When Did You Stop Analyzing Your Treatment?

[Old_Lifter_65]

I went down the men's health article/video rabbit hole on HCT and RBC counts a few months back and it is overwhelming. I've reached a point where I decided that I will stop analyzing numbers and side-effects and focus on a sense of well being. My protocol feels good at 120/wk, eod and although I have 53HCT some days, I also have 50 HCT other days. Somedays HGB is 188 and some days it is 178. I feel fine.

So the question is: "At what point in your treatment did you decide, "you know what, I'm good, I know how I feel and I know what to do if I feel off"

--OL65

 

[Nelson Vergel]

So the question is: "At what point in your treatment did you decide, "you know what, I'm good, I know how I feel and I know what to do if I feel off"

I have been on TRT for over 37 years. Most guys do not have to worry or "analyze" their treatments after a year. Side effects usually occur (if they do) in the first 6 months. Hematocrit stabilizes unless you start using higher doses, develop sleep apnea, or start smoking. Also, you realize that "bad days" have nothing to do with T or E2 and, instead, you start looking at your sleep quality, stress, alcohol or drug use, and other factors that are the main contributors to quality of life. Some guys refuse to deal with or think about these factors and get obsessed with their testosterone protocol or estradiol for a long time. Eventually, they get frustrated at spinning the wheel.

 

[Deleted member 16042]

Just curious, significant movement in HBG and HCT tends to take weeks to months, you should not see changes one day to the next. unless you alternate hydrated vs dehydrated days.I have to assume you are referring to changes over a longer time period.

To answer your actual question: I stop analyzing my hormone protocol when I am feeling good. When I am symptomatic with high HGB/HCT, I analyze.

 

[bixt]

I went down the men's health article/video rabbit hole on HCT and RBC counts a few months back and it is overwhelming. I've reached a point where I decided that I will stop analyzing numbers and side-effects and focus on a sense of well being. My protocol feels good at 120/wk, eod and although I have 53HCT some days, I also have 50 HCT other days. Somedays HGB is 188 and some days it is 178. I feel fine.

So the question is: "At what point in your treatment did you decide, "you know what, I'm good, I know how I feel and I know what to do if I feel off"

--OL65

Personally I feel at reasonable doses that bloodwork is unnecessary, because you have already dialled in by "feel".

If at any lower dose you don't feel as good, then that's the minimum dose you need. Any higher dose is unesesary.

So then what's the point of doing TRT blood tests? If your E2 came back high on paper, most people here will say don't touch it. If it came back too low, you not going to take E2 pills just because the labs are low. Ditto for DHT. People won't take finesteride to lower it nor recommend winstrol for example to increase it - if you feel fine.

So that begs the question, why is everyone (who feels fine on a protocol) then measuring these things routinely if you won't adjust the dose nor take substances which affect the metabolites? Probably because the doc routinely does it as a matter of fact, or to please others or because it the standard of care.

And then there's always the peanut gallery ever so ready to command you to drop your dose because T or E2 levels are too high in their opinion - never mind you feel worse at lower doses.

T related blood tests have their place when a guy doesn't feel fine - and you or the doc or guys here need clues as to what's happening.

It's of probably higher utility to a person to measure other health markers such as cholesterol and sugar and heart health, as these are potential problems which may be lurking in the shadows.

 

[Vince]

Personally I feel at reasonable doses that bloodwork is unnecessary, because you have already dialled in by "feel".

If at any lower dose you don't feel as good, then that's the minimum dose you need. Any higher dose is unesesary.

So then what's the point of doing TRT blood tests? If your E2 came back high on paper, most people here will say don't touch it. If it came back too low, you not going to take E2 pills just because the labs are low. Ditto for DHT. People won't take finesteride to lower it nor recommend winstrol for example to increase it - if you feel fine.

So that begs the question, why is everyone (who feels fine on a protocol) then measuring these things routinely if you won't adjust the dose nor take substances which affect the metabolites? Probably because the doc routinely does it as a matter of fact, or to please others or because it the standard of care.

And then there's always the peanut gallery ever so ready to command you to drop your dose because T or E2 levels are too high in their opinion - never mind you feel worse at lower doses.

T related blood tests have their place when a guy doesn't feel fine - and you or the doc or guys here need clues as to what's happening.

It's of probably higher utility to a person to measure other health markers such as cholesterol and sugar and heart health, as these are potential problems which may be lurking in the shadows.

So you can get your script and the doctors are happy. It's all about money

 

[Old_Lifter_65]

Just curious, significant movement in HBG and HCT tends to take weeks to months, you should not see changes one day to the next. unless you alternate hydrated vs dehydrated days.I have to assume you are referring to changes over a longer time period.

To answer your actual question: I stop analyzing my hormone protocol when I am feeling good. When I am symptomatic with high HGB/HCT, I analyze.

Yes, over time. I am coming up on 2 years and the urge to check still happens.

 

[TLR]

I’ve been on for 12 years and to be honest I’m one did those guys that had a hard time at first and tried to come off (unsuccessfully). My issue was preexisting anxiety that was aggravated by exogenous T, and the fact I started with a well intentioned doctor who put me on the 1cc every week with an AI….as said above, within a year you should know what you “need” vs what you can “get away with” and that will differ widely between everyone. I’m short, if your health markers are good and you feel good, keep on keeping on.

 

[BadassBlues]

I stopped analyzing my TRT protocol 20 years ago when I had it dialed in. I think a lot of guys get caught up in the ongoing discussions of E2, DHT and others and feel that something is wrong and they need to fix it. We used to call it tinkering. These guys are constantly changing protocols and taking other meds in an effort to find a balance. Then they wonder why they feel so lousy.

Dial it in, then leave it alone. But that's just me...

 

[Olddragger]

74 years old, very active ( 50 years of martial arts, last 3 muay thai) and I have been on Trt for 4 years.
There is a lot of good info on this thread and I would like to add something from my experience in the medical field for the past 46 years.
Never rely on ONE lab test that shows an abnormal finding in making a decision concerning medical treatment. It has been my experience that if a lab test finding is of a real concern then that test is repeated for confirmation. Labs make mistakes. It happens all the time. As an example, recently my h/h was 19/54 with RBC at 5.9. My Physician wanted to stop trt. I was on cypronate 10 mg sub q daily. Instead I retested. You guessed it… on retest h/h was 18.1/51 with RBC of 5.3.
with that finding I was allowed to continue and we will monitor my level more frequently.
So the point here is don’t rely on just one lab test when it comes to making a decision concerning changing trt therapy.

 

[tropicaldaze1950]

So you can get your script and the doctors are happy. It's all about money

Unless a guy is doing UGL, the prescribing doctor has to do their due diligence. Labs every 6 months in exchange for a 6 month rx. For my urologist, hormone replacement for men and women is just one aspect of his practice and he's been prescribing for about 30 years.

 

[Vince]

Unless a guy is doing UGL, the prescribing doctor has to do their due diligence. Labs every 6 months in exchange for a 6 month rx. For my urologist, hormone replacement for men and women is just one aspect of his practice and he's been prescribing for about 30 years.

Interesting. You're from Florida. Ever thought of using defy medical?

 

[tropicaldaze1950]

Interesting. You're from Florida. Ever thought of using defy medical?

The urologist I go to was my doctor in Maryland. A few years ago some men on here reported that he was no longer taking patients, so I emailed him. He wrote me that he'd joined a practice in Ormond Beach, near Daytona Beach, so he was my doctor, once again!