Just came across this, wow, your words are exactly how I feel, I have never thought of having low T, but at 50 it may well be exactly that, I will get my levels checked, I hope you are feeling better soon mate, but if it’s any conciliation, you may just have saved me from the last 12 months of suffering like you are now, take good care
Lately I've seen a lot of people in social media talking about "my mood is off because of low test"...in the 70s and 80s that symptom was called "being depressed". I'm not saying that you are a candidate for mental health, but I think is safe and intelligent to evaluate all the possible factors when the mood and the will to do daily things is going down...wishing a lot of success in your journey!
I did have a very short un in a while back with depression and anxiety and believe me it was very different then this. I can manage this, just not exactly my happy self these days but doing OK and glad to be alive.
It is possible the anxiety is not related to the trt? people get anxiety without being on it. may not be connected? What else is going on in your life? How is your sleep? How is your general stress? When I had anxiety much of it was related to lack of sleep because of my heart and not sleeping very well. Once I was able to get caught up on sleep (In my case needed some sleeping medication) the anxiety because way more controllable, pretty much went away.
Hey Michael I’m an old viewer of the airgun channel so I been following you for a while. You seem like a really good guy and I’m sorry you’re going through this I hope it passes soon. Thanks for putting yourself out there lots of honesty about your journey that can really help someone
Thanks for the kind words, life could be a lot worse for sure. When I got the news I was not sure what life would look like in my future and I feared I would be extremely limited. I am overall happy with where I am at now, considering everything but I want more as is my personality type :)
@@getfitover40 that’s great to hear that you’ve found happiness I haven’t checked vimeo in a while but I will soon I’m still mad at TH-cam for what they did to your channel I loved that ol airgun channel. Take care brother
I am 45 male I’m a plumber and I have never took trt and I feel exactly how u feel lol! Brain fog , too tired to work out , bones and body hurt and same mood that’s why I’m thinking of taking trt lol I’m 190 try to work out and it’s hard to be consistent. So that’s why I’m thinking of this option
Yes TRT for sure helps but there is a lot going on in my situation other than just coming off TRT: 1. I had major heart surgery which is a huge burden on ones entire system. 2. I was in the hospital literally in bed for over a month solid. 3. I was not able to weigth train for around 3 months. 4. I was using a Testosterone with a very long half life, so even a month to two months later I still had a significant amount of exogenous Test in my system still in the normal mid ranges. 5. When I came out of the hospital a month after being bedridden I had lost most of my muscle by that time simply from not moving at all. Keep in mind my testosterone levels where faily high even a month after going off because of the long half life. 6. Over time my Testosterone level have gone down significantly to where I am now at around 5 nmol/L. I would say I lost most of my muscle from not using them as I was not able to workout for around 3 months. All this said, I am finding it very hard to hold onto what muscle I have left because I am well below normal Testosterone levels. Mainly as I have virtually no drive to workout so my workouts are way less often than before and much shorter in duration. Do I want to go back on TRT, yes for sure, it makes life a lot better and I get much better results for the effort I put in.
If it works for you keep doing it! Finding that optimal range is key, just enough to get the results you are looking for but not so much you start getting sides...
You're a trailblazer, keep going!! Woowoo! FI'm 58 years old, TRT for a decade because I was morbidly obese, 406 lbs, until 54 yrs old since 4 years old. My last testosterone shot in July 2022 and I lost lots of muscle. February 2023, my free testosterone was 56. I then started hGC. As of July 2023 my testosterone levels are now at 613 with my testicles anecdotally appear 400% heavier and larger. I am also on no other medications as I no longer have medical issues, except for this topic. I can relate to everything you shared in this video. But I hate to share with you that once I started the hCG, I experienced hot flashes, morning sickness, and other hormonal swings. Three years ago, I ran my first marathon in about five hours, four months after stop using TRT around my second marathon with a time over six hours. I am now training for my third marathon, and it's been a struggle to regain what I had on TRT. But I'm going to beat this and be drug free and normal for the first time in my life. Keep goin!!
@@getfitover40 I'm 50 shots in, three shots per week. I'm not sure how long I need to keep taking hCG. But for now, my testicles keep growing as I put heavy demands on my body for exercise. I time my shots for late afternoon to maximize the amount I sleep I get with the hormones in me to make as much testosterones as possible. The benefit of doing this, as my testicles have been growing and growing as it feels like the biggest it's ever been in my whole life, which is awesome. I have four months left before I run the Honolulu Marathon for the third time. Four months after I stop taking my testosterone shots I ran my second marathon and finished an hour longer than the first marathon. My goal for this third marathon is to return to a lower number than my first marathon or under five hours. But I might share with you that the climb back up the testosterone ladder is riddled with mood swings since I am exercising and running every day this seems to create huge swings for me. But I'm gonna win this fight! for a season TRT was good for me but now I want to be drug-free while I still have a decade or so of youth left.
May I ask what your dose of testosterone was when you were 400 pounds? I'm in a similar boat with extremely low levels but my doctor says I wouldnt be a good candidate because most of what I would inject would just turn to estrogen and I wouldn't get the benefits.
@@detonetic For the first 7 ½ years of using TRT it started at 1.0 ml injections every two weeks in 2013. Then in 2016 it was reduced to .75 ml as my hematocrit rose past the “safety” value to 52.7. Without the TRT I would have lost my engineering job as I had super “brain fog.” My body transformation started late November 2019. While the world turned “off” I learned more about my body, food and hormones and realized I could control it and the weight started falling rapidly! Its your life, consider finding someone to help you as know one will do it for you. I’m almost 59 years old and I have a new reality - something that I could never have imagined as I can “fit” now! Just believe and do it - find support!
Man stay strong. I gotta go thru this. Been on like a decade. My lady wants a baby, my sperm is at 0. I was very fertile before TRT. Hope i can bounce back and have another kid.
Same here brother, I literally got my results back today and it was zero.I’m 34 I’ve been on trt for about 9 years my levels were 211 when I first started and it changed my life for the better. But now my fiancé and I are starting the process to have a kid. The doctor called me today and I walked outside and teared up. Like fuck I knew what it was gonna be but hearing that killed me. Now it’s like go through hell to have a kid or don’t be comfortable and don’t have one and live a lifetime of regret. Wish you the best on your journey my brother.
@pewpew2204 I hear you man. My Doc never told me I would br infertile on TRT. But after all my research, we can do it. I will say 2 months ago I got off TRT for 8 weeks. I blasted HCG for 6 weeks at 5,000 a week (a lot) and took enclomiphene daily for 6 weeks. My bloods retirned and my Test levels were lower than females levels. I felt so bad. But my LH and FSH both rose a lot, from like .03 to 1.7 and 1.8 to 3.6. So fertility climbed but I felt like total shit. If need help, I got you. I've studied the fk out of it. I had to hop back on low dose TRT cuz I felt so bad (understatement). But I'm not too scared that I can't reproduce. It's just gonna take $ and a little time. Many blessings. No one understands what you going thru unless they also going thru the exact same.
