Considering going on TRT to reach "optimal levels"

[MMA_Influenced]

29 years old..

471 total test
13.1 free (lab corp)

My numbers came up from the last test i did (my first) so im not as upset but i did consult a trt doctor.

I was told i shouldnt worry about being on test because i can come off of it.. they would prescribe me to take HCG the whole time to ensure my body doesnt lose the ability to produce testosterone .

Honsestly.. i cant lie.. im kind of interested in all that. More energy.. better results in the gym..

Anyone in my situation go for it? Also is my test levels in a range that i could get a tremendous body without TRT?

Im almost 30 years old.. im planning to go for broke.. I made the decision that i was going to get in the shape of my life.. i checked my test levels.. initially i wasnt thrilled. 471 total test and 9.1 free but this was taken after basically starving myself on a cut and also at around 3pm.

Im not sure if 1 week was enough time for my body to recover.m but anyway what do you think?

Am i being lied to? Can i go on trt and come off of it as long as im using hcg?

[kelkel]

Sure you can come off, but there's no guarantee you'll return to otherwise normal levels. Yes, HCG will keep your testicals functioning when on Test but it does nothing for your Hypothalamus / Pituitary, which will shut down in the presence of exogenous testosterone . For that you'd need SERMS such as Clomid and Nolvadex to help restart their function. They can restart on their own but the process is obviously much slower during which time you're left with very limited T production and a fast pass to losing gains.

If you're really concerned about your actual levels then you need to test them first thing in the morning. Endogenous test is produced in a diurnal nature and therefore will be higher in the morning. The younger you are the greater the change in levels can be from morning to night. Who knows, you could be a couple hundred points higher at 0800hrs. Main thing to worry about here is your free T though as that is what works for you.

When it comes to BW, consider getting thorough BW done as in the Finding A Doc sticky at the top of this forum. That way you'll know if anything else is suppressing production as well.

[MMA_Influenced]

I have 13.1 free test. And 481 total test (it was done in the morning 9am)

Is 471 too low for good gains? Interestingly it appeaes that having 13.1 free test acctually would make me avove average for my age group that i found... i dont know its weird

[kelkel]

What's the range on your free T? Remember, total T doesn't matter. If your FT is up there you're good to go.

[MMA_Influenced]

What's the range on your free T? Remember, total T doesn't matter. If your FT is up there you're good to go.

The reference range was 9.3-26.5 pg/mL Originally I scored a 9.1 but then I went in the morning and got 13.1

So am I on the low end?

Also I found a website that claims average Total T at 670 for my age (roughly) and Free test at 12.1 (Im 13.1) So what I don't understand though is .. was that 12.1 using the same reference range as my labcorp test? I can't figure it out.

How is 13.1 in that range? Average? Slightly below? Below? Slightly ahead?

[MMA_Influenced]

Wait a minute! The paper says 6.6-26.5... I read online 9.3-26.5 but now Il seeing 6.6-26.5 and I got 13.1 ng/dl

[InternalFire]

If I read correct, you're on twice the free test levels than I am, Im turning 30 soon, and my total test was 382 ng/dl and free test was 7.94 ng/dl, however struggling I was I am very slowly progressing and I have not been so lucky with any of the docs even talking about any TRT option, not even finding the culprit, so you're pretty good my man, with your natty test levels and options available to you, I would say you worry too much, so dont. Sort your diet and stick to it at least for a good few months however difficult that would be and run tests properly again, plan it all well, this will give you a safe-fail proof discovering your exact situation you may be in a better position than you envision

[Mr.BB]

Like Kel said there is no guarantees that after a few years of TRT you are able to restart production. The TRT doctor you consulted was doing a poor job IMHO, he should have advised you on trying to increase your current levels a bit, like taking vit D, lifestyle, diet, etc. But instead he is just trying to increase his profit.

[Crowbar62]

Like Kel said there is no guarantees that after a few years of TRT you are able to restart production. The TRT doctor you consulted was doing a poor job IMHO, he should have advised you on trying to increase your current levels a bit, like taking vit D, lifestyle, diet, etc. But instead he is just trying to increase his profit.

