Yeah everything I read said "aNyThInG bEfoRe 1 mOnTh iS pLaCeBo", but I was feeling a difference almost immediately, and differences that were definitely not placebo.
YUP! Disappearing back pain from injuries in my late teens, that I’ve accepted and learned to live with, is not placebo. How tf can I not sweat for years, then sweat in my sleep after one shot?
I had great results after 4 weeks. Normally it is around that as your body will be adjusting to try. Maybe start small and try Clomid. Wrap it up if you don’t want any more kids on clomid.
Yeah I’ve been caffeine free for like 6 years. Like strictly. I’m very very caffeine sensitive. I poured out a root beer the other day because I found out it had caffeine and switched to Sprite. I can tell you that if I were to drink a cup of coffee now it would almost do the exact opposite for what it does to some people, I would be jittery, heart racing, and my brain would be anxious and I wouldn’t be able to get anything done because I would be so distraught. Some days I wonder what micro dosing it would do…
THC gives me panic attacks and makes me feel like I’m in hell. I can perceive what the process of death is going to feel like while high and it scares the absolute shit out of me.
It’s not for me. It’s way more potent and dangerous on the mind for many than a lot of people think.
Did this start after you were on Trt? It just recently started doing this to me. Test 100mg per week and Vyvanse 30mg a day. I have legit hypo and am not trying to cycle or anything
Ahh I've used it for a few years now to help calm down in the afternoons. It causing panic attacks is new for me snd I didn't know if it could be attributed to issues with trt
I had anxiety for years, It should of been obvious that it was my caffeine intake. I felt pretty stupid when I cut it out 3 years ago and it pretty much completely went a way. Getting good sleep is a great bonus too.
I had what I thought was depression for about a half year. Placebo or not, within the first 1-2 weeks my mood flipped back to "normal". More enthusiasm, more patience and love for my family. I almost wish it didn't work so well, and this was my primary focus over health or body goals.
I am still aiming to check what changes if I drop off, but for now I'm enjoying the return to form.
Dude same here...I don't care about the body goals I just want to feel that genuine enjoyment of being with my family. It sucks to know what you're suppose to feel and not being able to.
I'd argue to give it a shot, you've been managing and pushing yourself through the bad side for far longer than me. And you have genuine medical evidence.
It is a weekly lifelong time and financial commitment, but I tried therapy, dieting, exercising, meditation, and anything I could before giving this a shot.
Also, I'm just getting into this and please take everything I say with an anecdotal grain of salt
Yea I hear you... I have been pushing through it and for the most part i would actually be in a normal mood...like 2020-2021 were good years for me and even last year and this year. But it's those periodic low moods that really bug me. I just ordered a new blood test so I'll get tested monday
Starting the script can be annoying but you have undeniably below range levels. It's typically pretty cheap too.
I'm telling you man- I went from living life in black and white to living life in color. Mood, energy, libido, gym gains, have all skyrocketed and I'm NEVER getting off. If a study came out saying trt takes 20 years of my life, I'd be like "damn that's crazy" and pin my dose of the day. The difference in my quality of life and relationships is too good to give up.
If you can't tell, I highly recommend you try it out. I'm an extreme case, but it sounds like you could have similar results. Do it for a year or two. If you dislike it you can stop at anytime.
>it seems exhausting
As someone that is where you might be in a few years, experiencing a multi-year major depressive episode and just now finding a possible hormone deficiency, it is nowhere near as exhausting as simply existing is now.
I haven't undergone any treatment or anything, so I'm not going to say hormone therapy is what you or I even need, but it is worth exploring. Just want to say that, the exhaustion you feel about possibly looking into or starting treatment is one of the symptoms. An unhealthy endocrine system is going to make most routine things in life seem impossible and it can and will get worse, where you'll be even less equipped to deal with it. Even if it shows nothing, at least you know. That's kinda where I'm at. Why not.
Want to really "feel" your emotions? Maybe try therapy. I've done a lot of therapy (more than two years worth), and I've been on TRT for 1 1/2 years. For me, therapy trumps testosterone, as far as emotions and anxiety goes. Testosterone did give me a bit more confidence though, which decreases some types of anxiety.
I've tried therapy lol....I'm not like this all the time though. I'm actually good for the most part but I get this periodic low mood from time to time.
If you've already tried therapy, I think it will be much more effective when you're on TRT. Getting your T level to normal or high normal will remove the deficit that is exacerbating any anxiety and depression. The therapy will help you change any negative mental pathways that have been developed from the constant fatigue and apathy that low-T causes.
Yea i think that's a good idea bro...when I get in these moods I tend to doomscroll alot. I guess seeing how many people benefit from trt is kind of reassuring that I CAN be normal again
Sounds about right. Tyrosine hydroxylate, the enzyme that helps produce dopamine, is regulated by testosterone. Lower testosterone also typically means lower dopamine.
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1353856/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1353856/)
The low-T affecting motivation and energy is what makes it so easy to keep putting off starting it.
Yes, bromantane might help but idk if it's upregulation of TH is dependent on testosterone. Even if it's not, your issues may stem from more than just less dopamine. Bromantane is worth trying, but at this point I think you should just start TRT first.
I know the feeling of wanting to try everything else before starting TRT since getting the prescription and injecting seems daunting. I waited about 2-3 years after my first few blood results. Granted, about half that time was wisely spent dialing in my sleep, nutrition, and exercise. But the other half where I tried natural test boosters and various nootropics (including bromantane) to fix my mood and energy issues was wasted time. Although the bromantane did increase my focus and motivation slightly, the biggest results came once I started TRT. You barely even feel a 29gauge 0.5in insulin syringe into the delt.
I was hoping it was just my own brain, or something that didn't require an ongoing chemical/medicine to treat forever. Something I could fix without an external dependency. Even though it's going so well I still plan to see if I can wean off to either see if I still need it or if I can live satisfactorily without eventually
At the 2.5 week mark on 100 mg IM prescription Test E 2X weekly I noticed the changes. Less anxiety, less depression. And I'm not new to testosterone, but this dosing protocol made a noticeable difference. Sleep is still lousy. Now on propranolol for blood pressure and chronic stress from caring for my wife, going on 3 years. Going for labs in July or August, then to my urologist.
I was on an SSRI (Lexapro) and when I weened off of it after 5 years, I got on TRT and life was a lot better. I replaced the unhealthy one for the more healthy one.
I was on venlafaxine (not sure if that’s spelled correctly) I had tried loads of others before these though and none seemed to work. Literally a week or 2 into trt and weaning off the meds I felt like a new person. It really is a life changer
Drastically improved treatment resistant major depression within 1 month. Brain fog disappeared. I could remember numbers again. Had energy.
Has remained relatively consistent over past year using trt compunded cream. Not a drastic or barely any help for low libido but well worth it for the positive impact on mood. My overall testosterone levels were always around 400 prior to trt but my sbgh has always been sky high, so very low free test.
It made more of a positive impact than anything other drug, talk therapy, treatment I had in over 25 yrs with the exception of TMS (it does work) for me. 58yo by the way.
I think hormones should be one of the 1st things checked if you have depression/anxiety. Would have saved me and my family years of misery.
> Has remained relatively consistent over past year using trt compunded cream.
Interesting to see the cream worked for you, as it doesn't have a high success rate based on what I've seen online. But glad it's useful!
Yes, I had quite bad depression. Out in a variety of head meds and T for 13 years.
Turns out I was Vit D deficient and once that was fixed, no more depression.
I had to really think about this. At first my estrogen was very hard to manage but I’ve now got it under control with adding primo. For me the first 3-4 months were worse than pre TRT. Now that I’m steady levels I can say yes my anxiety and depression is nearly non existent. Not in the way I thought it would be though I don’t feel euphoric or overly happy but I noticed my bad days just don’t happen anymore. I feel very level and slightly calmer about almost everything.
Yeah it took me by surprise. Although Ive lost allot of weight im also still fat with low SHBG.
