Post cycle libido

Hey guys

So i have a concern:

I've been done with my PCT for 3 months now and so far im feeling fine, issue is these nuts are still shriveled up and atrophied + low ejaculation volume. Im abit concerned that i have perhaps destroyed my fertility and the testes will not grow back to its normal full size.

any info would be appreciated thanks guys.

Just to add on, i am on a antidepressant could that perhaps contribute to this?

What did your 3 month PCT consist of? What are your bloods showing.

Pump beat me too it, but bloods are a brilliant thing to do at this stage, if not, you can get yourself a decent natural test booster, i see that the TNT mercury one is pretty good TNT Mercury Anabolic Beast, I would add some Ashwagandha to that mix and you should feel stuff starting to come back to normal.

www.npl.za.com/product/pro-test/

that actually looks like a better profile. especially with the MUCANA PURIENS.

Thanks guys. I done pct 2 in the pct article section. I guess i must be more concerned about my FSH levels and have that checked out asap

Mr Z wrote: Thanks guys. I done pct 2 in the pct article section. I guess i must be more concerned about my FSH levels and have that checked out asap

E2, Testosterone Profile, LH and FSH.

You ran PCT 2 once? Or you ran it for 3 months ?

00pump wrote:

Mr Z wrote: Thanks guys. I done pct 2 in the pct article section. I guess i must be more concerned about my FSH levels and have that checked out asap

E2, Testosterone Profile, LH and FSH.

You ran PCT 2 once? Or you ran it for 3 months ?

No i ran it once and im off 3 months .. libido is getting there but im more concerned about the testes still not recovering back to normal size

How old are you?

There is a couple things you can do but I wouldn't recommend anything until you have the blood work. I personally need to run HCG for long periods of time. But with blood work you will know where you stand.

Im 28 years. Im a guy that's concerned about cosmetics lol so i guess thats my fault

Just get the bloods done and you will have results the same day and take it from there.

Do you use alcohol ?

what was your main cycle?
anabolics used/dosages/length?

What antidepressants are you on? It's very likely that they are slowing down your HTPA recovery.

SSRI's do lower LH, FSH and testosterone levels.

Here's a shortened summary from a peer reviewed clinical study:

Evaluation of endocrine profile and HPTA in SSRI-induced male sexual dysfunction

Purpose: To evaluate endocrine profile and hypothalamic-pituitary-testis (HPT) axis in male depressed patients with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-induced sexual dysfunction (SDF).

Materials and methods:

Eighty-six fertile depressed male patients with SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, aged 18 to 50 years, were enrolled in the study (group 1).

Sixty-two age-matched depressed fertile patients who currently receive one of the SSRIs but without SDF (group 2)

68 age-matched healthy fertile men who had never received a psychiatric diagnosis (group 3) served as controls.

Two blood samples were drawn from each subject at 20-minute intervals for the determination of the resting levels of the following hormones: luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, prolactin, and estradiol. The HPT axis was also assessed using the gonadotropin-releasing hormone test.

Results: The prevalence of hormonal abnormalities in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 83.7% (72), 51.6% (32), and 11.8% (7), respectively.

Compared with normal controls, the subjects taking SSRIs had significantly lower serum levels of LH, FSH, and testosterone. In addition, there were significantly decreased LH and FSH responses to gonadotropin-releasing hormone test in groups 1 and 2 compared with normal controls. Of patients in groups 1 and 2, 68 (79.1%) and 27 (43.5%) had elevated serum levels of prolactin (P = 0.0001 vs group 1 and 0.001 vs group 2).

Conclusions: Most depressed subjects taking SSRIs with and without SSRI induced sexual dysfunction had diminished HPT axis function.


Link

What is interesting is that the study participants were also given injections of GnRH (Gonadotropin releasing hormone which stimulates the release of LH and FSH in the brain). In the normal subjects, LH increased from an average of 5.9 IU/L to 24. But in the two SSRI user groups LH only increased from 3.3 and 4.8 to 5.8 and 7.2 respectively. So this shows that Clomid and Nolvadex efficacy should also be affected by SSRI's during PCT...

Muscleaddict wrote: What antidepressants are you on? It's very likely that they are slowing down your HTPA recovery.

SSRI's do lower LH, FSH and testosterone levels.

Here's a shortened summary from a peer reviewed clinical study:

Evaluation of endocrine profile and HPTA in SSRI-induced male sexual dysfunction

Purpose: To evaluate endocrine profile and hypothalamic-pituitary-testis (HPT) axis in male depressed patients with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-induced sexual dysfunction (SDF).

Materials and methods:

Eighty-six fertile depressed male patients with SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, aged 18 to 50 years, were enrolled in the study (group 1).

Sixty-two age-matched depressed fertile patients who currently receive one of the SSRIs but without SDF (group 2)

68 age-matched healthy fertile men who had never received a psychiatric diagnosis (group 3) served as controls.

Two blood samples were drawn from each subject at 20-minute intervals for the determination of the resting levels of the following hormones: luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, prolactin, and estradiol. The HPT axis was also assessed using the gonadotropin-releasing hormone test.

Results: The prevalence of hormonal abnormalities in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 83.7% (72), 51.6% (32), and 11.8% (7), respectively.

Compared with normal controls, the subjects taking SSRIs had significantly lower serum levels of LH, FSH, and testosterone. In addition, there were significantly decreased LH and FSH responses to gonadotropin-releasing hormone test in groups 1 and 2 compared with normal controls. Of patients in groups 1 and 2, 68 (79.1%) and 27 (43.5%) had elevated serum levels of prolactin (P = 0.0001 vs group 1 and 0.001 vs group 2).

Conclusions: Most depressed subjects taking SSRIs with and without SSRI induced sexual dysfunction had diminished HPT axis function.


Link

What is interesting is that the study participants were also given injections of GnRH (Gonadotropin releasing hormone which stimulates the release of LH and FSH in the brain). In the normal subjects, LH increased from an average of 5.9 IU/L to 24. But in the two SSRI user groups LH only increased from 3.3 and 4.8 to 5.8 and 7.2 respectively. So this shows that Clomid and Nolvadex efficacy should also be affected by SSRI's during PCT...

Ok yeah i see now thanks for that man it actually explains it all and makes sense yeah. Im on escitalopram 20mg. Been on it for a year now

Would trt be an option in this case?

Mr Z wrote: Would trt be an option in this case?

Always an option, but that's very drastic.

Treating side effects from medication with other medication is never the ideal way to go. Plus you're most likely going to need some more meds to make sure your either your E2, or hematocrit or BP is good while on TRT.

28 is young... Get your blood work and then I'd start with looking for an alternate to SSRIs.

Sweet stuff thanks champ.

Which lab do you guys recommend i use that wont require a doctors referral? Dont still want to go through such a complicated process just to get my bloods

Just phone you're nearest lancet and pathcare. Get your prolactin tested along with what pump suggested. It's often elevated from SSRIs and that will also mess with your libido and htpa.

Ok cool will do.