I can personalty attest to this. The Dr who put me on TRT said there would be no lasting effects if I decided to stop, he also did not consult with me about my BF% and the roll that it plays in the whole equation. He simply prescribed me Test C and told me to take 200mg every week. Six months later he tested me for Vit D and I was low. I stopped the TRT on my own because I felt no difference at all and was frustrated. I don't know how much damage if any was caused by this, but I hope to find out soon (just ordered my own blood work). I would recommend finding out where you are and have a good idea of where you want to be, then finding a Dr that will work with you and is knowledgeable about hormones.

[MMA_Influenced]

Wait a minute! The paper says 6.6-26.5... I read online 9.3-26.5 but now Il seeing 6.6-26.5 and I got 13.1 ng/dl

Sorry it was 9.3-26.5.

Does this change anything?

[MMA_Influenced]

Like Kel said there is no guarantees that after a few years of TRT you are able to restart production. The TRT doctor you consulted was doing a poor job IMHO, he should have advised you on trying to increase your current levels a bit, like taking vit D, lifestyle, diet, etc. But instead he is just trying to increase his profit.

I possibly could double my free t and triple my total t.. that could lead to some very nice gains and for an overall better quality of life.

Lets be honest.. If i have way more energy and have a 6 pack my life would be much more to smile about i can tell you that... and many more women may come smiling too.

You only live once.. im starting to think responsible use of trt can sognificantly improve my health and quality of life.. i have some concerns but .. is what it is... i cant help it.. the forbidden fruit is tempting

[MMA_Influenced]

I can personalty attest to this. The Dr who put me on TRT said there would be no lasting effects if I decided to stop, he also did not consult with me about my BF% and the roll that it plays in the whole equation. He simply prescribed me Test C and told me to take 200mg every week. Six months later he tested me for Vit D and I was low. I stopped the TRT on my own because I felt no difference at all and was frustrated. I don't know how much damage if any was caused by this, but I hope to find out soon (just ordered my own blood work). I would recommend finding out where you are and have a good idea of where you want to be, then finding a Dr that will work with you and is knowledgeable about hormones.

Thanks for responding.. this is very important to hear from someone whos been through it.

Did you get your test results back in while on trt? What was your T/free T levels. Also what was the issue with low vitamin D? Isnt that a simple fix?

You saw no results in the gym either? I would expect noticable gains if my free t doubled or tripled.

[Crowbar62]

Thanks for responding.. this is very important to hear from someone whos been through it.

Did you get your test results back in while on trt? What was your T/free T levels. Also what was the issue with low vitamin D? Isnt that a simple fix?

You saw no results in the gym either? I would expect noticable gains if my free t doubled or tripled.

I would have to look up the exact numbers but they were very very low before I started the TRT. When I got my blood work done while on TRT it had gone up, but was still very low, so my Dr just increased the dosage and frequency of the injections. I was not lifting at the time so I can't give any feedback on that point. I don't know what was up with the low Vit D but he just prescribed me a once per week high dosage capsule, I think it's 50,000IU, and told me to take a daily 10,000IU OTC.

My doctors complete lack of understanding hormones and the fact that he never even looked for the cause is why I stopped the TRT. The route I am going down now is getting my own blood work, a full panel from kelkel's sticky. I actually ordered the blood work and had it drawn at the lab on Tuesday so I hope to get the results back next week. When I get it back I am going to post the results here for kelkel and others to look over and get their advice and decided on what I need and want, and then I am going to find a doctor that understands what they are doing and is willing to work with me to get me the treatment I want and need. I'm very curious how my levels are going to be on the blood work.

[Crowbar62]

I just looked up my numbers. Total Testosterone : 78, the highest it ever got while on TRT was 198. Free Testosterone: 10.7, the highest it ever got while on TRT was 11.2.

Vit D was 15.9, after taking the 50k IU once per week and the 10k IU once per day for six months it was 59.8.

Keep in mind that this Dr never looked for the cause of my very low T and that he put me on a horrible treatment plan.

[MMA_Influenced]

I just looked up my numbers. Total Testosterone : 78, the highest it ever got while on TRT was 198. Free Testosterone: 10.7, the highest it ever got while on TRT was 11.2.

Vit D was 15.9, after taking the 50k IU once per week and the 10k IU once per day for six months it was 59.8.

