PCT after 15 years log

[elit3keraed]

First things first, shoutout to Wes for helping me with some of this and helping keep my head on straight over the last few weeks. Dude deserves the Nobel prize. And if you haven’t had the pleasure of using his shop, I recommend you do because it’s always first class service!


Anyways onto the boring shit.

So in case anyone missed my other threads. I decided to come off TRT after 15 years. I will probably break this intro up into a few posts.

Short history. Been on TRT from 21-35. Did some blasting during that time (back when I was super active). Had a few near death experiences over the years (sepsis 2 times and hypokalemia episode in January)

About 18 months ago I had a proximal hamstring tear. Took forever for surgery and currently at a 25% permanent disability due to nerve damage caused by it.

Needless to say I got fat as fuck waiting for the surgery then not being able to do much for 6 months (hence the stupid hypokalemia incident due to severely hard crash dieting).


GOALS:

1. Knock up my lady
2. See if I can stay off TRT for a few years.
3. Focus on improving my quality of life.

The last 2 goals seem counter productive (cuz trt SHOULD improve my life) but I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for over a decade. Tons of food issues and just overall not enjoying anything. My HCT was always up around 54 (recently jumped to 56 but I had been wrecking legs prior to the blood test so I donated some blood to be safe but figure it’s the dehydration from training fucking with it).

I have honestly felt so good OFF test. The first week I felt like shit (which I usually did) Then progressively got better after I missed the first shot. The last week has been some anxiety, libido decrease (still can perform just no drive to initiate) and a headache (jumps from tension to why I’m assuming is a low estrogen headache around the temples) I’m currently just past week 4 (31 days since last pin)


My cycle is as follows

(HCG was run during my last 12 weeks cycle at 500ius MWF and continued on after my last pin which I will call “week 1”)

WEEK 1:
HCG: 500iu MWF

WEEK 2:
HCG: 500iu MWF
Enclomiphene: 12.5mg ED
Speman: 2 tabs ED

WEEK 3-4:
HCG: 500iu MWF
Enclomiphene: 12.5mg ED
Speman: 2 tabs ED
HMG: 25iu MWF

WEEK 5-12:
HCG 500iu MWF
Enclomiphene: 12.5mg ED
Speman: 2 tabs ED
HMG: 25iu MWF

Pulled bloods yesterday. Well aware it isn’t going to look good and just wanted to see where I was.

Again this is just shy of 4 weeks since my last shot of a 500mg test c cycle.

TT: 48
Free T: 1.2
SHBG: 18
Estradiol: <10
LH: <1
FSH: 1

The estradiol makes sense as I have had a minor headache as well as anxiety the last like week or so. From all the steroid plotter apps I’ve used, it should be another 2 weeks or so (35-40 days) before the test C is cleared entirely or at least enough for my testicles to start producing on their own and my HPTA to start signaling.

I could have waited to start the enclo because the test c is still circulating somewhat but primary goal is fertility as I stated before so I wasn’t going to wait another 3-4 weeks to start it.


Next post I’ll put my current stats and things I’ve noticed thus far.

 

[elit3keraed]

Update 10/21/25:


Libido is gone. I can masturbate and even have sex and have no issues climaxing. Just not interested.

Strength in the gym: Still solid maintaining weight and reps. Have cut back a little in regards to frequency just becuase I was doing PPL off non stop for the last 8 months and now I do PPOffLegsOff

Appetite: Seems to be stalling, notice some nausea sometimes but that’s more from forcing myself to eat at times despite not being hungry. Caloric intake is 2700calories with 250g protein and 80g of fat. Rest is carbs. Oddly my IBS symptoms seem to have resolved since discontinuing test.

Mental state: some minor anxiety but I think most of it is cleared as I had a lot of stressors the last week. All getting the bloods back showing such low estradiol helps explain the random onset of anxiety as well.

Mood: Neutral. I feel just sort of flat. Not exceptionally euphoric but I still have moments of feeling happy and shit.

Sleep: I sleep well, waking up once or twice a night to pee but I am getting a good 8-9 hours most nights. Don’t feel overly lethargic when I wake up anymore. Also I don’t snore when I sleep according to my gf

Significant changes:

I have noticed and dramatic increase in load size over the last two weeks as well as my balls being larger and hanging more. Usually were atrophied and high and tight. Now they’re sagging like they ain’t got a care in the world lol. Gf has notice and it’s kind of a boost to my overall self esteem.

