Impotence Support - Surprising TRT Results

Author

Surprising TRT Results

Wanderer

2006-07-01, 4:22 pm

I've posted here for a number of years regarding my experiences with TRT.
Recently, I had some very unexpected test results that may be of interest to
anyone currently on TRT, or contemplating it.

First some background: my approach to TRT was a little idiosyncratic. I
started out on HCG, which initially was very successful, and then became less
so. I then "graduated" to once-weekly self-injections of T-cypionate. Over
the years, I have varied my use of both these medicines. I have a) alternated
between T-cypionate and HCG, a few weeks on one, then a few weeks on the
other; b) taken T-cypionate and HCG in combination, supplementing T-cypionate
with occasional mid-week shots of HCG; c) used different amounts of
T-cypionate, ranging from .3 to .6 milliliters; and d) cycled off the drugs
altogether for periods ranging from one to six weeks..

In recent years, I noticed that my PSA, which had always been low, began to
trend upwards. At some point I found this alarming, and became concerned that
TRT might be responsible. When I asked my doc about this, he felt that
prostatitis might be responsible (even though I had no symptoms), and
prescribed three months of doxycycline, followed by a blood test. He also
gave me some interesting information which may be of interest to those having
unusual PSA results. He told me that once you have had protatitis, you never
really get rid of it altogether, and that it can come back at any time.
(According to him, many doctors don't prescribe a long enough course of
treatment for patients with prostatitis). He also told me that if you have
sex the morning of the PSA test, you can jack up the PSA reading... and if
you have had a digital prostate exam (or hell, if your wife or partner has
been playing in there) in proximity to your PSA test, you can REALLY jack up
the results... even into the double digits. (If your doctor gives you a
prostate exam, don't let him send you out for a PSA blood test later in the
day.)

So I started taking the doxycycline, and I decided to go off TRT entirely
(against the doc's advice). For three months, I used no form of T whatsoever.
I took moderate amounts of Saw Palmetto, hoping it would have some effect on
my PSA. Then I went in for blood work (I was careful not to have sex for two
days before the exam).

The results: my PSA was down to its pre-TRT levels. But what was even more
surprising was that my testosterone was up to "normal" levels (in the 400 ng
range) without any form of TRT for three months! (When I began TRT at the age
of 55, my testosterone was out-of-range low -- under 200 nL.) So somehow,
contrary to accepted belief, 3+ years of TRT (admittedly, an idiosyncratic
approach to it) didn't kill my body's ability to produce T... it stimulated
it, at least moderately. All other factors looked good, including estradiol.

I should also mention that over the years I have experimented with a wide
range of herbs, meds, and other supplements, including yohimbe, tongkat ali,
rodalia, maca, DIM, iodine, pharmaceutical grade vitamin D, transdermal DHEA,
dostinex, L-dopa, sublingual T, zinc, and probably a few others that I am
forgetting -- but none of these supplements have been taken religiously.
During my three months off TRT, I continued to take occasional moderate
amounts of iodine, vitamin D, Saw Palmetto, yohimbe, zinc, DHEA, and DIM.

So there you have it: guy on TRT manages to bumble his way to moderate
restoration of normal T levels. Of course, this result could be an anomaly of
some kind. I was on Prozac for a few years, which I think may have
contributed to my decreased T levels in the first place -- and it's also
possible that the deleterious effects of Prozac eventually wore off. But I
find this very encouraging, so I thought I would share it.

I'll continue to experiment with TRT in smaller doses, and with longer
intervals cycling off. (One of the other interesting things about my
experience with TRT is that I have been able to decrease my amounts of
T-cypionate (from a starting point of .6 all the way down to .3) without
negatively affecting the levels in my bloodstream.) Stay tuned.

