On the fence about TRT

[NotARobot]

43 yo male, did a handful of cycles in my early 20's but eventually stopped after excessive side effects in my last 2 cycles. I let myself go for the last 5 years and decided to get back into shape this year. I've been steadily cutting weight for the last 9 months and I've dropped from 296 to currently 206 at 22%bf. The goal was to settle in around 190 at 12-13%bf. Over the last 3 months I have been losing far more muscle than desired. I was initially losing 1 pound for every 8lbs of fat, then it dropped to 4, then 2, and now it's coming off at 1:1. I've been shifting my calories and macros for the last 3 months trying to solve the problem, I've even cut back my caloric deficit to only lose 1lb a week vs 2lbs. But it is becoming painfully obvious that I just can't hold the muscle, and I would have to go down to the low 170s to get my bf where I want it to be. That just isn't a good weight for me at 6'1"

I'm getting bloodwork done this week but I already know my test isn't optimal. It was 320 when I last had it checked 2 years ago. I'm hesitant to do TRT because I had so many side effects when I ran gear 20 years ago. The acne was insane and my skin never fully recovered. I still struggle with it from time to time. Of course, I was running 600-800mg a week of cyp/enanthate + whatever else I was stacking. Then when I added tren, things really went off the rails. Had some progesterone gyno issues with tren, but never really had any estrogen gyno issues.

So, as a guy with a history of side effects, how valid are my concerns about TRT? I struggle with some depression issues, but getting the weight off has made a big improvement so I actually "feel" decent right now. My energy is better than it was a year ago and I don't feel like I need the TRT to feel better(although I might and don't know what I'm missing). It's mostly just about wanting to get back into good enough shape to feel good about myself again. The other thing that worries me is that if I start it and get positive results, I may not be happy at 190 and may end up chasing 230 at 8-10% again and eventually be pushing tren again and eating clenbuterol like pez. That's not a life I want to fall back into.

[956Vette]

Great intro and congrats on getting back in shape! Lots has changed in twenty years, it's harder to find users/advocates of veterinary or underground/3rd world country products like tren and clen. Nowadays 100mg/week of testosterone is regarded as normal TRT, and for those pushing, your doctor likely won't have issues prescribing 50mg/wk nandrolone. In the end, your concerns are 100% valid as there are many risks and most of us fight side effects for life. Best of luck!

[ToTheBuckeT21]

I went on TRT a few months ago similar to you. I was prescribed 200mg a week which I started with then decided I really didn't need to be that high so I started banking like 60mg each week and doing 140mg a week and feel freakin amazing. My sex drive is insane and maybe it's placebo but just felt better working out and started looking more tone overall.

With the extra that I banked I was able to bump it up to 300mg a week for a short 8-10 week "cycle" during the summer months. I know guys on here used to always bash the "low dose" test runs saying 500mg or nothing, but I saw great results with ZERO side effects. I also would struggle from acne and gyno in the past but haven't had any issues.

I get 200mg of test cyp a week, gonadorelin, and arimidex which is mixed into the test. I get a shipment once every other month with everything I need including pins. I think I pay $125 a month, and the bloodwork is covered. Mad I didn't do it sooner, gave me a new lease on life.

[NotARobot]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I'll probably steer clear of the nandrolone if I go the TRT route. I used to hold so much water on Deca. Like a water buffalo!! I've read on here some guys are using Anavar and Proviron as part of their TRT. Used to love both of those but not sure I would want to mess with any orals. I think test only low and slow would be the max I'm willing to ease into right now.

How trustworthy are most of the products from these TRT clinics? I know it used to be really hard getting real Proviron back in the day. So many fakes

[Iranon]

You are a man, not a boy anymore so learn from the past. You make TRT sound like a possible addiction, it is not.

TRT will not give you gyno Or exacerbate your gyno if you use it right.

Run 60mg Monday and Friday, use 0.25 arimidex 24-30 hours post IM or nolvadex.

[NotARobot]

I know that the TRT isn't the addiction, my personality is the addiction. I'm the classic "if some is good, more will be better" guy. I worry that I'll start out using it appropriately just to maintain an optimal T level so I don't lose muscle mass. Then I want 5 more pound so I push it. Then 5 more so a push it more and toss in a little something extra. I like to thing I'm smarter and more mature than I was 20 years ago, but that idiot still lives in my brain somewhere and I don't want to let him out!!

The acne worries me more than the gyno. I've seen alot of guys saying running 20mg ED keeps that acne in check. I think I'm just going to try it, get a few rounds of blood work, assess and adjust, and if after 6 months I'm not happy with any aspects I'll come off and do a PCT.

[956Vette]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I'll probably steer clear of the nandrolone if I go the TRT route. I used to hold so much water on Deca. Like a water buffalo!! I've read on here some guys are using Anavar and Proviron as part of their TRT. Used to love both of those but not sure I would want to mess with any orals. I think test only low and slow would be the max I'm willing to ease into right now.

