High E2 on Reta & TRT - Help!

Hey everyone,

I'm currently using TRT alongside Reta and would love to get some insights from others who've tried this combo. Got a couple of questions I'm hoping more experienced users can answer:

I'm using TRT to help hold onto muscle while cutting. I'm consistently losing about 2 pounds each week.

I'm a 39-year-old male, started at 235lbs, and currently fluctuate between 219-223lbs.
I'm working out 4-5 times a week - weightlifting, plus 30 minutes of inclined walking.
My cardio heart rate averages around 128BPM.
I'm prioritizing protein intake while at a calorie deficit.
I've gradually increased my Reta dosage from 2mg to 4mg, and now I'm doing well at 5mg, split into two doses per week (2x 2.5mg).
I inject Sustanon250 IM into my quad once a week.

Before starting, my bloodwork showed a test level of 6nmol (below the normal range). After 5 weeks, it's up to 30 (normal range is approximately 8-35), so I'm now at the upper end of the normal range.

However, my estradiol has shot up – it's well over 200. I know that being overweight can increase aromatization from fat cells, which is likely contributing to these high levels. Reta is working great, and I'm starting to get leaner while maintaining a good amount of muscle.

Has anyone else experienced such high estrogen levels? Should I consider using an AI like 0.5mg of arimidex twice a week at these levels?

I'm curious if anyone else has faced this issue with the test and Reta combination. Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated!

250mg of test is pretty hefty for TRT. A lot of people stay around 200, or even 150-160mg. Get your testosterone checked about 36 hours after your injection; I bet it's around 2000 at that point, which is almost double the normal upper limit. I'd suggest lowering your dose to 150-180mg of Sustanon and splitting it into two injections per week. I take 1mg of arimidex twice a week when I inject 100mg of test twice a week for a total of 200mg, and my estrogen still stays around 70, which I'm fine with. 200 estrogen is way too high, and you're probably retaining a lot of water, and your blood pressure is likely elevated. Reduce your test dose, split it into two doses weekly, increase your arimidex, and recheck your estrogen levels in about three weeks. Make sure you get the sensitive estradiol test; it's much more accurate.

I heard primobolan helps with estrogen by reducing the need for as much testosterone. Anavar messed up my ALT liver values badly, but it was super effective while it was working, and I didn't need as much test.

There are varying viewpoints on estrogen for men. Years ago, my husband's estrogen plummeted while on TRT at high doses. He's naturally lean, but his estrogen became undetectable and it was a nightmare. Took months to recover. He now aims for 70-90 and feels best there. Be cautious with high test doses and don't crash your estrogen too low. Go slow with AIs if you aren't feeling bad. If you aren't having bad side effects, try lowering your test first. Some functional medicine doctors believe estrogen is heart-protective for men and AIs shouldn't be used. Just another perspective to consider.

Lower your dosage and increase injection frequency with a single ester. Try every day, if possible. 200 is far too high.

I'd suggest using DIM/I3C and switching to test cyp at a lower dose. That might fix things without an AI. Also, take a sulphoraphane supplement like Avmacol to help with detox.

I get it, but I'm not sure when primo or masteron became acceptable as an AI... It's just another drug that will destroy your HDL. I get the point about recent tren studies, where 100mg/week is better than 350mg because of all the negative effects it has on your brain, body, and organs... but when did aromatase inhibitors become so taboo? Primo and mast don't aromatize; what do those drugs do for someone on 250 or 500mg of test with 25-30% body fat... absolutely nothing.

You're right, crashing estrogen is definitely a bad thing. And many people would agree that a man's estrogen doesn't HAVE to be 20-45. If you feel healthy at 60 or 90, that's fine. But 200 isn't. Getting the sensitive estradiol test is important, because a regular test could show 110 when the sensitive test shows 50... so guys overdo the AI and crash their estrogen. Still, I am baffled how taking test without an AI crashed his testosterone unless he's at 3% bodyfat. Even then, test supplementation still aromatizes...

I agree; that's a big dose to call it TRT. I'm with a specialist, and 130mg a week puts me near the upper limits for free and total test. Even with 1mg of arimidex, my estrogen is still high. My doc is thinking about adding a second dose of 0.5mg a week. Reta has been great for my other metrics, but my T/E ratio is still unchanged.

It's a mystery. Two different doctors have no explanation. He's lean, but not 3%. His testosterone levels reached 2200, and then the estrogen crashed. The ultra-sensitive estradiol test came back undetectable twice. He's never touched an AI and now needs to supplement estrogen even with T levels at 1200. Maybe it's a one-in-a-million case. Just caution against super-high testosterone levels. Thanks for your reply!

I agree with others: increase injection frequency, lower your dose, and avoid AIs. I've been on TRT about 15 years. My ideal is 200mg of testosterone enanthate, and I inject 0.45mL (90mg) twice a week (Sun/Thurs). I was prescribed anastrozole when I started TRT. My starting dose in 2006 was 200mg once a week in the thigh, and I'd take anastrozole the next day, but even 0.25mg killed my estrogen, and the side effects were worse. After experimenting with dosage and injection frequency (daily, EOD, E3D, etc.), I've found my sweet spot with minimal sides and no AI needed.

Why would you assume this has anything to do with the Reta that doesn't interact with those things and not the nearly cycle of steroids dose of test?

I've seen GLP-1 meds like Ozempic do amazing things for people with insulin resistance and weight issues. One person I know dropped their A1C almost a full point in three months and got off all their diabetes and blood pressure meds! It's not just about the medication, though; they also went keto and started working out. Source

I can vouch for spreading out the injections. When I did 200mg all at once, I felt like crap for days until my body adjusted. Now that I'm pinning twice per week, it's much more stable. I'm glad you called out the high test dose, @Pulse-Pal. That's the elephant in the room.

It is amazing what these meds can do. I know someone else who dropped almost 17kg using semaglutide in 3 months. They also saw really good bloodwork overall, even though their lipid profile was a little concerning. They were wondering if they should continue. Source

Thanks for the input, everyone. I'm going to lower my test dose to 150mg split into twice-weekly injections and see if that helps bring my estrogen down. I'll also get the sensitive estradiol test done. I appreciate all the advice!

HDL is tough to raise on its own. Endurance athletes get high HDL from lots of cardio. Omega-3 won't do much. I got great results combining 25 minutes daily cardio with proper eating. It matters more to check your LDL/HDL ratio than individual numbers.

TRT alongside GLP-1 compounds addresses the muscle retention problem more directly than nutrition alone. The elevated E2 concern is real but manageable with aromatase inhibition when needed. Worth discussing with a provider who follows both protocols before committing to the stack.