Hey fellas,
First off - been reading here for quite some time and love the forums. The information and contributions made here are invaluable.
I was recently started on TRT due to hormone issues I've battled for approximately 10 years. Long story short, I've tried 3-4 Clomid and/or Nolva restarts and while they me going again (secondary), I just crash when I come off. With the help of a top notch Dr, I started TRT approximately a month ago.
My initial TRT regimen was 140mg test cyp per week (spread over a few injections), 250iu HCG twice a week, .25mg adex EOD, cabergoline .5mg twice a week. While I understand most guys don't start with adex and caber - I have been with my Dr for three years and these have been used in my previous protocols (restarts) to control estrogen and prolactin. They were kept as is until my next appointment with full bloodwork.
First few days of test cyp felt amazing... then I added HCG, a single 250iu injection, and wow... it went downhill fast. Almost immediate anxiety, loss of appetite, and worst - my nipples lit on fire. Some pre-existing gyno immediately flared up. I continued on the regimen for two weeks and had two small blood draws during that time.
1 week into treatment - TT 1200 (ref 348-1197), Sensitive E 9 (ref range 3-70)
2 weeks into treatment - TT +1500, Sensitive E 13
During all of this, I thought my chest was going to explode the gyno was so irritating. Despite low E, which made me feel like shit, and caber for prolactin, my nipples were still raging. I called the Dr in a panic after the second week, well before my next appointment, and he said I could cut the test cyp dose in half.
In order to feel better for a major life event I had coming up, I dropped the HCG completely, and lowered the test cyp does to 100mg per week. After a week, I felt amazing for a few days, just in time for the big day.
This past week, I have tried to add HCG back in to keep on the prescribed regimen, and low and behold, even at a single dose of 200iu, all the sides are back. Just a single injection got them all going.
HCG is like devil juice to my body - immediate anxiety, zero appetite, nipples lit on fire. Is there any warrant to my thought that all of this is due to the HCG pushing me over my bodies natural threshold for handling testosterone? Could lowering the test cyp dose even further, to say, 60mg per week help in controlling these sides? Just seems odd that most men love HCG, and I get the sweats just thinking about it.
Could I just be a hyper responder to HCG and lower doses, say, 200iu total a week, keep my boys in-tact? I haven't been able to find much about Drs recommending anything under 250iu twice weekly.
I have an appointment with the Dr next week, and am waiting on a full set of labwork to come in with all the major players tested on it. I suppose its just hard to sit around with burning nipples, and not make some small adjustments.
Anyway - just a rant - with some dire need for advice.
Thanks!
Jim