I’m going through it too Had a stroke on .6 per week of TRT. Now I stopped a couple months ago. I’m 42 my levels are 219. I’m depressed and my wife doesn’t understand and tired of me talking about it Idk what to do guys I need help. Can’t use TRT I’m going to the gym and eating clean. Please pray for me
So sorry for what you are going through, not fun at all! Is there any way you can be on TRT and get your hemoglobin in better ranges? There are drugs for that and even some natural stuff like Nattokinase that are extremely good at preventing clotting. Look into Nattokinase.
Ive been off trt for about 2 months after being on for about 15 years. I had to stop because of a high psa on my blood test. My body aches so bad. Especially my joints. It takes a full week at least to recover from a workout. My cognitive function seems better now than when I was on trt. So that’s kind of weird. Mood wise mornings are the worst. Like crying like a little girl on the way to work for about 10 minutes straight on the way to work. Thank God it’s dark when I go. I may try a clinic like defy medical to see if there’s something that can be done to get my natural levels back up. Good luck with your journey. 🙏
This is exactly how I feel now that I'm in perimenopause: no drive, no motivation, no energy and of course no libido. And my brain is barely functioning. Just started on a T cream, fingers crossed. I feel like I'm 80 years old and lost all appetite for life. I don't want to continue to live like this for the next several decades. What would be the point?
Thanks for sharing, it will get better, food and exercise is super important also so if you are not already on top of this make sure to get that in order. Stay the course and see how the cream helps. My Wife went on testosterone several years ago as she was low and it helped a lot with her overall energy, not so much with her libido but some people just are not wired that way in general.
Wow, this is a prime demo on why using testosterone is a bad idea. I’m wanting to get off a low dose of 90mg week myself. I wish I never started. After 4 years on I’m convinced your body knows best but it’s all out the window when you start using trt. I’d love the opportunity to go back and make the necessary changes naturally. I was really encouraged by your last video but this is disheartening. All the best
Really depends why you started and why you feel the need to come off? There are lots of people with extremely low testosterone levels that have never taken testosterone and feel like garbage because their natural levels are well below normal. These people benefit from TRT and for them coming off would only result in being super low again just like before. I am on the very low side now but I also did not start off very high, just above the cutoff for being too low. I may overtime get back to my low but in the normal range baseline but I went on because I did not feel all that good to start with.
I guess I don’t know the entire story but why can you not just go back onto TRT or why wouldn’t you? Especially if you don’t abuse it, you should gain cardiovascular benefits?
I was trying to get on doctor prescribed TRT. As it turns out doctor TRT is complicated and at least in Canada using conventional medical based services, the doctors in my opinion really only seem to be focused on bloodwork test numbers and not how the TRT is actually helping you or if the dose is even being effective.
@@neilwattoo i did, while still on trt it was zero, then after everything mentioned above up at 9 million and 20% motility which are low end and normal morphology but that's only going to improve I will do another one in September
Hey there Mike my friend. It really affected me hearing your current plight. I’m really pulling for you buddy. Keeping you in my prayers. I know you’re not soliciting for any advice and I am absolutely no medical expert. That said, I couldn’t help but feel like I sort of could relate to how you’re feeling right now. I’ll explain. I’m 49 years old and was diagnosed as having adult adhd about a year ago. I was immediately prescribed adderall which I took regularly for about 6 months before a national shortage made it impossible for me to get the medication I had come to rely on so heavily. I know that my situation is in many ways not even in the same ball park so I hope I don’t offend by comparing our situations. But with me after I wasn’t able to get my medication, I literally felt like a zombie and didn’t look forward to ANYTHING. It actually scared me quite a bit for several weeks. I never had any suicidal type thoughts, but I could absolutely discern that my mood and motivation were non existent. It took several months but I slowly began coming around and felt like things just needed time to neutralize for lack of better words. Again, what you’ve gone through is very very different from what I experienced, but I can’t help but think that your body and mind just need more time to level out. It sounds like things have slowly worsened perhaps for you but I’m hoping that things have bottomed out and will soon begin improving naturally for you bud. I know you’re doing everything in your power to improve your health right now and that’s commendable. You’ve got a family that supports you and cares about, that is so important! As far as your recovery being so rough right now, I know you understand exercise physiology way more than the average person maybe even most experts. So when I suggest this next part please just take it with a grain of salt as I’m sure you know exactly what you’re doing right now in conjunction with what your physician is allowing you to do. But as a lifetime natural lifter, I found in my 40’s I just had to approach working out differently than when I was in my 20’s-30’s with more natural testosterone. 3-4 years ago I discovered a man on TH-cam named John Heart who had won the natural Mr. America title several years ago and has been a personal trainer in LA for decades. He used to be mentored by Mike Mentzer and introduced John to his philosophies on exercise. John has since developed a similar style of working out and has written several books on it. It mainly applies to natural bodybuilders and lifters. Basically the idea is with being natural, as you now are completely, the hole you dig is now deeper when you exercise and therefore requires more rest time to recover. His workouts are 3 times a week and last only about 30 minutes each time but I absolutely love these workouts as a natural. It’s intense but gives me ample time to recover and I’m rarely sore. Maybe you’d benefit from that style of workout too right now who knows? In any case feel free to look John up his channel is well supported on TH-cam maybe you’ve already heard of him. Anyways, sorry if any of this made your eyes roll lol. But again, I couldn’t help but feel your frustration in this video and just wanted to do anything I could to help brother. Much love and respect. Will be praying for you and your family. You have a big support unit and we are all pulling for you!
hey Hawkeye, first off I know the purpose of your message was to help Michael, so I don't want to dilute that purpose. I'm hoping and praying for Michael to feel better. That said, I was wondering how your muscles responded from the John Heart HIT training
Thanks for the very detailed post, It is possible I need more time, we will see? I use to workout 6 days a week for over an hour per workout and I would lift pretty heavy weight. Now I am training 4 days per week at most for about 45 minutes per workout so not far off of what John suggests.
@@getfitover40 That’s great to hear you’ve scaled it back and I am confident you’re going to bounce back to where you’re feeling much better Mike. Again, I hope I didn’t offend by suggesting anything as I know you are waaaaaaaaay more accomplished than I have ever been or ever will be as an experienced lifter yourself. I’ll be looking forward to your future posts and watching your quality of life improve once more my friend. God bless!
@@NJN23 Hi Nick, glad to hear you’re pulling for Michael too, he seems like a great guy. As far as how my muscles have responded to John’s style of training, I have to say very well in my opinion. I began his program over 3 years ago but I had already been lifting for about 30 years prior to that (with breaks here and there). So I’m terms of building much additional muscle it’s been very minimal as I know I’ve reached my ceiling as far as large muscle gains. But I have built my strength and muscle density albeit marginally over that 3 year period. The biggest reason I will keep doing this style workout for the rest of my life though, is the ability to recover so well from these. 3 times a week for about 30 minutes each time definitely goes against the norm as far as workouts go in todays mainstream philosophy on it. But for me, I was finding that when I was trying to do the split routines going 5-6 days a week, it was always only a matter of time before one of two things happened: 1) I would mentally become exhausted. Or 2) I would get injured. Since being on John’s program neither of those have ever happened and it keeps me extremely motivated to get to the gym and to hit each exercise as intensely as I can with full recovery. If anything, the hardest part about John’s workouts are learning to NOT be in the gym more often lol. It’s a strange dichotomy. But I highly recommend John’s workouts for young or old it doesn’t matter. But especially for older men and women. And especially for natural lifters. It’s a very doable program that gets almost as good results as the normal split routines but without injury or mental exhaustion. Oh and you get more time for a life outside of the gym which is a really great thing.
