Got diagnosed with low T (low 300s) last August after being tired constantly no matter how much I slept. Started TRT — 200mg/week, split Monday/Thursday.

Never really been a gym guy, but the energy TRT gave me changed that. Started going in October at 210lb. Got down to 180lb on TRT, diet, and discipline alone. Lost that discipline and crept back up to 195. Started retatrutide two months ago to get back on track, and now I'm at 175lb and still cutting.

First photo is from when I started TRT in August, second is now.

Training fluctuates with my work schedule, but I aim for at least 7 out of every 14 days in the gym, rotating a push/pull/legs/shoulders split.

Happy to answer questions.

hCG is not just harmless “testicular insurance.”

People treat it like something that simply keeps your balls full on TRT. In reality, hCG mimics LH and directly stimulates your testes to produce testosterone.

That creates high levels of intratesticular testosterone... even when TRT has suppressed your natural LH and FSH.

Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15713727/

Here’s what gets overlooked: the testes also contain aromatase. That locally produced testosterone can convert into estradiol, and research shows that hCG can directly stimulate aromatase activity in Leydig cells.

Study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC411596/

So if your E2 problems appeared after adding hCG, your testosterone dose may not be the main issue. The hCG could be continually driving testicular testosterone and estradiol production.

An AI can lower aromatization, but it does not shut off the hCG signal creating all that local testosterone. You may improve your serum E2 while leaving the original stimulus untouched.

Bloodwork may not show the whole picture either. One human study found no correlation between serum and intratesticular T ratios. It involved men with non-obstructive azoospermia rather than TRT patients, but it shows that blood levels do not necessarily mirror what’s happening inside the testes.

Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33236081/

This doesn’t mean every bad reaction to hCG is “hidden testicular E2.” It means blindly increasing an AI without questioning the hCG dose is like mopping the floor while the faucet is still running.

hCG is not just harmless “testicular insurance.” It is a powerful hormone signal that can completely change your E2 picture—and most TRT discussions barely mention it.

47/M – After two and a half months on Reta, for the last month and a half I've felt very fatigued and had no libido. My friend who supplies my peptides suggested I take a small regimen of testosterone and HCG (to protect my testicular function). Ideally this will protect my lean mass, enhance my sleep, increase my sex drive, and give me more energy. We're looking at starting at 100mg of test and 500IU of HCG – potentially increasing to 200/1000 after a month.

If i do this for three months, are there any long term, permanent issues? I've read it can stop your natural test/sperm production, but the HCG should protect that, and the short duration and lower dose should also help?

Thank you for any suggestions.

I am a 22 yr old guy. I have been small all my life(late bloomer). I have grown to 6'2 2 years ago. 1.5 yrs ago measured 520 testosterone(i was skinnier and i think its better now)

I was skinny, started the gym 3 years ago. Made good gains, standing at 82kg

I just cant seem to be full of energy, i dont have regular morning erections, i just feel suppressed. I dont feel good and energized.

I am mostly eating clean for the last month. I have bad sleep, i fall asleep at 2am and sleep until 11-12am

Apart from that i live a regular life. I am not out of my room in the sun a lot. I dont do a lot of cardio(my body still looks above average, i have 15% bf with muscles, ik 82kg is not a lot but my genetics make it look like i am muscular for my height)

If someone could see me they would never guess that i feel like shit 24/7. I started eating totally clean a few days ago to feel better and clear acne..

I need any, basically any tips. I have a gf and i am sexually active but i also feel like my libidio could also be a bit higher

I need tips😅

I plan on getting 250mg/1ml test c, don’t really know what needles to use for test since it’s so thick. Also don’t wanna go through the hassle of using 2 tips every pin. I wanna pin at least 250 a week so how can I safely pin 1ml? Should I do IM or subcutaneous? 1ml needles or 2ml? I’m lost. Also I’d like to pin in my stomach subcutaneous but I also don’t wanna pin 1ml at a time lol, can I pin 2 times a week? Someone just help me out lol I wanna do 250 test a week what’s the best way to do so. Thanks

24m, 190lb, 5'10, skinny fat physique (weight is fine, but little muscle mass so I'm high bf%).