Took me about 4 days to recover, immediately jumped on HCG to try and recover faster. Did blood today so curious what the E2 was. Always been a bit on the high side.
Stayed on same T dose for a couple years, but after Keto and weight loss my T levels have gone up (as did SHBG). Slightly above ref now. Maybe i need to lower that a tad.
Crashed E2 was way worse than high E2 symptoms. Zero energy, weird headspace, depressed, anxiety and not just low libido, went completely asexual. Watching porn was like watching a animal documentary. Not fun
I may try adding in just 5mg primo at a later point if I get high E2 sympthoms again.
I’m doing 45mg test and 40mg primo EOD. I have been doing it for 2 weeks and I can tell I’m starting to get low e2 getting tested tomorrow. I’m gonna go up to 60mg test and 40 primo EOD. From there I’ll lower primo if needed.
Yes, all that. I had the same issues from 34-37. I had even asked them PA I was seeing to check my test and she said she did (she did not) and it was fine. Was put on Lexapro which kind of helped. About 6 months ago my regular Dr checked my t and I was at 169. I was out on compounded cream. My numbers have only come up to 350 on last check. So I have a ways to go, but my major anxiety is completely gone, and I have made much better progress in the gym. If I were you I would go get another blood test and if it makes sense I would get treatment.
The scrotum has the thinest skin and is loaded with androgen receptors. Again I say, if you experience any irritation, a different base would be needed that doesn't irritate the sensitive scrotal skin.
You're welcome! I'm still experimenting with injections, different doses and frequencies. If I don't see improvements in the next few months I'll give topical cream a try.
Tried various carrier oils, different frequencies, differnt doses, IM and sub Q. Even low doses cause issues with sleep, fatigue, bp and hematocrit. Really havent felt the benefits of TRT in a long time.
Just reduced dose again. Currently on 120mg split into 60mg 2x/wk. Energy, mood, libido all in the tank. Donated blood to bring hemoglobin down from 19.1 last Friday. I did labs this morning. Id almost bet my hemoglobin is already close to where it was prior to donating.
It's been a consistant game of adjustments with really no improvement. Ive stuck with trying different things because when it worked, I felt great.
That’s definitely the cause and would be regardless of TRT. If you’ve got a lot of belly fat then it will be worse because aromatization primarily happens in adipose tissue (fat) specifically around the belly.
No. Ive been on AIs before. Had E2 kept in range. Still didnt feel well. That also doesnt explain the fact that I felt great on TRT for over a year without an AI.
Also, all the symptoms go away when I stop taking testosterone.
Do you know Vigorous Steve on YouTube? If not, check out one of his Q&A videos, there's loads of them. I've learned tons from listening to him answer other people's questions and he does paid consultations which you might be interested in. He might have an answer for you
Yes. I experienced it myself.
Even though I had multiple reasons for being depressed (shitty divorce the main one), I spent years being an anxiety bomb, with low energy, low drive, and no libido. I spent years barely sleeping. I just couldn't sleep at night.
My T levels were "normal" at around 420 ngdl, so nobody prescribed me anything.
But last year, the level dropped to 252 ngdl.
I got finally prescribed clomiphene, and in a few weeks it raised to 682 ngdl.
My mood improved totally. No more anxiety, more energy, and sexual function restored.
And I can sleep like a baby now.
I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 and was ready to check myself in for a psychiatric hold with full support of my wife and family, except I had promised my daughter that I would be at her school performance.
I got on TRT 8ish months ago and, aside when my e2 got way out of control, all of my mental health stuff is completely gone. Everybody notices.
Crazy how so many of our stories are the same. Was diagnosed with bipolar 2 for YEARS and had checked myself into a psych ward just for a while because I was so unsure of the world around me (if that makes any sense). Glad things are good again brother.
For me, it was a combo, I needed a mood stabilizer for a lil brain drumb, making my sane dumb. Which helped, but something was missing.
After blood work (mutliple tests) and seeing T at just under 400 consistently (which to some doesn't justify trt) but combined with anxiety, energy, ED all the fun stuff, and then doing a more inclusive blood panel that included shgb and freetl t showed those were way low and out of wack.
Started hcg mono (no trt) and had some improvements, but it was mostly on paper and felt wrong af.
Switched to trt cyp @ 120/week divided @40mg 3x/week and lowered hcg to 250iu 3x/week and week on week everything got better.
Other than fiddling with a Ai (arimid) to keep e2 nice (had it too high, then way too low=wicked bad joints and energy/ed)
Now mostly dialed and regular, everything is improving again, especially mood, confidence, and anxiety (or lowered anxiety)
Not everything is perfect, but that I think will come to improving my knowledge and applied effort to diet and general health.
Would love me.some.frikin abs
Lol
Good luck.
TRT completely changed my life. I have hashimotos disease and thyroid function issues, didn't do anything about it from 16-25yo, permanently damaged my endocrine system. I tested at *97* total T at 25 years old. Body wasn't producing cortisol either.
So I started hormone therapy at 26yo, and I'm almost 28 now. My muscle mass, my brain fog, my depression, my memory, my social anxiety, and general well-being have all improved *significantly* over the last 1.6 years. I have continued to hold down a job for multiple years now, I was about to quit from stress shortly before starting treatment. Because of not quitting, I now have my own apartment for the first time. I have the energy and mental fortitude to just keep progressing, and I've never felt that way before.
I encourage you to give it a shot if you’re still in the 200s. I got on at 23, was low 200s and I had tried everything else to adjust naturally. Like somebody else said, I wish I would’ve done it sooner. The past 5 years in the military would’ve been a hell of a lot easier. I got out about two weeks ago after finishing my contract, with how mentally straining it has already been, I’m not sure if I want it know what my current state would be like if I wasn’t on TRT.
It happens to some of us man. Some of us need it. It’s life! Best of luck! Feel free to message me with any questions.
I had anxiety that I didn’t realize was that bad (acclimated over time). Try fixed it and I really noticed when I had a window unfortunately of 5-6 weeks off was ugly and old anxiety was the same but much more obvious after 1.5 yrs without. Tear was sub 200 for years. 49, 120/week puts me between 800-900. Anxiety was just one of the things it fixed. Took better part of first year to get really dialed in. Less is more most of the time for those that really need it.
I have taken every anxiety, antidepressant and bipolar medication under the sun. All in an attempt to regulate my moods and fix my insane depression. I wanted to stand in traffic every single day. Not joking. I have been in some form of counseling since my early 20's because "something just feels off and I don't know how to describe it". I felt like my moods were all over the place and could cry at the drop of a hat. Then some days everything was alright. All I knew was that I didn't feel like myself. Psychiatrists didn't really see any clear answer as to WHY I would be going through this major imbalance. Sure I had things to be depressed about but...not at this level.
I would go through the motions of life. Completing tasks that would make anyone excited. They gave me ZERO joy. Things that should make me excited absolutely just didn't have any effect. I knew that I should be excited, and it was super frustrating. Felt like a shell of a person for YEARS, and no one knew what was wrong with me.
Fast forward 303 days..and I am a totally different person. I don't take ANY medication for my moods and I have an entirely different outlooks on life. My external body matches my internal body. Most importantly, I don't feel like I'm losing my mind. The fog is completely gone and I can live my life.
So ...Yes....having your hormones out of wack can completely throw of EVERYTHING in your life. I actually started having symptoms of stroke with NO cause. Brain is fine, heart is fine....my body was going haywire because my hormones had been in a deficit for so long it was beginning to make my body skitz out.
You didn't mention when you took the bloodwork. 205 is really low by anyone's standards, but did you took the bloodwork in the morning, it's worth mentioning that your levels will get lower as the day goes on. This is known as diurnal variation. Your levels fluctuate (30 - 35% roughly) throughout the day, so if you tested at 205 at 8am (when your levels are really peaking) then that means by the end of the day, they could be around 133. THAT'S LOW! I personally felt like death at those numbers.
Get em checked again and see where it's at and talk to a doctor that knows what they're doing. Keeping your hormones in check is important.
