My HRT update, just started week 3.

[Alloy]

Ok, I must say that starting out very slow and working my way up was the correct choice. My scripts were titrated a wee bit high and I really wasn't comfortable with it. So I decided to start at 1/2 the dose to see how my body would react. It was a wise decision so if you have 5 minutes, read up on my progress!

Week 1- Here we go, all scripts have been filled and are in hand. As this is my first time with a real HRT regiment, I wanted to start slow and see how my body reacted to the medications. Started out with 1.5 mg of Arimidex (I know it's a bit much, but I'm dropping it down within the next doc visit). I am E2 sensitive and has caused all kinds of trouble. I'd rather deal with low E2 than the horrors of high E2. Just imagine spending time in a hospital for massive anxiety attacks because of it. So I start off with Anastrazole and 250iu of HCG , not a big deal. Shot was ez, 29g pin was painless. No big changes, didn't expect any yet.

3 days later I bump up my HCG to 300IU and took another dose of AI. Still nothing to write home about. My script is written for 1000IU of HCG every 4 days, but 300iu E3D was a safe start to make sure my body wouldn't have a bad reaction.

****Now things start to get interesting****

Around day 6 or day 7 (I also took a week off from the gym) while at work I started to feel very good and motivated and just had the urge to go to the gym. Picture having energy, not like Red Bull, Monster, or Amp'd Up Energy drinks where you have heart palpitations......but energy like you had when you were 17 when you could run, play basketball, or any other sport where you would sweat....but not feel fatigued. That night I went to the gym and it was unreal. I picked up weights I hadn't touched in 10 years and began doing clean sets of 10-12 reps for 4-5 sets. It was the best feeling on earth, I wasn't in pain, I wasn't fatigued, and I wasn't burned out. A little out of breath and sweaty, but nothing too bad. Recovery time was unreal, I couldn't believe what had happened in just a week. Great workout and felt good, went home and drank plenty of water along with a protein shake. Woke up, didn't feel sore, didn't feel depressed, I truly felt better than I did a week ago. Did I mention morning wood was starting up, that was pretty cool!

Week 2- Still on my protocol of AI every 3rd day along with 300IU of HCG every 3 days. I haven't seen my twins grow in size, but libido is slowly coming back up. With my body reacting well to the HCG and AI, it was time to do give the Cypionate a try. I injected 125mg without any issues, a little pinch since my glute tightened up so I was a bit sore for 3 days. No bruises or infections, felt like sore cramp. It went away by day 3, no big deal. A concern of mine was that I've been told that some ppl react differently to Test and will at times experience panic attacks or anxiety attacks. Just imagine your heart racing for no reason and you have this feeling of not being able to breathe. It really screws you up. That was my cross I've had to carry thanks to me being E2 sensitive. With the AI in my system, I was ready and I had enough anti-anxiety pills on me in the event shit happened. Sure enough 12 hours later, I felt tightness in my chest, shortness of breath, panic feelings. Knowing enough what was coming, I took my meds and that got that under control, not 100% but enough to get my head straight. It was an uncomfortable feeling, but once the anti-anxiety meds kicked in full power.....I was good. Total time feeling like shit, about 3 hours. Here's the kicker....after it passed......I was fine for the whole week! Not sure if it was a reaction to the test or maybe because I tried to taper off my other medication but the whole week was great! I felt awesome, workouts were good, Blood Pressure is getting better, cardio for 30-45 minutes feels great, everything is getting better.

Gains are coming slowly, but I'm in no race! Inch by inch, life's a cinch!

Now with week 3 starting I just injected 100mg of Test just to see if the symptoms reoccur and if so are the not as bad on a smaller dose. Body composition is starting to change. I can see fat deposits on my chests starting to shrink. More parts of my body have less jiggle to them. Strength is very good and is going up each week. I've getting "freak veins" on my arms which I think is from me dropping some fat and putting on some muscle. My appetite is going up, I have to eat nutrient rich, dense meals or I feel like 100% shit. Grilled chicken on rolls with lots of veggies will do the trick, a protein shake or two, and sometimes a chicken parm hero in a pinch for the calories.

On an ending note, some other changes. I find myself drinking much more water everyday. I never used to drink enough water, but now I find myself looking to consume as much water as possible. After cardio, I can down a quart of cold water without any problems. I also feel better and as a plus, no bloating!!!
I'm very happy with the past 2 weeks, I still get tired since I put in a long day of work but I still manage to get to the gym 3-4 days a week. My diet is pretty good, but I need to eat more protein and food that offers more nutrients like fish and beef. Lastly, the HCG has kicked my metabolism in overdrive as I find myself hitting the men's room up to 3 times a day. I know it sounds funny but that's the way it was when I was younger not to mention after all this eating, my scale only varies +/- 3 everyday.

For those who are suffering, keep the faith my friends. After 10 years, I'm starting to feel like the "old me" again. I'll keep everyone updated as I progress!

[stevey_6t9]

glad to hear your happy, i may be blind but whats your weekly dose?

[Alloy]

glad to hear your happy, i may be blind but whats your weekly dose?

