Just wanted to get some opinions here. I started TRT about 4 months ago 100mg Test Cyp weekly split into 2 injections a week (50mg/50mg). As of now I don’t seem to be a high aromatizer according to my bloodwork. I started with test levels at 197ng/dl and I’m 27 y/o. With the 100mg weekly I’ve came up to around 780ng/dl. I feel great but I really am debating on pushing the envelope a bit, just searching on advice and things to look out for if I was to bump up to around 250/300mg weekly. I will stay on top of bloodwork for sure but other than that what’s some things I could expect too see? How much of a difference could it be in terms of the way I feel etc. I train 5 days a week and in the last 18 months I’ve went from 220lb to about 175lb (6’4in) sitting around 13-14 BF% now. I appreciate any and all advice.
What were the E2 levels on 100 mg weekly with the total test at 780?
My former HRT doc always would say that when you are replacing testosterone you need to aim higher than you think you need to. He said (unclear if he was full of shit) that someone with a natural test level of 900 will feel like someone with a replaced level of 1500.
When I started HRT around age 40 I needed 200 mg to get my levels into the 700's where yours are. My doc then bumped me to 300 and said we didn't need to test again. When I tested again on my own my levels were ~ 2200, and this was on transdermal cream. I've since switched to injections and 225 / week has me around 1000-1100 which feels great. I did notice a significant change in how I felt between 700 and closer to 1100 (all beneficial).
So to answer your questions about what you can expect moving towards 300 mg / week...This is often something that is very well tolerated by most healthy men who are not already overweight. Prescribing HRT to men who are already working on metabolic syndrome is challenging because these drugs really dont work well in that environment, and lead to more sides and health risks. However, many many men report (including the one writing this post) that the HRT is what gave them the energy / drive, etc. to get their shit in order.
Separate of that, things you want to monitor are your E2 levels (if you are not a high aromatizer you might not need any E2 control at 300, I needed Arimidex 1 mg weekly at those levels). You also want to watch your HCT levels, as those can creep up with your test dosage. Additionally, and there's lots of variability here, lipids. I have shit genetics with lipids and even 300 mg / week is enough to drive my HDL into the low 30's. I take statins and other shit but for a newcomer like yourself, BE AGGRESSIVE with lipid management, especially if you plan to run testosterone at / above the high end of normal for extended periods of time.
