Benefits and Cons of TRT

[Keep_It_Moving]

I'm curious to find out what are some of the benefits and cons of trt? I'm not on trt but would like to learn about YOUR experience with the benefits and cons.....

::benefits:::
Improved sleep?
More sex?
Clear thinking?
Smoother skin?

:::cons:::
Blood draws?
Managing e2?
Managing prolactin?
Constant injections?

Thank you to those who are on TRT and wish to share...

[Lifted1]

I think the hardest part of Trt is finding a knowledgeable doctor and getting your own personal protocol dialed in, which obviously takes time.


Pros
Fat loss
Muscle mass increase
Better mood
Feel more rested after sleeping


Cons
Injections
Blood donating

[2Sox]

Cons of TRT? What's that?

[headkick]

pros already listed for me

cons: price. i dont really enjoy spending $200/mo for $30 worth of medicine. Just havent found a doctor yet that will just write me an rx to take to the pharmacy.

[< <Samson> >]

Self prescribe if cost is an issue. If it wasn't to me, I would be on a script.

Since, that's not an option - I handle all aspects, from BW to test & HCG.

[Keep_It_Moving]

No cons including....

hair loss?
Insomnia?
Elevated e2?

Anyone seen improvements in skin quality and texture?

[Low Testosterone]

No cons including....

hair loss?
Insomnia?
Elevated e2?

Anyone seen improvements in skin quality and texture?

Better skin and things like that, this gets back to what I have mentioned in other threads about TRT expectations and an often misunderstanding of what TRT is supposed to do, what it's for and what's possible. The idea of TRT is to return testosterone levels back to normal, an optimal normal yet still normal. At the prime of your life when your testosterone levels were at their best, the idea is to get back to that. Does this mean your skin is going to be better than it was back then now due to TRT? Does that mean other things that did not exist for you in the past will now be there? No, it doesn't work that way. Now if a man on TRT now takes better care of himself all around compared to what he did when he was younger with high natural levels, then sure, he will look and feel better than he ever has before. It's the combination of all things.

And what Lifted1 mentioned above in the benefits, muscle mass and fat loss, these are again good examples of what I'm talking about. TRT isn't going to achieve this just because you're on TRT, but it will provide you with the ability. Look at it this way - you have no job, therefor you have no money. You then go out and get a job but you never show up for the job and you once again have no money. You do have the ability to make money, an ability you did not have before you had the job, but if you don't make the effort then that job becomes a little bit of a fantasy idea. Now replace the word "Job" with TRT and replace the word "Money" with benefits.

As for the other cons mentioned in this thread:

Hair loss: TRT isn't going to cause you to lose any hair that you weren't going to lose anyway.

Elevated E2: If you need testosterone and elevated E2 is what keeps you away, well you're simply trading one improper hormone level for another, which comes with its own issues. Or you could balance the two and have no issues.

Donating Blood: As mentioned before, it's not all that common - sure, not rare but also not necessary for the majority of patients. If it is necessary, like E2 it is manageable. Of course the alternative is having low testosterone, which comes with a host of cons when left ignored long term, several that are severe.

Injections: I completely understand why many feel this is a con. The idea of sticking yourself with a needle just isn't appealing. But we're talking about something that takes a grand total of one minute of your life a week. And if you're injecting twice a week, once you get used to it it could still only take a grand total of one minute of your life a week. OK, maybe a pure 60 seconds is slightly exaggerating (I'll time the total time of my next injection simply out of curiosity) but if 1-2 injections per week is burdening your life, you are doing something horribly wrong.

[APIs]

Injections: I completely understand why many feel this is a con. The idea of sticking yourself with a needle just isn't appealing. But we're talking about something that takes a grand total of one minute of your life a week. And if you're injecting twice a week, once you get used to it it could still only take a grand total of one minute of your life a week. OK, maybe a pure 60 seconds is slightly exaggerating (I'll time the total time of my next injection simply out of curiosity) but if 1-2 injections per week is burdening your life, you are doing something horribly wrong.

x2. I never understood how some find injecting such an inconvenience. Shouldn't even be an issue in light of all the positives you're given from the treatment. The only time I ever get annoyed is when I'm in the middle of something & realize I need to take the 2-3 mins necessary. I then quickly weigh how I feel & look today and this thought immediately brings me to my senses...

[Beethoven]

My only con is the theraputic blood draws. Cost is not such a factor once you find the right places to get your meds.

[Beethoven]

.... And now that I think about it, a pro was finding this site. It has really made a difference in my TRT life. Thanks to everyone on here who has helped in my journey.

[ScotchGuard02]

I haven't found TRT to give me better skin. I get more acne on TRT. I did find that HGH gave me really nice skin. TRT makes me stronger and increases my sense of well being.

[Baxter35]

The pros and cons depends where your starting from. Meaning, if your already low T and dealing with the symptoms thereof then the pros if trt far outweigh the cons. The cons generally consist of a relatively small list of known side effects that can be easily monitored, and in many cases controlled just through proper dosing. Only negative side I've dealt with is acne on my back, which is finally going away thank god. Now, if I was someone with natural T levels that were good, then the list of cons would go up. Regular doctor visits, blood tests, injections, worrying about meds on vacation, etc..are really no big deal compared to living with low T, but I wouldn't want to risk putting myself in a position to need trt intentionally if my levels were good naturally.