@@LifeHawkeye thanks for the reply Hawkeye... very, very interesting. At 58, I've been training since 16, and am thinking at this point less may be more, especially regarding days off from the gym. I normally do push/legs/pull/off repeat, (3 days on 1 day off) but am considering adding more rest days in there, especially since I train with high intensity (I watch John Heart also, but never pulled the trigger on it)
I was on Prednisone for a week no taper. My whole system crashed, I felt extremely terrible and lost weight and never really gained it back. It's been like 8 years. TRT sounds kinda terrifying even though my t levels are low 300's, I think im scared of something terrible happening again.
Prednisone is a much different hormone than Testosterone used for completely different medical conditions. I don't think you can really compare these two hormones at all.
Jesus man. I will pray for you. Remember life is temporary. Live to your fullest. Even as I write this I know I do not follow those words, but if I did, my life would be better. Get good my friend.
J/c, did the TRT contribute to your heart issues or was in other stuff? And if TRT didn’t attribute then why can’t you be on a light dosage for your current symptoms? Thinking about TRT and long term issues are key to me. Thanks
Maybe a bit, wasn't helping for sure but it was caused by my bad valve mainly. A light dose shouldn't hurt my heart, but docs like to be cautious when heart issues are present. I am working with my doctor on it.
I am sure the brain can affect hormones. To be honest I believe dementia and alzheimer's is a result more from toxins over time we get from our environment, food and even some medications.
Hope you feel better man. I stopped almost a month ago and I can relate to your symptoms. Did you do a PCT like clomid or Hcg to get things started up again?
@@getfitover40 one question, when you were on trt did you take anastrozole or an estrogen blocker? Those can be hard on your heart in the longterm. Hope you are feeling better
@@jman6890 When on a TRT dose I generally did not as long as the dose was low enough, for me under 200mg per week and I don't really need it. My heart condition was genetic but I am sure my weight training lifestyle did speed up the inevitable operation perhaps to be sooner than later. Maybe such an operation is better done when younger than when older? I know for sure I should have looked into it sooner as my heart would have been in better condition for the operation.
wat about hcg will that help to kick start ur own test production? and shouldnt u have been on it coming off trt? maybe not with the heart attack and would it be ok to take small dose of trt say 1/4 or 1/2 wat u used to take just to help u feel better?
I am sure there are things I can do but it would be best to do it via a specialist, the way the Canada system works is not based so much on your doctor treating something that might happen even if it is most likely, they can really only treat after you have a condition. So it is a process I must go through in order to get to the next step, even though I am fairly certain of what that step should be.
When you say your T level is 4, is that free T, or total T? In the US, the (socalled) normal total T range is around 300-900 nm/ml. I assume you mean "free T". Im really confused as to why you wouldn't want to optimize your T levels. Low T is very unhealthy in many ways.
It actually went down to as low as a 1 nmo/l which is around 28 ng/dL. That was my total testosterone not free. I did want to optimise my testosterone but had to go through the healthcare system which required doctors wanting to make sure my testosterone was not going to come back on it's own before begin referred to an endocrinologist.
@@unapologetic7900 I went off Testosterone cold turkey when I went into the hospital, was on my own TRT protocol beforehand on about 200mg/week. Also one of the heart medications I was on reduces Testosterone by 60% so over time the TRT I was originally on dropped off and my body simply did not start making it again even after 6 months or so.
Begin training high intensity. Hit.. Not hiit. Short intensive training, a lot of off gym days, find new goals in small strength increases. Legs 2 times a week? Youre crazy. Unnecessary volume is blunting recovery and amplifying your symptoms.
I have always had a different take on how to break up workout sessions. You can either do a bunch of exercise for each muscle group (Like Legs) once per week or you can split up that same amount of exercises, sets and reps over the week. If you look at it this way, it takes around 48 to 72 hours to recover fully so around 3 days max, there are 7 days in a week so what is happening to each muscle group over the 4 days where they are completely recovered? Well nothing so you are missing out on potential opportunities to train them and if a muscle is not being stimulated then it is potentially in a state of atrophy. Overtraining takes a lot to do! That system has always worked for me and many of my clients but everyone is different and to each their own...
@@getfitover40 cheers. It doesnt take 48-72 hrs to recover. It takes exactly the amount of time it needs to recover. Only after recovery, supercompensation takes place. It can be 96 or more hrs, it can be a week and half. Highly individual. Train sooner.. and all effort is lost. Also not such thing as muscle loss if extending rest days. It is only fluid loss. Nothing to do with muscle, if your strength is the same or greater the next workout... with so called catabolized muscles.
@@dennisoven9259 It is not my intention to convince you of anything. One thing I have learned in a lifetime of lifting since I was 14 years old, so over 40 years now, is that you need to put any advice into effect and see if it actually applies to you. Do not take anythign at straight value, that kind of goes for everything in life! Perhaps there are people out there that are sore for 1.5 weeks but I would assume in most cases it is because of an injury or at least the outcome of over training that muscle group. There is a point in which if you train a muscle too hard or too long, you are doing damage that is not healthy or conducive to muscle growth. All I can say is from my personal experience and all the information I have looked through on when to expect muscle recovery, they consensus is generally 72 hours max. I have never been a fan of hitting a muscle 15 different ways and spending an entire workout on that muscle group. The main reason is because it is not efficient. You are either going to go nuts on the first exercise and leave nothing in the tank for the other 4-5 exercises you plan on doing, or you are going to choose to pace yourself on each exercise by not going to your full abilities on any of them so you can give each exercise a similar overall lower intensity. I prefer to hit a muscle really hard with one exercise with full intensity to complete failure/exhaustion, and then move onto a fresh muscle. This will achieve the most overall total weight moved and total volume for the week as you are essentially doing the same sets and reps added up but are able to apply total effort the entire time. You do what works for you my friend!
@@getfitover40 hitting it with single exercise with high intensity is a good thing. But soreness or lack thereoff is not an indicator of good workout or complete recovery. Some sort of a full body, up low or ppl split with not too much exercises but heaps of intensity is what seems yo be your cup.. Which is excellent. But if hitting it hard, you need to rest a lot. By high intensity standatds 4-7 days! between workouts. Recovery is king.. try it. It should fix many of problems.
I'm sorry things are shit at the moment. It sounds like your doctor is being pretty conservative. What doesn't quite make sense to me though is... if you needed TRT and had been on it for years before your surgery, why wouldn't you need it now, especially 5 months later? Why couldn't you get back on it and manage the level, based on regular tests? In any case, I hope you feel better soon. Sucks to feel this way.
Got off of the TRT because my heart was in so bad shape and any chance of aggravating it more by adding in the Testosterone was not a good idea at the time. Now with the added heart condition, it changes things a bit because we need to factor in both the benefits and possible downside to being on TRT with a heart condition. Something most family doctors have no knowledge about.
