Some background: I was diagnosed low testosterone with a level below the normal range at age 36. It's been an up and down battle over the past year and three months that I have been on TRT, but, since about a year into it, I have finally started to feel great.
I started out on pellets for the first three months and then switched over to 100mg 1xWk IM injections. Eight months later I added hCG and switched to 2xWk 50mg injections. I don't want to try to predict the future, but I think I *finally* feel and act like the man I want/should be, and I think this is the result of becoming "dialed in".
So why this post? I'd like to share some basic lessons I've learned over the past year that will hopefully give other folks some help who are struggling. TRT was a struggle for me for about a year, to be sure. I had ups and downs in everything from emotions to libido to energy, and I was hoping that TRT would be a "quick fix" which it definitely is not. Obviously, this thwarts happiness and a sense of well-being when one comes at TRT with this perspective.
Thus, the main thing I've learned over the past year is PATIENCE. Patience can be extremely difficult when your hormones are either low or adjusting to new levels, and this can cause anxiety, obsessive behavior, and depression (it did for me). I finally learned to step back and allow for my sense of well-being to be in flux as I sought out the new normal.
The second biggest thing I've learned - which goes hand-in-hand with patience - is that it takes TIME to adjust. Sure, you will feel a good rush a few weeks into TRT, but, if you are like me, it can fade as your body is acclimating to new hormone levels (even if the hormone levels are "in range"). I've found that the initial rush from TRT was not actually what TRT in the long haul feels like... the long haul is actually *much* better!
The things I've found that I think are invaluable to a complete TRT package are the following (in order of importance):
1. Testosterone injections (duh) - preferably 2X a week to introduce a more stable rhythm of testosterone in the body and to mitigate potential E2 issues.
2. hCG (almost as important as #1) - hCG made a VERY big libido improvement for me and made me feel better overall... more emotionally solid, if you will
3. Zinc 50mg/day - helps with E2 control and is good for other reasons as well.
4. Cialis 5 - 10mg/day - this also takes time to adjust to... I had some erectile problems which were my initial impetus to getting a testosterone check, and, while Cialis initially helped, it is not a magic bullet at first... but a steady regimen over time - even up to a year - has really made a difference. Cialis also has mood improvement effects, lowers blood pressure, and lowers risk of prostate cancer.
5. Vitamin D - quite a few health benefits. I take 10 - 12K iu/daily, but a blood test is probably warranted before beginning.
6. Fish oil - good for the heart, I take the liquid stuff and forego the capsules as I want to avoid the filler oils and just get the good stuff.
7. L-arginine and L-citrulline - helps with blood pressure and vascularity... kind of like a little helper for the Cialis.
8. Vitamin B-150 - B vitamins give an energy boost (take them in the morning!) which can help you feel better overall.
This is not a comprehensive list as everyone is different, but this is my complete protocol for now. Putting all of these pieces together over the course of a year and giving them time to work during that year has led me to a great place today. Who knows what tomorrow brings, but I now feel better than I probably have in my entire life.
I hope this helps folks who might be struggling out there - especially those new to TRT who are looking for the easy way to happiness. Patience, time, and the right mix of hormones and supplements can go a long way.
Lastly, I wouldn't have found *any* of this without the folks on this forum like kelkel, bass, Low-T Mike, and austinite. Props to those guys for all their help. I'm sure there are others, too.
As another member once said to me, we are all in this together!
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Originally Posted by kelkel