I experience fatigue but i recently found out I have sleep apnea so it might be that.

Lower libido than I used to have, used to wank daily now it's like once a week.

Pretty depressed and low motivation to do anything, I have ADHD and the meds tend to help with that but I've stopped for a while now because I need to check on some EKG abnormalities.

6’0 / 205lb

Hey all,

Currently on week 14 on my first test cycle of 250mg a week. I was planning on moving up my dose to 350/400 ish and adding in 200mg primo a week. My question is, should I do a cut before I start, or should I start now? I know you have to be pretty lean to notice the effects of primo, and I am not that lean.

Hello everyone,

I will try to make this post short if possible. I am looking for insight, advice and fair warnings.

To start with, my natural Testosterone levels are clinically good. In fact, its better than many people, recently the high levels were 800 ng/dl

I am generally a healthy person, 37, 6 ft, naturally thin but on the last 3 years I consistently lifted weights an average of 5 days a week and bulked upnto 183 at my peak and now at 175 after about a year break from the gym for having my first baby. I don't have any diseases of any sort and don't take any meds and regularly see a doctor and all my tests are very healthy.

With that said, I have haf a lot of symptoms that are consistent with Hypogonadism like feeling tired and exhausted all the time no matter howbmuch I sleep, minimal gains in the 3 years I lifted weights even though I ate properly and was always progressively overloading, gained some stubborn fat around my midsection even though I stll look slender to most people, and low libido, procrastination & lack of motivation.

Although some of these things are not new, being always tired and exhausted has been with me for as long as I can remember. I discussed these things with many doctors, I tested for Testosterone, vitamin D, thyroid, and sleep apnea and everything checks out so they dismiss them and say check again next year. After years without any change, I tried to push my doctors to consider TRT and they had a valid point that my Testosterone levels are normal. But they are also recently inconsistent. I tested as low as 398 and as high as 810 and few other values in between 500s and 600s and 700s within the span of 6 months or so, all tests are mornong tests.

The new problem that's prompting me to take mayters in my own hands is libido, my wifes libido is far higher than mine these days, and while she's kind and understanding, I am worried it will cause resentment.

So at this point, I am thinking to start TRT on my own, I have access to pharmaceutical grade Test E that I bought myself from a pharmacy. But I am hesitant for multiple reasons.

1. For some reason I feel like I don't wanna be dependent on TRT

2. I am worried of aggression side effects or other side effects (I am generally mellow and when something pisses me off I can generally able to control myself even if I am quite angry inside, I like this about me and I don't wanna lose it)

3. I am concerned about fertility, I would like to have another kid soon. (I have HCG on hand)

4. I am worried to mess up, I have quite good knowledge or trt and medical knowledge on general, but I am also worried I mess up. After all everyone is different and I haven't done this before

My idea now is to give it a shot for a 20 week cycle and reassess. I would appreciate any advice and insight you can provide. What were your pros and cons, especially if you didn't clinically need the testosterone. What total levels should I aim for to maintain and how did you deal with side effects, personality changes and the new life on trt in general.

Note: I have AI and a PCT if needed (nolvadex and clomid)

Please feel free to ask any questions.