I've been off trt for 4 weeks now. Short term memory is already bad, my body hurts way more than it should after a workout, like I'm REALLY sore to the point where it hurts. I seem to have nerve sensivity on the right side of my body, not sure if that's from coming off trt or possibly having actual nerve inflammation from lifting weights, but this was not an issue while I was in trt. My NP snatched me off it cause we couldn't get my ferritin to go up, my iron binding capacity wouldn't go up(both while I was on a good iron supplement) (my iron did go up though which is one good thing) and my red blood cells were 6.22, which is way too high(the high cap is 5.8). Soo I had thick blood, tanked ferritin and my iron binding capacity was over 100% all while taking iron every other day. Both trt and iron increase RBC's so it was a loose loose for me :-(. Only 35 years old. I worked out religiously while I was on it and ate very well. Got chiseled, in really good shape and then had to come off it. 100mg/week. 150 lbs.
That is unfortunate, look into natural ways to regulate your RBC and ferritin, there may be some options doctors simply just are not educated about. Just do a deep dive and see what you can find. There is usually an answer out there somewhere as I am sure you are not the only person that has had this problem.
@@getfitover40 typically you would donate blood while on TRT to keep your RBC's in check, with one big caveat. Providing your iron and ferritin levels allow. Since my body's need for iron was so high, I would tank my levels even more. Making a crumb, a smaller crumb lol
If you are at 300 now it will probably only go lower as you age even if you don't go on trt. So what would the benefit of going on trt be if you only plan to come off of it. Once you go on, it is generally a lifelong commitment unless some other medical solution is developed. Or you can NOT go on trt and feel like garbage much of your life
Do you plan on going back on to trt once your back to normal health wise? Or are you, and your doctor worried about the effect of exogenous testosterone in your cardiovascular system?
I got the OK from my Cardiologist to go on TRT if I meet the standard criteria. He is a young guy that is progressive and open to looking into new research which when looking at TRT and the heart has been controversial over the years. New studies show that TRT is not harmful to the heart even when heart conditions are present. I am getting my 6 month off TRT bloodwork done this Thursday and if I am still low, my doctor is going to more than likely put me on TRT.
@@getfitover40 oh that’s awesome. I know every doctor I’ve spoken to in Canada is super cautious about it. I hope you are able to get back on and start feeling like yourself again soon. I have yet to find a doc to prescribe it to me.
@@patricksimoneau7647 Yes most family doctors are not super educated on Hormone Replacement Therapy for men as it is so much of a newer concept than what has been more mainstream with women and their hormone related conditions due to aging.
The problem with TRT and your cardiovascular system is the blood thickness issue. Most have to do regular donations to keep their Hematocrit in normal ranges. The constant changes in blood thickness is not good for your heart and valves per my Cardiologist.
I hope so, I don't think my natural test will spring back since it was on the low side before I started in my mid/late 40's. Don't think I can carry on this way for too long! Quality of life is more important sometimes then longevity.
@@getfitover40 delayed puberty in teens developed depression in late teens and still suffer with bouts now at 50 which could be nothing to do with test, also have very low sperm count and add attention span shocking through school, all these factors could be separate issues as my test was on low side but still in range. Having alcoholism most of my life could also be a contributing factor too as it can damage the testis. Apart from that and quite lethargic at times great 😃
@@dg9015 Doctors ge way to caught up on test range results. these are just numbers that can help with figuring out what is wrong. unfortunately in Canada and other places if you are in normal ranges then getting on any kind of TRT via the "health system" is not an option. Perhaps look in to a TRT clinic, they are more open minded and can work with you.
@@getfitover40 don't get me wrong if I don't need it great but if my symptoms are actually related to test I would like to try it to see if it alleviates the symptoms, or unless it is just a coincidence
@@getfitover40 Okee im 31 and been on 6 months. Got off due to insomnia and really not wanting to pin my whole life. Should my levels comeback pre trt? I was at 350
I'm really happy that you were able to increase your testosterone without drugs and no prescription. It is always best to try and increase your testosterone naturally with weight training, good sleep, proper diet and supplements but not everyone is the same and not everyone is exactly like you. For instance I take a drug for my heart condition that greatly suppresses my natural testosterone, and I was at 28 ng/dl, so even if I was able to double mine like you did without drugs, I would be at around 60 ng/dl. Still hopelessly low.
I'm at 525 naturally and always been natural, no issues, I'm 42 just did my blood work, I'm about to start TRT because I want to have more power and libido... I think 525 is low
hang in there man. you're doing a great job considering everything, love the health updates, keep us posted,
Will keep posting as I know more...
Michael, our hopes and prayers are with you! I know that you will get through this. Hopefully you will be back to your best form soon.
Thx so much for sharing your experience. More TH-camrs with your honesty are greatly needed.
Thanks :)
Just came across this, wow, your words are exactly how I feel, I have never thought of having low T, but at 50 it may well be exactly that, I will get my levels checked, I hope you are feeling better soon mate, but if it’s any conciliation, you may just have saved me from the last 12 months of suffering like you are now, take good care
Thanks so much for sharing! So glad this may have helped you, please do keep me updated on what you find out!
Take care man, I hope you will be feeling better soon!
Thanks, things could be a lot worse for sure!
Lately I've seen a lot of people in social media talking about "my mood is off because of low test"...in the 70s and 80s that symptom was called "being depressed". I'm not saying that you are a candidate for mental health, but I think is safe and intelligent to evaluate all the possible factors when the mood and the will to do daily things is going down...wishing a lot of success in your journey!
I did have a very short un in a while back with depression and anxiety and believe me it was very different then this. I can manage this, just not exactly my happy self these days but doing OK and glad to be alive.
One of the symptoms of lowt is depression. Treating depression is not going to solved lowt problem.
Did you consider that "being depressed" in the 70's and 80's might have been because they had low T?
Ive been on trt for 14 months and started getting horrible anxiety so i quit a month ago, still having horrible anxiety and i watched your video.
It is possible the anxiety is not related to the trt? people get anxiety without being on it. may not be connected? What else is going on in your life? How is your sleep? How is your general stress? When I had anxiety much of it was related to lack of sleep because of my heart and not sleeping very well. Once I was able to get caught up on sleep (In my case needed some sleeping medication) the anxiety because way more controllable, pretty much went away.
Sometimes more isn't better. Lower the dose and things may get better.
@@tube.perfect Yes less is better as long as it does the job, more can cause more problems than is wirht the benefits.
My lungs 🫁 and your heart ❤️. Together we’re a team 💪🤘. Stay strong my friend. We will get through this.
You too!
Hey Michael I’m an old viewer of the airgun channel so I been following you for a while. You seem like a really good guy and I’m sorry you’re going through this I hope it passes soon. Thanks for putting yourself out there lots of honesty about your journey that can really help someone
Thanks for the kind words, life could be a lot worse for sure. When I got the news I was not sure what life would look like in my future and I feared I would be extremely limited. I am overall happy with where I am at now, considering everything but I want more as is my personality type :)
@@getfitover40 that’s great to hear that you’ve found happiness I haven’t checked vimeo in a while but I will soon I’m still mad at TH-cam for what they did to your channel I loved that ol airgun channel. Take care brother
I am 45 male I’m a plumber and I have never took trt and I feel exactly how u feel lol! Brain fog , too tired to work out , bones and body hurt and same mood that’s why I’m thinking of taking trt lol I’m 190 try to work out and it’s hard to be consistent. So that’s why I’m thinking of this option
Sounds like it may be low, best to get bloodwork to confirm...
