After one month of testosterone injections of 100mg per week (.5 mil of 200mg/mil injectable oil) using testosterone enanthate my test levels are at 502. I wanted to take what was prescribed for awhile to see where that would put me. This was also near the end of the week so I’m guessing that is the lower end of the spectrum, although when injecting enanthate (generic form of Delatestryl) every week the spectrum probably isn’t too wide. My guess is I’m anywhere from between 500 and 800 ng/dl. The government website Medline Plus puts the “normal” range for men at 300 to 1,200 ng/dL. Given that this includes 25-year-old guys at the peak of their physical condition, I think maintaining somewhere between 500 and 800 is going to work out well for me healthwise. I feel good in this range.
Now… with that said, I am hereby embarking on the “Blast” phase of my year, where I will be taking double that amount for several months before tapering back down to 100 mg per week. I believe at 200mg per week I will still be within safe-enough levels to avoid any major side effects (hopefully) associated with steroid use, as bodybuilders frequently start at a minimum of 500mg per week (up to more than 2 grams in some cases) in addition to several other androgenic / anabolic steroids like nandralone, stanozolol, dianabol and equipoise. At this point one needs to take a whole host of other medications to combat the side effects, both during the “cycle” and during the post-cycle-therapy (PCT) phase, including things like tamoxifen citrate (generic Nolvadex), clomophene (Clomid), and anastrozole (Arimidex). Since I don’t plan on having any more children, I am not even taking HCG. Right now it’s just testosterone, although I do plan on having some Nolvadex and/or Arimidex on-hand just in case I feel any estrogen-related side effects.
So that’s the plan. If I’m going to be on testosterone for the rest of my life, I might as well enjoy the benefits of being able to have a great sex drive and physique for the rest of my life without having to hassle with the crashing testosterone levels experienced at the end of normal testosterone cycles for men who aren’t on lifelong TRT.
Please keep in mind that A: I am not interested in being a bodybuilder and do not need to take 500mg of testosterone to be “in good shape”. B: I want to avoid as much ancillary medication as I can without experiencing estrogen-related side-effects. C: I do plan on tapering from 200 mg/week, to 150 mg/week for one month before going to the normal 100 mg/week to give my body time to metabolize some of the estrogen and catabolic hormone build-up while staying in the proper balance of having more testosterone in relative amounts to the other hormones.
I’d appreciate any feedback you might have on this, especially if it sounds like something you have tried yourself in the past.
Just wanted to know why you are doing this, what is the benefit of going on cruise?
I just started this week on 1 mil 200mg per week, i tested for low test was at 340 i’m 30 years old, i’m concerned for latter if i want kids, I don’t think i do but what if i change my mind any thoughts?
Also how long before I feel the effects, what should i be feeling first, maybe a timeline if you would?
Pdizzy,
Was your test at 340 before or after they started you on testosterone? 340 is low but is, technically, within normal ranges. Did they do multiple tests? If not, you should have gotten a few more done since testosterone levels can fluctuate widely for many reasons, including lack of sleep, alcohol consumption and time of day. If 340 was your lowest spot in the day, and you fluctuate between that and 500 then you shouldn’t go on TRT, in my opinion.
Secondly, 200mg per week is about twice as much as the typical endocrinologist would prescribe. Did you go to a TRT/HRT or anti-aging clinic – or to an endocrinologist? Or someone else? My “blast” is 200mg per week. My “normal” dosage is 100mg per week. The benefit for me of going blasting and cruising is that I can gain a lot more muscle and burn a lot more fat than normal during my blast phase, and gradually taper that down to normal levels so as to avoid many of the side effects associated with steroid cycles, which are typically above 500mg per week.
You should feel the effects within 2-3 weeks.
If you want kids later you should consider using HCG, or freezing some of your sperm. Sometimes you can come off testosterone and use HCG for several months and have kids, even after long-term TRT. But it’s a hit or miss.
Good luck man.
I’d say everything looks pretty good.. One possibility is to change the Arimidex to Aromasin. Also, keep an eye on your lipids. Your LDL is going to go up and your HDL is going to go down.. A good way to keep those in line from the START is to go on FLUSH Niacin.. NOT, NO FLUSH or the Extended Release versions.. Get the 500mg from GNC (silver bottle, $18) and cut them in half, take 250mg right after breakfast and again right after dinner. This will keep your lipids in check.. You will probably get flushed a little bit but dont be alarmed.. Its opening up your capillaries clearing your body of toxins etc.. You WILL feel itchy but will get used to it after a few days.. Again, DONT be alarmed, you will be fine, it does feel weird if never taken before.. I took 500mg with no food and I was scared, my skin was on fire but only lasted an hour.. Good luck, 200mg EW will land you right about 900, feeling like a 20yr old again.. 😀
Awesome site.
I was on TRT for a few months. A TRT doc in New Jersey prescribed me 200mg/week… Yeah the guy was a quack. My levels were up over 2,000. The lady who tool my bloodwork said 2,000 is as high as the test would go… So it may have been even higher lol…
Anyway, I’m 25 and was feeling like shit/skinny/no facial hair/felt like a little bitch… all the symptoms of low T. Turns out my T was 350 which is pretty damn low for a 25 year old and only gonna get worse. So that’s why I went on TRT…
BUT… I’ve been off it for like 9 months or so now because I got really bad acne. I was taking HCG and arimidex at the same time as the T. I believe the HCG is what caused the acne. Well that and the insane T levels. My skin got very oily and I broke out with cystic acne all over my back/shoulders.
…It was enough to say fuck this I’m done. I was going to the gym and 210 lbs of solid muscle but I couldn’t even take my shirt off in public. Couldn’t even fuck a girl for months because of the acne – my back was just so fucked up.
So here I am 9 months later, acne cleared up, a few scars, and feeling like the same shitty feelings I did before I started TRT. When I was on TRT I felt invincible.
I’m scheduled for bloodwork next week to see where I stand. If my levels are still low (which I’m positive they are and maybe even lower now that I was on TRT…) Then I’m going to start looking for a new TRT doctor.
Awesome blog by the way I’ll be checking back here often.
502 is an ok number and the actual number doesn’t matter so much as how you feel. Some guys need to get up over 700 or 800 to feel as well as they want, for other 502 is fine.
Testosterone replacement is just that replacing what the body is not producing and it is meant to be longterm. Watch out for fertility issues if you plan on having kids as T can decrease sperm quality. Clomid or HCG can be used to protect the testicle and sperm quality. It is important not to forget the estrogen as that can increase and needs to be checked. Most men need arimidex to balance the estrogen.
ha TRT, My T levels was 192, which is real low. I havent started TRT treatment but is looking in to it. My sex life suck. I am thinking about a low testosterone treatment. the med they would give me is 1. testosterone injection,2. hcg,3. anastrozole. I found one place that wanted $199 amonth for every thing. I have to do something my wife is going crazy.hahahaha….need help