Update and Arimidex advice

[Nocturne]

So I apparently live in one of those states where you can't just go to a private lab for testing.  Yippee.

I get my bloodwork done in a couple of weeks anyway, and a look at E2 is on the menu (although NOT the sensitive test).

As I have said before, I recently (about three weeks ago) started doubling my Clomid dose to 50 mg eod and taking .25 g Arimidex every fourth day.

Sexual response has been...  Interesting.  The first week, I was doing so well that I almost felt "cured".  That didn't last unfortunately, but things have picked up, in part because I learned a technique that helps me keep my erections inside of my wife (I have to begin with very slow, long, and gentle thrusts and keep doing that for some time until my cock is "ready", and not be afraid to go back to doing that now and then if I need to).  I've also pretty much stopped trying to have sex in the morning, because it very often does not work (I will lose my erection even if I use my new technique).  The delayed ejaculation issue I was having is pretty much gone, although I have a suspicion that Cialis might have been causing it (and may experiment with Cialis in the future just to check -- I have not been taking it for close to a month now).  No more pouring buckets of sweat trying to chase down an orgasm!

For the past six nights, I have had successful intercourse with my wife every night, with very little anxiety involved.  A couple of nights ago I was even bold enough to change positions to take her from behind, and that worked very well (felt like the "good old days" of four months ago, in fact).  On two of those nights I was able to stay hard inside of her after my own orgasm long enough to give her one more, which felt amazing.  I have confidence that tonight will go well too, which also feels great.

I'm still concerned that my erections don't last as long as they should, especially in the mornings and on those few occasions I have tried to masturbate lately.  Without constant stimulation they seem to wilt very quickly.  I'm also not really getting morning wood and in fact seem to have more problems getting and staying hard in the mornings than at any other time.  The best time for me seems to be late at night in bed with my wife.

I also wake up with anxiety.  It usually gets better as the day progresses, and I feel pretty relaxed by nighttime.  No idea why this is.

I still have moodiness and weepiness, especially in the mornings and during the day.  Lately I have been feeling fatigue and weakness, which is new.  I'm concerned that this may be due to low E2, as I have no idea what the combo of doubling Clomid and adding Arimidex has done to my numbers (last measurement had me at 366 total T and 38.4 E2).

Last night I skipped my dose of Arimidex to see what would happen.  I may try cutting back to .25 mg once a week to see what happens.  Does this sound reasonable given my situation?  Doc originally prescribed 1 g twice a week but it was at my request (the script not the dose) and he didn't think I needed it so I don't feel bad about going lower.

Oh, continuing to lose weight.  Down a titch below 175 now!  That puts me at just 15 pounds overweight, and I am still striving to lose more.

[PeakT]

Glad things are going better, but imo if you can't test estradiol, you should not be on Arimidex.

[Nocturne]

I hope I'm not revealing too much if I say that I live in Rhode Island.  That IS one of the no-test states, right?  The Labcorp website seemed to indicate that it was.

I guess I COULD go get tested in Mass., but that would be a bit of a haul.

[CoastWatcher]

I hope I'm not revealing too much if I say that I live in Rhode Island.  That IS one of the no-test states, right?  The Labcorp website seemed to indicate that it was.

I guess I COULD go get tested in Mass., but that would be a bit of a haul.

I believe Peak is right - no lab work means driving in the dark w/no headlights.

[Nocturne]

I hope I'm not revealing too much if I say that I live in Rhode Island.  That IS one of the no-test states, right?  The Labcorp website seemed to indicate that it was.

I guess I COULD go get tested in Mass., but that would be a bit of a haul.

I believe Peak is right - no lab work means driving in the dark w/no headlights.

Yeah.  That makes sense.  I didn't realize until recently that my state doesn't appear to allow citizens to set up their own testing.  This sucks.

[Cataceous]

....  I didn't realize until recently that my state doesn't appear to allow citizens to set up their own testing.  This sucks.

You might want to look into this a little more. The LEF page suggests it's doable.

Certain restrictions apply for residents of MA, NY, NJ, RI, and PA. Customers in MA, NY, NJ, and RI will receive a blood draw kit, and an additional local blood draw fee may be incurred.

[Nocturne]

Thanks for the info.  I just called them and either I drive two hours to New Hampshire or I wait a few days for the blood kit to arrive, pay a local blood draw fee, and then wait a week or more for the results.  I'm having E2 checked through my local doc in a couple of weeks so it doesn't seem worth it at this time.  What a pain in the ass.

So I live in a lab-unfriendly state and my doc, while I'm generally quite happy with him, doesn't believe that elevated E2 matters until it's in the 100+ range, and that all it does is create nipple tenderness.  How screwed am I?

[PeakT]

Thanks for the info.  I just called them and either I drive two hours to New Hampshire or I wait a few days for the blood kit to arrive, pay a local blood draw fee, and then wait a week or more for the results.  I'm having E2 checked through my local doc in a couple of weeks so it doesn't seem worth it at this time.  What a pain in the ass.

Bastards!

[Nocturne]

How often should I be checking my levels?

With my numbers and a doubling of Clomid, I think it would be a mistake to NOT take any AI.

On the other hand, I can see the clear logic in it being a bad idea to fly blind (although I will have a non-sensitive E2 test done in a couple of weeks - my doc told me he doesn't think the sensitive ones are necessary).

If/when I have to go on TRT, it will seem like a bad idea NOT to take an AI with it.

I *do* live with a local doctor (my wife), so maybe that could help me.  I'd have to convince her that these tests were worth it - and that's IF she had any authority to order them.

First stop should really be my doc.

Which means I need some kind of information demonstrating the importance of keeping E2 within a certain range.  This could be difficult as it seemed like he had heard of this before but rejected it.

Why do certain states make it difficult to pull tests?

[Cataceous]

Why do certain states make it difficult to pull tests?

Politicians thinking they know how to protect us from ourselves...

For the blood testing, in your shoes I would keep a draw kit in stock and just have my wife do the draw when needed. She's already a pro, so no training needed!

As for how often, perhaps when you think you've reached steady state from the last protocol change. It's also nice to be able to grab one if you suddenly feel different and want to know if it correlates with any changing hormone levels.