You will not regret it.
Trt is incredible
I’m at 140 at my testosterone level. I’m going for it
Jesus.
The difference between your previous physique and this shows that TRT (and other additions) are truly the fountain of youth.
Yes TRT for sure helps but there is a lot going on in my situation other than just coming off TRT:
1. I had major heart surgery which is a huge burden on ones entire system.
2. I was in the hospital literally in bed for over a month solid.
3. I was not able to weigth train for around 3 months.
4. I was using a Testosterone with a very long half life, so even a month to two months later I still had a significant amount of exogenous Test in my system still in the normal mid ranges.
5. When I came out of the hospital a month after being bedridden I had lost most of my muscle by that time simply from not moving at all. Keep in mind my testosterone levels where faily high even a month after going off because of the long half life.
6. Over time my Testosterone level have gone down significantly to where I am now at around 5 nmol/L. I would say I lost most of my muscle from not using them as I was not able to workout for around 3 months.
All this said, I am finding it very hard to hold onto what muscle I have left because I am well below normal Testosterone levels. Mainly as I have virtually no drive to workout so my workouts are way less often than before and much shorter in duration.
Do I want to go back on TRT, yes for sure, it makes life a lot better and I get much better results for the effort I put in.
Good to hear from you Mike! I'm keeping mine low doing about 85 mgs. Every 5 days
If it works for you keep doing it! Finding that optimal range is key, just enough to get the results you are looking for but not so much you start getting sides...
You're a trailblazer, keep going!! Woowoo!
FI'm 58 years old, TRT for a decade because I was morbidly obese, 406 lbs, until 54 yrs old since 4 years old. My last testosterone shot in July 2022 and I lost lots of muscle. February 2023, my free testosterone was 56. I then started hGC. As of July 2023 my testosterone levels are now at 613 with my testicles anecdotally appear 400% heavier and larger.
I am also on no other medications as I no longer have medical issues, except for this topic.
I can relate to everything you shared in this video. But I hate to share with you that once I started the hCG, I experienced hot flashes, morning sickness, and other hormonal swings.
Three years ago, I ran my first marathon in about five hours, four months after stop using TRT around my second marathon with a time over six hours. I am now training for my third marathon, and it's been a struggle to regain what I had on TRT.
But I'm going to beat this and be drug free and normal for the first time in my life.
Keep goin!!
Thanks for sharing. Are you still on HCG? I thought it was a lot harder to get now?
@@getfitover40 I'm 50 shots in, three shots per week. I'm not sure how long I need to keep taking hCG. But for now, my testicles keep growing as I put heavy demands on my body for exercise. I time my shots for late afternoon to maximize the amount I sleep I get with the hormones in me to make as much testosterones as possible. The benefit of doing this, as my testicles have been growing and growing as it feels like the biggest it's ever been in my whole life, which is awesome.
I have four months left before I run the Honolulu Marathon for the third time.
Four months after I stop taking my testosterone shots I ran my second marathon and finished an hour longer than the first marathon. My goal for this third marathon is to return to a lower number than my first marathon or under five hours.
But I might share with you that the climb back up the testosterone ladder is riddled with mood swings since I am exercising and running every day this seems to create huge swings for me.
But I'm gonna win this fight!
for a season TRT was good for me but now I want to be drug-free while I still have a decade or so of youth left.
May I ask what your dose of testosterone was when you were 400 pounds? I'm in a similar boat with extremely low levels but my doctor says I wouldnt be a good candidate because most of what I would inject would just turn to estrogen and I wouldn't get the benefits.
@@detonetic For the first 7 ½ years of using TRT it started at 1.0 ml injections every two weeks in 2013. Then in 2016 it was reduced to .75 ml as my hematocrit rose past the “safety” value to 52.7. Without the TRT I would have lost my engineering job as I had super “brain fog.”
My body transformation started late November 2019. While the world turned “off” I learned more about my body, food and hormones and realized I could control it and the weight started falling rapidly! Its your life, consider finding someone to help you as know one will do it for you. I’m almost 59 years old and I have a new reality - something that I could never have imagined as I can “fit” now! Just believe and do it - find support!
@@masterep3576is your t level back to normal now?
Hope you managed to get a great test result from your heart Doc and are now back on trt...stay strong and stay positive all the best.
Got 1 month more to go then possibly back on TRT, see how my next test results go?
@@getfitover40 Good luck.
You and I were riding high at the same time and now riding low at the same time. Interesting how these things go in cycles.
Yes they do, here's to the next high...
Man stay strong. I gotta go thru this. Been on like a decade. My lady wants a baby, my sperm is at 0. I was very fertile before TRT. Hope i can bounce back and have another kid.
Best of luck, there are drugs that can help men with fertility like HGC
Same here brother, I literally got my results back today and it was zero.I’m 34 I’ve been on trt for about 9 years my levels were 211 when I first started and it changed my life for the better. But now my fiancé and I are starting the process to have a kid. The doctor called me today and I walked outside and teared up. Like fuck I knew what it was gonna be but hearing that killed me. Now it’s like go through hell to have a kid or don’t be comfortable and don’t have one and live a lifetime of regret. Wish you the best on your journey my brother.
@pewpew2204 I hear you man. My Doc never told me I would br infertile on TRT. But after all my research, we can do it. I will say 2 months ago I got off TRT for 8 weeks. I blasted HCG for 6 weeks at 5,000 a week (a lot) and took enclomiphene daily for 6 weeks. My bloods retirned and my Test levels were lower than females levels. I felt so bad. But my LH and FSH both rose a lot, from like .03 to 1.7 and 1.8 to 3.6. So fertility climbed but I felt like total shit. If need help, I got you. I've studied the fk out of it. I had to hop back on low dose TRT cuz I felt so bad (understatement). But I'm not too scared that I can't reproduce. It's just gonna take $ and a little time. Many blessings. No one understands what you going thru unless they also going thru the exact same.
Any update bro
I’m going through it too
Had a stroke on .6 per week of TRT. Now I stopped a couple months ago. I’m 42 my levels are 219. I’m depressed and my wife doesn’t understand and tired of me talking about it
Idk what to do guys
I need help. Can’t use TRT
I’m going to the gym and eating clean. Please pray for me
So sorry for what you are going through, not fun at all! Is there any way you can be on TRT and get your hemoglobin in better ranges? There are drugs for that and even some natural stuff like Nattokinase that are extremely good at preventing clotting. Look into Nattokinase.
Ive been off trt for about 2 months after being on for about 15 years. I had to stop because of a high psa on my blood test. My body aches so bad. Especially my joints. It takes a full week at least to recover from a workout. My cognitive function seems better now than when I was on trt. So that’s kind of weird. Mood wise mornings are the worst. Like crying like a little girl on the way to work for about 10 minutes straight on the way to work. Thank God it’s dark when I go. I may try a clinic like defy medical to see if there’s something that can be done to get my natural levels back up. Good luck with your journey. 🙏
That really sucks! Maybe look into some other options like SARMS. something like RAD 140? It shouldn't raise your psa.
