328 ng/dl.
Finally, I had received the lab results to confirm what I had suspected all along: Low Testosterone.
The last few months, Ive noticed my quality of life dropping. Not a sudden drop but rather slowly going downhill.
The reason I got this Testosterone blood test in the first place was because the symptoms of Low Testosterone became almost unbearable.
I am not exaggerating when I say that I would take a 200mg caffeine pill and then have a window of about an hour during which I would function OK.
OK doesnt mean optimal and it simply meant I was getting a bit of work done. Either that or I could use that hour to go to the gym.
Either way, after that hour, it was GAME OVER.
When I say, GAME OVER, I mean it.
I would spend the rest of the day lying in bed watching YouTube videos or sleeping. I would always be in a state in which I couldnt focus on anything, was super tired but not tired enough to actually go to sleep.
Nothing would get me out of that state.
The diet I was (and am currently) following was very healthy already. I was taking additional supplements such as a multivitamin, Vitamin C, Magnesium
There was no obvious reason for me to feel that way. I was working out regularly; on paper (blood test), I looked healthy (except Low T).
I also noticed that taking stimulants (caffeine) started to work less and less to the point at which sometimes I would take 300mg caffeine and go right to sleep.
The day after I got the lab test back, I knew I had to take action.
Still, going on Testosterone Replacement Therapy isnt an easy decision. It (usually) is a lifetime commitment.
In the years prior to that, I had given it a thought but eventually decided against starting TRT. After all, things were not THAT bad.
This time, it was different. I had reached my personal threshold.
I had a few realization in the following days:
This was the primary reason for me to start TRT.
Every day that I am performing at 30%, I am literally wasting my potential in terms of income, making progress in the gym and enjoyment of life.
I knew that I was in this low energy state (feeling like a 105 year old) for the last 2 years, yet, still I was ableto build an entirely passive online business from scratch netting me over $10,000+ per month.
I was thinking, Holy cow! I have achieved that while feeling like absolute crap, whats possible if I perform at my best?
Testosterone Levels are only going to drop as I age.
Meaning, TRT is inevitable anyway if I want to feel energetic and reap all the benefits of optimal testosterone levels.
Looking at it this way, I realized the question was not whether or not I should start Testosterone Replacement Therapy, but rather when.
I dont think Ill ever be happy being average.
Whether thats in regards to lifestyle, online business or my physique.
I just cant talk myself into being average (trust me, I have tried). I want to tap my full potential.
To be clear, I dont want to be a massive bodybuilder, but I am not OK with having an average body with little muscle mass either.
Prior to starting TRT, I had also met with a professional bodybuilder to hear what he has to say and find out what (in his opinion) is possible as a natural athlete. (I trust his opinion; he himself looks great and has coached hundreds of naturals and enhanced athletes.)
This is when I learned that a truly great physique (top 1%) just isnt possible unless you are a true genetic freak.
I am no genetic freak, which means floating around in the normal Testosterone range, Im not ever going to have a great body.
I know this because in the years prior, my diet and training had always been on point. I was taking the right supplements to close any possible deficiencies. Sleep was good.
Yet, still, I wasnt able to put on any muscle or make progress in terms of lifting heavier weights in the gym. Any weight gain (however slow it was) would go directly to my belly area.
The only thing for me to change and expect drastic changes from that was left was my hormones: Testosterone.
The tiredness I was experiencing was gone right away.
I wasnt tired anymore. I could get work done, go to the gym and wouldnt even need coffee or music to motivate me. This was really profound.
During the day when walking around I didnt yawn (as Id usually do), or feel really exhausted mentally. I felt good, steady energy.
I would also say that I was more emotionally resilient. In the sense that I wouldnt overthink, ruminate too much or be emotional about petty things, such as feeling like I am missing out on something, wondering if others are having more fun/a better time
In the last few years, I literally couldnt get myself to go to the gym or work out more than a few minutes without consuming a large amount of coffee first.
These were the first profound changes Ive noticed right away. And these were things that clearly werent subjective.
The things that were subjective: very little rumination or negative thoughts. Feeling more positive.
Before the first injection, the clinic I went to did another blood test to get my baseline. Turns out my Testosterone was actually 580 (just a few days after a blood test that showed 328).
I was confused as to how this could possibly be?Are the Testosterone tests inaccurate?