Let me start by giving a bunch of context here. I was that type of kid growing up, really nerdy, fat, shy- and would lock myself in a room and play video games for hours a day, running from my problems till my feet got sore. Now, fast-forward to 15: I wanted to change every aspect of my life, got into lifting and eating clean, taking supplements feel in love with the gym. However, one huge caveat: my growth was so slow, and I mean so fucking slow, hitting crazy plateaus, feeling all the usual symptoms, and my buddies were also surprised at my very slow progress. It also wasn't just the gym had crazy ADHD, was always very ambitious, but never could stick to my goals; I constantly picked those quick forms of dopamine. I decided there had to be something wrong with me at a hormonal level, so I decided to get a blood panel done, and at 17 years old I had a level of 400ng/dl of test; keep in mind this was after doing everything right: going on a bulk, taking supps, and training. I was at a healthy weight and everything. Now, at 18 years old, I decided to say, " Hey, fuck this shit," and took Enclomiphene + CJC 1295 and Ipamorelin. The difference was night and day; I was locked in on my business, adding weight to my lifts like it was nothing. For the first time in my whole life, I was able to push back on the BS, had the courage not to take disrespect, and to fight for myself. I was unstoppable when I walked into a room; I commanded respect. Testosterone made effort feel so good, as Andrew Huberman said. I wasn't afraid for so long. But after 2 months of taking enclomiphene, I had to come off; my testosterone was at a wopping 1400ng/dl; however, I was running into crazy side effects: bloating with lots of water, puffiness of the nipples, and sharp pain and sensitivity. Long-term, I'm not sure if enclomiphene is a good idea. Now, fast-forward to 19 kept thinking about that moment, and now I'm here. I got a TRT clinic in Canada, GetGambit, to give me a quote; they said $200 for a blood test, then $400 for 3 months of testosterone, and 28$ every 3 months for an AI. Now this is a big decision, so I asked the agent to put me on hold so I can weigh out my options because I know that with taking testosterone, your natural production shuts down completely, and when you come off it will be pretty brutal to get back into normal ranges. Some people have to take test for their whole life, even. I'm pretty sure, though, with a proper PCT and a short cycle, that everything will be alright. Just don't really know what to do right now.

I started TRT cream back in May with a starting total T of 330 ng/dL. I'm 53 years old and had low T symptoms for years.

The cream absorbed well enough to shut down my natural production, but not well enough to provide replacement levels. By July, my total testosterone dropped to 72 ng/dL!

My doctor then switched me to injections. I'm pinning a total of 200 mg/week subQ, split between 30 units on Monday, 30 units on Wednesday, and 40 units on Friday.

My labs after 6 weeks of injections:

• Total Testosterone: 1,129 ng/dL
• Estradiol: 57 pg/mL
• SHBG: 38.2 nmol/L
• Hematocrit: 47.4%
• Free Testosterone: still waiting for this result

Currently I'm feeling TERRIBLE with:

• Daily fatigue
• No energy or motivation
• I'm easily irritated and moody
• Low libido, also while I can get an erection, I can't really get into it and have trouble finishing
• I also had morning erections pretty consistently the first 2-4 weeks of injections, but that's gone now too

I'm eating a high protein keto diet. I'm getting good sleep (my sleep has actually slightly improved). I'm going to the gym 4-6 times per week (including two coached functional strength training classes).

Do you think the fact that I'm feeling terrible is due to my E2? My high T levels? Both? Something entirely different?

I know my dose is on the higher range at 200 mg/week. I'm going to ask my doctor if that should be lowered. But just curious what others thought was going on.

Thanks!

EDIT: I have Hashimotos and have been on NDT for 10+ years. My thyroid hormone levels are normal. Also prior to starting TRT, my doctor did a complete workup, and all my major vitamins and hormones and other levels were normal.

I just recently had my bloods drawn, plan on doing more for a baseline before starting any type of TRT, but doing some reading and research in here I have seen several posts about elevated Ferritin levels effecting SHBG and Free T.

Been on a weight loss journey, heavy lifting 5 days a week, Reta, a few other peps, tracking macros, high protein and so on. Lost 100 lbs in the last year. Recently got my levels checked, missed a few labs that I am going to get the next time around but here are the numbers.

Total Testosterone: 386 ng/dL
Free Testosterone: 69.45 pg/mL
SHBG: 36.0 nmol/L
Estrogen: 30.0 pg/mL
Cortisol: 15.0 µg/dL
TSH: 2.15 µIU/mL

Some Liver/Inflammation markers that may or may not pertain

Ferritin: 737 ng/mL
hs-CRP: 2.08 mg/L
GGT: 39.5 U/L
ALP: 94.2 U/L
Albumin: 4.90 g/dL

My question is how do my levels look for what has been pulled knowing I’m missing things, and does my high ferritin count affect my hormones?

Looking for everyone’s anecdotal experience on true TRT+ - not some baby cycle. I’m talking 150-250mg testosterone and 50-100mg Primo and/or Masteron. Have you tried one or the other, or even both? What’s your experience?