Keep in mind that this Dr never looked for the cause of my very low T and that he put me on a horrible treatment plan.

Sounds to me you werent getting enough Test. The anti aging clinic wanted to shoot me up to 1200 Total test and High 20's Free TEST.

Of course you didnt feel different. Get on the TRT with a good doctor you definitely need it.. good luck to you. I mean hell I fell like shit at 483 were Im at now. Cant imagine how you feel.

[LeeSin1]

TRT has the ability to change your life but in a lot of cases I feel as though it doesn't do AS MUCH as you might think it would. It definitely helped me but I didn't exactly turn into the demigod I thought it would turn me into. Haha

[Crowbar62]

Sounds to me you werent getting enough Test. The anti aging clinic wanted to shoot me up to 1200 Total test and High 20's Free TEST.

Of course you didnt feel different. Get on the TRT with a good doctor you definitely need it.. good luck to you. I mean hell I fell like shit at 483 were Im at now. Cant imagine how you feel.

Yeah I don't think I was on enough Test. I'm also wondering what might have been going on with my estrogen levels. I ordered a complete lab and had blood drawn on the 2nd so I'm hoping to get the results back soon. I hope my test levels are higher because I've dropped quite a bit of weight.

With your clinic wanting to get you to 1200 total and high 20's free did they talk about prescribing an AI or did you discuss it at all? It's one of my main concerns at the moment so I'm just curious.

[Crowbar62]

TRT has the ability to change your life but in a lot of cases I feel as though it doesn't do AS MUCH as you might think it would. It definitely helped me but I didn't exactly turn into the demigod I thought it would turn me into. Haha

Yeah I know a lot of people who are on TRT who have said it does not do as much as they had hoped. I think mostly it's people just wishing they were still 25 and when they don't feel like that it's disappointing. For me, I just want to feel better than I do now and treat some of the symptoms. Mostly mental and sexual symptoms but with some luck a few physical benefits would be welcome.

[Proximal]

Yeah I know a lot of people who are on TRT who have said it does not do as much as they had hoped. I think mostly it's people just wishing they were still 25 and when they don't feel like that it's disappointing. For me, I just want to feel better than I do now and treat some of the symptoms. Mostly mental and sexual symptoms but with some luck a few physical benefits would be welcome.

I'm guessing that maybe what some of the "youngsters" have pre-conceived about TRT, would be what us "older folks" have possibly raved about regarding changes due to TRT (particularly in the advertisements for TRT). Again guessing, but I think it would come down to how low your T levels were and for how long they were low - that would help dictate how much you feel TRT helped or didn't help. At 57, I feel the changes have been profound and nothing short of amazing. However, as always, I put in serious work at the gym and do not miss workouts (not saying that anyone above has).Without that and an almost impeccable diet, for me personally, I don't believe the TRT would be worth the time & cost.

[MMA_Influenced]

TRT has the ability to change your life but in a lot of cases I feel as though it doesn't do AS MUCH as you might think it would. It definitely helped me but I didn't exactly turn into the demigod I thought it would turn me into. Haha

But did you keep to your workouts and also have a very good consistent diet??

[MMA_Influenced]

Yeah I don't think I was on enough Test. I'm also wondering what might have been going on with my estrogen levels. I ordered a complete lab and had blood drawn on the 2nd so I'm hoping to get the results back soon. I hope my test levels are higher because I've dropped quite a bit of weight.

With your clinic wanting to get you to 1200 total and high 20's free did they talk about prescribing an AI or did you discuss it at all? It's one of my main concerns at the moment so I'm just curious.

Yes AI + HCG not sure if Im allowed to post my source here but it is a very well known nationwide source with offices in every state. You can easily get them too. If Im allowed Ill post here if not we can talk PM

[MMA_Influenced]

Yeah I know a lot of people who are on TRT who have said it does not do as much as they had hoped. I think mostly it's people just wishing they were still 25 and when they don't feel like that it's disappointing. For me, I just want to feel better than I do now and treat some of the symptoms. Mostly mental and sexual symptoms but with some luck a few physical benefits would be welcome.

How about energy? Its one of my main issues.. Im just tired all the time and I dont work a physical job.. meanwhile some of my friends seem like they have endless energy.