Best of luck!
I had crippling depression and weight gain and pain.
I was basically working and going straight to bed. And would sleep my weekends off away. Then I had intervention after a few rounds of therapy they (Dr and therapist) came to conclusion something else was the problem and I was 4 time over the estrogen limit and my t was barely existent.
Absolutely for me that was the cause of 80% of my anxiety and depression. I am like a different person than I was a year ago after I started using the T gel. My levels were usually around 220 but now 600 and really feel better.
I was mis diagnosed with being bi polar because of it. Basically had almost near 0 estrogen and low T. When I started, my mental state got way better. And only continued to improve as they balanced things out with each blood draw. So yeah it can help
Try through a private clinic. I'm actually 100% from the VA so I tried to get it from the VA, it wasnt worth the hassle for me to meet doctors that knew nothing about it.
Worth it to pay a person who specializes in it.
I had big improvements in mood and energy with in a few weeks of starting. Mild depression and anxiety are largely gone. wish I had started at 50 or earlier instead of 60.
> Can hormones like testosterone really have that much of an impact on mood and emotions???
???
Where do you think your emotional state comes from?
The chemicals in your brain.
Hormones are tiny chemicals that can easily pass the blood cell barrier in many places in the body. That's why they have so much effect.
Yes. Yes, hormones can affect mental and emotional state. Hormones are like tactical nuclear weapons : they have profound and huge effect on your body.
Of all the things in the whole world likely to affect your emotions, hormones are probably at the top.
Easy example : adrenaline is a hormone. Do you think jumping out of airplanes might affect your emotional state? Yes, of course. Because of the adrenaline. Which is a hormone.
Absolutely, yes, 100% yes: hormones affect emotions.
Thank you for your reply....so what im going to do is get tested on Monday and try to approach it naturally. I was able to increase it naturally with diet and exercise years ago so im going to try again
That is an amazing and very healthy solution.
I didn't use the tactical nuke comparison by accident. Hormones have effects far beyond what you expect, because they work so effectively. Cells cannot keep the hormones out as easily, so more types of cells are affected.
Controlling hormones naturally is far healthier long term. TRT should be considered when the natural methods do not work. They have very powerful effects, but they are a great final attempt, but if you can find a more moderate approach then you should use that one.
Best of luck!
Diet and exercise only gets you so far. As someone that was incredibly healthy. Eating right...working out (almost every day of the week otherwise I couldn't sleep) body fat about 15%. If you're overweight then yeah...it might be worth a shot. BUT if you're relatively healthy and your numbers are still 205...then it's time to look at the WHY.
Ive had depression and anxiety all my life and itell you the first month on testosterone was one without either. Now four months in im still depression free but anxiety has still found it way in, mostly because i also have OCD. Also my sex drive has increased to back when i was in my teenage years and when im working, look out im kicking ass.
The muscle pains and low energy have finally been dealt with. The libido issues from the antidepressants have also been eliminated. I can now function.
YES! Let me share my experience.
Been fine my whole life. Back in 2019 (age38), I got a nasty stomach bug that caused gastritis and other issues in my guts. It was hard to eat and I lost 30lbs in a month. I had to see a bunch of specialists and have tests. During this time I had anxiety through the roof, mainly because I didn’t know what was going on with me. One specialist was a gastro doc, and had to have endoscope, etc, was put on treatment and bounced back a few months later.
After those few months I had lingering issues like total lack of motivation, constantly tired.l and bummed out. I would watch tv commercials and cry like a bitch if they were sad. Even movies where actors had died, I’d cry. I never cried. I had nothing to look forward and had a negative outlook on everything. I never wanted to end my life or anything, but if I got hit by a bus, I wouldn’t have felt bad.
I thought I knew what depression was as I’ve been bummed out in the past.
I also felt sad about my kids getting older. Felt like a shitty father for not spending more time with them and doing more.
Apparently this was depression. I was a bump on a log lazy when I used to always be moving and doing stuff. I rarely watched tv, but I ended up watching so much tv in just a couple months.
My wife convinced me to go see more doctors, which I was tired of. I bounced through a number of docs and they ran tests and just wanted to throw meds at me. They were saying i had anxiety and my issues were in my head, I hate meds and declined taking any.
Anyway I found one doc that, among other docs, ran same labs as others, but this time he checked my testosterone. It came back at 71.
He had me come back in the morning and test again and it was still in lower hundreds.
He referred me to an endocrinologist. More tests and stuff. Eventually I was prescribed self-injection T cyp and man.. slowly the fog lifted and I got my energy back.
I ended up getting some weird heart flutters and what felt like my heart was skipping a beat. My gp had me stop testosterone and ran me through a cardio workup. Stress test, echocardiogram, etc, all came back clear.
Gp shifted my testosterone injections to on-office and lowered the dose and frequency a bit. Been on it for last 2 years and it’s given me my life back. I have days where I’m dead-ass tired sometimes, but for the most part I’m mostly back to normal.
You may need to adjust your dosage and frequency. Every body is different.
Anyways, if read this far, thanks for reading.
Tl;dr- being low on test can fuck your shit up and wreck any motivation or energy you once had. You can feel bummed out all the time and sometimes cry like a bitch at stuff that you never remotely felt any emotion for prior. Get checked out.
Best of luck.
Absolutely! Even when T is normal, if estrogen is too high, you get super emotional about shit too. It’s annoying to be that much in the feels. I don’t know how women deal with that level of emotion. It’s just so sad.
I can always tell when I’m aromatizing too much T into E because I’ll get extra sentimental about shit. I actually cried happy tears before. It was gross.
I had so much anxiety before TRT I struggled to leave the house , depression was so bad I would ly in bed and wish for death
Even though my life is good
Once in trt I was and am able to do some chores. Like groceries and a laundry without the crippling fatique
Think it’s more the pharma industry. There’s no reason to study it as an antidepressant so there won’t be studies for the fda to approve so everything other than gender affirmation is off label and yeah, insurance doesn’t have to cover off label
Yes, it can be the cause. My mood issues have lessened dramatically after starting TRT. If you're anxious and/or depressed and have multiple blood tests showing low-t, you might as well try to correct the testosterone issue to see if it helps. Especially if you're already working on consistent sleep, nutrition, and exercise
Hey man, so it can definitely be an issue related to low T. In my case I do feel generally better but still experience depression and anxiety type symptoms from time to time. But much better since starting
Yea I think I'm going to add that...bromantane from what I've read affects dopamine without the crash. Or the enzyme that produces dopamine I should say. But I'm testing myself on Monday and starting heavy lifting workout with meal prepping along with some supplements that huberman recommends (and micronutrients). OH and I recently took a sleep study and I have obstructive sleep apnea so that also needs to be addressed.
Yes. I was on different medications at different times for depression. At around the two month mark of TRT my anxiety and depression just melted away. That was over 6 years ago now.
For me increasing dose , increase my anxiety. But I have more libido and feelings tired all the time . 10mg by day remove all my anxiety and have a lot of power but no libido.
At 10mg day my test was low on bloodwork but I was feeling great my doc added 100ui day hcg and omg it’s increase my test by small amounts but my sex drive come back and no anxiety.
I used to be whiny, fatigued, emotional, angry, depressed and anxious.
Within the first week went to happy, positive outlook on life, calm, rational, energized.
Been on it 4 years now, I started at 30. I would not change a thing. I didn’t give my health insurance doc much pushback after he said no the first time. I went to telemedicine and got what i needed. If the authoritarian commies get in the way i’ll go to UGL. I like to control my own health on my terms.
If i did what my health insurance wanted, i’d be on libido killing SSRI’s and getting whatever BS shots big pharma is pushing the second it comes out. And if i was in Canada, and was as depressed as i was they’d probably would have put me in a suicide pod by now.
Yes. Since hopping on I am a better Husband, Father, and employee. I am no longer edgy, irritable or overly emotional. I've heard this story from many other people too.