125mg of Testosterone Cypionate / Test Propionate Blend (100/25)
300iu HCG E3D
1.5mg Anastrazole E3D
50mg of Pregnenolone Ed

The HCG is scripted for higher (1000IU every 4th day), but I wanted to take everything slowly. It's easier to recover from a low dose adverse reaction than it is from a higher dose. So far aside from the freaky reaction to the Cyp, the HCG is really doing quite well. I might just bump it up to 1000IU every 4th day as scripted to see what results may come.

[Vettester]

Glad for you, Alloy, except with the anxiety stuff. Try a little B-12 in the mix to help the mindset. Are you planning a new set of labs at week 6? Also, give the HCG a little time to help with the testicular atrophy. It was probably 5 or 6 weeks for me before I really noticed some rebound.

[Alloy]

Glad for you, Alloy, except with the anxiety stuff. Try a little B-12 in the mix to help the mindset. Are you planning a new set of labs at week 6? Also, give the HCG a little time to help with the testicular atrophy. It was probably 5 or 6 weeks for me before I really noticed some rebound.

Yes sir, I plan on getting a full CBC/Hormone workup in the next 3 weeks. I need to see where I am so I can dial in everything. I will most defiantly try the B-12. I've heard that there is both sub-q shots and oral for B-12. My B-12 came in at 658 with the upper limit being 960ish. Would bumping it up be worth the effort?
I'll give the HCG more time to kick in, I haven't seen any growth but so far before the test I can say it was helping out a bit.

[Vettester]

You could try the B12 to see how it reacts with you. In my case, I was in the 200's. Of course my Kaiser doc says (like she always says) "Normal", but adding it into my program has been one of the best things I've done. The only B-12 I've worked with is via injection IM.

Too much Anastrozole (IMO). Those guys need to start backing their dosages off a bit. I know one member who got pretty sick by running that protocol. You don't want to get sick. Also, you can skip the test prop. You can easily balance out your regiment by pinning 2x/wk with the same ester like your cyp, which will keep the steady balance you are desiring.

From what I've studied, pregnenolone will work great if you cycle it in for 6 to 8 weeks, then break for a few months. That's how I've gone about it and it's been a great addition to my program.

[JuiceBox12]

Thanks for the post! Really gives me hope that before to long I just may start feeling normal again... If not a little better than normal.

[BillyBob210]

You could try the B12 to see how it reacts with you. In my case, I was in the 200's. Of course my Kaiser doc says (like she always says) "Normal", but adding it into my program has been one of the best things I've done. The only B-12 I've worked with is via injection IM.

Too much Anastrozole (IMO). Those guys need to start backing their dosages off a bit. I know one member who got pretty sick by running that protocol. You don't want to get sick. Also, you can skip the test prop. You can easily balance out your regiment by pinning 2x/wk with the same ester like your cyp, which will keep the steady balance you are desiring.

From what I've studied, pregnenolone will work great if you cycle it in for 6 to 8 weeks, then break for a few months. That's how I've gone about it and it's been a great addition to my program.

What role does this play Vette? Sorry for the highjack!

[Vettester]

What role does this play Vette? Sorry for the highjack!

The Mother of all Hormones ... Will convert downstream to back fill hormonal pathways that have diminished as we've grown older, helping to optimize, balance, and restore the endocrine system as it were at a younger age. Great for cognitive and memory function. It adds some significant dimension when trying to maintain a solid HRT program.

[wakejunkie37]

You could try the B12 to see how it reacts with you. In my case, I was in the 200's. Of course my Kaiser doc says (like she always says) "Normal", but adding it into my program has been one of the best things I've done. The only B-12 I've worked with is via injection IM.

Too much Anastrozole (IMO). Those guys need to start backing their dosages off a bit. I know one member who got pretty sick by running that protocol. You don't want to get sick. Also, you can skip the test prop. You can easily balance out your regiment by pinning 2x/wk with the same ester like your cyp, which will keep the steady balance you are desiring.

From what I've studied, pregnenolone will work great if you cycle it in for 6 to 8 weeks, then break for a few months. That's how I've gone about it and it's been a great addition to my program.

Great info!

[jimmy79]

Hey Alloy! It's been 3 weeks. Going to send us an update + bloodwork? :-)

/j

[jimmyjones]

Quick question about your HCG dosage. I'm new to this, and have just started an HRT regimen (http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...-Advice-Please) and if I do the conversion correctly, my .2mg dose of Genotropin is only .6IU ED, whereas you are 100IU ED? If this is accurate, is mine even going to be worthwhile?

[jimmy79]

Think you are confusing HGH with HCG . You are taking 0.2mg HGH. Alloy is taking HCG.

[frawnz]

Quick question about your HCG dosage. I'm new to this, and have just started an HRT regimen (http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...-Advice-Please) and if I do the conversion correctly, my .2mg dose of Genotropin is only .6IU ED, whereas you are 100IU ED? If this is accurate, is mine even going to be worthwhile?

0.6IU of HGH a day is a waste, IMO.

[jimmy79]

Alloy, where are you?