Gunner@1911
Member
BadassBlues,If you have come this far, you owe it to yourself to, at the very least, do a small course correction to see the real benefits of TRT.
As I said, at your age, low testosterone levels are detrimental to your longevity and your quality of life. I respect what Guided By Voices advised you regarding seeking an overall medical profile, and you should do that. However, age related decline is just a different situation. I am 66, I understand where you are in life my friend.
I have learned to give age related advice over the years. I would not tell a 20 year old the same things I would tell you. The reality is that at your current age, the chances of increasing testosterone levels naturally are not so good. Yes, there are some methods and supplements that you may employ to see a small increase, but it wouldn't be enough to make a difference. I can personally attest to you that there are indeed methods to greatly improve your lifespan and your healthspan. You should seriously take a good look at the Deprenyl / Selegeline link I gave you.
So, back to TRT (testosterone replacement therapy), I will give you explanations of the acronyms so you can familiarize yourself with them. So while we are on the subject, it is a better acronym to refer it to HRT (hormonal replacement therapy). Not only will this give you the knowledge, but it will give you the ability to express to any medical professional that you are someone to be respected. But be advised, most medical professionals are clueless on this subject.
The very first thing you need to do is find a doctor who will work with you. Many on this forum use Defy Medical. Defy specializes in HRT. You stated you are in an area of limited access to physicians. Defy does the majority of their work remotely. This is just a recommendation, you may have more options than you know. There are networks of doctors that we can access to see if there is anyone in your area with the expertise in HRT.
To keep things simple, testosterone cypionate is most likely what you will be prescribed. Your initial dose is something that will most likely be adjusted. 100 mg per week is the usual starting dosage (as was stated by the Funkmeister). That can be a single weekly IM dose, 2 bi weekly IM doses or subcutaneous, Sub Q (under the skin). We discussed the peak and trough above. By doing a weekly, or bi weekly injection you are keeping your testosterone levels from tanking. This is extremely important. You do not want a yo yo effect with your hormones.
Natural testosterone production is controlled by the HPTA (hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis). Rather than go into all of that here, here is a link that will explain that function:
Hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
It is essentially a feedback loop that regulates testosterone production. Again, there are multiple variables to what can affect this process, but we will stick to the age factor. Age just naturally slows this process down. This is where exogenous (not your own) testosterone becomes beneficial.
As was stated above by myself and others, total testosterone levels are only a small part of the equation. There is a hormone that binds to testosterone, SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) that decreases the amount of free testosterone. "Free T" levels are what we are after. But... that's not all we are after. Men need estradiol (E2) just as much as women do, albeit at a much lower level. Testosterone converts to E2 via aromatase (an enzyme). Testosterone also converts to DHT (dihydrotestosterone). Both of these need to be in balance with your unique genetics. This is why testing, and time are critical to make this whole symphony come together.
It seems to be an overwhelming and complicated process, but taken logically, with the right testing, dosage and protocol, you can get yourself dialed in in a few months and at that point you would most likely not regret making the decision.
Thank you so much for the explanation and education. I am going in to see my doctor on Wednesday and I will share this information with her.
I think what I will plan is a weekly dose of 100mg instead of the 200 every two weeks.
Try this for 4 to 6 weeks and get retested. Hopefully I will see some improvement.
Thank you again and I will keep my fingers crossed.