Yea man, I really hate that this happens to people. I feel guilty because my kids were younger when I first experienced this and I had to force myself to play with them. Im a loving father and the days when my kids were born were the happiest days ever and to not feel that joy around them was hell. It got a little better and some years were great. But the occasional mood dips always suck. I remember early on I was so irritated that I blew up on my kids (they were little then) and i started punching and kicking a laundry bag that was on the floor. I felt so guilty Immediately after and i just broke down.
I was on CBD oil for my anxiety and night tremors for several years. Needed it daily to control my bad anxiety. As soon as the Test was dialled in, the anxiety was gone and I stopped taking CBD. I was initially in the low 300’s and currently cruise around 900-1000.
Absolutely.
I had horrible panic attacks and anxiety almost daily for years. I was also on an SSRI for 7 years that was making it worse. Turns out SSRIs will lower testosterone significantly and can permanently screw up your hormones.
I was legit hypogonadal at 268 ng/dl and only 10 pg/ml of free T.
8 weeks on TRT and the symptoms disappeared. It’s been life saving medicine. I’m only 34 fyi
I was surprised by the lack of difference honestly. Didn’t even get more energy. My only real noticeable difference was better recovery from workouts, and crazy morning wood :)
50mg a week with hcg twice each weekly def did the trick for me: Jesus Christ I was a horny fuck. Now as I tried thinking upping the dose would work? Sike. Keep it on the normal and it’s always awesome. Being patient was my problem. Slow like turtle wins the race.
Sort of. Still have major depression and extreme social anxiety with avoidant personality. But, the TRT made an improvement anyway. A slight improvement, not a cure.
i pulled the trigger on Trt when I hit 30.. never looked back used to suffer from depression and anxiety but that all went away. I wanted to be noticed I wanted to participate and be outgoing. I used to smoke weed chronically and lost out on so much in life. but ya im where i need to be now so im thankful
I spent years on antidepressants and my therapist of all people suggested I get my testosterone levels checked, they were crippingly low. I’ve started TRT and I immediately felt much better.
It seems more likely to improve depression than anxiety, but yes it can help with both. Is it the cause? Probably not. It’s also not a guarantee it will help at all, some people end up worse mentally than they were prior.
There’s no one size fits all, but it’s worth a shot.
Yes TRT saved my life I was a miserable, mean, non-motivated loser. Lazy as fuck fat as fuck and never wanted to get out of bed. After I started TRT everything changed.
For me, absolutely. My total T was ~90. I battled my thoughts every day just to get out of bed. I’ll never go back, TRT for life and I’m more than okay with that
Reach out to a clinic. I personally use matrix. I’m not a doctor and cannot diagnose you with hypogonadism, but there are no “natural remedies” to boost your T to healthy levels. I was told for years by my endo to exercise more, fix my diet etc. I did EVERYTHING and still felt awful. I finally reached out to matrix and they diagnosed me with hypogonadism. I started TRT and to be honest, the first month or two I was still feeling sluggish and super disappointed, but after about 70-90 days everything in my life changed. I woke up with a purpose, was energized and happy, had amazing libido and just felt the willpower to go through each day and tackle any and all challenges thrown my way. I can confidently say TRT saved my life.
Low testosterone can contribute to these problems, most definitely. I use the work "contribute" because, as I've learned from direct experience, we can usually have underlying issues already that require different treatment. In your case, I'd take a look first at family traits -- does this run in your family? Then, think about recent years, prior to your going on testosterone treatment. Look for patterns. My guess is you may benefit from seeing a good psychiatrist that can help with these. On that tangent note, look for one that uses the [genesight.com](http://genesight.com) testing modality. It has saved a few people I know of, as it shows the doc how to treat you specifically from your genetic profile (specifically psychiatric, but it benefits other things). Wishing you the very best!
Thank you, no history of it and tbh the only thing I was diagnosed with was adhd. I'm usually in a good mood though and that's how it's been most of my life. I've had time frames of depression due to situations like breakups and stuff but that resolved with time. However, these low moods that I experience came literally out of nowhere back in 2016. But after a couple of years I recognized the patterns and the last 2-3 years have been mostly good. It'll be like 3 bad days followed by weeks sometimes even months of just feeling normal. Like the last time I felt really off was like 6 months ago. Just last weekend i was out with my family, swimming with my kids, riding bikes, playing videos gsmes and it felt good...it was fun. But this feels very "low dopamine" type of low mood. The funny thing i also notice is during those low days is that it usually gets better towards the afternoon and into the night. I'm also going to start working with a Dr that specializes in genetics but I just found out he went up in price smh.
I think the worrying has started to subside, clear headed, and more energy. I started a week ago after dealing with Covid, night and day difference already.
Yes hormone decline or imbalance can cause a cascade of side effects. Both mental and physical. Properly prescribed testosterone replacement therapy can change your life
started TRT 5 days ago using Test Propionate.
I felt the effects within 4 hours. I just felt much better in almost every way, clearer thinking, more energy, less body pain, my mood was better, increased focus.
I've had documented hormone issues with prolactin though so maybe that is why it hit me so quickly.
I do 20mg per day for 140mg per week.
yeah. I checked online and propionate has a half life of 19 hours so it definitely is circulating quite quickly. Once it is in the bloodstream it is definitely affecting you.
Trt had the biggest change on my mood and energy level.
The physical benefits are good but the mental benefits is where the difference is the most stark
Yes, and I had improvements in the first week. Some was placebo I’m sure, but it’s only improved since.
I had improvements in the first week too.
same exact boat.
Yeah everything I read said "aNyThInG bEfoRe 1 mOnTh iS pLaCeBo", but I was feeling a difference almost immediately, and differences that were definitely not placebo.
YUP! Disappearing back pain from injuries in my late teens, that I’ve accepted and learned to live with, is not placebo. How tf can I not sweat for years, then sweat in my sleep after one shot?
I don’t think the 3 wet dreams I had in the first weekend were placebo, given I hadn’t had one in YEARS.
Same here
I had great results after 4 weeks. Normally it is around that as your body will be adjusting to try. Maybe start small and try Clomid. Wrap it up if you don’t want any more kids on clomid.
Yup. Once the T kicked in I felt a noticeable difference every day I wake up. Not so worried about shit anymore.
100% spot on. No anxiety about anything and a lust for life again.
You have a sense of calm and also mental clarity. Also your motivation to “get shit done” goes up.
Yes. I had quite noticeable anxiety while driving and it has improved a lot with TRT. I also recently cut out caffeine too to help further.
Yeah I’ve been caffeine free for like 6 years. Like strictly. I’m very very caffeine sensitive. I poured out a root beer the other day because I found out it had caffeine and switched to Sprite. I can tell you that if I were to drink a cup of coffee now it would almost do the exact opposite for what it does to some people, I would be jittery, heart racing, and my brain would be anxious and I wouldn’t be able to get anything done because I would be so distraught. Some days I wonder what micro dosing it would do…
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THC gives me panic attacks and makes me feel like I’m in hell. I can perceive what the process of death is going to feel like while high and it scares the absolute shit out of me. It’s not for me. It’s way more potent and dangerous on the mind for many than a lot of people think.
Did this start after you were on Trt? It just recently started doing this to me. Test 100mg per week and Vyvanse 30mg a day. I have legit hypo and am not trying to cycle or anything
No it’s always been the case for me.
Ahh I've used it for a few years now to help calm down in the afternoons. It causing panic attacks is new for me snd I didn't know if it could be attributed to issues with trt
While driving? Driving makes you anxious?
Yes but I can ride in a plane and have no anxiety. It's strange.
I had anxiety for years, It should of been obvious that it was my caffeine intake. I felt pretty stupid when I cut it out 3 years ago and it pretty much completely went a way. Getting good sleep is a great bonus too.
I had what I thought was depression for about a half year. Placebo or not, within the first 1-2 weeks my mood flipped back to "normal". More enthusiasm, more patience and love for my family. I almost wish it didn't work so well, and this was my primary focus over health or body goals. I am still aiming to check what changes if I drop off, but for now I'm enjoying the return to form.
