Depression, High Cholesterol and Low T

[PeakT]

yes, thats the main question I wondered about:
spiking of the blood sugar
in my bread vs my parents bread
mine has the ingredients
Organic Sprouted Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Raisins, Organic Sprouted Barley, Organic Sprouted Millet, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Lentils, Organic Sprouted Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Spelt, Fresh Yeast, Organic Wheat Gluten, Sea Salt, Organic Cinnamon.

and theirs is whole wheat as the 1st ingredient

any thoughts?

Well being a health geek, I would measure my blood sugar post-meal after eating wheat to see exactly what it is doing to me.  It'll just a few bucks for the lances and it will pay big dividends potentially.

Now as far as wheat being healthy in general, you might want to read Bubba's post here:

http://escapetheherdblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/roll-of-nickels-experiment.html

Pretty interesting stuff.  (He posted this on the other thread.)

[anonymous11]

 Peak, to answer your questions "what made you finally want to change?" and "What finally got you into the door of the doc?". I was tired of being miserable. I was at the point that I describe as "rock bottom". I had a heavy fog in my head, I was sick of life, I never looked forward to anything and felt like I was worthless. My wife was the key player in me seeking a doctors help. As you know, she was contacting you and gathering information on your website from you and other knowledgable people on the subject. My wife essentially did all my homework. She arranged doctor visits, blood work, and  told me about the various prescriptions out there that she learned about. I was so sick of being miserable that I followed my wife's advice. I thank you Peak to give my wife the tools she needed to set me up for success on my journey to get well. It was not easy. I tried different medicines that did not work and went through trial and error. I finally found what worked for me. My wife is the one who got me into the door at the doctor. After I pursued help, then I took my own initiative with going to the gym. I did not want to only rely on medicine. I wanted to rely on improving my well being by watching what I eat on improving my personnel fitness goals.

I will tell you this Peak, the day my wife told me that you said that she needs to take care of herself and it sounded like I did not want to change is the day that stuck an imprint in my brain. The imprint said that my life is at "rock bottom". I need to make this happen now. I can't let this go any longer. How much worse and longer is this forum that she started going to get? I had enough of it. Thank God that everything went the way it did. If you never communicated with my wife and if my wife did not learn what a bad condition I was in, I might be brain dead today fired from my good job in a unstable mental condition.

Now that I feel the way I do, I feel reborn and value everyday and everything I do. I do not take anything for granted. After going through what I been through, I enjoy the time with my wife, time with my kids, and emotions I never had in my life. I cant believe my whole life was so miserable. In my case, life get better with age...

[PeakT]

Great story!  I am definitely going to file that one away and pass it on to guys showing up at the forum wondering if T and E2 can make a difference!

By the way, I can really relate so much to what you are saying.  Some day I'll relate a few things about that.

One last thing:

You keep and like your testosterone pretty high, so make sure you drop the body fat.  Get those abs back so your E2 is as low as naturally possible and you can push that Arimidex dosage down.  Imo you want to limit pharmaceutical usage as much as possible.  I don't think you've talked about being overweight, but get rid of all visceral fat.  Don't have any studies for this, but then the studies haven't really looked at 30 years of HRT at high levels with Arimidex usage.  You could argue that this could even be better, but I'd play it safe...

[anonymous11]

For the record, I am pretty low on body fat. Hadn't had a test but if I did I would estimate it around 8%. I have minimal body fat but it is there. I would guess that I naturally have higher E2 levels than normal. I will continue to knock down as much body fat as I can and work extra hard on the once in a while junk foods I should avoid. I do not expect to take the Armidex forever. I was hoping like you said back 6 months or so the Armidex will hopefuly naturally stabilize at a low level. Time will tell. Thanks again for the recommendations and feedback. I always listen, soak it in and take it for consideration.

[PeakT]

Noted.  Doesn't sound like you need to lose any weight!

And, yes, some guys are just high converters.  Don't have my arms yet around why yet.  Seems like it can't be all genetic...

[anonymous11]

Peak, do you have any idea when I should choose to stop taking the anti-depressents? My doctor told me they feel I should continue taking it because it is not a very hight dose. What is your recommendation based on what you read in this forum?

[PeakT]

Peak, do you have any idea when I should choose to stop taking the anti-depressents? My doctor told me they feel I should continue taking it because it is not a very hight dose. What is your recommendation based on what you read in this forum?