[JTR12]

Some people do injections subQ, which would likely help mitigate the pain aspect and also eliminates the need to aspirate. Personally, I'm wary of the (possible) elevated hematocrit. I also believe anyone on TRT or considering it should Google Doctor Glueck and read up on Factor V and other genetic predispositions to clotting. His research is very interesting.

[Keep_It_Moving]

What was everyone's t levels prior to starting trt?

[JAMIE07652]

My low t number was 181 , with 180 mg of test , I'm in the mid 500 now

[Score]

Started at 340 and living at 750 now.

Smooth skin should not be an expectation. You should expect acne on shoulders and forehead, and hopefully not have to deal with it.

[Beethoven]

I was at about 200 when I started, live around 500.

[Baxter35]

I was in the mid 200's.

[Brett N]

Once you get dialed in, TRT is just as easy as taking your multi vitamin. It isn't troublesome at all. If you need TRT, there are no cons really.

My skin is not better for sure though but my outlook and quality of my life are much improved.

I would never sit back and make a pros/cons list because that would imply that I would be willing to go back to what was before and I wouldnt.

[Keep_It_Moving]

Thank you to those who have replied!

[Lifted1]

LT gave a perfect example that when I stated muscle mass/fat loss, hard work in the gym and diet also play a huge role. You don't just get to just inject and grow, that's a fallacy.

[Metalject]

At age 32 my total testosterone was around 60 ng/dl, my free testosterone was undetectable. My E2 was also low, I don't recall the specific number but it was low single digits. The cause, a decade of steroid use, several years that included non-stop use. The result, one year of no steroid use and muscle loss was dramatic, fat increases were significant (body weight continued to go down and fat gain up despite very strict diet and exercise) and libido very hit or miss. Believe it or not I still had some libido but not much.

Regrets? No, what would be the point? Would I do it differently if I could, if I could go back in time? If I'm honest the answer would be no.

Current protocol:
Testosterone cypionate or enanthate: 60mg/2x/wk
HCG 500iu 2x/wk
Anastrozole, none

Current levels: Have hovered in the 800-900 range for the last couple of years, free test in the mid-20's. E2 has been up a little bit the past year...stayed in the high teens-low 20's until I increased HCG from 250 to 500iu per shot and now it stays in the 40's. I have used anastrozole to bring it down back to the 20's but I honestly feel much better in the 40's...I'm stronger, energy is better and libido is much better with this current level of testosterone and estradiol.

Current state: body fat under control, although I wouldn't mind losing a little in the middle. When I look in the mirror it's easy for me to see a pathetic pile of mess if I let my mind wander. If I give myself an honest assessment - in decent shape, healthier than I've been in years, a little more muscular than the average guy but nothing special by any means. I think I have maybe one more really good hard diet left in me...I have zero desire to be big anymore because it does nothing for me, it gains me nothing in life but I always enjoyed leaning out to the point of gross, for some reason that was enjoyable. But that would mean giving up weekend cheat meals for awhile as well as my newly returned strength in the gym, which I also enjoy, so we'll see.

Oh, and to the point of this thread - no cons to TRT for me. Maybe I was lucky but I had no cons during steroid use either. Granted, you could call now needing TRT a con, and I guess it is depending on how you look at it. But again, to the point of the thread, I've had no issues.

[lovbyts]

Pros, same as most everyone listed.

Cons, having to stick myself with a needle once or twice a week because I'm needle phobic but it's worth it.

[Low Testosterone]

At age 32 my total testosterone was around 60 ng/dl, my free testosterone was undetectable. My E2 was also low, I don't recall the specific number but it was low single digits. The cause, a decade of steroid use, several years that included non-stop use. The result, one year of no steroid use and muscle loss was dramatic, fat increases were significant (body weight continued to go down and fat gain up despite very strict diet and exercise) and libido very hit or miss. Believe it or not I still had some libido but not much.

Regrets? No, what would be the point? Would I do it differently if I could, if I could go back in time? If I'm honest the answer would be no.

Current protocol:
Testosterone cypionate or enanthate: 60mg/2x/wk
HCG 500iu 2x/wk
Anastrozole, none

Current levels: Have hovered in the 800-900 range for the last couple of years, free test in the mid-20's. E2 has been up a little bit the past year...stayed in the high teens-low 20's until I increased HCG from 250 to 500iu per shot and now it stays in the 40's. I have used anastrozole to bring it down back to the 20's but I honestly feel much better in the 40's...I'm stronger, energy is better and libido is much better with this current level of testosterone and estradiol.

Current state: body fat under control, although I wouldn't mind losing a little in the middle. When I look in the mirror it's easy for me to see a pathetic pile of mess if I let my mind wander. If I give myself an honest assessment - in decent shape, healthier than I've been in years, a little more muscular than the average guy but nothing special by any means. I think I have maybe one more really good hard diet left in me...I have zero desire to be big anymore because it does nothing for me, it gains me nothing in life but I always enjoyed leaning out to the point of gross, for some reason that was enjoyable. But that would mean giving up weekend cheat meals for awhile as well as my newly returned strength in the gym, which I also enjoy, so we'll see.

Oh, and to the point of this thread - no cons to TRT for me. Maybe I was lucky but I had no cons during steroid use either. Granted, you could call now needing TRT a con, and I guess it is depending on how you look at it. But again, to the point of the thread, I've had no issues.

Being big does nothing for you? I feel like I've just stepped into the twilight zone because I would never had imagined you saying that. Remember 2005? Jerk, lol!