The doctor explained that I also have high prolactin. Ideal is 10-12; mine was at 25. Prolactin is a barometer of stability of the system. High prolactin, as the doctor said basically means one day I am feeling good, the next day not so much.
Testosterone can be 580 one day, then 328 the next day. Massive ups and downs. Still, even if it were steadily at 580, that wouldnt be good enough for me and what I expect from myself.
To get my prolactin down, I had to take Cabergoline.
By the way, high prolactin also means you have a longer refractory period after sex.
Anyway, this was my first week on Testosterone Replacement Therapy.
On the last day of the first week, I noticed that some of the symptoms I was complaining about had come back.
Definitely not at full force but I noticed a slight increase in rumination and generally not feeling as positive as during the 6 days prior to that.
It couldve been random.
Perhaps sleep was off?Perhaps the intense leg workout the day before?
However, if it really were related to sleep or external circumstances, it would be a bit odd for the reason that I didnt sleep much the first week and generally felt great nonetheless.
Anyway, I will continue to keep track of changes.
At the beginning of week 2, I came across the topic of NoFap and semen retention and did further research.
The following comment sparked my curiosity:
Whats interesting about this comment is that it was posted by a guy who had done steroids in the past and knows what supernatural Testosterone levels feel like.
In other words, this isnt coming from some scientist doing a study; this is based on first-hand experience.
Notice the super boost your Testosterone levels?
Ive tested this and found that on day 3, the sexual arousal (horniness) became so unbearable that I had to ejaculate.
The normal NoFap protocol would be to simply refrain from masturbation/ejaculation.
The super-boosting-Testosterone protocol (mentioned in the comment above) says you should masturbate or have sex but refrain from ejaculation.
Thats precisely what I did.
Heres the good and the bad:
Given enough practice, I guess the increased sex drive can be channeled as to not be a distraction.
Of course, there is a connection between sex drive and testosterone but its not as simple as saying high testosterone equals high sex drive or vice versa.
You see this a lot inNoFap communities.
Guy doesnt masturbate for a few days, feels higher sex drive and attributes it to heightened testosterone.
If you research masturbation testosterone, you find studies stating that masturbation does not affect testosterone levels.
Other studies claim that abstinence can increase testosterone, but that T levels go back to their baseline after day 7.
Noticing higher than usual sex drive, but that could just be a normal fluctuation.
Ive noticed that sex drive is higher on an empty stomach not sure, it might just be that digestion requires a lot of energy/blood flow and sex drive is automatically put on the back-burner.
Right before I received the first Testosterone shot of week #3, a blood test was done.
Total testosterone turned out to be at 1251 ng/dL (which is just outside the normal range).
Estradiol (E2) is also optimal at 26.9 pg/mL
Estradiol should be kept in the 20-25 pg/mL range, otherwise you might experience some nasty side effects such as acne outbreaks, mood swings or weight gain.
High Estradiol (E2) can causegynecomastia, but the same can be said about high prolactin. My doctor has said that by keeping Estradiol in check, you also automatically control your prolactin.
That might be the case with most men, but didnt apply in my situation. My Estradiol was already in the normal range, yet prolactin was out of range.
I used to think that gynocomastia can happen so quickly that you can wake up the morning and realize its already too late.
I can only talk about my experience, but thats totally not the case at all. First, you notice increased nipple sensitivity; at worst a minor burning sensation.
At that point, you can still take action and no damage is done (yet). Lower Estradiol and itll all be good.
Anyway, back to the Testosterone test results I mentioned
The fact that my Testosterone levels were measured right before I got another shot of Testosterone Enanthate is reason to believe that my testosterone levels were much higher in the days prior.
When you inject Testosterone, plasma levels rise quickly only to drop steadily in the days after.
This drop is why another injection is required to keep plasma levels somewhat stable.
When it comes to injectable Testosterone, there are different esters you can choose from.
Testosterone is Testosterone, however, the ester dictates how quickly the Testosterone is being released to the body.
As is the case with many other drugs, there are versions of the exact same compound with quick or slow release.
The faster-acting the ester, the more frequent the injections should be.
I am using 125mg of Testosterone Enanthate per week injected twice per week (62.5mg each time).
My first month on TRT is $440.
That price includes everything from the injections, to ancillaries and blood tests. I expect the monthly costs to drop sharply in the months after.
Read the original here:
TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) - My Journey 2019 ...