How trustworthy are most of the products from these TRT clinics? I know it used to be really hard getting real Proviron back in the day. So many fakes

Low dose nandrolone shouldn't be feared, water retention is a myth. Always like keeping a stash of var around for special occasions. Trust is at all time highs from TRT clinics/compounding pharmacies (FDA appears to be harassing other niches), very little fraud/misbranding within industry afaik.

[Cylon357]

I went on TRT a few months ago similar to you. I was prescribed 200mg a week which I started with then decided I really didn't need to be that high so I started banking like 60mg each week and doing 140mg a week and feel freakin amazing. My sex drive is insane and maybe it's placebo but just felt better working out and started looking more tone overall.

With the extra that I banked I was able to bump it up to 300mg a week for a short 8-10 week "cycle" during the summer months. I know guys on here used to always bash the "low dose" test runs saying 500mg or nothing, but I saw great results with ZERO side effects. I also would struggle from acne and gyno in the past but haven't had any issues.

I get 200mg of test cyp a week, gonadorelin, and arimidex which is mixed into the test. I get a shipment once every other month with everything I need including pins. I think I pay $125 a month, and the bloodwork is covered. Mad I didn't do it sooner, gave me a new lease on life.

I don't think anyone would harsh on a 300mg test blast if you are on trt. The harsh would come from someone natty hopping on a 200 to 300 mg test only "cycle" and then griping about how they did not see much.

[kelkel]

I went on TRT a few months ago similar to you. I was prescribed 200mg a week which I started with then decided I really didn't need to be that high so I started banking like 60mg each week and doing 140mg a week and feel freakin amazing. My sex drive is insane and maybe it's placebo but just felt better working out and started looking more tone overall.

With the extra that I banked I was able to bump it up to 300mg a week for a short 8-10 week "cycle" during the summer months. I know guys on here used to always bash the "low dose" test runs saying 500mg or nothing, but I saw great results with ZERO side effects. I also would struggle from acne and gyno in the past but haven't had any issues.

I get 200mg of test cyp a week, gonadorelin, and arimidex which is mixed into the test. I get a shipment once every other month with everything I need including pins. I think I pay $125 a month, and the bloodwork is covered. Mad I didn't do it sooner, gave me a new lease on life.

That's the only thing I disagree with. Odds are on TRT you don't need adex. Estrogen a bit over range is fine. It's healthy.

[almostgone]

I went on TRT a few months ago similar to you. I was prescribed 200mg a week which I started with then decided I really didn't need to be that high so I started banking like 60mg each week and doing 140mg a week and feel freakin amazing. My sex drive is insane and maybe it's placebo but just felt better working out and started looking more tone overall.

With the extra that I banked I was able to bump it up to 300mg a week for a short 8-10 week "cycle" during the summer months. I know guys on here used to always bash the "low dose" test runs saying 500mg or nothing, but I saw great results with ZERO side effects. I also would struggle from acne and gyno in the past but haven't had any issues.

I get 200mg of test cyp a week, gonadorelin, and arimidex which is mixed into the test. I get a shipment once every other month with everything I need including pins. I think I pay $125 a month, and the bloodwork is covered. Mad I didn't do it sooner, gave me a new lease on life.

Royal Medical?

[almostgone]

I went on TRT a few months ago similar to you. I was prescribed 200mg a week which I started with then decided I really didn't need to be that high so I started banking like 60mg each week and doing 140mg a week and feel freakin amazing. My sex drive is insane and maybe it's placebo but just felt better working out and started looking more tone overall.

With the extra that I banked I was able to bump it up to 300mg a week for a short 8-10 week "cycle" during the summer months. I know guys on here used to always bash the "low dose" test runs saying 500mg or nothing, but I saw great results with ZERO side effects. I also would struggle from acne and gyno in the past but haven't had any issues.

I get 200mg of test cyp a week, gonadorelin, and arimidex which is mixed into the test. I get a shipment once every other month with everything I need including pins. I think I pay $125 a month, and the bloodwork is covered. Mad I didn't do it sooner, gave me a new lease on life.

That's the only thing I disagree with. Odds are on TRT you don't need adex. Estrogen a bit over range is fine. It's healthy.

Same here. Most of the places I've seen compounding the a'dex in with the testosterone are cramming in anywhere from .25mg to .5mg mg of anastrozole per ml of test cyp.If they ever have to adjust their AI dosage, it requires an adjustment in T dosage since the two are tied together.

The guys where I work like it though and have some great free T values, but I have my fingers crossed they don't get hit with low E2 symptoms.

[NotARobot]

Yeah, I'm a fan of keeping compounds separate. I started a cycle once with Sustanon back in the day and it wasn't going as well as I expected and I didn't really know how to make adjustments because I didn't know if it was just bad gear or if it was an individual ester in the blend. I ended up slowly switching it over to enanthate over the next 3 weeks and salvaged the cycle. After that I never used anything blended.