Quote Originally Posted by jpkman View Post
welcome...

so do you have any symptoms of low T...

i was youre age when starting and NEVER had the same concern about hrt being for life...why would i want to stop?

your title says it all
Thanks for the welcome. I have never had symptoms of low testosterone, except for generally being on the weak side. Of course, for me this has always been a source of insecurity; I'm sure that a good argument could be made for HRT simply based on my personal desire to make changes in this area.

My brother on the other hand is huge with a thick full beard. He is taller and bigger boned and has major body hair; I've always been a bit envious. My theory is that I'm the runt of the litter, so that's my motivation. I do have a kid, so I'm pretty sure things are working on a basic level and I have a normal sex drive... When I was in high school, I smoked and was depressed with a poor appetite. During my freshmen year in college, my doctor told me to gain weight because I was too thin and that it could affect my health. I feel like that may have contributed to my 'lack of manliness' or at least reinforced a genetic/individual tendency.

Thanks to regular exercise and quitting smoking 13 years ago, I feel stronger and healthier and have pretty stable energy and mood. But it has always been an idea in the back of my head that testosterone could make up for what I naturally lack.

My initial idea was to cycle for a year as detailed in my above post and then, after allowing the effects to influence my body, quit. Kind of like inducing a second growth spurt. I realize now, though some reading, that it may not work out the way I've dreamed it up; gains in secondary sex characteristics and well being will likely return to what they were if I'm no longer taking hormones and they could even fall below what they are now. Obviously delving into HRT is a complex undertaking and requires more research on my part. I'm not at all saying that HRT is a negative choice; I just have to find out more about what HRT really entails and if it makes real sense in my situation.

I understand of course that there is no magic bullet in life and that the grass is always greener. That's why I'm here, to get a realistic idea of what the risks and rewards are. For example, I may want to have more kids someday, so that is something I have to look into too.