First Cycle/TRT

[mattb82]

Hello,

I am looking for some feedback from experienced members. I am 33 yo 6"3 and 220, former gym rat through my 20's and have completely gone downhill since having kids. I consistently maintained this weight at around 12% bodyfat until my early 30's. Currently at 21% bf and getting back into exercise. I went to an anti aging clinic a month ago to look at my options to help with the general lack of energy and joint pain I have daily. By lack of energy I mean a true lack of energy non related to sleep deprivation due to a 6 month old. I played college baseball and was heavy into mma for a few years and my body is a little beat up at this point. Bloodwork from the clininc showed the following:

Total Test 392, free test 9. Total Cholesterol 204 a little high, liver enzymes were a little high with the ALT at 88 but the AST was fine at 32. I have a history of fatty liver but it is easily controlled for me with a healthy diet. The Total Cholesterol and ALT levels will absolutely go down with a month of cardio and clean eating for me. I am typically able to put on muscle and lose fat fairly quickly. All other labwork was within the normal range. I also have a dysautonomia that causes the blood vessels to not constrict and dialate properly sometimes that can lead to tachycardia and once every blue moon afib, this is controlled though beta blockers. The doctor at the clinic is looking to start me on a weekly injection of Test Cyp with an AI and HCG throughout the 2.5 month cycle to see how I feel and get me back on track. They run labs on a monthly basis and are very professional.

My questions are as follows after giving the background info:

1: With all of the research ive done there doesn't seem to be a link between Test in moderate levels and increasing heart rate or heart attack risks.
2. Should I wait and drop into the 195 range and a healthy bodyfat percentage to minimize sides and then build from a clean base. I can typically drop 10-12 pounds per month through a clean diet and exercise.
3. Should I wait altogether until my total test level is in the toilet later in life and just go on trt at that time. I don't plan on anything longer than 10 weeks currently as we want to have more kids.
4. How long will it take for the unit to start working again after the cycle to be able to have kids again.
5. General risk when taken in moderate doses. Don't really want my kid to not have a dad around.

Any feedback would be great, I'm not rushing into this and want to make an educated decision. There is plenty of info out there but sometimes the best info comes from personal experience. I know my diet has been shitty and I have cleaned that up at this point, have been heavy cardio for about 3 weeks and have gone from 231 to 220 in that time.

Thank You,

[OingoBoingo]

Not really happy with your blood work. Would like to see more; LH, FSH, DHT Vitamin D, and so on. Check out the Finding a Physician sticky for a list of recommended tests.

If you have low Testosterone , what is the cause? If it's something that can be fixed, fix it! Much better to resolve any issues than start a lifetime of TRT.

To respond to your questions:

1: With all of the research ive done there doesn't seem to be a link between Test in moderate levels and increasing heart rate or heart attack risks.

I would agree. And if your E2 is currently high, reducing it to mid-range (20-30) could lower your odds significantly.

2. Should I wait and drop into the 195 range and a healthy bodyfat percentage to minimize sides and then build from a clean base. I can typically drop 10-12 pounds per month through a clean diet and exercise.

If your Testosterone is low and you are just starting TRT, don't think about blasting until you are dialed-in. Blasting before you're dialed-in will just complicate things for you and your doctor. Additionally, if you're diet is good, significant improvement can be made as Testosterone levels rise. Take advantage of what you can before blasting.

3. Should I wait altogether until my total test level is in the toilet later in life and just go on trt at that time. I don't plan on anything longer than 10 weeks currently as we want to have more kids.

At your age, if my Testosterone was low, I would want to fix it if I could, and if not, start TRT. TRT is not birth control. Include hCG in your protocol to maintain fertility. Freeze sperm if you're worried. And don't think about blasting until you're dialed-in.

4. How long will it take for the unit to start working again after the cycle to be able to have kids again.

Continue hCG while blasting, but again, don't worry about blasting until you're dialed-in.

5. General risk when taken in moderate doses. Don't really want my kid to not have a dad around.

If your Testosterone is low and you find your sweet spot, you will be happier and healthier. And remember it's not the dose, it's your numbers and more importantly how you feel. Start low and titrate slowly.

I hope that helps.

[OingoBoingo]

Just curious: Any previous cycle experience?

[OingoBoingo]

The doctor at the clinic is looking to start me on a weekly injection of Test Cyp with an AI and HCG throughout the 2.5 month cycle to see how I feel and get me back on track. They run labs on a monthly basis and are very professional.

Don't worry about professional, worry about competent.

2.5 month cycle? What's that?

Start with low doses and titrate slowly. Dr. Gordon starts his patients at 60mg per week. Dr. Crisler a little more. I like hCG 100IU daily because I like to keep the boys stimulated.

If you start with a low dose of Testosterone , you may not require an AI. My advice is to not take an AI unless E2 is high. Supplement Zinc 80mg spread throughout the day. Stay away from alcohol.

[mattb82]

Hi Oingo,

Thank You for the reply. I have never run a cycle before, only supps from GNC. Creatine, Protein, no prohormones. They seem to be very competent here with explaining the program and answering questions. Very accessable here, doctor and manager both give out contact info in case of questions at night or general concerns so they can be reached. Im going to look into LH FSH and DHT levels you mentioned, I'm not sure what they indicate so I will research those some. 2.5 is just one of the packages, not a cycle. They allow you to pay increments of 2.5 months 5.0 months and so on.

[OingoBoingo]

Don't just get the tests I mentioned. Check out the Finding a Physician sticky for a complete list of tests you'll want to get.

[mattb82]

Somehow I cutoff the bottom part of the blood work. FSH was 7.1, LH was 4.8, DHT just says will follow and wasn't processed yet. Complete Thyroid panel was there as well TSH was2.4 T3 uptake 31, T4 7.5. I will look in the stickies for lists of tests

[OingoBoingo]

Guys also like to see the ranges as they vary from lab to lab.

When you mentioned the 2.5 cycle, was worried it was one of those places that want patients to cycle off periodically.