5 ms·

+1 for this warning. My scores are on the low end of average (mid 400s). Not low enough to warrant corrective T therapy (200s), but enough to wonder if the 600-

by RickS 6y ago

+1 for this warning. My scores are on the low end of average (mid 400s). Not low enough to warrant corrective T therapy (200s), but enough to wonder if the 600-700 range might mean a big change in quality of life. I was pretty adamant about giving it a shot, and consulted with an endocrinologist who said the same thing ("it's not low enough to introduce what would become a life sentence of treatment"). After much stubborn research trying to find a legitimate second opinion[1], I finally conceded that he was right. I'm all for biohacking, but the one-way/ratcheting nature of T therapy specifically should make it an endeavor of last resort. [1] I say legitimate because you can effortlessly find someone who will agree that you and everyone needs a T boost, and will write you an Rx on the spot if you have the cash. An it will work. It's not that it's a scam, or particularly deadly. The benefits are just very overplayed compared to their permanence, which is downplayed.

PragmaticPulp 6y ago
> The benefits are just very overplayed compared to their permanence, which is downplayed. The testosterone hype is out of control. The scariest part is that many people are skipping straight to TRT instead of trying to identify underlying causes of low testosterone. For most people, simple lifestyle and diet changes can make a dramatic difference. Many people also overestimate the benefits of increased testosterone. This is doubly challenging because sudden testosterone increases can feel quite good for a short while, but the effects will subside as your body acclimates to the higher levels. When the initial effects wear off, many patients start asking for higher doses or looking to steroid cycles to augment the testosterone. It's also important to note that testosterone isn't an isolated hormone system within your body. TRT will alter a number of related hormones with various effects that aren't well-studied. Exogenous testosterone can't match your body's natural cycles, either. A person might actually feel better with a natural testosterone level of 400-500 (actually totally normal and quite common) than a TRT-driven level of 600-700 due to these effects.
- RickS 6y ago
  > The scariest part is that many people are skipping straight to TRT instead of trying to identify underlying causes of low testosterone. For most people, simple lifestyle and diet changes can make a dramatic difference. Yep. This was an admission I had to make to myself: it's a bit ridiculous to gripe about low T while 50lbs overweight, working a sedentary desk job, and subsisting mostly on beer and snacks. There's a strong argument to be made that my T wouldn't be so low if I had my shit together.
- markus_zhang 6y ago
  But getting a shot is way less tedious than changing life style.
AuryGlenz 6y ago
For you that makes sense, but don’t scare off people that legitimately need it. My biggest regret in life isn’t not buying enough Bitcoin, but not going on testosterone replacement sooner. Without it I basically have no energy, and that’s how I lived out high school and college.
rhinoceraptor 6y ago
I would ask about clomid instead. It's usually prescribed for women, but it works for men too. It's kind of the inverse of TRT, it's one of drugs you can use to get back to baseline after abusing steroids or TRT.

by RickS 6y ago

PragmaticPulp 6y ago

> The benefits are just very overplayed compared to their permanence, which is downplayed. The testosterone hype is out of control. The scariest part is that many people are skipping straight to TRT instead of trying to identify underlying causes of low testosterone. For most people, simple lifestyle and diet changes can make a dramatic difference. Many people also overestimate the benefits of increased testosterone. This is doubly challenging because sudden testosterone increases can feel quite good for a short while, but the effects will subside as your body acclimates to the higher levels. When the initial effects wear off, many patients start asking for higher doses or looking to steroid cycles to augment the testosterone. It's also important to note that testosterone isn't an isolated hormone system within your body. TRT will alter a number of related hormones with various effects that aren't well-studied. Exogenous testosterone can't match your body's natural cycles, either. A person might actually feel better with a natural testosterone level of 400-500 (actually totally normal and quite common) than a TRT-driven level of 600-700 due to these effects.

RickS 6y ago
> The scariest part is that many people are skipping straight to TRT instead of trying to identify underlying causes of low testosterone. For most people, simple lifestyle and diet changes can make a dramatic difference. Yep. This was an admission I had to make to myself: it's a bit ridiculous to gripe about low T while 50lbs overweight, working a sedentary desk job, and subsisting mostly on beer and snacks. There's a strong argument to be made that my T wouldn't be so low if I had my shit together.
markus_zhang 6y ago
But getting a shot is way less tedious than changing life style.

AuryGlenz 6y ago

For you that makes sense, but don’t scare off people that legitimately need it. My biggest regret in life isn’t not buying enough Bitcoin, but not going on testosterone replacement sooner. Without it I basically have no energy, and that’s how I lived out high school and college.

rhinoceraptor 6y ago

I would ask about clomid instead. It's usually prescribed for women, but it works for men too. It's kind of the inverse of TRT, it's one of drugs you can use to get back to baseline after abusing steroids or TRT.