 

[elit3keraed]

Significant changes:

I have noticed and dramatic increase in load size over the last two weeks as well as my balls being larger and hanging more. Usually were atrophied and high and tight. Now they’re sagging like they ain’t got a care in the world lol. Gf has notice and it’s kind of a boost to my overall self esteem.

Meant to also add that the fact that my balls seem to no longer be so atrophied and are actually hanging is a positive sign towards them being resenitized after so long. I’ll take any wins I can find for now.

Hoping it’ll be just another week or two before my body is able to start trying to produce its own test.

 

[dustined83]

Definitely interested in this. I tried for about 2 months some yrs ago. Got the lady pregnant but jumped back on after 2 months because I couldn't get natural test working. Looking back i definitely could've used more time. Good luck to you and I'll be watching

 

[Durro NoHurtNoBigShirt]

Good luck bro! Very detailed informative thx for sharing your experience.

 

[Glycomann]

I would get blood done at weeks 8, 12 and 16. Pulling back the PCT drugs will be tough. you will have a lag before HPTA kicks in if it can on it's own. Why were you on TRT? If you were hypo chances are you will get back to that point and that's it.

 

[Rot-Iron66]

I went off TRT for 6 months last year... (I'm a lot older than you, 59 now).
Test crashed hard to like 78 total test, but honestly I felt fine. Libido took a minor hit, as did "tightness/condition".
Needless to say I went back on (10mg a day (70mg total a week) and I feel good. TT around 600.
I am going off next week for a month, only to get another baseline for my bloods. mainly HCT and PSA.
(Also life insurance reasons, I want nothing interfering or questioned).

They (of course) trend up when on TRT, so I want to know what my numbers are when off exogenous Test.
(And to get the bloods for new insurance).
I dont expect to lose much of anything, and the numbers should be in range even though some test might still be circulating.
Just something I feel like doing... Every couple of years I'd like to know where I stand w/ bloods, with zero compounds in the mix.
At one point when a bit older, I wont really care about that.

 

[elit3keraed]

I would get blood done at weeks 8, 12 and 16. Pulling back the PCT drugs will be tough. you will have a lag before HPTA kicks in if it can on it's own. Why were you on TRT? If you were hypo chances are you will get back to that point and that's it.

So I was originally secondary hypo. Test was at like 100 and something when I was 21. Clomid raised my numbers but the sides were awful.

Androgel brought me to 500 and brought my estrogen to 250. Endo said my weight gain (40lbs in a month) was Cushing’s syndrome (tested and it wasn’t) and my lack of libido was “clearly due to childhood abuse” (it definitely wasn’t).

 

[elit3keraed]

I’m gonna be honest fellas these last few days have been absolute shit.

I donated blood the day I posted this thread. My HCT and HGB were higher than usual (normally 54 HCT on 500mg of test but I tested at 56 almost 2 weeks ago but I think it was due to training before hand).

Went to the doctors the next morning to follow up on my bloodwork (was going to try to leverage my results into seeing someone who could help me with PCT on an “official” level in case I have to go back on. That way I can get TRT via insurance).

Dropped close to 5lbs in the last week. 186 at the docs which means close to 183 at home in the nude. So a total laps of 13lbs so far.

My appetite is toast. I get nauseous just drinking water an forget about even eating maintenance.

Headache has gotten worse. Constant pressure around my ears.

Getting up to piss 4 times a night like clockwork. Every 2 hours. Waking up with cotton mouth. Been using a humidifier to help (my house can be dry) but it’s not.

I am also WIDE awake whenever I wake up to piss. No groggy miss the toilet type wake up. Straight up laser focused like a Marine Corps DI just barged into my room screaming.

Libido is gone. Dick seems smaller. Balls are still full which is nice I guess. It’s more for show than anything. Gf is understanding but obviously disappointed. Luckily I was able to fuck my lady right around her ovulation date so maybe we lucked out cuz I was shooting some huge loads at the time lol.

RHR is up over 20bpm. Blood pressure is up a bit. 120/63 previous to 127/76 current.

Have lost all motivation to train. I HAVE however managed to muster enough to do some bodyweight stuff. Pushups with eldest stepdaughter on my back and even some pull ups with her hanging on my back as well (so an added 60lbs or so). But the thought of even getting out of bed is enough to make me anxious.