@@getfitover40 Thanks for the advice.
This is exactly how I feel now that I'm in perimenopause: no drive, no motivation, no energy and of course no libido. And my brain is barely functioning. Just started on a T cream, fingers crossed. I feel like I'm 80 years old and lost all appetite for life. I don't want to continue to live like this for the next several decades. What would be the point?
Thanks for sharing, it will get better, food and exercise is super important also so if you are not already on top of this make sure to get that in order. Stay the course and see how the cream helps. My Wife went on testosterone several years ago as she was low and it helped a lot with her overall energy, not so much with her libido but some people just are not wired that way in general.
Wow, this is a prime demo on why using testosterone is a bad idea. I’m wanting to get off a low dose of 90mg week myself. I wish I never started. After 4 years on I’m convinced your body knows best but it’s all out the window when you start using trt. I’d love the opportunity to go back and make the necessary changes naturally. I was really encouraged by your last video but this is disheartening. All the best
Really depends why you started and why you feel the need to come off? There are lots of people with extremely low testosterone levels that have never taken testosterone and feel like garbage because their natural levels are well below normal. These people benefit from TRT and for them coming off would only result in being super low again just like before.
I am on the very low side now but I also did not start off very high, just above the cutoff for being too low. I may overtime get back to my low but in the normal range baseline but I went on because I did not feel all that good to start with.
I guess I don’t know the entire story but why can you not just go back onto TRT or why wouldn’t you?
Especially if you don’t abuse it, you should gain cardiovascular benefits?
I was trying to get on doctor prescribed TRT. As it turns out doctor TRT is complicated and at least in Canada using conventional medical based services, the doctors in my opinion really only seem to be focused on bloodwork test numbers and not how the TRT is actually helping you or if the dose is even being effective.
@@getfitover40
Dang it! Well, I wish you the best !!
42 was on t for 7 years my test lh and fsh are back within normal but lower end after 5 months, took clomid nolva hcg hgh
Thanks for sharing!
Curious if you got your sperm count checked? Please let me know
@@neilwattoo i did, while still on trt it was zero, then after everything mentioned above up at 9 million and 20% motility which are low end and normal morphology but that's only going to improve I will do another one in September
Hey there Mike my friend. It really affected me hearing your current plight. I’m really pulling for you buddy. Keeping you in my prayers.
I know you’re not soliciting for any advice and I am absolutely no medical expert. That said, I couldn’t help but feel like I sort of could relate to how you’re feeling right now. I’ll explain. I’m 49 years old and was diagnosed as having adult adhd about a year ago. I was immediately prescribed adderall which I took regularly for about 6 months before a national shortage made it impossible for me to get the medication I had come to rely on so heavily. I know that my situation is in many ways not even in the same ball park so I hope I don’t offend by comparing our situations. But with me after I wasn’t able to get my medication, I literally felt like a zombie and didn’t look forward to ANYTHING. It actually scared me quite a bit for several weeks. I never had any suicidal type thoughts, but I could absolutely discern that my mood and motivation were non existent. It took several months but I slowly began coming around and felt like things just needed time to neutralize for lack of better words. Again, what you’ve gone through is very very different from what I experienced, but I can’t help but think that your body and mind just need more time to level out. It sounds like things have slowly worsened perhaps for you but I’m hoping that things have bottomed out and will soon begin improving naturally for you bud. I know you’re doing everything in your power to improve your health right now and that’s commendable. You’ve got a family that supports you and cares about, that is so important!
As far as your recovery being so rough right now, I know you understand exercise physiology way more than the average person maybe even most experts. So when I suggest this next part please just take it with a grain of salt as I’m sure you know exactly what you’re doing right now in conjunction with what your physician is allowing you to do. But as a lifetime natural lifter, I found in my 40’s I just had to approach working out differently than when I was in my 20’s-30’s with more natural testosterone. 3-4 years ago I discovered a man on TH-cam named John Heart who had won the natural Mr. America title several years ago and has been a personal trainer in LA for decades. He used to be mentored by Mike Mentzer and introduced John to his philosophies on exercise. John has since developed a similar style of working out and has written several books on it. It mainly applies to natural bodybuilders and lifters. Basically the idea is with being natural, as you now are completely, the hole you dig is now deeper when you exercise and therefore requires more rest time to recover. His workouts are 3 times a week and last only about 30 minutes each time but I absolutely love these workouts as a natural. It’s intense but gives me ample time to recover and I’m rarely sore. Maybe you’d benefit from that style of workout too right now who knows? In any case feel free to look John up his channel is well supported on TH-cam maybe you’ve already heard of him. Anyways, sorry if any of this made your eyes roll lol. But again, I couldn’t help but feel your frustration in this video and just wanted to do anything I could to help brother. Much love and respect. Will be praying for you and your family. You have a big support unit and we are all pulling for you!
hey Hawkeye, first off I know the purpose of your message was to help Michael, so I don't want to dilute that purpose. I'm hoping and praying for Michael to feel better. That said, I was wondering how your muscles responded from the John Heart HIT training
Thanks for the very detailed post, It is possible I need more time, we will see? I use to workout 6 days a week for over an hour per workout and I would lift pretty heavy weight. Now I am training 4 days per week at most for about 45 minutes per workout so not far off of what John suggests.
@@getfitover40 That’s great to hear you’ve scaled it back and I am confident you’re going to bounce back to where you’re feeling much better Mike. Again, I hope I didn’t offend by suggesting anything as I know you are waaaaaaaaay more accomplished than I have ever been or ever will be as an experienced lifter yourself. I’ll be looking forward to your future posts and watching your quality of life improve once more my friend. God bless!
@@NJN23 Hi Nick, glad to hear you’re pulling for Michael too, he seems like a great guy. As far as how my muscles have responded to John’s style of training, I have to say very well in my opinion. I began his program over 3 years ago but I had already been lifting for about 30 years prior to that (with breaks here and there). So I’m terms of building much additional muscle it’s been very minimal as I know I’ve reached my ceiling as far as large muscle gains. But I have built my strength and muscle density albeit marginally over that 3 year period. The biggest reason I will keep doing this style workout for the rest of my life though, is the ability to recover so well from these. 3 times a week for about 30 minutes each time definitely goes against the norm as far as workouts go in todays mainstream philosophy on it. But for me, I was finding that when I was trying to do the split routines going 5-6 days a week, it was always only a matter of time before one of two things happened: 1) I would mentally become exhausted. Or 2) I would get injured. Since being on John’s program neither of those have ever happened and it keeps me extremely motivated to get to the gym and to hit each exercise as intensely as I can with full recovery. If anything, the hardest part about John’s workouts are learning to NOT be in the gym more often lol. It’s a strange dichotomy. But I highly recommend John’s workouts for young or old it doesn’t matter. But especially for older men and women. And especially for natural lifters. It’s a very doable program that gets almost as good results as the normal split routines but without injury or mental exhaustion. Oh and you get more time for a life outside of the gym which is a really great thing.