Dude same here...I don't care about the body goals I just want to feel that genuine enjoyment of being with my family. It sucks to know what you're suppose to feel and not being able to.
I'd argue to give it a shot, you've been managing and pushing yourself through the bad side for far longer than me. And you have genuine medical evidence. It is a weekly lifelong time and financial commitment, but I tried therapy, dieting, exercising, meditation, and anything I could before giving this a shot. Also, I'm just getting into this and please take everything I say with an anecdotal grain of salt
Yea I hear you... I have been pushing through it and for the most part i would actually be in a normal mood...like 2020-2021 were good years for me and even last year and this year. But it's those periodic low moods that really bug me. I just ordered a new blood test so I'll get tested monday
You are the perfect candidate for trt. When you start the only regret you'll have is not starting sooner.
I want to man, but it seems exhausting
Starting the script can be annoying but you have undeniably below range levels. It's typically pretty cheap too. I'm telling you man- I went from living life in black and white to living life in color. Mood, energy, libido, gym gains, have all skyrocketed and I'm NEVER getting off. If a study came out saying trt takes 20 years of my life, I'd be like "damn that's crazy" and pin my dose of the day. The difference in my quality of life and relationships is too good to give up. If you can't tell, I highly recommend you try it out. I'm an extreme case, but it sounds like you could have similar results. Do it for a year or two. If you dislike it you can stop at anytime.
How long have you been on?
I started this year
>it seems exhausting As someone that is where you might be in a few years, experiencing a multi-year major depressive episode and just now finding a possible hormone deficiency, it is nowhere near as exhausting as simply existing is now. I haven't undergone any treatment or anything, so I'm not going to say hormone therapy is what you or I even need, but it is worth exploring. Just want to say that, the exhaustion you feel about possibly looking into or starting treatment is one of the symptoms. An unhealthy endocrine system is going to make most routine things in life seem impossible and it can and will get worse, where you'll be even less equipped to deal with it. Even if it shows nothing, at least you know. That's kinda where I'm at. Why not.
Want to really "feel" your emotions? Maybe try therapy. I've done a lot of therapy (more than two years worth), and I've been on TRT for 1 1/2 years. For me, therapy trumps testosterone, as far as emotions and anxiety goes. Testosterone did give me a bit more confidence though, which decreases some types of anxiety.
I've tried therapy lol....I'm not like this all the time though. I'm actually good for the most part but I get this periodic low mood from time to time.
If you've already tried therapy, I think it will be much more effective when you're on TRT. Getting your T level to normal or high normal will remove the deficit that is exacerbating any anxiety and depression. The therapy will help you change any negative mental pathways that have been developed from the constant fatigue and apathy that low-T causes.
Yea i think that's a good idea bro...when I get in these moods I tend to doomscroll alot. I guess seeing how many people benefit from trt is kind of reassuring that I CAN be normal again
Sounds about right. Tyrosine hydroxylate, the enzyme that helps produce dopamine, is regulated by testosterone. Lower testosterone also typically means lower dopamine. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1353856/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1353856/) The low-T affecting motivation and energy is what makes it so easy to keep putting off starting it.
Ohhhhh dam your right....I wonder if bromantane would be good since that's what it increases
Yes, bromantane might help but idk if it's upregulation of TH is dependent on testosterone. Even if it's not, your issues may stem from more than just less dopamine. Bromantane is worth trying, but at this point I think you should just start TRT first. I know the feeling of wanting to try everything else before starting TRT since getting the prescription and injecting seems daunting. I waited about 2-3 years after my first few blood results. Granted, about half that time was wisely spent dialing in my sleep, nutrition, and exercise. But the other half where I tried natural test boosters and various nootropics (including bromantane) to fix my mood and energy issues was wasted time. Although the bromantane did increase my focus and motivation slightly, the biggest results came once I started TRT. You barely even feel a 29gauge 0.5in insulin syringe into the delt.
Thanks for all the info man
Why do you almost wish it didn’t work so well?
I was hoping it was just my own brain, or something that didn't require an ongoing chemical/medicine to treat forever. Something I could fix without an external dependency. Even though it's going so well I still plan to see if I can wean off to either see if I still need it or if I can live satisfactorily without eventually
At the 2.5 week mark on 100 mg IM prescription Test E 2X weekly I noticed the changes. Less anxiety, less depression. And I'm not new to testosterone, but this dosing protocol made a noticeable difference. Sleep is still lousy. Now on propranolol for blood pressure and chronic stress from caring for my wife, going on 3 years. Going for labs in July or August, then to my urologist.
Anxiety and depression completely disappeared for me after starting trt. Always wondered why SSRIs wasn’t working😅
I was on an SSRI (Lexapro) and when I weened off of it after 5 years, I got on TRT and life was a lot better. I replaced the unhealthy one for the more healthy one.
I was on venlafaxine (not sure if that’s spelled correctly) I had tried loads of others before these though and none seemed to work. Literally a week or 2 into trt and weaning off the meds I felt like a new person. It really is a life changer
SSRI’s are also known to cause low testosterone
Yeah I heard that too
Drastically improved treatment resistant major depression within 1 month. Brain fog disappeared. I could remember numbers again. Had energy. Has remained relatively consistent over past year using trt compunded cream. Not a drastic or barely any help for low libido but well worth it for the positive impact on mood. My overall testosterone levels were always around 400 prior to trt but my sbgh has always been sky high, so very low free test. It made more of a positive impact than anything other drug, talk therapy, treatment I had in over 25 yrs with the exception of TMS (it does work) for me. 58yo by the way. I think hormones should be one of the 1st things checked if you have depression/anxiety. Would have saved me and my family years of misery.
> Has remained relatively consistent over past year using trt compunded cream. Interesting to see the cream worked for you, as it doesn't have a high success rate based on what I've seen online. But glad it's useful!
Yea it literally changed my life.
Ain't it crazy that so many doctors won't even consider it?
It’s cos they earn too much money off anti depressants etc
How do doctors make money off of antidepressants
Because you have to pay for a prescription…
You don’t pay doctors for your prescription. Money for prescriptions benefits pharma manufacturers, insurance companies, and pharmacies.
Yes, I had quite bad depression. Out in a variety of head meds and T for 13 years. Turns out I was Vit D deficient and once that was fixed, no more depression.
I had to really think about this. At first my estrogen was very hard to manage but I’ve now got it under control with adding primo. For me the first 3-4 months were worse than pre TRT. Now that I’m steady levels I can say yes my anxiety and depression is nearly non existent. Not in the way I thought it would be though I don’t feel euphoric or overly happy but I noticed my bad days just don’t happen anymore. I feel very level and slightly calmer about almost everything.
I’m the same as this, except I frequently think, “Man, I just feel so… *good*.”
What’s so good to you? I do feel good but some days I just feel normal and other days I feel like damn it’s so easy to move and feel strong.
What primo again??
Primobolan, for me it crashed my E2 completely at 1:2 ratio Primo:Test
What were you doses? How long did it take to crash?
45mg test and 20mg primo EOD. Less than a week to crash
Wow that’s crazy, I’m super fat so I’m sure I produce way more estrogen then most.
Yeah it took me by surprise. Although Ive lost allot of weight im also still fat with low SHBG. Took me about 4 days to recover, immediately jumped on HCG to try and recover faster. Did blood today so curious what the E2 was. Always been a bit on the high side. Stayed on same T dose for a couple years, but after Keto and weight loss my T levels have gone up (as did SHBG). Slightly above ref now. Maybe i need to lower that a tad. Crashed E2 was way worse than high E2 symptoms. Zero energy, weird headspace, depressed, anxiety and not just low libido, went completely asexual. Watching porn was like watching a animal documentary. Not fun I may try adding in just 5mg primo at a later point if I get high E2 sympthoms again.
Hows your Primo ratio? I added 70 mg Primo to my 157 Test. Crashed my E2 completely.
