Expert Answered First test e only cycle with diabetes type 1. Any tips?

[jason]

I am 25yo 175cm 78kg and have t1d.
I want to take 125mg test e 2x a week.
What should I look out for, what side effects might I experience, and how should I handle them? Which products should I definitely have on hand? Also, what body fat percentage do you recommend for starting a cycle in order to minimize negative sides? Does anyone know what effect testosterone has on my diabetes?

 

[Davy Tenebrae]

I am 25yo 175cm 78kg and have t1d.
I want to take 125mg test e 2x a week.
What should I look out for, what side effects might I experience, and how should I handle them? Which products should I definitely have on hand? Also, what body fat percentage do you recommend for starting a cycle in order to minimize negative sides? Does anyone know what effect testosterone has on my diabetes?

Jason, 125mg twice weekly puts you at 250mg/week, which is already above typical TRT.
With type 1 diabetes, I'd focus on glucose stability first. Changes in insulin sensitivity, training and diet could affect your insulin needs. Hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis aren't risks I'd take lightly.
There's no proven ideal starting BF%, but in my experience around 15% is the golden standard.
I'd strongly recommend starting this test-only cycle but keep yourself monitored

 

[jason]

Thanks for the response. My glucose is stable now because i train and walk alot. I am being monitored by a doctor for my sugar every 3 months and take blood test but not for the whole blood panel everything looks good. I just dont know about telling my doctor i want to take/am taking test she isn't a fan about this... guess she'll suspect something after seeing my blood values change.

Do i need anything else if i start this test only cycle, like hcg. And what do i need for pct if want to hop off?

 

[Sam Bjorn]

Hi Jason

Let’s start by figuring out exactly what you want to get from using testosterone. That would be the most important thing for determining a long-term strategy. We’d also need some more detailed information about you, such as how long you’ve been training and a photo of your current physique.

As for what you’ll need — any aromatase inhibitor, for example exemestane, and HCG. As for PCT, that’s something worth discussing, but first it’s important to understand what you want to achieve from the cycle itself.

 

[jason]

Hi Jason

Let’s start by figuring out exactly what you want to get from using testosterone. That would be the most important thing for determining a long-term strategy. We’d also need some more detailed information about you, such as how long you’ve been training and a photo of your current physique.

As for what you’ll need — any aromatase inhibitor, for example exemestane, and HCG. As for PCT, that’s something worth discussing, but first it’s important to understand what you want to achieve from the cycle itself.

I have been training for 2 years, with a year and half of strict dieeting tracking calories, going to the gym 6 days a week and walking 10 km AT LEAST everyday by walking to the gym and back. Went from 95kg to 72 kg about 3 months ago. Now i weigh 78kg due to vacation and not tracking my calories so strictly anymore. Also my gym routine is not 100% anymore. I just find it demotivating how i look after 2 years of training. And its hard to know that i have to give it 100% again for 2 or 3 months just to be where i was 3 months ago. I just want to have muscle gain and simultaneously lose fat, wich would motivate me. I want to spend my time more efficiently or speed up the proces by doing test only instead of going on a hard cut again for 4 months then bulking and cutting... you get the point. I DO want to take it 100% but i don't want to go in blind, i want to know what i can expect from a cycle like this. The result and the possible side effects.

 

[Sam Bjorn]

I have been training for 2 years, with a year and half of strict dieeting tracking calories, going to the gym 6 days a week and walking 10 km AT LEAST everyday by walking to the gym and back. Went from 95kg to 72 kg about 3 months ago. Now i weigh 78kg due to vacation and not tracking my calories so strictly anymore. Also my gym routine is not 100% anymore. I just find it demotivating how i look after 2 years of training. And its hard to know that i have to give it 100% again for 2 or 3 months just to be where i was 3 months ago. I just want to have muscle gain and simultaneously lose fat, wich would motivate me. I want to spend my time more efficiently or speed up the proces by doing test only instead of going on a hard cut again for 4 months then bulking and cutting... you get the point. I DO want to take it 100% but i don't want to go in blind, i want to know what i can expect from a cycle like this. The result and the possible side effects.