@@LifeHawkeye thanks for the reply Hawkeye... very, very interesting. At 58, I've been training since 16, and am thinking at this point less may be more, especially regarding days off from the gym. I normally do push/legs/pull/off repeat, (3 days on 1 day off) but am considering adding more rest days in there, especially since I train with high intensity (I watch John Heart also, but never pulled the trigger on it)
Mike, you sound depressed. But great informative video. Your candidness if very courageous
I wouldn't say depressed, just not myself these days but still happy to be alive and able to do most things.
I was on Prednisone for a week no taper. My whole system crashed, I felt extremely terrible and lost weight and never really gained it back. It's been like 8 years. TRT sounds kinda terrifying even though my t levels are low 300's, I think im scared of something terrible happening again.
Prednisone is a much different hormone than Testosterone used for completely different medical conditions. I don't think you can really compare these two hormones at all.
@getfitover40 I get that, but it is a steroid. An exogenous substance, that once it left my body, i crashed.
Hey - just curious where your T levels were before you got on TRT? I’m thinking of getting off my natural production was at like 600 before I started
When I was in my 40's I was at arun 16 nmol/L (460 ng/dL) before starting Testosterone was not super high or crazy low)
Jesus man. I will pray for you. Remember life is temporary. Live to your fullest. Even as I write this I know I do not follow those words, but if I did, my life would be better. Get good my friend.
Thanks for the prays and good vibes!
Hi I may have missed this in the video but what was the reason you came off trt? Thanks for the transparency 🙏
I was in the hospital for over a month from open heart surgery to replace a bicuspid valve.
@@getfitover40 from trt use?
J/c, did the TRT contribute to your heart issues or was in other stuff? And if TRT didn’t attribute then why can’t you be on a light dosage for your current symptoms? Thinking about TRT and long term issues are key to me. Thanks
Maybe a bit, wasn't helping for sure but it was caused by my bad valve mainly. A light dose shouldn't hurt my heart, but docs like to be cautious when heart issues are present. I am working with my doctor on it.
@@getfitover40 Thank you.
has anybody else investigated whether or not there's something else going on, like brain-wise? Like dementia or early onset alsheimers?
I am sure the brain can affect hormones. To be honest I believe dementia and alzheimer's is a result more from toxins over time we get from our environment, food and even some medications.
Hope you feel better man. I stopped almost a month ago and I can relate to your symptoms. Did you do a PCT like clomid or Hcg to get things started up again?
No PCT as I was in the hospital for a good bit of it at the beginning, also did not want to do anything that could hurt my heart...
@@getfitover40 one question, when you were on trt did you take anastrozole or an estrogen blocker? Those can be hard on your heart in the longterm. Hope you are feeling better
@@jman6890 When on a TRT dose I generally did not as long as the dose was low enough, for me under 200mg per week and I don't really need it. My heart condition was genetic but I am sure my weight training lifestyle did speed up the inevitable operation perhaps to be sooner than later. Maybe such an operation is better done when younger than when older? I know for sure I should have looked into it sooner as my heart would have been in better condition for the operation.
@@getfitover40 sorry to hear that. Keep us posted on your recovery and what the endocrinologist says. Good luck 👍
wat about hcg will that help to kick start ur own test production? and shouldnt u have been on it coming off trt? maybe not with the heart attack and would it be ok to take small dose of trt say 1/4 or 1/2 wat u used to take just to help u feel better?
I am sure there are things I can do but it would be best to do it via a specialist, the way the Canada system works is not based so much on your doctor treating something that might happen even if it is most likely, they can really only treat after you have a condition. So it is a process I must go through in order to get to the next step, even though I am fairly certain of what that step should be.
Canadian system sucks
When you say your T level is 4, is that free T, or total T? In the US, the (socalled) normal total T range is around 300-900 nm/ml.
I assume you mean "free T".
Im really confused as to why you wouldn't want to optimize your T levels. Low T is very unhealthy in many ways.
It actually went down to as low as a 1 nmo/l which is around 28 ng/dL. That was my total testosterone not free. I did want to optimise my testosterone but had to go through the healthcare system which required doctors wanting to make sure my testosterone was not going to come back on it's own before begin referred to an endocrinologist.
@@getfitover40 Were you on Androgen deprivation drugs? How did it get that low?
@@unapologetic7900 I went off Testosterone cold turkey when I went into the hospital, was on my own TRT protocol beforehand on about 200mg/week. Also one of the heart medications I was on reduces Testosterone by 60% so over time the TRT I was originally on dropped off and my body simply did not start making it again even after 6 months or so.
@@getfitover40 sounds rough
@@unapologetic7900 Was a tuff go for sure. Feel a lot better now!
Begin training high intensity. Hit.. Not hiit. Short intensive training, a lot of off gym days, find new goals in small strength increases. Legs 2 times a week? Youre crazy. Unnecessary volume is blunting recovery and amplifying your symptoms.
I have always had a different take on how to break up workout sessions. You can either do a bunch of exercise for each muscle group (Like Legs) once per week or you can split up that same amount of exercises, sets and reps over the week. If you look at it this way, it takes around 48 to 72 hours to recover fully so around 3 days max, there are 7 days in a week so what is happening to each muscle group over the 4 days where they are completely recovered? Well nothing so you are missing out on potential opportunities to train them and if a muscle is not being stimulated then it is potentially in a state of atrophy. Overtraining takes a lot to do! That system has always worked for me and many of my clients but everyone is different and to each their own...
@@getfitover40 cheers. It doesnt take 48-72 hrs to recover. It takes exactly the amount of time it needs to recover. Only after recovery, supercompensation takes place. It can be 96 or more hrs, it can be a week and half. Highly individual. Train sooner.. and all effort is lost. Also not such thing as muscle loss if extending rest days. It is only fluid loss. Nothing to do with muscle, if your strength is the same or greater the next workout... with so called catabolized muscles.
@@dennisoven9259 It is not my intention to convince you of anything. One thing I have learned in a lifetime of lifting since I was 14 years old, so over 40 years now, is that you need to put any advice into effect and see if it actually applies to you. Do not take anythign at straight value, that kind of goes for everything in life! Perhaps there are people out there that are sore for 1.5 weeks but I would assume in most cases it is because of an injury or at least the outcome of over training that muscle group. There is a point in which if you train a muscle too hard or too long, you are doing damage that is not healthy or conducive to muscle growth.
All I can say is from my personal experience and all the information I have looked through on when to expect muscle recovery, they consensus is generally 72 hours max. I have never been a fan of hitting a muscle 15 different ways and spending an entire workout on that muscle group.
The main reason is because it is not efficient. You are either going to go nuts on the first exercise and leave nothing in the tank for the other 4-5 exercises you plan on doing, or you are going to choose to pace yourself on each exercise by not going to your full abilities on any of them so you can give each exercise a similar overall lower intensity.
I prefer to hit a muscle really hard with one exercise with full intensity to complete failure/exhaustion, and then move onto a fresh muscle. This will achieve the most overall total weight moved and total volume for the week as you are essentially doing the same sets and reps added up but are able to apply total effort the entire time. You do what works for you my friend!
@@getfitover40 hitting it with single exercise with high intensity is a good thing. But soreness or lack thereoff is not an indicator of good workout or complete recovery. Some sort of a full body, up low or ppl split with not too much exercises but heaps of intensity is what seems yo be your cup.. Which is excellent. But if hitting it hard, you need to rest a lot. By high intensity standatds 4-7 days! between workouts. Recovery is king.. try it. It should fix many of problems.