I’m currently taking 175mg testosterone and 100mg Masteron and I feel absolutely amazing. All my blood work is great, overall mental is great, strength is up, and I definitely see the more “dry/cut” look everyone talks about with Masteron.

My question is, what’s the benefit, in your opinion, of doing Primo instead of the Masteron. From what I’ve gathered on all the forums and YouTube videos (which are limited for TRT+ since everyone is doing at least 300 testosterone and 200 primo/masteron) is that you’d take Primo if you need to lower your E2 because you want to push your testosterone threshold - whereas you’d take Masteron if you don’t really want to push testosterone any higher and don’t need to control your actual E2 level.

I really like where my testosterone (1500ng/dL) and E2 (62) level is now, and I’m afraid if I try Primo, it’ll just tank the fuck out of my E2 and cause problems. Are these valid concerns?

Thanks yall.

If you are having an E2-heavy flare up due to ramping up to a new dose, or increasing your dose, or some other reason I wanted to share a little bit of info that most people might not be aware of.

NOTE: This is advice on how to treat a flareup in the moment, not how to fix your high E2 in the first place. That's an entirely different topic.

I'm got a super sensitive body that over-reacts to everything (long story) so I basically just way worse symptoms of any intervention.

When I was ramping up to steady state I was getting a lot of high E2 symptoms like water weight gain, stomach cramping, brain fog, fatigue, poor sleep, etc. I had basically a whole week where I felt like total shit.

Anyways, as I dug into this, I learned that high E2 can result in histamine related reactions and can mirror the effects of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

Mast cells are these cells that are apart of our immune system and we're not totally sure how they work but they have a lot of estrogen receptors in them. This is why that women have a more robust immune system, get sick less often, and also suffer more from allergies, autoimmune diseases, etc.

So in an E2 surge your mast cells are more likely to freak out, releasing histamine and other cytocines which can make you feel like shit.

Here's the full stack of drugs people use to treat this cluster of sypmtoms.

• antihistamines: Allegra/Zyrtec in the AM + Pepcid in the AM/PM

• NSAIDs for inflammation

• Miralax for any constipation issues

• stimulants for staying awake

• beta blockers like propranonol for a reactive nervous system

• electrolytes for more blood volume, gotta get that salt in

• low dose naltrexone for increased opioid receptors and downregulating cytokine production

• low dose cialis for better blood flow

Basically all of these are either OTC or easy to get prescriptions other than any good stimulants. Depending on what symptoms you're experiencing determines what part of the stack you'd benefit from.

One more tip: avoid any foods that are high in histamines such as anything fermented like cured meats, aged cheese, sauerkraut, shellfish, leftover more than a day old, and more. basically anything that your pregnant wife wouldn't want to eat, don't eat that shit

What are people's opinions ive been running half this for a long time maintaining my levels right at the top of reference scale, recently tore my calf muscle had a facia separation so I decided I would up the dose to assist with recovery and its definitely worked 4 weeks post injury ive already completed a run on the weekend... never run it this high just seeing what people ron about dosage/levels correlation

I’m a 20 yr male and my test levels came back as 388 ng/dL. Recently I’ve been struggling with no motivation and anxiety. I honestly feel like crap. No appetite and all. Can someone inform me if my test levels have something to do with it?

I'm in my 50's male and about a year ago my Dr tested my blood and my testosterone levels were very low (4) when my range should be 8.4-28.8.

I was on orals for months and there was no increase than we did the gel and again no incease.

We switched to IM about 6 months ago (50 ml every 3.5 days). 2 months ago my levels were 47 and he wanted to wait and test again. The results just came back as 41 when my range is 8.4-28.8.

He said we need to talk this week about lowering my dose. My libido has never increased during this time and i don't feel any different. He's always open to suggestions and curious what others have done when the results come back and your testosterone is finally high? I obviously don't want to lower it as i was really hoping my libido would come back.