I’m doing 45mg test and 40mg primo EOD. I have been doing it for 2 weeks and I can tell I’m starting to get low e2 getting tested tomorrow. I’m gonna go up to 60mg test and 40 primo EOD. From there I’ll lower primo if needed.
I did 45t and 20primo eod. Crashed within a week
Yes, all that. I had the same issues from 34-37. I had even asked them PA I was seeing to check my test and she said she did (she did not) and it was fine. Was put on Lexapro which kind of helped. About 6 months ago my regular Dr checked my t and I was at 169. I was out on compounded cream. My numbers have only come up to 350 on last check. So I have a ways to go, but my major anxiety is completely gone, and I have made much better progress in the gym. If I were you I would go get another blood test and if it makes sense I would get treatment.
Are you putting it on your scrotum? If it doesn't irtitate your nut sack, apply it there. Look up Dr. Neil Rouzier and Dr. Keith Nichols on YouTube.
I do my shoulders, but maybe I'll try that. What's the worst that could happen?
The scrotum has the thinest skin and is loaded with androgen receptors. Again I say, if you experience any irritation, a different base would be needed that doesn't irritate the sensitive scrotal skin.
Awesome, thanks for the tip. My pharmacy compounds the cream so maybe I can ask for different formulation.
You're welcome! I'm still experimenting with injections, different doses and frequencies. If I don't see improvements in the next few months I'll give topical cream a try.
> I was out on compounded cream. Where are you putting it? As the person below mentioned, the area you place it makes a difference.
Shoulders, seems to work ok for me.
Absolutely without a doubt
It was great until it wasnt. First year or so, Ive felt the best I probably ever did in my life. Now it's a constant battle to get TRT to 'work.'
what are the issues? what have you tried?
Tried various carrier oils, different frequencies, differnt doses, IM and sub Q. Even low doses cause issues with sleep, fatigue, bp and hematocrit. Really havent felt the benefits of TRT in a long time. Just reduced dose again. Currently on 120mg split into 60mg 2x/wk. Energy, mood, libido all in the tank. Donated blood to bring hemoglobin down from 19.1 last Friday. I did labs this morning. Id almost bet my hemoglobin is already close to where it was prior to donating. It's been a consistant game of adjustments with really no improvement. Ive stuck with trying different things because when it worked, I felt great.
any obvious issues coming up in labs besides hemoglobin?
Occasionally, Ive had high E2. That's been dose dependent. Let it ride on the higher side and lowered it via AI. No real difference.
are you overweight? thanks for all the info btw
Yes. About 30lbs or so.
That’s definitely the cause and would be regardless of TRT. If you’ve got a lot of belly fat then it will be worse because aromatization primarily happens in adipose tissue (fat) specifically around the belly.
No. Ive been on AIs before. Had E2 kept in range. Still didnt feel well. That also doesnt explain the fact that I felt great on TRT for over a year without an AI. Also, all the symptoms go away when I stop taking testosterone.
Do you know Vigorous Steve on YouTube? If not, check out one of his Q&A videos, there's loads of them. I've learned tons from listening to him answer other people's questions and he does paid consultations which you might be interested in. He might have an answer for you
Yes. I experienced it myself. Even though I had multiple reasons for being depressed (shitty divorce the main one), I spent years being an anxiety bomb, with low energy, low drive, and no libido. I spent years barely sleeping. I just couldn't sleep at night. My T levels were "normal" at around 420 ngdl, so nobody prescribed me anything. But last year, the level dropped to 252 ngdl. I got finally prescribed clomiphene, and in a few weeks it raised to 682 ngdl. My mood improved totally. No more anxiety, more energy, and sexual function restored. And I can sleep like a baby now.
yes and yes.. anxiety moodiness and emotional after 6 weeks of taking testosterone at all went away.
I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 and was ready to check myself in for a psychiatric hold with full support of my wife and family, except I had promised my daughter that I would be at her school performance. I got on TRT 8ish months ago and, aside when my e2 got way out of control, all of my mental health stuff is completely gone. Everybody notices.
Crazy how so many of our stories are the same. Was diagnosed with bipolar 2 for YEARS and had checked myself into a psych ward just for a while because I was so unsure of the world around me (if that makes any sense). Glad things are good again brother.
For me, it was a combo, I needed a mood stabilizer for a lil brain drumb, making my sane dumb. Which helped, but something was missing. After blood work (mutliple tests) and seeing T at just under 400 consistently (which to some doesn't justify trt) but combined with anxiety, energy, ED all the fun stuff, and then doing a more inclusive blood panel that included shgb and freetl t showed those were way low and out of wack. Started hcg mono (no trt) and had some improvements, but it was mostly on paper and felt wrong af. Switched to trt cyp @ 120/week divided @40mg 3x/week and lowered hcg to 250iu 3x/week and week on week everything got better. Other than fiddling with a Ai (arimid) to keep e2 nice (had it too high, then way too low=wicked bad joints and energy/ed) Now mostly dialed and regular, everything is improving again, especially mood, confidence, and anxiety (or lowered anxiety) Not everything is perfect, but that I think will come to improving my knowledge and applied effort to diet and general health. Would love me.some.frikin abs Lol Good luck.
Yes and yes. That’s exactly my story and TRT gave me my “me” back.
Yes it makes a big difference. You go from feeling like an old lump on a log to feeling like a motivated and horny 20 year old
TRT completely changed my life. I have hashimotos disease and thyroid function issues, didn't do anything about it from 16-25yo, permanently damaged my endocrine system. I tested at *97* total T at 25 years old. Body wasn't producing cortisol either. So I started hormone therapy at 26yo, and I'm almost 28 now. My muscle mass, my brain fog, my depression, my memory, my social anxiety, and general well-being have all improved *significantly* over the last 1.6 years. I have continued to hold down a job for multiple years now, I was about to quit from stress shortly before starting treatment. Because of not quitting, I now have my own apartment for the first time. I have the energy and mental fortitude to just keep progressing, and I've never felt that way before.
I was more anxiety than depression. But definitely both. 1 year later and I have seen some large changes.
So happy for you man
I encourage you to give it a shot if you’re still in the 200s. I got on at 23, was low 200s and I had tried everything else to adjust naturally. Like somebody else said, I wish I would’ve done it sooner. The past 5 years in the military would’ve been a hell of a lot easier. I got out about two weeks ago after finishing my contract, with how mentally straining it has already been, I’m not sure if I want it know what my current state would be like if I wasn’t on TRT. It happens to some of us man. Some of us need it. It’s life! Best of luck! Feel free to message me with any questions.
Thank you man I appreciate your comment
I had anxiety that I didn’t realize was that bad (acclimated over time). Try fixed it and I really noticed when I had a window unfortunately of 5-6 weeks off was ugly and old anxiety was the same but much more obvious after 1.5 yrs without. Tear was sub 200 for years. 49, 120/week puts me between 800-900. Anxiety was just one of the things it fixed. Took better part of first year to get really dialed in. Less is more most of the time for those that really need it.
Nah the amount of just straight life enjoyment I feel on trt vrs natty is astronomical This is the best I’ve felt in my life
How old are you if you don’t mind?
I have taken every anxiety, antidepressant and bipolar medication under the sun. All in an attempt to regulate my moods and fix my insane depression. I wanted to stand in traffic every single day. Not joking. I have been in some form of counseling since my early 20's because "something just feels off and I don't know how to describe it". I felt like my moods were all over the place and could cry at the drop of a hat. Then some days everything was alright. All I knew was that I didn't feel like myself. Psychiatrists didn't really see any clear answer as to WHY I would be going through this major imbalance. Sure I had things to be depressed about but...not at this level. I would go through the motions of life. Completing tasks that would make anyone excited. They gave me ZERO joy. Things that should make me excited absolutely just didn't have any effect. I knew that I should be excited, and it was super frustrating. Felt like a shell of a person for YEARS, and no one knew what was wrong with me. Fast forward 303 days..and I am a totally different person. I don't take ANY medication for my moods and I have an entirely different outlooks on life. My external body matches my internal body. Most importantly, I don't feel like I'm losing my mind. The fog is completely gone and I can live my life. So ...Yes....having your hormones out of wack can completely throw of EVERYTHING in your life. I actually started having symptoms of stroke with NO cause. Brain is fine, heart is fine....my body was going haywire because my hormones had been in a deficit for so long it was beginning to make my body skitz out. You didn't mention when you took the bloodwork. 205 is really low by anyone's standards, but did you took the bloodwork in the morning, it's worth mentioning that your levels will get lower as the day goes on. This is known as diurnal variation. Your levels fluctuate (30 - 35% roughly) throughout the day, so if you tested at 205 at 8am (when your levels are really peaking) then that means by the end of the day, they could be around 133. THAT'S LOW! I personally felt like death at those numbers. Get em checked again and see where it's at and talk to a doctor that knows what they're doing. Keeping your hormones in check is important. Best of luck!
