How did you feel from the time you started TRT until you were dialed in?

[miker295]

Hi,

I'm curious as to how everyone felt the first few weeks of TRT, and how you knew you were dialed in? How long did that take? How did you feel before hand? I've been on a bit of a roller coaster in terms of weight (which I wrote another thread about) as well as mood/anxiousness but am interested in other experiences folks have had. Is there an adaptation period which can be rocky but then smooths out on its own, or if I feel like things are off now is that a sign I should make a change?

Thanks!

[64509chvl]

It was like a roller coaster ride for me the first few weeks! Things calmed around 6 weeks & felt pretty good...nothing drastic, but noticeable no doubt! Biggest thing I noticed was improvements in the gym which was the thing I didn't expect too much of, so I was surprised there.

So my doc upped my dose & I started feeling GREAT for about 4 weeks, then my libido slowed a little bit & just don't feel as good. So obviously I will be dropping the dose back down a little after I see bloods. Don't think I'm far off though!

I said I don't feel as good...I don't feel bad by any means, just not as good as I did about a week ago. I guess it's just kind of an anxious feeling that doesn't belong, lol...if that makes any sense?!

I also gained about 10 pounds in the first few weeks without changing diet...strictly eating @ maintenance, sure it was just a bunch if water weight! Never bloated...simply water weight.

[miker295]

That's the kind of stuff I'm interested in hearing...thanks for the reply. Can you describe "roller coaster ride" further? I definitely feel like that myself to the point that I'm considering stopping TRT. I am trying to determine if I'm just reacting badly to it or if there is an adaptation period that I just need to muscle through. Did the water weight come off after the first few weeks or are you still up 10lbs?

[Times Roman]

i tried to not pay too much attention to the short term effects. my doc started me on 200mg/cyp eow. then after two months or so, cut it in half, but twice as frequently.

I think you will be more interested in the long term effects. even without going to the gym, some experience a reduction in bf%, which makes your appearance look less flabby and more muscular. even just as important, are other benefits. like an increase in bone density %. Overall, going on TRT will provide many youthful benefits.

So don't be too judgmental in the early stages. You can expect the full benefits to take up to three years.

[bass]

for me it was like a rollercoaster until I lowered my dose and things got better from there.

[BallSak]

Give it time. After titrating up for 7-8 months I finally felt really good and stable. Our bodies need time to adjust, you just have to have patience while you figure out what you need.

[Times Roman]

Give it time. After titrating up for 7-8 months I finally felt really good and stable. Our bodies need time to adjust, you just have to have patience while you figure out what you need.

how many mg/week does that come out to for you?

[BallSak]

how many mg/week does that come out to for you?

200mg/week split into two injections puts me in the 900s 3.5 days post injection.

[64509chvl]

That's the kind of stuff I'm interested in hearing...thanks for the reply. Can you describe "roller coaster ride" further? I definitely feel like that myself to the point that I'm considering stopping TRT. I am trying to determine if I'm just reacting badly to it or if there is an adaptation period that I just need to muscle through. Did the water weight come off after the first few weeks or are you still up 10lbs?

Roller coaster thing is just having diferent feeling at times, diferent emotions, I believe I felt a huge rush of Dopamine for a bit...all kinds of diferent things! Nothing bad, but like mentioned...don't worry about the first few weeks...its just part of the whole thing.

I wouldn't stop already! If you're low & felt like shit, you're just gonna get lower & feel more like shit, lol! You have to get dialed in to feel good, but like these vets here say, it takes patience & time...I read that all the time. I was kinda the same way in the very beginning...it's a huge decision & nothing to be taken lightly! It is for the rest of your life...you need to be ready mentally to take the plunge. I still wish that I started atleast 2-3 years ago!

Definitely an adaption phase with this...really doubt you're reacting badly! The 10 lbs I gained is still there, lol! Not a bad thing though & doesn't bother me. I actually look a little leaner & my lifts in the gym have progressed really good...put it this way. In the last 6 months before TRT I was stuck at a 10 rep max on bench of 190lbs...last week I rep'd 210 11 times. Incline went from 155, 10 reps to 180, 11 reps. Front squats 150, 10 reps to 190 10 reps. This was all something I didn't expect so I'm thrilled that the gym had such great improvements...if ya look good, ya feel good !

Also, I'm only 11 weeks in so still getting dialed myself!

[Brett N]

First few weeks I felt nothing. Week 5 or so I started to notice definite mood improvement and a better sense of well being. Had a better outlook on life. A couple weeks later I kinda lost that feeling and started having the opposite feeling. Blood work showed that my estrogen was a little low. Kelkel, Doc and I thought that lowering my AI would help this. After making that adjustment I felt great. This would have been around the 8-9 week mark.

I still feel good, mood is good, strength has improved. (almost 5 months into TRT now) My wanting to be a better me is making the improvements on myself. The TRT makes me feel better but the excess weight coming off and the muscle going on is a matter of nutrition and getting my ass off the couch and working out. TRT is just a tool that helps to aid the process. Kinda like a hammer, if you don't pick that bastard up and drive some nails...you aren't going to build shit no matter how good that hammer is.

TRT is not a steroid cycle, don't expect to see dramatic change in 6 weeks. Make small adjustments with your doctor, educate yourself on what is happening to your body, ask questions and be patient to see changes. They are slow and do not come on suddenly. If you change a dose today, don't expect it to kick in when you wake up tomorrow. The rest of your life is a long time. Spending 6 months to get your numbers where they need to be to feel like the ideal you is not a huge sacrifice to feel like you will.

[17chester6]

Funny you should ask how I feel. Disillusioned is the best word. I had low normal T and subnormal free T. I'm on T cypionate 50 mg twice weekly and DHEA 25 mg daily. I'm into week six and blood work will be drawn Thursday so I'm not throwing in the towel just yet. I have chronicled the changes that I noticed and perhaps if people are interested I can post them in a couple of weeks when I have blood results back that might explain how I have been feeling.
Suffice it to say I initially felt great, I then noticed what I thought were high E effects, then the positive changes dissipated and I am left feeling uncharacteristically low and yet the supposed high E feelings have also gone. I really don't understand it.
Perhaps I need to change what I am taking, but I have persevered as per instructions on the forum to take things slowly and to change one thing at a time. The blood work results will be interesting, but if they are in the therapeutic range and yet I feel this way then I see no point in continue to taking TRT.

[Brett N]

I think the blood work will reveal a lot - my guess is either your estrogen is too low or too high. Symptoms are pretty similar from what I have read. Don't give up now, you are still in the early stage. First blood work is just a milestone.

[miker295]

I think the blood work will reveal a lot - my guess is either your estrogen is too low or too high. Symptoms are pretty similar from what I have read. Don't give up now, you are still in the early stage. First blood work is just a milestone.

Yeah I definitely think that too. Doc sent me in for labs and unfortunately the lab ran the wrong E test, so it just told me "<50" which could mean 49 or 0. But that was 7 days post shot when I was coming down - anxiety seems to spike 48-72 hours post shot. So he cut the shots in half, but he problem know is I'm 72 hours post the first half shot, anxious as hell, and I'm right around the time I should take my next shot. So I'm not sure if I should take it or not. I feel a little better today than yesterday, so maybe by tomorrow AM (when I should take the shot) I'll feel better still.

In any case, it seems like I am noticing effects very quickly after getting the shot - far different from the weeks or months that others have experienced, and am curious if I'm an outlier. My issue starting out was not with low T, but with low free T and high E, so maybe that is making me more susceptible to noticing impacts quicker?