I'm sorry, but I can't really tell you when to get off/on a pharmaceutical.  If you want to try to do it under your doc's supervision of course, I think the best way is always to slowly cut back on the dose.  Eventually you get to a point where the dose is so small that you realize that it couldn't possibly be doing anything.  But the good thing also about doing this, is that if you start to notice that you don't feel good any more after backing down on the dose a little, you can ramp it back up.

[anonymous11]

True, good point.

[anonymous11]

Another update: I still am feeling AWESOME. I am doing great. I read a couple other forums when I found some spare time with some people taking Armidex on lower doses. I am not a doctor and can't speak for other as I may be a very higher estrogen converter but Armidex at every other day at .5 or .75 made me feel like I was not at my potential. Also, my nipples got sore waiting every other day. For myself, I need .5 to 1 mg daily. I know about bone loss and the effect of too low of estrogen also messing with ED, but on my dose I never felt any bad effect of negative side effects. I am really interested to see what my E2 reading is in February so I can actually respond to some of these forums with actual back-up evidence. If you are strictly talking about libido and ED and sense of well being, I am doing awesome from every aspect with my dosage. I welcome questions but like I said I will have support once I get my next follow up blood work, but sometimes the perfect scores in blood work does not mean you will feel like me. I go off of my libido, strength of erection and sense of well being. That is essentially the point of where we think of the reading should be. Thanks again peak for listening to myself, wife, and fellow people who have two sense to add or need advice.

This weekend I felt like I had to lift because I just took a T shot a day before and could not take a day time nap because I felt like I could not sit still. I went to the gym and ran a mile under 7 minutes, did hardcore ab workout with ab straps doing leg raises and knee raises, and lifted back intensely. Afterwards, I felt a weight off of my impatient feeling like a drug almost. I felt incredible. I love the fact that workouts for me does lifting of my spirit and takes a lot of stress and weight off of me. I do not mean a foggy depressed weight in my head but more so an urge to use my testosterone as a man. I told my wife at that point I had to go to the gym, not to get mad at me, this was an urge that had to be fulfilled. She understood from what she said she has read with treatments. I came back home normal and balanced. It is so nice to have this feeling that I can utilize in such a great way and come home even better than woken up.

I will continue to post moments that will be useful to Peak and others to help people.

[Blade78]

I will continue to post moments that will be useful to Peak and others to help people.

Very much appreciate you letting us know what you are doing.
I have a friend who has had his Test checked as he cuts/gains and he found this Peak Testosterone was when he was at 11-13% bodyfat, I read you were at 8% and I dont know if that's natural for you or you dieted down to it and stay at it;  are you naturally at 8%?

so you are on Arimidex:\? Which is an aromatase inhibitor that does wonders your T/E ratio by binding to the aromatase enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen.

WHat is your average Test level without drugs?


with drugs?
what is your T/E ratio?

[anonymous11]

I am estimated a 8% body fat at most but possibly less. I need to do another test. I barely can pinch much skin/fat on me. I am naturally stocky but I use that to my advantage in the gym. I would not say I am on a diet, but I would call it a lifestyle change more than anything else. I eat right and indulge once in a while with sweets if I deserve it. I cut drinking sodas to one to two a week at most.

It was originally under 300 without anything then I started Androgel. My average test level without T-Cyp injections was under 100 with Androgel after an entire year of use. I threw Androgel in the trash and highly recommend people do not buy into that expensive garbage that does not work.

When I first took my injections and was not prescribed Armidex, I started to get sore and lumpy nipples and ED. After the Armidex, miracles happened.

[PeakT]

Another update: I still am feeling AWESOME. I am doing great. I read a couple other forums when I found some spare time with some people taking Armidex on lower doses. I am not a doctor and can't speak for other as I may be a very higher estrogen converter but Armidex at every other day at .5 or .75 made me feel like I was not at my potential. Also, my nipples got sore waiting every other day. For myself, I need .5 to 1 mg daily. I know about bone loss and the effect of too low of estrogen also messing with ED, but on my dose I never felt any bad effect of negative side effects. I am really interested to see what my E2 reading is in February so I can actually respond to some of these forums with actual back-up evidence. If you are strictly talking about libido and ED and sense of well being, I am doing awesome from every aspect with my dosage. I welcome questions but like I said I will have support once I get my next follow up blood work, but sometimes the perfect scores in blood work does not mean you will feel like me. I go off of my libido, strength of erection and sense of well being. That is essentially the point of where we think of the reading should be. Thanks again peak for listening to myself, wife, and fellow people who have two sense to add or need advice.

