, and 100mg at night, and now you’re just doing 200mg in the morning? So total dose per day didn’t change?

Yes that’s correct. I have much better libido on the once per day method. The shots dramatically reduced my dht for some reason. And my dick had problems getting hard to the point where I thought I needed Viagra. Now I don’t have that issue.

 

[Gman86]

Yes that’s correct. I have much better libido on the once per day method. The shots dramatically reduced my dht for some reason. And my dick had problems getting hard to the point where I thought I needed Viagra. Now I don’t have that issue.

Hopefully this continues for you. Let us know if anything changes. You must be beyond excited to have finally found a protocol that works for you.