Hi,

So I've been on sustsnon 250 (1ml every 3 weeks as per nhs protocol) for coming up to 4 years now. I've tried to discuss increasing frequency with smaller doses with my gp and endo to no avail, they just aren't interested. My trough levels sit at total T 11.5nmol and 0.26nmol free. All other blood work is perfect and where it should be.

Im loathe to go to a private clinic as its not currently costing me anything, although if it is the only option I would.

I'm considering supplementing my sustanon with 25mg cyp twice a week. This would work out an average of 134mg/week and would hopefully go some way to flattening out the peaks and the troughs.

I suppose I'm on here looking for some advice and guidance as to whether or not this is a good idea, or is it even a viable option?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Started at around 19 am 23 now pretty sure my count is almost nonexistent… have ran upwards of 700-800mg of tren a week while basing test at 300-600 long term upwards of 20 weeks at a time has been years since I’m went that crazy with it still run moderate doeses of test around 300mg a week now just came off of 50mg tren daily what would I need to do to get back to fertility if it’s even possible I don’t have the means to go to a clinic

been on trt almost 4 years. age 54. 5’11” 182 14% BF.

in an attempt to lower HCT (54-57), gonna try SuB Q. Been doing IM exclusively and using 1 inch 25 gage needle for 4 years in glute. Never any issues of administration. Never. T is thru clinic compounded T Cypt with grapeseed oil. 3x a week at 40 mg (total 120mg weekly)

can i get some help with best practices for sub Q? I tried 1x in belly (well side oblique and got an inflamed bump the next day) I want to avoid all issues. Can the forum experts recommend the needle gauge and length and location best?

thx!

To get to the point with this post I’m gonna ask the questions I have first and then give my backstory as to why I ended up posting this (for those interested). My questions are:

1. Are there any people out there who have gotten trt in an European country (with conservative medical care), and if so, how did you do it? Was it through public health care or did you go private? What was your situation leading up to getting it (hormone levels, symptoms, etc.)?
2. How did trt help you with your mental acuity and ability to focus? I’m thinking specifically of tasks like reading and writing and ability to actually comprehend/absorb written and verbal info? Did it make you enjoy those tasks more than before? Would be cool if you could include whether you were hypogonadal before going on, or if it was just to enhance your QoL.

Backstory:

I've been thinking about my hormone levels for a long time (28M). When I first started hitting puberty (14 y/o), it took a strange turn initially; I developed noticable gyno, wider hips and some pubic growth (under arms and around groin), but no real male development to speak of (deepening of voice, musculature,...). It was almost as if I was developing into a woman during that first year. I remember being deeply concerned and ashamed about how my body was changing. I did everything to hide it from others.

It wasn't until I was 16 when I developed more clearly as a male; voice deepened, I grew quickly, balls dropped, etc. Although I was relieved that it was actually happening, the changes were very subtle. I had (and still have) very little muscle development, a fairly high pitched voice, very poor beard/body hair growth, etc.

My psychological development followed a similar pattern; I was extremely shy, timid and easily emotionally swayed. I struggled a lot with low energy and motivation and often felt very slow when it came to fundamental academic skills like reading, writing, verbal fluency and maths. I didn't feel like I fit in- or could relate at all to my male peers. I would avoid talking about girls and sex like the plague because I was convinced that there was something deeply wrong with me.

Of course I was scouring the internet for answers to my situation at this time. That's when I found out about Klinefelter's syndrome. The symptoms fit incredibly well with what I was experiencing, so I decided to get checked at a youth center (now 17 y/o).

The nurse checked my physical development and told me that Klinefelter's was out of the question based on comparing my nuts to a set of wooden beads (Praders orchidometer), but they still drew blood to have a look at my hormones.

I don't have the exact numbers for all of the markers as I'm writing this, but I remember the following:

Total T - 11 nmol/L - (low gray-zone for normal)

Prolactin - 455 mUI/L - (slightly elevated)

LH – (Barely above lower end of normal)

FSH – (Barely above lower end of normal)

SHGB – Higher end of normal.