This weekend I felt like I had to lift because I just took a T shot a day before and could not take a day time nap because I felt like I could not sit still. I went to the gym and ran a mile under 7 minutes, did hardcore ab workout with ab straps doing leg raises and knee raises, and lifted back intensely. Afterwards, I felt a weight off of my impatient feeling like a drug almost. I felt incredible. I love the fact that workouts for me does lifting of my spirit and takes a lot of stress and weight off of me. I do not mean a foggy depressed weight in my head but more so an urge to use my testosterone as a man. I told my wife at that point I had to go to the gym, not to get mad at me, this was an urge that had to be fulfilled. She understood from what she said she has read with treatments. I came back home normal and balanced. It is so nice to have this feeling that I can utilize in such a great way and come home even better than woken up.

I will continue to post moments that will be useful to Peak and others to help people.

Testosterone is stimulating and difficult to describe just how.  It's kind of like "alertness" and a latent energy.  However, you can go too far and actually kind of "wire" yourself.  But it sounds like you're doing good and so congrats.  Just make sure you haven't gone too far...

[anonymous11]

What is it to "wire" myself?

[Blade78]

I am estimated a 8% body fat at most but possibly less. I need to do another test. I barely can pinch much skin/fat on me. I am naturally stocky but I use that to my advantage in the gym. I would not say I am on a diet, but I would call it a lifestyle change more than anything else. I eat right and indulge once in a while with sweets if I deserve it. I cut drinking sodas to one to two a week at most.

It was originally under 300 without anything then I started Androgel. My average test level without T-Cyp injections was under 100 with Androgel after an entire year of use. I threw Androgel in the trash and highly recommend people do not buy into that expensive garbage that does not work.

When I first took my injections and was not prescribed Armidex, I started to get sore and lumpy nipples and ED. After the Armidex, miracles happened.

thats not clear about whether you diet down from a higher bodyfat to 8% , it sounds lke you did. how long ago was that?
being sub 10% can cause hormones to plumment
I wonder what would happen to your test level/feelings if you took bromocriptine

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/bromocriptine

I gave you an tidpit from the book

Bromocriptine and sex
Ok, I bet that topic heading grabbed your attention, even if you’re wondering
what sex has to do with any of this. But let’s face it, most of us want to be more
muscular and/or leaner for the most superficial and shallow of reasons. Sure, we tell
people that it’s to be healthier or live a fuller life, or to fulfill some psychological void in
our life, and there may be a little truth to all of that. In the big scheme of things, it’s
pretty much bull. We mostly put ourselves through this to look better naked. Or to look
good enough to potential sexual partners so that we get more of an opportunity to
frolic naked with them.
In that vein, I should mention that bromocriptine may have pro-sexual effects on
top of everything else. Just as it is involved in so many other aspects of human
physiology, the dopaminergic (DA producing) system is involved in sexual response.
Dopamine appears to be involved in both sexual response and male erection,
although it’s role in female sexual response is less well established (82).
A known response to dieting is a decrease in both sexual interest and ability,
which makes a certain type of evolutionary sense. When you’re starving really isn’t a
great time to get your mate pregnant because there won’t be enough food available to
bring the baby to term. Dropping leptin, and its effects on DA (and subsequently other
hormones such as testosterone and estrogen, both of which are involved in sex drive)
might well be involved in this decrease in sexual function (it s already established that
dropping leptin shuts down normal female reproductive functioning). Bromocriptine,
by normalizing DA levels might be expected to have pro-sexual effects in this regard.
Additionally, a surge in prolactin following orgasm appears to be related to the

[PeakT]

What is it to "wire" myself?

Okay, it doesn't sound like this is an issue.  But a quick couple of questions:  are you having trouble sleeping?  Are you losing your temper more easily?  Are you a little overly aggressive?

These kind of vague things, but it is possible to go too high.  You sound like you're doing great, but I just to make sure you've thought about the other side.

And the reason I asked is that you mentioned a kind of "restlessness" where you had to go work out.  I'm just checking.  It may be nothing - just asking...