Stopping HRT

[Nuclear]

First off, hello board.. I'm new here but I'll get right to it.

How many of you have ever gone off HRT for any length of time? I stopped taking my weekly injection the beginning of December. I need a break from it for personal reasons, probably until Jan. 2004. I'm wondering if other people have done this, and what people have done for the concomitant problems associated with low test levels- sleepiness, fat gain, and lack of motivation in the gym to name the major ones. I'm experiencing all these. I haven't lost much strength (yet) but I get so friggin sore now doing the same routines- obviously my recuperative abilities are much lower than while on HRT so the amount of training I can handle has diminished. I'm hoping someone has a suggestion for me to counter this.

I'm sure that there are people around who have had problems recovering from cycles, too, so please chime in.

[Gator]

HRT is ?????????????????

Gator

[Minotaur]

Originally posted by Gator
HRT is ?????????????????

Gator

Hormone Replacement Therapy.

Originally posted by Nuclear
First off, hello board.. I'm new here but I'll get right to it.

How many of you have ever gone off HRT for any length of time? I stopped taking my weekly injection the beginning of December. I need a break from it for personal reasons, probably until Jan. 2004.

Hello.

Not trying to be nosy, but are you referring to coming off an anabolic steroid cycle, or therapeutic hormone replacement?

If it's a steroid cycle, you'll probably get more responses in the anabolics forum. Not that anyone here hasn't used, I'm sure.

If it's a therapeutic replacement, why in Heaven's name would anyone want to go back to feeling the way they were before hormone replacement? You'd have to pry my testosterone, thyroid and GH replacements out of my cold dead hands.

[Gator]

Ahhhhh, if yer comin off a cycle bro, u need to be poppin some Clomid.
If yer that worried, get to yer Doc and have him run some tests and see where yer test levels are, u can never be too sure until the levels are back to where they need to be..
Is that what yer lookin for ??

Gator

[Nuclear]

Yes I'm talking about HRT and not a cycle.

I actually did perform an extended post-cycle regimen when I came off HRT just to make sure I could get my initial (low) levels back. I have a lab report sitting in front of me, drawn on Monday, showing I'm back where I was 3 years ago before I started HRT. My endocrinologist is in on this.

Coming off has been a very difficult decision, and like I said it's a personal decision that I'm going to make work. I'm just not sure how to make it easier.

[Gator]

So from what Im hearing, it sounds like a big mental battle eh ???
Just dig down deep my man, think about what u want and youll get there in time..
Good times lay ahead..


Gator

Originally posted by Nuclear
Yes I'm talking about HRT and not a cycle.

I actually did perform an extended post-cycle regimen when I came off HRT just to make sure I could get my initial (low) levels back. I have a lab report sitting in front of me, drawn on Monday, showing I'm back where I was 3 years ago before I started HRT. My endocrinologist is in on this.

Coming off has been a very difficult decision, and like I said it's a personal decision that I'm going to make work. I'm just not sure how to make it easier. :)

[Minotaur]

Originally posted by Nuclear
I have a lab report sitting in front of me, drawn on Monday, showing I'm back where I was 3 years ago before I started HRT. My endocrinologist is in on this.

B-b-b-but of course your lab reports will show that you are not 'normal', if I am understanding all this correctly. My lab report shows I have the testosterone of a teenager (at 45 y/o)... my urologist even said I should be playing pro sports! If I stopped my testosterone replacement, I would go back to feeling the way I did before I started TRT... crappy!

Replacement is because the body does not produce the hormones. When you stop replacement, your levels of hormones plummet. That is unless the source problem has been corrected.

Well, I'm not judging or trying to be difficult, but maybe I've missed something in why a person who was feeling good on hormone replacement is going to go off replacement, and probably back to feeling the was he way before.

[patmel]

Originally posted by Nuclear
First off, hello board.. I'm new here but I'll get right to it.

How many of you have ever gone off HRT for any length of time? I stopped taking my weekly injection the beginning of December. I need a break from it for personal reasons, probably until Jan. 2004. I'm wondering if other people have done this, and what people have done for the concomitant problems associated with low test levels- sleepiness, fat gain, and lack of motivation in the gym to name the major ones. I'm experiencing all these. I haven't lost much strength (yet) but I get so friggin sore now doing the same routines- obviously my recuperative abilities are much lower than while on HRT so the amount of training I can handle has diminished. I'm hoping someone has a suggestion for me to counter this.

I'm sure that there are people around who have had problems recovering from cycles, too, so please chime in.

Nuclear,

I may be starting HRT soon, so I was wondering if you could answer a couple questions for me:

First, why would you stop?
Did you notice a big difference in lean body mass after starting?
Was there a noticeable reduction in bodyfat soon after starting?
Would you recommend injections over the gel?

Thanks for the feedback. I'm trying to learn as much as possible about this.

[plow-horse]

I have been on HRT a little while now and would hate to go off as well. But you must have your reasons so cut your workout time no more than 45 min. Take more time off between workouts you need to recover. Eat and sleep as good as you can and maybe try so OTC stuff ZMA, Tribex and so on. Let us know how it goes this will be good info for a few of us.

[ctgblue]

You are going to have to complketely refigure your maintenance calorie levels.
While on HRT, your metabolism is considerably higher than when test levels are low
Not sure why you would go off, but figure about 20% down in caloric intake.
HOWEVER, you must keep protein intake high as when test levles drop, your body more readily catabolizes muscle for fuel
You will need to basically go on a "maintenance workout" routine. Just trying to not lose muscle. Trying to build with sub normal levels is frustrating AND extremely difficult.
Watch your carb and fat intake and coordinate them better around activity so the calories get burned and not stored.
Weights will HAVE to be lower and workouts shorter. This is the choice you have made.
When you lift heavy and your body doesn't repair in the normal (72hour) time frame, your body will eat the free floating proteins and the muscle will not fully repair itself. IE it is like an extended OVERTRAINING cycle. So you need to be very careful. Remember what happens in overtraining, you lose muscle. So just try to maintain it, don't try to build much until you get the swing of oit.
I've been on and off for over 2.5 yrs. I would never go OFF. My body will not grow.
Good luck

[Nuclear]

Thanks so much for the replies, esp. CTGBlue.

Most of you have hit the nail on the head; this is just something that I have to do. It won't last forever, and like I said, I'll go back on- probably next year, maybe sooner.

Patmel said:
>First, why would you stop?
It has nothing to do with any problems associated with doing injections, visiting doctors, getting scripts, or anything else like that. All I can say is that if you really need this- ie it's not because you've done a cycle or two and your test levels are still low because of poor recovery- then it really will help your quality of life.

>Did you notice a big difference in lean body mass after starting?
HELL YEAH. In about a year after I started I had gained ~25lb of lean mass. I did a couple of cycles last year to boot; I gained another 20 lb that I've managed to hang on to for now. I think I'm going to lose most of that though.

>Was there a noticeable reduction in bodyfat soon after starting?
No. This was not a "magic bullet" that made my gut go away. The only thing that does that is (calories in < calories out); it's really that simple. That said, the HRT will allow you to run a hypocaloric diet without losing a lot of muscle; I still had to be careful and drop bf slowly. Before starting HRT I was ~25% bf; I got that down to ~15% on HRT alone. It can be done, but it's not easy. (If it were then obesity wouldn't be a problem in the US!)

>Would you recommend injections over the gel? Yes. The gel sucked, it was a pain. Supposedly it gives you a better regulation over levels but 200-300 mg/wk of test. cyp works better for me.