Long term HRT users taking a break?

[fummins]

Wondering if any long term TRT users here have taken a break for any length of time, regardless of the reason. If so, what were the results? I have been on for about 2 years now and am kicking around the idea of a 2 or 3 week break from Test and the gym just to change my routine and let my body rest for a bit. Thanks

[Times Roman]

no need to break from trt

[fummins]

no need to break from trt

Understood, I ask because I want to hear first hand accounts from members as to what occured if they chose to come off for a bit.

[warchild]

i am coming off for a bit, start pct next week. ill let you know how it goes

[zaggahamma]

i've been lazy and didnt pin for maybe like 10 days

[fummins]

i am coming off for a bit, start pct next week. ill let you know how it goes

Thanks War, how long you been on at what dosage/frequency and how long are you coming off for?

[Vettester]

I worked with a doc who believed it was good to take a break every 3 months. His protocol was to stop completely for 2 weeks, then take higher doses of HCG for another 2 weeks, then start back up with the normal TRT protocol. I don't work with this doctor any longer, but I'm not going to knock his program. He's still probably the most intelligent person I've ever discussed hormones with.

It's like flying ... The whole objective is just to make sure you don't crash!

[Bio-Active]

Wondering if any long term TRT users here have taken a break for any length of time, regardless of the reason. If so, what were the results? I have been on for about 2 years now and am kicking around the idea of a 2 or 3 week break from Test and the gym just to change my routine and let my body rest for a bit. Thanks

TRT is for life more than likely you will feel like crap if you take a break. The ones that i know that have came off usually start to get tired and run down after about 3 weeks of coming off.

[fummins]

I worked with a doc who believed it was good to take a break every 3 months. His protocol was to stop completely for 2 weeks, then take higher doses of HCG for another 2 weeks, then start back up with the normal TRT protocol. I don't work with this doctor any longer, but I'm not going to knock his program. He's still probably the most intelligent person I've ever discussed hormones with.

It's like flying ... The whole objective is just to make sure you don't crash!

Thats about the same off time i am considering. What Test/dosage/frequency were you on and any negative sides when you were off? Thanks

[fummins]

TRT is for life more than likely you will feel like crap if you take a break. The ones that i know that have came off usually start to get tired and run down after about 3 weeks of coming off.

I know thats the general consensus but I am curious as to the effects, I always have been a bit of an an experimenter.

[Vettester]

Thats about the same off time i am considering. What Test/dosage/frequency were you on and any negative sides when you were off? Thanks

I believe it was 200mg/wk at that time. I felt OK til about the end of the month. Was tired and lethargic. Not terrible, but enough to notice. Surprisingly my test levels were pretty high, but he had me taking quite a bit of HCG during those last two weeks.

[BillyBob210]

I weened off of the gel for a couple of weeks and crashed hard. No energy, moody, just felt like crap. No pct, hcg or anything to help out....I will never do that again! It might have been tolerable if I had something (pct) to help out but my doc had no idea.

In for life!

[durak]

An hcg and clomid pct would be ok.

[ds53]

Dont just go cold turkey. Better have some pct on hand, but dont go to crazy with the HCG a little goes along ways, may need some sort of anti-aromitize as well. The HCG will make your natural test levels go sky high.

[streeter]

I am actually very interested in this. As a person who will be starting HRT soon I am still learning and was wondering if it would be beneficial to at least once a year run a PCT and go off HRT for at least a month to give your nuts a break. Call me paranoid but my protocol will include HGC and I have read a few times it may not be good to run that for years on HRT. I guess my fear is shutting down permanently just in case someday I can't afford HRT and am forced to come off it I want to know if I can at least get back to what I am now. So do you think it would be wise to do this or at least no harm I would think?

[flatscat]

Get this - my doc actually admitted some are trained to "let" their patients crash for 2-3 weeks just so they will remember what it feels like off trt - supposed to increase satisfaction with the treatment. I told him I would kick his ass if he ever pulled that shiat with me.

I came off for a while, not by choice though. I crashed, but it was not that bad. The only problem I see is that if you have things dialed in, and your body has settled into the protocol, you risk screwing that up and getting on the roller coaster again. If you have not been able to get it just right, there may be an advantage to coming off and starting over again.

[zaggahamma]

Get this - my doc actually admitted some are trained to "let" their patients crash for 2-3 weeks just so they will remember what it feels like off trt - supposed to increase satisfaction with the treatment. I told him I would kick his ass if he ever pulled that shiat with me.

I came off for a while, not by choice though. I crashed, but it was not that bad. The only problem I see is that if you have things dialed in, and your body has settled into the protocol, you risk screwing that up and getting on the roller coaster again. If you have not been able to get it just right, there may be an advantage to coming off and starting over again.

good point(s)

[dec11]

Dont just go cold turkey. Better have some pct on hand, but dont go to crazy with the HCG a little goes along ways, may need some sort of anti-aromitize as well. The HCG will make your natural test levels go sky high.

dont understand this, how will it if youve been on trt for a lengthy time? your natty test will be none exsistant, surely?

[Bio-Active]

dont understand this, how will it if youve been on trt for a lengthy time? your natty test will be none exsistant, surely?

^^ agreed

[Vettester]

In defense of ds53, HCG can indeed increase endogenous testosterone in individuals that have been diagnosed with secondary hypogonadism. It closely mimics LH and stimulates the leydig cells, which in turn can produce testosterone. Will it go sky high??? Depends on the dosage, which can cause desensitization issues if administered too much. Everyone is different, but in my case a dosage of 300iu x 2/wk adds about another 200 points to my Total "T" score. However, LH levels never increase, and once a person stops taking HCG then the party is basically over.

