alright, @TheSigmaMind requested a thread on TOT (Testosterone Optimization Therapy) based on my experiences, so here it is.
First things first, if you have any interest in this, you need to buy @TRTExpert's book. a.co/7iclie2, It's the holy grail on this topic
First things first, if you have any interest in this, you need to buy @TRTExpert's book. a.co/7iclie2, It's the holy grail on this topic
Basic stats: I turn 35 in a little over a month, been on ToT for about a year and a half now. Before you start anything, you need a full hormone panel (bloodwork). Get the expensive one as you only need that done maybe once a year.
If you get a decent doctor, odds are your prescription is gonna be like mine was: 200mg test cyp, 1000ml HCG, 1 mg anastrozole (arimidex). This is taken 2x a week, so half the above measurements every 3.5 days. I do sunday evenings and thursday mornings
The issue is that there is no "1 size fits all" dosage, we all react differently. My biggest mistake was taking the AI (aromatose inhibitor - adex) right off the bat. I never got a good feel for what it could be like off of it.
Because of this, I spent months manipulating that dosage to see what felt right, while panicking about the slightest potential high estrogenic symptom (itchy nipple? definitely getting gyno, crank up the AI). I am sure a lot of you can relate to this in your early days.
because of this, my estrogen was always low to very low based on bloodwork, estradial sensitive test never put it above 20, and sometimes in the single digits. Feel free to sigh and shake your head at that.
I was working on the principle that as long as my test levels were high and I could get an erection and have sex just fine, any other symptom was probably due to something else. Except for when my joints hurt a lot, those a low E symptom so I lowered the AI dosage.
The other thing I ignored was finding an optimal test cyp dosage. I stuck with the prescribed amount for over a year. Not ideal. My trough test levels were consistently above 1000, sometimes 1100, probably a bit too high.
In the past few months I lowered it to 180mg a week, this puts my trough levels in the high 900s. At the same time I dropped my AI completely on Jay's recommendation.
This was a game changer, a lot of symptoms I had - mental fog, lethargy, depression, a general lack of lust for life, completely disappeared within 3 weeks. I have legitimately never felt better.
I do take a few supplements to counter environmental estrogenic toxins - things like resveratrol, ashwagandha, drinking green tea, lowering beer intake. But that should be part of a healthier lifestyle anyways.
So after a year and a half I consider myself completely optimized on the test/estrogen front. And that is how you should look at this, you are not maximizing your test, you are optimizing it to an ideal level with minimal side effects / need for AI.
If you are doing this yourself, it is a bit of trial and error, and lots of money spent on blood panels. If you are lucky enough to work with a doctor who knows what he is doing, you should get there much much quicker. Any questions?