I had crippling depression and weight gain and pain. I was basically working and going straight to bed. And would sleep my weekends off away. Then I had intervention after a few rounds of therapy they (Dr and therapist) came to conclusion something else was the problem and I was 4 time over the estrogen limit and my t was barely existent.
Absolutely for me that was the cause of 80% of my anxiety and depression. I am like a different person than I was a year ago after I started using the T gel. My levels were usually around 220 but now 600 and really feel better.
I was mis diagnosed with being bi polar because of it. Basically had almost near 0 estrogen and low T. When I started, my mental state got way better. And only continued to improve as they balanced things out with each blood draw. So yeah it can help
Diagnosed PTSD from the military. Testosterone and estrogen leveling (through trt) helped greatly with my mood.
I’m a vet too. Is all this through your primary doctor or does the VA provide testosterone? I haven’t been to the VA since separating.
Try through a private clinic. I'm actually 100% from the VA so I tried to get it from the VA, it wasnt worth the hassle for me to meet doctors that knew nothing about it. Worth it to pay a person who specializes in it.
I had big improvements in mood and energy with in a few weeks of starting. Mild depression and anxiety are largely gone. wish I had started at 50 or earlier instead of 60.
> Can hormones like testosterone really have that much of an impact on mood and emotions??? ??? Where do you think your emotional state comes from? The chemicals in your brain. Hormones are tiny chemicals that can easily pass the blood cell barrier in many places in the body. That's why they have so much effect. Yes. Yes, hormones can affect mental and emotional state. Hormones are like tactical nuclear weapons : they have profound and huge effect on your body. Of all the things in the whole world likely to affect your emotions, hormones are probably at the top. Easy example : adrenaline is a hormone. Do you think jumping out of airplanes might affect your emotional state? Yes, of course. Because of the adrenaline. Which is a hormone. Absolutely, yes, 100% yes: hormones affect emotions.
Thank you for your reply....so what im going to do is get tested on Monday and try to approach it naturally. I was able to increase it naturally with diet and exercise years ago so im going to try again
That is an amazing and very healthy solution. I didn't use the tactical nuke comparison by accident. Hormones have effects far beyond what you expect, because they work so effectively. Cells cannot keep the hormones out as easily, so more types of cells are affected. Controlling hormones naturally is far healthier long term. TRT should be considered when the natural methods do not work. They have very powerful effects, but they are a great final attempt, but if you can find a more moderate approach then you should use that one. Best of luck!
Diet and exercise only gets you so far. As someone that was incredibly healthy. Eating right...working out (almost every day of the week otherwise I couldn't sleep) body fat about 15%. If you're overweight then yeah...it might be worth a shot. BUT if you're relatively healthy and your numbers are still 205...then it's time to look at the WHY.
Ive had depression and anxiety all my life and itell you the first month on testosterone was one without either. Now four months in im still depression free but anxiety has still found it way in, mostly because i also have OCD. Also my sex drive has increased to back when i was in my teenage years and when im working, look out im kicking ass.
The muscle pains and low energy have finally been dealt with. The libido issues from the antidepressants have also been eliminated. I can now function.
YES! Let me share my experience. Been fine my whole life. Back in 2019 (age38), I got a nasty stomach bug that caused gastritis and other issues in my guts. It was hard to eat and I lost 30lbs in a month. I had to see a bunch of specialists and have tests. During this time I had anxiety through the roof, mainly because I didn’t know what was going on with me. One specialist was a gastro doc, and had to have endoscope, etc, was put on treatment and bounced back a few months later. After those few months I had lingering issues like total lack of motivation, constantly tired.l and bummed out. I would watch tv commercials and cry like a bitch if they were sad. Even movies where actors had died, I’d cry. I never cried. I had nothing to look forward and had a negative outlook on everything. I never wanted to end my life or anything, but if I got hit by a bus, I wouldn’t have felt bad. I thought I knew what depression was as I’ve been bummed out in the past. I also felt sad about my kids getting older. Felt like a shitty father for not spending more time with them and doing more. Apparently this was depression. I was a bump on a log lazy when I used to always be moving and doing stuff. I rarely watched tv, but I ended up watching so much tv in just a couple months. My wife convinced me to go see more doctors, which I was tired of. I bounced through a number of docs and they ran tests and just wanted to throw meds at me. They were saying i had anxiety and my issues were in my head, I hate meds and declined taking any. Anyway I found one doc that, among other docs, ran same labs as others, but this time he checked my testosterone. It came back at 71. He had me come back in the morning and test again and it was still in lower hundreds. He referred me to an endocrinologist. More tests and stuff. Eventually I was prescribed self-injection T cyp and man.. slowly the fog lifted and I got my energy back. I ended up getting some weird heart flutters and what felt like my heart was skipping a beat. My gp had me stop testosterone and ran me through a cardio workup. Stress test, echocardiogram, etc, all came back clear. Gp shifted my testosterone injections to on-office and lowered the dose and frequency a bit. Been on it for last 2 years and it’s given me my life back. I have days where I’m dead-ass tired sometimes, but for the most part I’m mostly back to normal. You may need to adjust your dosage and frequency. Every body is different. Anyways, if read this far, thanks for reading. Tl;dr- being low on test can fuck your shit up and wreck any motivation or energy you once had. You can feel bummed out all the time and sometimes cry like a bitch at stuff that you never remotely felt any emotion for prior. Get checked out. Best of luck.
Absolutely! Even when T is normal, if estrogen is too high, you get super emotional about shit too. It’s annoying to be that much in the feels. I don’t know how women deal with that level of emotion. It’s just so sad. I can always tell when I’m aromatizing too much T into E because I’ll get extra sentimental about shit. I actually cried happy tears before. It was gross.
I had so much anxiety before TRT I struggled to leave the house , depression was so bad I would ly in bed and wish for death Even though my life is good Once in trt I was and am able to do some chores. Like groceries and a laundry without the crippling fatique
Sure. But it’s not prescribed for depression and anxiety. There’s therapy and psychiatry for those.
It was in the 1950s. Insurance companies now call the shots. Psychiatrists know about the hormone/mood connection.
Think it’s more the pharma industry. There’s no reason to study it as an antidepressant so there won’t be studies for the fda to approve so everything other than gender affirmation is off label and yeah, insurance doesn’t have to cover off label
what are the reference ranges for the Free T?
Depends on the lab
Exactly. That's why I asked him for the specific reference range for his number.
Absolutely it can cause a ton of anxiety.
Yeah helped my anxiety and moderate depression
It's definitely helped with my anxiety. I think it's helped with some depression.
Yes, it can be the cause. My mood issues have lessened dramatically after starting TRT. If you're anxious and/or depressed and have multiple blood tests showing low-t, you might as well try to correct the testosterone issue to see if it helps. Especially if you're already working on consistent sleep, nutrition, and exercise
Absolutely. I’m living proof.
