Can steroid-caused low LH and FSH be cured?

[Nikolay Petrov]

Hi, guys!

I'm 30 years old, about 230 pounds, 10-15% BF, 6'2, living in Bulgaria. I had about 20 cycles in my life (without PCT) between age of 20 and 30. After one specific cycle with nandrolone back in 2019 I had my prolactin/estrogen raised a lot and I lived like that for about 2 years. That's theoretical, I haven't done any blood work in my life before that, I just had a severe gyno on my right nipple so I believe it was caused by prolactin/estrogen. After almost 2 years of waiting to disappear I went to the lab and my blood results were showing elevated prolactin/estrogen and low testosterone. I did another cycle, then I did my first PCT but unfortunately I felt the same after that. After that I decided to start TRT - 250mg omnadren, 500ui hcg and 25mg aromasin per week.

Last week I went to the lab and did my first LH/FSH test and it showed that they're below the minimum (~1). So I started to wonder if I made the right decision with the TRT? Is it possible that the low LH/FSH be the cause of my low testosterone, erectile dysfunction and bad mood? If so, can it be treated with some medication? Because to be honest, after 12 weeks of TRT my testicles are still shrink and my erectile dysfunction is not yet gone completely, so I'm worried that it could be permanent.

Thanks!

 

[PeterBond]

TRT suppresses LH & FSH.

Could you share your previous lab results?

 

[Nikolay Petrov]

Sure, those are all of the tests I ever did:

23.11.2020 - That's during 4 weeks PCT after 8 weeks cycle (a few weeks after finishing PCT I started to feel bad again)
Prolactin: 178.1 mlU/l (34.13 - 398.00)
Estradiol: 141 pmol/l (0.00 - 191.00)
Testosteron: 23.15 nmol/l (6.76 - 39.50)


14.07.2021 - That's during 8 weeks PCT after 8 weeks cycle (a few weeks after finishing PCT I started to feel bad again)
Prolactin: 27.00 L* mlU/l (34.13 - 398.00)
Estradiol: 323.4 H* pmol/l (0.00 - 191.00)
Testosteron: 47.36 H* nmol/l (6.76 - 39.50)


30.11.2021 - That's after 12 weeks TRT
LH: 0.64 L* mlU/ml (1.50 - 9.30)
FSH: < 1.00 mlU/ml (1.40 - 18.10)
Prolactin: 43 mlU/l (34.13 - 398.00)
Estradiol: 627.8 H* pmol/l (0.00 - 191.00)
Testosteron: >69.34 nmol/l (6.76 - 39.50)

If I understand correctly, considering my atrophied testicles and low sperm volume for the past 2 years, the low T issue could be because of low LH and FSH. As I see here - Indications for the use of human chorionic gonadotropic hormone for the management of infertility in hypogonadal men, there are treatments with like HCG 5000 UI 2-3 times per week along with Clomid and then FSH injections. My PCT protocol was much lower than that, it was something like HCG 1000 UI EOD with some Nolva.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Nikolay Petrov]

This page (The Use of HCG-Based Combination Therapy for Recovery of Spermatogenesis after Testosterone Use - PubMed) says:
All were noted to have been placed on combination therapy, which included 3,000 units HCG subcutaneously every other day supplemented with clomiphene citrate, tamoxifen, anastrozole, or recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (or combination) according to physician preference.

 

[Nikolay Petrov]

Nevermind, I decided not to try that, because even if I manage to balance my LH and FSH levels, I'll probably still have low T since I'm 30+ now. Bodybuilding is my life and I can't afford going into depressions again... I'll try to manage the hormones while on TRT.

 

[malfeasance]

You can't raise FSH and LH while on TRT, as the TRT suppresses them.

 

[Nikolay Petrov]

You can't raise FSH and LH while on TRT, as the TRT suppresses them.

So all people on TRT have these LH/FSH results? I was mainly worried about fertility. I've heard that people on a prescribed TRT dosage such as 125mg doesn't have fertility issues, so that's a good sign. I recently had some ED issues but I have a feeling that it's caused by high estrogen. 2 days ago I took 12.5mg Aromasin, today I feel less gyno symptoms and I think the ED started to fade away.

 

[Nikolay Petrov]

Here says (Does testosterone affect LH and FSH? – searchandrestore.com):
Does testosterone affect LH and FSH? High-dose testosterone or estrogen therapy suppresses FSH and LH. Primary gonadal failure in men and women leads to high levels of FSH and LH, except in selective destruction of testicular tubules with subsequent elevation of only FSH, as in Sertoli-cell-only syndrome.

My goal is to keep my testosterone in the high end. I'm currently dropped down from 500mg to 250mg, with the idea to drop down to 125mg in 2 weeks, hopefully that I won't need anti-E2 and keep my testosterone in ~1,000-1,200. And hopefully that won't suppress my LH/FSH levels that much.

Unfortunately we don't have a TRT doctor in our country, otherwise I was gonna get prescribed. We only have endocrinologists that have no idea what TRT is and they mainly treat women hormones.

 

[malfeasance]

125 mg a week of testosterone will suppress your FSH and LH to almost 0.

Fertility - it is best to be on nothing at all, especially at age 30.

I came off everything every time - 4 boys and 1 girl