Mental health is holding sort of? There was a 3 week window after my last test shot where I was damn near euphoric. Sleep was phenomenal, sex was the best it’s been in years, motivation was sky high and my vitals all improved tremendously (RHR and BP dropped quite a bit). Week 4 was more mellow with my winding up at the ER due to what wound up being a panic attack. Week 5 has been this… my girlfriend actually commented that I hadn’t made any morbid jokes about not waking up or getting run over by a car over the last few weeks. The last day or so I’ve found myself just wishing I wouldn’t wake up and would sleep for months on end. I’m not at risk of harming myself because I know where my line is drawn as far as thinking bad thoughts versus acting on them. But it is strange to look back and realize that I went from regularly having depressive episodes to having none to sudden suddenly having morbid thoughts again.

I’ll be honest with you fellas, cause I’ve been a member here for quite a while and I’ve seen a lot of shit go down. I don’t know if I can handle feeling this way for more than a few weeks. As much as I was optimistic starting this log because I had already been close to four weeks in without any issues, I may have to abort this and just run hCG and HMG alongside my TRT and keep my fingers crossed that my lady gets pregnant.

I got hit by a drunk driver about 10 years ago suffered second-degree burns on about 10% of my body, a traumatic brain injury that forced me to relearn how to track objects with my eyes rather than turning my whole body, and fucked my hip up so bad that I had to relearn how to walk. I managed to do all this while stuck in a very abusive marriage with a woman who blasted an entire bottle of Test/Tren/Mast a week for the 4 years we were together… I know I can push myself through some really fucked up shit where most people would put a bullet in their brain or just roll over and let life shit on….

With that said, I have two beautiful stepdaughters that call me dad. And as much as I want children of my own and know that coming off entirely can be more beneficial for my chances of kids (enclo, hcg and hmg vs hcg and hmg while on trt) i have a responsibility to them to be healthy for them. I will abort this the end of November (just after my 36th birthday) if I am not seeing AT LEAST some symptom improvements by then. It may seem premature (roughly 10 weeks post pin at that point) but I spent this past weekend an absolute mess and I refuse to allow my kids to spend Christmas with a dad who can’t even get through a cartoon with them without feeling like I’m going to have a heart attack from anxiety

 

[Glycomann]

So I was originally secondary hypo. Test was at like 100 and something when I was 21. Clomid raised my numbers but the sides were awful.

Androgel brought me to 500 and brought my estrogen to 250. Endo said my weight gain (40lbs in a month) was Cushing’s syndrome (tested and it wasn’t) and my lack of libido was “clearly due to childhood abuse” (it definitely wasn’t).

If you're secondary hypo it's probably best to go on hCG and hMG or recombination FSH. There are protocols that work. The hCG is not that expensive but the others. the protocol is something like 1500 iu hCG 3x a week and hMG or rFSH 2x a week something like 75 iu. Something like tht will get you where you want to go. It might need multiple blood work to dial in and possibly some ancillary drugs.

 

[elit3keraed]

If you're secondary hypo it's probably best to go on hCG and hMG or recombination FSH. There are protocols that work. The hCG is not that expensive but the others. the protocol is something like 1500 iu hCG 3x a week and hMG or rFSH 2x a week something like 75 iu. Something like tht will get you where you want to go. It might need multiple blood work to dial in and possibly some ancillary drugs.

Yea I’m currently running HMG with HCG right now (alongside the enclo) I’m following some advice of Wes as far as the fertility/recovery side. It ain’t the cheapest but I have a great source for it all (gymntonic is a helluva company).

Fingers crossed the fertility side goes well (and by that I mean my lady is already knocked up)

I know sperm production takes 90 days so if I’m shooting blanks it’s definitely too soon. But if I wasn’t shooting blanks, just the sheer volume increase alone could make the difference. We tried for about 5 months before I made this choice but if I was shooting close to nothing each time it wouldn’t matter.

Between the speman, hcg and enclo I seemed to notice my volume increased from maybe 1/10th of a mL to maybe half a mL if I hold off for a day. And I got maybe 2 “loads” before it was basically nothing at all. After I added the HMG (3 shots of 25iu each) my load size went up to nearly 3mL. I haven’t cum or even thought about jerking off since last Sunday so not sure how it’s still going production wise but maybe the increase in volume did the trick. Although mentally I’m pretty bleh at the moment I’m still trying to be positive