I'm sorry things are shit at the moment. It sounds like your doctor is being pretty conservative. What doesn't quite make sense to me though is... if you needed TRT and had been on it for years before your surgery, why wouldn't you need it now, especially 5 months later? Why couldn't you get back on it and manage the level, based on regular tests? In any case, I hope you feel better soon. Sucks to feel this way.
Got off of the TRT because my heart was in so bad shape and any chance of aggravating it more by adding in the Testosterone was not a good idea at the time. Now with the added heart condition, it changes things a bit because we need to factor in both the benefits and possible downside to being on TRT with a heart condition. Something most family doctors have no knowledge about.
I've been off trt for 4 weeks now. Short term memory is already bad, my body hurts way more than it should after a workout, like I'm REALLY sore to the point where it hurts. I seem to have nerve sensivity on the right side of my body, not sure if that's from coming off trt or possibly having actual nerve inflammation from lifting weights, but this was not an issue while I was in trt. My NP snatched me off it cause we couldn't get my ferritin to go up, my iron binding capacity wouldn't go up(both while I was on a good iron supplement) (my iron did go up though which is one good thing) and my red blood cells were 6.22, which is way too high(the high cap is 5.8). Soo I had thick blood, tanked ferritin and my iron binding capacity was over 100% all while taking iron every other day. Both trt and iron increase RBC's so it was a loose loose for me :-(. Only 35 years old. I worked out religiously while I was on it and ate very well. Got chiseled, in really good shape and then had to come off it. 100mg/week. 150 lbs.
That is unfortunate, look into natural ways to regulate your RBC and ferritin, there may be some options doctors simply just are not educated about. Just do a deep dive and see what you can find. There is usually an answer out there somewhere as I am sure you are not the only person that has had this problem.
@@getfitover40 typically you would donate blood while on TRT to keep your RBC's in check, with one big caveat. Providing your iron and ferritin levels allow. Since my body's need for iron was so high, I would tank my levels even more. Making a crumb, a smaller crumb lol
@@deadlyalliance8281 Yes cna reduce RBC by donating but not so good for your condition.
@@getfitover40 nope! So now...... The only thing left to do is fix my blood work and go on a lower dose. Maybe 60mg a week at most.
@@deadlyalliance8281 Worth trying.
I am starting trt my levels are in 300 but I am afraid of what happends when I come off should I keep going or should I stop I am 35 years old.
If you are at 300 now it will probably only go lower as you age even if you don't go on trt. So what would the benefit of going on trt be if you only plan to come off of it. Once you go on, it is generally a lifelong commitment unless some other medical solution is developed. Or you can NOT go on trt and feel like garbage much of your life
Do you plan on going back on to trt once your back to normal health wise? Or are you, and your doctor worried about the effect of exogenous testosterone in your cardiovascular system?
I got the OK from my Cardiologist to go on TRT if I meet the standard criteria. He is a young guy that is progressive and open to looking into new research which when looking at TRT and the heart has been controversial over the years. New studies show that TRT is not harmful to the heart even when heart conditions are present. I am getting my 6 month off TRT bloodwork done this Thursday and if I am still low, my doctor is going to more than likely put me on TRT.
@@getfitover40 oh that’s awesome. I know every doctor I’ve spoken to in Canada is super cautious about it. I hope you are able to get back on and start feeling like yourself again soon. I have yet to find a doc to prescribe it to me.
@@patricksimoneau7647 Yes most family doctors are not super educated on Hormone Replacement Therapy for men as it is so much of a newer concept than what has been more mainstream with women and their hormone related conditions due to aging.
The problem with TRT and your cardiovascular system is the blood thickness issue. Most have to do regular donations to keep their Hematocrit in normal ranges. The constant changes in blood thickness is not good for your heart and valves per my Cardiologist.
Hope and pray you feel better (by whatever means) soon 🙂 Was your testosterone that low before you started TRT?
Thanks, it was not that low but for sure not optimal for my age.
Can you begin TRT in the foreseeable future? I feel for you bro.
I hope so, I don't think my natural test will spring back since it was on the low side before I started in my mid/late 40's. Don't think I can carry on this way for too long! Quality of life is more important sometimes then longevity.
@@getfitover40 Godspeed and good luck to you. You are a kind person and deserve the best. Keep your chin up in the meantime. One day at a time.
Praying and send you blessings 🙏
Why are you off TRT in the first place?
Because of my heart surgery.
Why did u quit?
I almost died from a bad valve in my heart, was a genetic defect. I was in the hospital for a while and then recovery took another 3 months or so...
My test was 12.4 within range apparently
How do you feel is the better question?
@@getfitover40 delayed puberty in teens developed depression in late teens and still suffer with bouts now at 50 which could be nothing to do with test, also have very low sperm count and add attention span shocking through school, all these factors could be separate issues as my test was on low side but still in range. Having alcoholism most of my life could also be a contributing factor too as it can damage the testis. Apart from that and quite lethargic at times great 😃
@@dg9015 Doctors ge way to caught up on test range results. these are just numbers that can help with figuring out what is wrong. unfortunately in Canada and other places if you are in normal ranges then getting on any kind of TRT via the "health system" is not an option. Perhaps look in to a TRT clinic, they are more open minded and can work with you.
@@getfitover40 in here in Wales, it's pretty similar there is no money in testosterone they would rather give you anti depressants
@@getfitover40 don't get me wrong if I don't need it great but if my symptoms are actually related to test I would like to try it to see if it alleviates the symptoms, or unless it is just a coincidence
How long were you on TRT for?
Since mid mid 40's
@@getfitover40 Okee im 31 and been on 6 months. Got off due to insomnia and really not wanting to pin my whole life. Should my levels comeback pre trt? I was at 350
@@AbletonLiveTechs Good chance they will but 350 is not super high, give it a couple months and see.
@@getfitover40 Tha nk you man will do i love how good i felt on trt physically but i dont see myself pinning rest of my life
@@AbletonLiveTechs Pin once a week, (takes 5 mins) to feel good all week. Sounds like a good tradeoff to me ;)
Why did you come off TRT?
I am concerned about you and depression. Why don't you get that checked out ASAP.
I'm OK, we all have to go through tough times, makes us appreciate the good times even more.
Seems like you could go on a very low dose?
How bout HGH therapy
Will see what a specialist says?
TRT is not necessary. I took my testosterone from 298 ng/dl to 545 ng/dl with no prescription medication whatsoever.
I'm really happy that you were able to increase your testosterone without drugs and no prescription. It is always best to try and increase your testosterone naturally with weight training, good sleep, proper diet and supplements but not everyone is the same and not everyone is exactly like you. For instance I take a drug for my heart condition that greatly suppresses my natural testosterone, and I was at 28 ng/dl, so even if I was able to double mine like you did without drugs, I would be at around 60 ng/dl. Still hopelessly low.
Interesting, How did you get it up at 545?
I'm at 525 naturally and always been natural, no issues, I'm 42 just did my blood work, I'm about to start TRT because I want to have more power and libido... I think 525 is low
That's very improbable without a valid methodology. Far more probable, you're desperate for "hero worship."