So I made a real effort to see if I could stop TRT

[jipped genes]

More than anything just wanted a break. I kinda knew I was not going to be able to get back to normal #s at close to 60 and use history.

I did a full PCT with 500 iu of HCG ed for 10 days starting 6 weeks after last inject along with 50 mg of nolva ed starting 2 weeks after last inject and continuing for six weeks.

total test 172 ng/dL
free test 4 pg/dL
SHBG 24 nmol/L

Anyway, been off and on pretty much since the early 2000s. Started TRT probably 10-12 years ago. Now just do TRT+ and have not cycled since I started TRT. Sometimes I add Masteron or var orT-bol or combination for the plus.

I feel I am certainly not optimal. I am doing 2iu or GH ed to try to spare a little muscle up from 1.5iu which is what I normally do. I have lost a couple lbs and strength but not bad. Libido is garbage and my wife's is through the roof.

Y'all think in 6 months there would be an appreciable increase in test? Maybe another round of HCG and nolva? Maybe I should just get back on the T and give up the pharm test and get UG stuff. Cheaper for sure. i do not mind paying a doc for all the labs and such but I am absorbing my mom's dementia care bills into our budget and it is about the same as a mortgage on a nice house every month.

 

[ogre]

I went cold turkey about a year ago.I was on for 10 yrs trt for short periods than 300mg of test for 6 months.Im 64 and after a year Im at 350 total test.I had alot of infections from knee replacement so I quit in hope of recovery.I felt like shit for some time and lost alot of muscle.

 

[956Vette]

Revisit the underground, you and yours are ofc beyond worth it. Good on you for experimenting and experiencing the lows, hats off, brave mfer.

 

[jipped genes]

Revisit the underground, you and yours are ofc beyond worth it. Good on you for experimenting and experiencing the lows, hats off, brave mfer.

Yeah, I might. i always brewed my own back in the late 90s and 2000s. Last time i tried UG stuff I got big welts and PIP from cyp, enanthate and mast. I do not know what is diff with the UG brews now but I tried a few diff brands and same thing. I would brew cyp or enanthate with 1.5% BA, 2% BB and that was it in grape oil and zero probs.

I am all about saving $ with UG labs but it is a waste to get some and not use it. Like I said, my mom's care bill is close to $2,000 a month. OUCH, but it is my mom, I would live in a shack and eat beans and rice to make sure she gets what she needs.

 

[Bigtex]

total test 172 ng/dL
free test 4 pg/dL
SHBG 24 nmol/L

I am absorbing my mom's dementia care bills into our budget and it is about the same as a mortgage on a nice house every month.

The bright side is you now qualify for insurance coverage on TRT. Hey, what you are doing with your mom is tough. I paid for home health care at $3200/wk so I know what you are going through.

 

[Friggemall]

2 years ago when I stopped everything and did old school pct, hcg, nolva, clomid and I was no better off from the pct than just staying on a trt level.
Thinking I’m giving my best the next full year training, then do prep for whatever show(s) then stopping and trying again. This time I’ll stop after pct longer for bloodwork and see. If not my insurance finally kicked in and it’s only $10/month for 1ml/200mg/week. I can manage that between Dr visits since I’m only supposed to do 100mg/week. I get 4 1ml single use vials a month from Walgreens. Since I’m only supposed to do 1/2ml but they give a full ml due to “it’s no longer sanitary once the stopper has been penetrated” that is literally what the pharmacy said, take 1/2ml out & discard the rest in the trash. Lol

 

[Wilson6]

I fully understand that everyone has to do what they have to do and I respect that. IMO, past 50, I'd never try to get off HRT unless there is simply no other option (androgen deprivation for PCa). First and most importantly, low testosterone favors PCa cell proliferation (more likely to be aggressive) whereas high T favors differentiation (more like normal cells). For that reason alone I like to keep my total T between 800 - 1200, I never want it to drop because if there is an occult PCa, that might just blow it up. Two, T particularly the DHT metabolite is important for mental functioning. If your stress levels are already maxed, low T-DHT is likely to drive depression, clouded thinking, and overall amotivation. Third, T is anti-inflammatory, and the E2 metabolite is also important for men's overall health, this is what really destroys QOL with guys on ADT, the low E2. Those are the three top reasons to stay on HRT, even if you bounce back to low normal after a period off. We become androgen insensitive with age, have to go higher to really be normal. The rest is icing on the cake (libido, erectile function, body composition, etc.). Life is hard enough as is, why make it harder unless there is simply no other choice. Low T would crush me.

 

[BLTC]

So what's the better gauge of test levels? Free or total? I thought it was free is the most important but everyone quotes total....

 

[The other Snake]

Everyone has their own row to hoe so I understand. I'm just afraid you're going to feel like dog crap for a long period of time and find out the experiment didn't work.

My advice would be to go UG for the test and bypass the Dr visits with private MD labs. That's also assuming you don't live in one of those communist States that prevent you from doing your own blood work.

My heart goes out to you with Mom. I've been there.

 

[Littleguy]

Getting off of it does not make any sense at all bro, test is like what $5 bucks a weeks for a TRT dose or less
F the Dr bullshit just get checkups 2x a year for regular stuff and live a life.
There are many good quality UGL's out there these days and HG Pharma stuff is all over the Web these days as well, why fuck yourself at this age?
Even if it ONLY was to keep up with your horny wife it would be worth it IMO.
I bet you do some other stuff that is way more detrimental to your health and your wallet if you were to think about it even a little.
60 years here bro so I know where you are coming from, and I will never quit again it isn't worth it to be "natural"..lol of you want natty look around at others in your age group, FUCK THAT and that is what nature is in todays' World my friend

 

[almostgone]

@jipped genes If you are deadset on trying to see how much you can recover, read up on the "Scally Power PCT".
No guarantees, but it won't hurt to read about the protocol.

 

[J2048b]

More than anything just wanted a break. I kinda knew I was not going to be able to get back to normal #s at close to 60 and use history.

I did a full PCT with 500 iu of HCG ed for 10 days starting 6 weeks after last inject along with 50 mg of nolva ed starting 2 weeks after last inject and continuing for six weeks.

total test 172 ng/dL
free test 4 pg/dL
SHBG 24 nmol/L

Anyway, been off and on pretty much since the early 2000s. Started TRT probably 10-12 years ago. Now just do TRT+ and have not cycled since I started TRT. Sometimes I add Masteron or var orT-bol or combination for the plus.

I feel I am certainly not optimal. I am doing 2iu or GH ed to try to spare a little muscle up from 1.5iu which is what I normally do. I have lost a couple lbs and strength but not bad. Libido is garbage and my wife's is through the roof.

Y'all think in 6 months there would be an appreciable increase in test? Maybe another round of HCG and nolva? Maybe I should just get back on the T and give up the pharm test and get UG stuff. Cheaper for sure. i do not mind paying a doc for all the labs and such but I am absorbing my mom's dementia care bills into our budget and it is about the same as a mortgage on a nice house every month.

i wont lie to u… at one point my total test was 176…. I quit trt back around 2015ish… i say ish because it could have been later than that… it took me years for my nuts to start back up… i did not do a pct… i just wuit and suffered… and so did the family… but i will say my last bw showed a test total of 775 … so i pinned test again to celebrate and my urologist said wtf maign… as my total came back around 2200 or something around there haba… now ill be getting be this week to see where im sutting after not pinnin since octoberish…. I guess we will find out what it is