P.D. Mangan smashed his own chronic fatigue — through diet, exercise, sleep, vitamins and minerals — and expanded his view on health and fitness. When he looked into testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), his (carefully selected) doctor recommended an aromatase inhibitor instead:
Aromatase inhibitors work to boost T by decreasing the production of estrogens, especially estradiol, the most potent estrogen. Since estradiol feeds back on natural T production, inhibiting it, lowering estradiol levels results in an increase in T. My estradiol level at the last reading had been 70, higher than the upper limit of normal for men. Why that was I don’t know, but estradiol levels increase with age in men, so maybe that was all there was to it.
So my doctor prescribed me anastrozole, the most commonly used aromatase inhibitor. Anastrozole, also known by the trade name of Arimidex, is generic and cheap: I pay about twelve dollars for a three month supply. The dosage is one-half milligram twice a week, which is quite low. Estradiol is necessary even in men, with things like bone composition depending on it, so you don’t want to drive it too low or abolish it altogether.
I noticed a difference shortly after starting to take it. For one thing, my exercise recovery appears a lot better. I used to need a solid three days off between weight sessions in order to recover fully; now I need only two. I haven’t gained any weight, but I’d say my body composition is better: a bit leaner, a bit more muscle. (I can’t seem to gain weight to save my life at this point.) And, yes, my sex drive increased noticeably.
Last time my T level was measured, it had increased to 700, a modest increase of about 20%. In some studies, using higher doses of anastrozole and in low T men, T levels have increased as much as 50%, and free T levels even more. Probably my modest but noticeable results came about because I use a low dose and wasn’t low T to begin with.
However, my estradiol level decreased to 40, well within the normal range of a young man. This may also account for what I consider a successful result of the treatment.
Before running out and getting a prescription for this, one should google Aromasin and how it differs from Arimedex.