TRT causing depression.

[SweepTheLegJohnny]

I've been on a solid TRT protocol for about a year now:

100mgs of Test/week
500ius of hcg/week.

My blood work is all kosher: testosterone is coming in at between 600-800 between peak and trough and e2 is well under control: 19 pg/mL without an AI.

However, I am finding that straight test without the hcg causes me to become quite depressed. I've run into this problem before but always attributed it to high e2 which isn't the case. I ran short on my hcg for a week, took my normal dosage of test and fell into a funk for about a week; it subsided several days after my last injection.

I am currently on 150mgs of Lamictal and 2mgs of Klonopin for treatment resistant depression and anxiety. We will begin gradually tapering off of the psychiatric meds here shortly as my doc and I think that my low test (250) was the cause of my issues.

So, I'm starting to wonder if there isn't an interaction between the test and the medications. I know that testosterone lowers cortisol levels considerably and that the Klonopin inhibits certain neurotransmitters such as epinephrine. So, I could be seriously knocking down the neurotransmitters that are produced by adrenal hormones.

Has anyone else dealt with this issue? Would supplementing with DHEA and/or pregnelone help with this issue should it arise again?

Thanks,

Johnny.

[Mr.BB]

What was the reason for low testosterone in the first place? What was your diagnostic?

Were you primary or secundary? Or you lost your testosterone from steroid usage?

Low T is a symptom not a disease, if you dont fix the underlying problem it probably wont solve it self by patching it with testosterone.

[kelkel]

Yes to your last sentence:



LE Magazine, November 2005 - All About Supplements: Pregnenolone

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pregnenolone for bipolar depression. - PubMed - NCBI

[SweepTheLegJohnny]

It was secondary hypogonadism from pro-hormone and steroid use.

I really do believe that my issues arise from lost testosterone: I wish I would have addressed that before psychotropics but that was a long time ago. Hind sight is 20/20.

For example, the hcg does not mix well with the Lamictal. I didn't realize this until I missed a dose of Lamictal on an injection day and felt friggin fantastic. So, there's definitely some interactions going on between the medications. I am hoping to be off of the psychotropics within a year and just doing the hormone therapy.

[SweepTheLegJohnny]

So.. I am officially out of hCG and won't be able to refill for another 2 weeks.

I am hesitant to continue with the testosterone as the depression on/day after injection day has been rough. Do you folks think that the pregnelone would be effective at staving off the depression until I get more hCG? I see that it affects neurotransmitters and hormones in much the same way hCG does (without the testicular stimulation). I do plan on supplementing with pregnelone but I don't know that I want to risk another depression bout caused by a test injection.

[kelkel]

Why not consider reducing the amount injected. Cut it in half and inject twice per week. Maybe this will minimize the negative effects? Re DHEA and Preg all you can do it try. Top docs all recommend back-filling pathways with them. Make sure you purchase micronized products for best absorption.

[SweepTheLegJohnny]

I've been cutting back on the dosage: I'm only injecting 25mgs twice a week versus my usual 50mgs twice a week.

I only have this issue when I don't have hCG on board as it does such a nice job of back-filling those pathways.

Part of my hesitation is the Lamictal: it doesn't mesh well with the hCG or anything else that has effects adrenal hormones and/or neurotransmitters.