Warning: long post - TL;DR at bottom.
Well - I'm getting closer to figuring this out. And I think I have a theory. Thinking back to when I first started TRT, even at EOD injections, my erection quality (EQ) had taken a hit when not watching porn or having sex. In other words, rubbing one out in the shower was a semi-soft experience that it had never been before. Since everything else worked great, I didn't really care.
My libido also tapered down, but since I could rub one out and have sex when I wanted, I didn't care. Hell - I didn't really notice. Now that I look back on it, my libido was quite low (I also had other problems to deal with so I wasn't that concerned with it.) I remember a few times during this period where I had taken some arimidex I had laying around (really just playing around to be honest) and had rock hard morning wood and a strong libido to boot. I just kinda had fun with it, but didn't really think about it too much.
After about two years of the sub-par EQ and libido, both completely tanked - which is why I tried to restart, failed, and have been tinkering ever since. Now, I had lots of lab tests over this time, and E2 was usually in the 40s. Not great, but not horrible either. I'm wondering if for some reason, my body was OK with this initially, but finally just became over-saturated with the stuff. I'm also wondering if perhaps if I tested other types of estrogens that they would be much higher, and could be causing my issues?
I think this because I have finally been able to find some success and find the sweet spot, where libido is higher than I can remember in a LONG time (like, I gotta go to the bathroom and rub one out RIGHT now) with good EQ.
Going back through my recent experiences, my libido and EQ has been great when I am 4-8 days since my last injection. This seems to be the sweet spot.
Libido and EQ sucks when TT is 220, or even around 700-800 it seems, but great when it's around 500. How do I know?
When I was trying my restart my libido and EQ was good when I was doing around 1,000 iu hCG EOD. I was around 400 TT at this point.
Was OK on clomid (who knows what was going on here with TT and E2 though) and off clomid when my TT was around 550-470...this was actually the best I'd been since this all started. However, it didn't last as the dead dick re-emerged when I crashed and my TT fell to the 220s.
After that I went back on T Cyp. at around 24 mg EOD. Libido and erections were hit or miss at a TT around 700. PDE-5is worked though. I could summon up a libido occasionally but the EQ issue wasn't helping my drive.
hCG mono at 2,500 iu EOD caused a few initial spikes in libido and EQ but nothing spectacular. PDE-5is inconsistent but with a high enough dose they would work. E was higher at this point too (40s to 60s).
Then I was playing around with thyroid stuff. I noticed a boost in EQ and libido with them, but if you recall, I also took about a week where I just STOPPED DOING ANYTHING until my libido and EQ came back. It did about 5 days later. I was great (extremely high libido) for about 3-5 days. Then kinda back to back down a bit. I'm not sure why I injected again, I think I just felt like I should to be honest.
At 70mg T 2x per week (what doctor has me trying now) I noticed that initially I am not having a lot of success with it. PDE5is not working well. Well, on the day I am supposed to do my injection (yesterday) I notice that my libido is the best it's been on this protocol and my EQ is good. Held off on injecting and took a cialis today to check response - great response. I took some over the weekend (Friday, 4 days ago) and had a poor response, even at 10mg...I was able to have sex Fri and Sat but took way more effort than it should on my part...easier Sat than Fri.
It's obvious there is some sort of sweet spot, whether it's E2, TT, or SHBG related, that I am falling through (I'm guessing E2) I then am injecting, and going up through it, and staying above it until I give things a break. Then I fall into it, stay there for a few days, then lose it.
So...I'm wondering how to find this sweet spot and STAY in it?
This thread that both myself and LW commented in last year has me wondering if this is something good to try:
https://thinksteroids.com/community/threads/134307608
Wait until I hit the spot, and then try that real low dose EOD protocol and go from there?
Anyway, I'm going to keep giving what my doctor told me to try a shot, just to say I gave it a fair shake...which is 70mg 2x per week with 1mg per week of arimidex thrown in. In realizing the folly of my ways (not sticking with things long enough) I figure I ought to give this one some time to see if things fall into place.
I also wonder if a compounded gel isn't worth a shot either. Everytime I've tried a gel they end up giving me anxiety (I've always thought DHT but who knows) ...but it's been awhile.
tl;dr - finally had some success finding sweet spot, think that the folks who said E2 all along were right, and that before trying arimidex I just shot down and then rebounded up through it, because I didn't give it enough time. Need to figure out way to stay in sweet spot, which is either through regular arimidex, some sort of novel injection schedule, or maybe trying a compounded cream.