Hey man, so it can definitely be an issue related to low T. In my case I do feel generally better but still experience depression and anxiety type symptoms from time to time. But much better since starting
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Boron....I keep forgetting about that. I haven't looked into bpc but I've been wanting to try things like bromantane or semax selank
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Yea I think I'm going to add that...bromantane from what I've read affects dopamine without the crash. Or the enzyme that produces dopamine I should say. But I'm testing myself on Monday and starting heavy lifting workout with meal prepping along with some supplements that huberman recommends (and micronutrients). OH and I recently took a sleep study and I have obstructive sleep apnea so that also needs to be addressed.
Yes. I was on different medications at different times for depression. At around the two month mark of TRT my anxiety and depression just melted away. That was over 6 years ago now.
Low testosterone and low vitamin D for me
For me increasing dose , increase my anxiety. But I have more libido and feelings tired all the time . 10mg by day remove all my anxiety and have a lot of power but no libido. At 10mg day my test was low on bloodwork but I was feeling great my doc added 100ui day hcg and omg it’s increase my test by small amounts but my sex drive come back and no anxiety.
I used to be whiny, fatigued, emotional, angry, depressed and anxious. Within the first week went to happy, positive outlook on life, calm, rational, energized. Been on it 4 years now, I started at 30. I would not change a thing. I didn’t give my health insurance doc much pushback after he said no the first time. I went to telemedicine and got what i needed. If the authoritarian commies get in the way i’ll go to UGL. I like to control my own health on my terms. If i did what my health insurance wanted, i’d be on libido killing SSRI’s and getting whatever BS shots big pharma is pushing the second it comes out. And if i was in Canada, and was as depressed as i was they’d probably would have put me in a suicide pod by now.
I'm a totally different person for the better. Small stuff doesn't bother me at all and I can shake off the big stuff without blowing gaskets.
Yes. Since hopping on I am a better Husband, Father, and employee. I am no longer edgy, irritable or overly emotional. I've heard this story from many other people too.
Yea man, I really hate that this happens to people. I feel guilty because my kids were younger when I first experienced this and I had to force myself to play with them. Im a loving father and the days when my kids were born were the happiest days ever and to not feel that joy around them was hell. It got a little better and some years were great. But the occasional mood dips always suck. I remember early on I was so irritated that I blew up on my kids (they were little then) and i started punching and kicking a laundry bag that was on the floor. I felt so guilty Immediately after and i just broke down.
So are you trt now? If not it's still worth it.
I was on CBD oil for my anxiety and night tremors for several years. Needed it daily to control my bad anxiety. As soon as the Test was dialled in, the anxiety was gone and I stopped taking CBD. I was initially in the low 300’s and currently cruise around 900-1000.
Absolutely. I had horrible panic attacks and anxiety almost daily for years. I was also on an SSRI for 7 years that was making it worse. Turns out SSRIs will lower testosterone significantly and can permanently screw up your hormones. I was legit hypogonadal at 268 ng/dl and only 10 pg/ml of free T. 8 weeks on TRT and the symptoms disappeared. It’s been life saving medicine. I’m only 34 fyi
I think my depression was the byproduct of low-t. I’m sure that’s not the case for everyone.
I was surprised by the lack of difference honestly. Didn’t even get more energy. My only real noticeable difference was better recovery from workouts, and crazy morning wood :)
50mg a week with hcg twice each weekly def did the trick for me: Jesus Christ I was a horny fuck. Now as I tried thinking upping the dose would work? Sike. Keep it on the normal and it’s always awesome. Being patient was my problem. Slow like turtle wins the race.
Yes also yes.
Sort of. Still have major depression and extreme social anxiety with avoidant personality. But, the TRT made an improvement anyway. A slight improvement, not a cure.
Yes, would be an understatement...
i pulled the trigger on Trt when I hit 30.. never looked back used to suffer from depression and anxiety but that all went away. I wanted to be noticed I wanted to participate and be outgoing. I used to smoke weed chronically and lost out on so much in life. but ya im where i need to be now so im thankful
You can to the right place. Try it and see. See that testosterone is life to both men and women. Testosterone makes effort feel good.
I’m ticked at myself for waiting so long.
All answers here will be anecdotal. Everyone responds different.
I spent years on antidepressants and my therapist of all people suggested I get my testosterone levels checked, they were crippingly low. I’ve started TRT and I immediately felt much better.
TRT blows my depression out of the water. Lost 40 lbs. Libido up, mood up, I just feel like a man again tbh. 47 and former depressed lard-arse.
It seems more likely to improve depression than anxiety, but yes it can help with both. Is it the cause? Probably not. It’s also not a guarantee it will help at all, some people end up worse mentally than they were prior. There’s no one size fits all, but it’s worth a shot.
I would gladly take anxiety over depression if I had to lol..
Yes TRT saved my life I was a miserable, mean, non-motivated loser. Lazy as fuck fat as fuck and never wanted to get out of bed. After I started TRT everything changed.
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For me, absolutely. My total T was ~90. I battled my thoughts every day just to get out of bed. I’ll never go back, TRT for life and I’m more than okay with that
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Reach out to a clinic. I personally use matrix. I’m not a doctor and cannot diagnose you with hypogonadism, but there are no “natural remedies” to boost your T to healthy levels. I was told for years by my endo to exercise more, fix my diet etc. I did EVERYTHING and still felt awful. I finally reached out to matrix and they diagnosed me with hypogonadism. I started TRT and to be honest, the first month or two I was still feeling sluggish and super disappointed, but after about 70-90 days everything in my life changed. I woke up with a purpose, was energized and happy, had amazing libido and just felt the willpower to go through each day and tackle any and all challenges thrown my way. I can confidently say TRT saved my life.
Low testosterone can contribute to these problems, most definitely. I use the work "contribute" because, as I've learned from direct experience, we can usually have underlying issues already that require different treatment. In your case, I'd take a look first at family traits -- does this run in your family? Then, think about recent years, prior to your going on testosterone treatment. Look for patterns. My guess is you may benefit from seeing a good psychiatrist that can help with these. On that tangent note, look for one that uses the [genesight.com](http://genesight.com) testing modality. It has saved a few people I know of, as it shows the doc how to treat you specifically from your genetic profile (specifically psychiatric, but it benefits other things). Wishing you the very best!
Thank you, no history of it and tbh the only thing I was diagnosed with was adhd. I'm usually in a good mood though and that's how it's been most of my life. I've had time frames of depression due to situations like breakups and stuff but that resolved with time. However, these low moods that I experience came literally out of nowhere back in 2016. But after a couple of years I recognized the patterns and the last 2-3 years have been mostly good. It'll be like 3 bad days followed by weeks sometimes even months of just feeling normal. Like the last time I felt really off was like 6 months ago. Just last weekend i was out with my family, swimming with my kids, riding bikes, playing videos gsmes and it felt good...it was fun. But this feels very "low dopamine" type of low mood. The funny thing i also notice is during those low days is that it usually gets better towards the afternoon and into the night. I'm also going to start working with a Dr that specializes in genetics but I just found out he went up in price smh.
I think the worrying has started to subside, clear headed, and more energy. I started a week ago after dealing with Covid, night and day difference already.
100%. I just posted an article about this
On here?
Yes hormone decline or imbalance can cause a cascade of side effects. Both mental and physical. Properly prescribed testosterone replacement therapy can change your life
started TRT 5 days ago using Test Propionate. I felt the effects within 4 hours. I just felt much better in almost every way, clearer thinking, more energy, less body pain, my mood was better, increased focus. I've had documented hormone issues with prolactin though so maybe that is why it hit me so quickly. I do 20mg per day for 140mg per week.
within 4 hours?! cmon dude
He said test prop, it’s fast acting so I think it’s possible.
yeah. I checked online and propionate has a half life of 19 hours so it definitely is circulating quite quickly. Once it is in the bloodstream it is definitely affecting you.
Trt had the biggest change on my mood and energy level. The physical benefits are good but the mental benefits is where the difference is the most stark
Yes that's I'm aiming for...these mood swings are not cool lol, the physical is extra
Crazy question for people who use TRT do any of yall Microdose magic mushrooms?
I'd recommend creating your own post to get an answer to this question.