Thanks for describing everything in detail and for photos

Okay, in your case I don’t see a problem with starting, if we’re talking in terms of your goal, motivation, and readiness. Although you haven’t been training for that long, you look pretty good. Considering you’re not setting yourself some huge goal of becoming the bodybuilding champion of the universe, minimal doses of testosterone with the right approach could actually help you achieve what you want — worry a little less about all the small details, put a little less effort into diet and training, and get slightly better results while maintaining a balance between training and your normal life.

I’d like to start by asking how knowledgeable your doctor is in this area. We can suggest some ideas on how to make your life easier, but it’s important that you discuss them with your doctor.

The first thing I’d consider is adding tirzepatide so you don’t have to stress as much about your diet, because for many people that’s the part that takes up a lot of willpower and attention.

 

[jason]

Thanks for describing everything in detail and for photos

Okay, in your case I don’t see a problem with starting, if we’re talking in terms of your goal, motivation, and readiness. Although you haven’t been training for that long, you look pretty good. Considering you’re not setting yourself some huge goal of becoming the bodybuilding champion of the universe, minimal doses of testosterone with the right approach could actually help you achieve what you want — worry a little less about all the small details, put a little less effort into diet and training, and get slightly better results while maintaining a balance between training and your normal life.

I’d like to start by asking how knowledgeable your doctor is in this area. We can suggest some ideas on how to make your life easier, but it’s important that you discuss them with your doctor.

The first thing I’d consider is adding tirzepatide so you don’t have to stress as much about your diet, because for many people that’s the part that takes up a lot of willpower and attention.

I’m struggling with the idea that I could look better by worrying less about my diet and training. I feel like I gain weight so easily, so it’s hard for me to believe I could get better results by putting in less effort.

Could you explain what the right approach would be for me and what I would need to get started?

My biggest concern is developing gyno, since I already store most of my fat around my chest, and I don’t want to mess around with AIs.

The thing is, my doctor doesn’t like prescribing medication just to make things easier. She prefers to deal with problems naturally and only prescribes medication when it’s absolutely necessary, so I’m not sure how she would feel about this. I also wouldn’t really feel comfortable bringing it up with her.

 

[Sam Bjorn]

I’m struggling with the idea that I could look better by worrying less about my diet and training. I feel like I gain weight so easily, so it’s hard for me to believe I could get better results by putting in less effort.

Could you explain what the right approach would be for me and what I would need to get started?

My biggest concern is developing gyno, since I already store most of my fat around my chest, and I don’t want to mess around with AIs.

The thing is, my doctor doesn’t like prescribing medication just to make things easier. She prefers to deal with problems naturally and only prescribes medication when it’s absolutely necessary, so I’m not sure how she would feel about this. I also wouldn’t really feel comfortable bringing it up with her.

Fat-related gyno and true gynecomastia caused by estrogens have little in common. And to avoid problems with gyno, you should have medications on hand from the start that lower estradiol levels in the blood. This applies not only to you, but to everyone who uses testosterone.

Purely logically, for your goal, microdoses of tirzepatide and around 180–200 mg of testosterone per week could be suitable (approximately — don’t take this right now as some unquestionable absolute truth).

But when it comes to recommendations for type 1 diabetes, that’s not something I would want to do or take responsibility for. Is diabetes a contraindication to using testosterone or GLP-1s? No, it isn’t. So using them is possible, but you need a doctor who will take responsibility for monitoring you. And here, only your personal relationship and trust with your doctor can help. If you feel your doctor won’t go along with it, try to find another one — that shouldn’t be a problem. After that, we can continue as the people giving you ideas, while your doctor can either approve them or say no.

With type 1 diabetes, there are situations where you need to be especially careful with GLP-1s or avoid starting them altogether: recent DKA/euglycemic ketosis, hypoglycemia unawareness, or significant gastroparesis. Ketones and hypoglycemic episodes also need to be monitored, and insulin doses need to be reduced according to actual requirements, because appetite and calorie intake can drop quickly, and this can be quite difficult to keep track of without a lot of experience and self-monitoring. All of this really requires medical supervision and responsibility.

We have one guy who uses steroids and retatrutide with type 1 diabetes. You can ask about his experience to broaden your own understanding, but I wouldn’t blindly copy what he does.