Becoming "dialed in"

[ZenFitness]

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!

[bass]

very happy for you Zen, I can relate to where you came from and where you are now. congratulations on your achievement, these kinds of posts makes it all worth spending the time here helping each other. you nailed it when you said Patience, Time and the correct Protocol.

[EverettCD]

Good post, thank you for sharing with us. I agree with Bass, you nailed it Patience, Time & a solid protocol. Patience is my biggest struggle, but it's worth the wait.

[Rusty11]

Great post/ great info, Zen.

[kelkel]

Well said Zen. Glad things have worked out well for you on your journey. Now, keep paying it forward!

[2Sox]

Well said Zen. Glad things have worked out well for you on your journey. Now, keep paying it forward!

Thanks for posting this, Zen. It's very encouraging and makes me stop and think and slow down. Yes, patience is a tough one.

[HRTstudent]

patience is incredibly important! in medicine, it's tough on prescribers because people want something now, to help them today... but testosterone takes time. at best it's weeks, but worse than that is the fact that it can take months to fine tune the estradiol and testosterone balance!

[2Sox]

delete

[LowT Mike]

Patience!!!!! This should be in lights. Every patient is different. If you are expecting the magic bullet outcome and cancel your TRT after a few months your missing out. Even the best practitioners are essentially going in blind at first as every one is different. It takes at least the first 6 months of labs as guidelines to create a symphony of hormones dialing you in. Get dialed in!!! with the trained doc with exceptional medications and be patient. Recipe for success.

[jomamma007]

[QUOTE=ZenFitness;6656076

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.

[/QUOTE]

I can definitely agree, being 3 months in trying to get dialed in I'm totally OCD about the whole situation. Sometimes I wonder if my anxiety is caused just by always trying to figure out the perfect protocol.

Thanks for the post, gives me hope knowing that it took a year for you to start feeling great, and I'm glad you do bud!