[durak]

In defense of ds53, HCG can indeed increase endogenous testosterone in individuals that have been diagnosed with secondary hypogonadism. It closely mimics LH and stimulates the leydig cells, which in turn can produce testosterone. Will it go sky high??? Depends on the dosage, which can cause desensitization issues if administered too much. Everyone is different, but in my case a dosage of 300iu x 2/wk adds about another 200 points to my Total "T" score. However, LH levels never increase, and once a person stops taking HCG then the party is basically over.

Good point. The hgc is used post trt to fill the gap between trt and natural test production. Clomid is used to spur fsh and lh (my understanding). However, test production will decrease after stopping clomid. Hopefully by that time your goods should be up and running at previously low level that caused trt in the first place.

[warchild]

Thanks War, how long you been on at what dosage/frequency and how long are you coming off for?

2yrs at 200-300 weekly test c. my doc says is good to take a break every few months to clean out your androgen receptors and use hcg. im just takin a break to see if i can rebound my levels w/ hcg/clomid

[marcus300]

I worked with a doc who believed it was good to take a break every 3 months. His protocol was to stop completely for 2 weeks, then take higher doses of HCG for another 2 weeks, then start back up with the normal TRT protocol. I don't work with this doctor any longer, but I'm not going to knock his program. He's still probably the most intelligent person I've ever discussed hormones with.

It's like flying ... The whole objective is just to make sure you don't crash!

Ive heard of that protocol but have never tried it,

personally I would never consider coming off, when I was off cycle I remember what it use to feel like and thats with all the pct compounds and everything else I could get my hands on to feel normal, so I would never come off hrt because I dont ever want to feel that pi$$ed off or low again.

Why would you want to come off and have no test?

[dec11]

In defense of ds53, HCG can indeed increase endogenous testosterone in individuals that have been diagnosed with secondary hypogonadism. It closely mimics LH and stimulates the leydig cells, which in turn can produce testosterone. Will it go sky high??? Depends on the dosage, which can cause desensitization issues if administered too much. Everyone is different, but in my case a dosage of 300iu x 2/wk adds about another 200 points to my Total "T" score. However, LH levels never increase, and once a person stops taking HCG then the party is basically over.

interesting, so from a training point of view, can you still maintain your muscle mass while taking time off and using hcg instead?

[dec11]

Ive heard of that protocol but have never tried it,

personally I would never consider coming off, when I was off cycle I remember what it use to feel like and thats with all the pct compounds and everything else I could get my hands on to feel normal, so I would never come off hrt because I dont ever want to feel that pi$$ed off or low again.

Why would you want to come off and have no test?

i can relate to this also having recieved fake/mis-labelled test and boy did i crash, i felt like shit for 3wks, a heap of unmotivated meat, and what seemed like to me, lost muscle mass on a daily basis!

[durak]

interesting, so from a training point of view, can you still maintain your muscle mass while taking time off and using hcg instead?

Will help but that's all. If you had t of 800 then went off and used hcg to get t of 200 there would be some loss.

You should hcg and clomid for best results.

[Vettester]

Ive heard of that protocol but have never tried it,

personally I would never consider coming off, when I was off cycle I remember what it use to feel like and thats with all the pct compounds and everything else I could get my hands on to feel normal, so I would never come off hrt because I dont ever want to feel that pi$$ed off or low again.

Why would you want to come off and have no test?

His whole theory was that the body needed a break from exogenous test, and that a TRT program would be more effective and productive if it were cycled. His objective to offset the testosterone deficiency is to increase the HCG dosage substantially, thus increasing the natural testosterone levels to keep one from crashing.

Again, it's interesting to study and this doctor a very fascinating individual, but at the start of this year I got on board with a more traditional, non-stop protocol that has a smaller continuous dosage of HCG included throughout. I won't dispute his administration procedures, but just simply made other choices for myself that I think will better serve me in the long run.

I agree with you ... Coming off of Test sucks balls! I've crashed twice in my past under ignorant guidance. It's not happening again.

[Vettester]

interesting, so from a training point of view, can you still maintain your muscle mass while taking time off and using hcg instead?

If you take enough HCG to stimulate enough endogenous testosterone, then retention of muscle mass can be a reality. The problem is, how much will it take to attain the higher levels that you desire? Will that dosage lead to desensitization issues with the leydig cells if administered for more than a few weeks?

These were the questions that concerned me when I was following my doctor's guidelines last November. I stopped the Test Nov. 1, waited two weeks with nothing, then started 1,000iu of HCG every day for 10 days straight. November 30, my Total Test Score was over 1,000. But even with a high score it just didn't feel right. Kind of felt off. As mentioned before, I changed it up at the 1st of this year to a continuous HCG in conjunction with TRT program, and it's been fantastic.

[Vettester]

i can relate to this also having recieved fake/mis-labelled test and boy did i crash, i felt like shit for 3wks, a heap of unmotivated meat, and what seemed like to me, lost muscle mass on a daily basis!

Agreed! When the serum levels start tanking it's the most miserable feeling a guy can have. It's a very dark and lonely place.

[dec11]

Agreed! When the serum levels start tanking it's the most miserable feeling a guy can have. It's a very dark and lonely place.

ah man it was serious, was so depressed!! its amazing how big a part test plays in the regulation of the male human body

[Vettester]

ah man it was serious, was so depressed!! its amazing how big a part test plays in the regulation of the male human body

And yet it is so widely discounted by the mainstream media, and even by doctors that we trust to be impeccable with giving us accurate and educated information.