Wanderer

lmac

2006-07-01, 9:21 pm

Wanderer wrote:
> I've posted here for a number of years regarding my experiences with TRT.
> Recently, I had some very unexpected test results that may be of interest to
> anyone currently on TRT, or contemplating it.
>
> First some background: my approach to TRT was a little idiosyncratic. I
> started out on HCG, which initially was very successful, and then became less
> so. I then "graduated" to once-weekly self-injections of T-cypionate. Over
> the years, I have varied my use of both these medicines. I have a) alternated
> between T-cypionate and HCG, a few weeks on one, then a few weeks on the
> other; b) taken T-cypionate and HCG in combination, supplementing T-cypionate
> with occasional mid-week shots of HCG; c) used different amounts of
> T-cypionate, ranging from .3 to .6 milliliters; and d) cycled off the drugs
> altogether for periods ranging from one to six weeks..
>
> In recent years, I noticed that my PSA, which had always been low, began to
> trend upwards. At some point I found this alarming, and became concerned that
> TRT might be responsible. When I asked my doc about this, he felt that
> prostatitis might be responsible (even though I had no symptoms), and
> prescribed three months of doxycycline, followed by a blood test. He also
> gave me some interesting information which may be of interest to those having
> unusual PSA results. He told me that once you have had protatitis, you never
> really get rid of it altogether, and that it can come back at any time.
> (According to him, many doctors don't prescribe a long enough course of
> treatment for patients with prostatitis). He also told me that if you have
> sex the morning of the PSA test, you can jack up the PSA reading... and if
> you have had a digital prostate exam (or hell, if your wife or partner has
> been playing in there) in proximity to your PSA test, you can REALLY jack up
> the results... even into the double digits. (If your doctor gives you a
> prostate exam, don't let him send you out for a PSA blood test later in the
> day.)
>
> So I started taking the doxycycline, and I decided to go off TRT entirely
> (against the doc's advice). For three months, I used no form of T whatsoever.
> I took moderate amounts of Saw Palmetto, hoping it would have some effect on
> my PSA. Then I went in for blood work (I was careful not to have sex for two
> days before the exam).
>
> The results: my PSA was down to its pre-TRT levels. But what was even more
> surprising was that my testosterone was up to "normal" levels (in the 400 ng
> range) without any form of TRT for three months! (When I began TRT at the age
> of 55, my testosterone was out-of-range low -- under 200 nL.) So somehow,
> contrary to accepted belief, 3+ years of TRT (admittedly, an idiosyncratic
> approach to it) didn't kill my body's ability to produce T... it stimulated
> it, at least moderately. All other factors looked good, including estradiol.
>
>
> I should also mention that over the years I have experimented with a wide
> range of herbs, meds, and other supplements, including yohimbe, tongkat ali,
> rodalia, maca, DIM, iodine, pharmaceutical grade vitamin D, transdermal DHEA,
> dostinex, L-dopa, sublingual T, zinc, and probably a few others that I am
> forgetting -- but none of these supplements have been taken religiously.
> During my three months off TRT, I continued to take occasional moderate
> amounts of iodine, vitamin D, Saw Palmetto, yohimbe, zinc, DHEA, and DIM.
>
> So there you have it: guy on TRT manages to bumble his way to moderate
> restoration of normal T levels. Of course, this result could be an anomaly of
> some kind. I was on Prozac for a few years, which I think may have
> contributed to my decreased T levels in the first place -- and it's also
> possible that the deleterious effects of Prozac eventually wore off. But I
> find this very encouraging, so I thought I would share it.
>
> I'll continue to experiment with TRT in smaller doses, and with longer
> intervals cycling off. (One of the other interesting things about my
> experience with TRT is that I have been able to decrease my amounts of
> T-cypionate (from a starting point of .6 all the way down to .3) without
> negatively affecting the levels in my bloodstream.) Stay tuned.
>
> Wanderer
>
>
>
Thanks for this post. Uro is looking at 'T' and it has my interest. My
PSA has dropped steadily over the last 11 years (from 2.3 down to 0.71)
and we suspect that 'T' may be dropping faster than it normally should.
During the first 6 of those 11 years I was on Saw for an enlarged left
lobe. Most of the PSA drop was during the Saw years. Unfortunately,
I've got no prior 'T' data so we're working in the blind on this one.

I think you're absolutely right on the DRE rules. Most HMOs have the
doc do the DRE and write the PSA lab order at the same time--saves time
and money. When the Uro's receptionist calls to remind me of my
upcoming annual she has the lab order ready and gives me what she refers
to as 'the chastity reminder.' I get the blood draw before I come in
for the appointment then he does the DRE. We've been getting very small
variations in PSA this way. Annuals: 0.93, 0.80, 0.83,and 0.71.

Thanks again.
--
....Lmac

Muerta

2006-07-02, 8:22 am

"Wanderer" <wanderer@wonder.com> wrote in message
news:0001HW.C0CC452200028CC4F0284530@news.west.cox.net...
> I've posted here for a number of years regarding my experiences with TRT.

Hey, Wanderer, good to see ya.

That is surprising. Probably what makes me wonder the most is, what happened
in the HPT axis that HCG supplementation wasn't doing it, and now the axis
seems to be functioning again?

Three months off TRT, jeez, I remember years ago when I went off Androgel to
start on the HCG. I felt like refried dogshit.

Hope you're doing good with it, any reduction we can do of putting drugs in
our body is a good one. I don't always look forward to that once a week
injection, but hey, you know the results the same as me.

Good luck

Muerta