Testosterone levels and haemoctrit

[Seagal]

On these forums you have so many people reporting side effects of being on T and asking for advice. For almost all of them you will see labs where they are running at top of range or above top of range of "normal" T/free T levels. It is extremely difficult (in some cases impossible) to convince these people to try lowering their T dose to alleviate their unwanted side effects.

On the other side, you have tons of people that started T because they felt like garbage and they are not seeing the benefits of exogenous T yet. Even if their labs are showing them at high end or above the top of "normal" range for T/free T, it is extremely easy for them to be willing to increase their dose of T.

Most people (including myself) think well more T = more muscles and more health, less T = less muscles and less health. So they will want to exhaust all other options before lowering their T dose.

Almost everyone is willing to increase their T dose to see if it makes them feel better. Very few are willing to try lowering their T dose to see if it makes them feel better.

It's obvious that on this forum is a TRT bias towards muscle and bodybuilding.
On the other hand this rare TRT cases do exists and are more likely to show up here. It's difficult to assess remotely and a shame to stigmatize those men, especially without knowing or asking about their motives and background.

 

[BadLeroyBrown]

I would argue against this. The 8 mg of testosterone per day represents more than a very large majority of men would make naturally at their best. For someone like me who does well on 4.4 mg per day, taking double this is nothing but trouble.

@MikeDaly1970, Do you recall what your Nebido protocol was? Do you have any idea about your SHBG level? It does seem likely you're getting more testosterone than is good for you. Unfortunately the more-is-better thinking about testosterone is prevalent and misguided.

I respect your personal wisdom and what works for you. I truly wish I could feel well at such lower doses. Best wishes.

 

[Cataceous]

I respect your personal wisdom and what works for you. I truly wish I could feel well at such lower doses. ...

We've had many discussions about possible reasons for not feeling good even with robust testosterone levels. One of the more significant ones is the hormonal disruption caused by TRT. TRT can affect 20-30+ other hormones, leading to disparate symptoms. It's possible that in some cases higher doses act as a workaround for some of the problems, but I've argued that it's preferable to restore a more natural balance when possible. Many men do well dropping to normal or lower dosing after they overcome more-is-better thinking. I tout Natesto as a first-line treatment for hypogonadism because it is less disruptive than conventional TRT. Personally I've adopted a more complex approach, trying to replace the hormones suppressed by TRT, including kisspeptin, GnRH, LH and FSH.

A further consideration is the variation in serum testosterone. Anecdotally it seems that some men do not do well when levels are static, as is the case with frequent injections of cypionate or enanthate. There are some workarounds, including using daily injections of testosterone propionate or a propionate blend, or switching to Natesto or oral testosterone. In some cases injecting cypionate or enanthate twice a week provides better results, even though the multi-day swings in testosterone are less natural than daily swings.

 

[Indy57]

I would donate blood and then switch to daily injections of 12-14mg per day. Monitor your blood pressure too and see if it comes down after 1-2 weeks of daily’s. Good luck!

Indy