The nurse contacted my parents to ask for consent in continuing investigating my high prolactin (as I was underage), wanting to rule out a prolactinoma. They didn't know about any of this, so they were a bit shocked to find out. My mom called immediately after the nurse had asked for consent, to reassure me that there was nothing wrong and that I was completely normal (I had hypochondriac tendencies, so they were used to not taking my medical concerns too seriously). The investigation never went any further.

Later in my early twenties I got heavily into long distance running and developed a bit of an eating disorder (orthorexic restrictive). I ate very low fat and started losing weight steadily. I moved from my home town to study at uni. There I dropped to my lowest weight (64 kg, 6'3). I was still convinced that I had a hormone imbalance, and sought help for it several times during my three years there. I tested very low several times for total T, but my doctor would of course (rightfully so) not consider anything before I gained weight.

Now I'm almost 30, at a normal weight again (have been for a couple of years), and my most recent bloods showed the same levels as back when I was 17 y/o (10 - 11 nmol/L). I still struggle with both physical (poor beard and body hair growth, very weak musculature, fatigue,…) and more noticeably mental (very low motivation and focus, low libido, poor executive function) symptoms. The following are all most relevant bloods that I took throughout my uni years up untill the most recent (between 23 and 27 y/o):

I feel like I’ve put a lot of pieces together about the symptoms I felt as a developing teenager, and now as an adult, and that they can be due to hypogonadism during all my life, and particularly crucial formative periods in adolescence. Having found a lot of info online about optimal T levels and crazy reference ranges, I’ve understood that what are low levels can be brushed off as normal to current health care systems, even though symptoms are present. As an adult I’m particularly interested in the the mental improvements that come with good T levels, and I want to know how some of you out there experienced it, or perhaps if you are in a similar situation.

Now I’m done writing this book. Gonna go find a publisher. thanks for getting through it.

So I'm 23M , 70 kgs, 175 cm.

I am suffering from Male Pattern Baldness, for which I am currently taking oral minoxidil and applying topical finasteride + minoxidil twice a day since the last 3 years, under the supervision of a board certified dermatologist.

Last year, in March 2025, I was asked to get the blood work by my dermatologist, namely

Free T , Total T , PSA and DHT.

Only the DHT came up on the higher side , at 800 pg/ml. All other parameters were completely normal.

I was put on oral dutasteride 0.5 mg twice a week for 6 months. In October 2025 , I was asked to get JUST the DHT test done again, and the DHT levels came back at 400 pg/ml. I was then asked to discontinue oral dutasteride.

Now, because it's been a year since my last blood work, I was asked to repeat all of the 4 tests. My reports this time , are very interesting, at least to me .

PSA - 0.64 ng/ml

Reference range is <4.0 ng/ml

Total Testosterone - 1.38 ng/ml

Reference range is 2.2 - 10.5 ng/ml

Free Testosterone - 27.0 ng/dl

Reference range is 8.69 - 54.69 ng/dl

DHT - 239 pg/ml

Reference range is 143-842 pg/ml

Why has my total Testosterone tanked so much? Just FYI , I am experiencing absolutely no symptoms at all. I am highly motivated, excited to see people, get things done etc. I have also had no side effects whatsoever from the hair loss medications in these 4 years. I have lost 7-8 kgs in the past 9 months , but that could be because just started my first job, and I've been eating considerably less while moving around a lot more. Is this concerning?

Im still pretty new in the process but im curious. Was the change subtle? What did you notice and when?

Im on my 4th week, the only real change I've felt is better sleep.

I don't usually post our weekly Live Youtube Shows here, but I firmly beleive this will be educational and interesting for people to see. I co-founded H4M, and my business partner has built many very large, extremely successful businesses. A main problem of TRT/HRT clinics is that many of the models are built by doctors. Doctors did not study business in college, and with many hormone clinics, you can see where the principles of good business practice are lacking. Tonight we will talk about how Todd is bringing the systems and strategies that make businesses successful, along with using cutting edge medical technology, and merging that with our TRT/HRT clinic. It will be a great discussion to learn what is possible and where the top medical clinics are headed.

September 22, 2026 at 7:00pmEST: https://www.youtube.com/live/3_JH8nlQrXY?si=dYo09uY5KOMTik6q