Has this lifestyle caught me up??

[T TOTAL]

Here goes.....

Am i being a right old hyperchondriac here or what????

Basically over the last 2weeks ive been getting blood tests due to raised CK ( Creatine Kilase ) levels which have fluctuated between 1800 and 5000 or so over about 4 tests depending on if and when ive trained near to the test. The closer i had the higher it was but due to not having a prolonged period of time off they havn't exactly gone to normal which has a max of around 200.

Anyway im aware that this is an enzyme which is released from muscle breakdown so im predomonately putting it down to heavy training.
Over the years ive routineley seen a Dr privately at a clinic for bodybuilders and speaking to him this is expected, and although this ck can cause kidney failure my kidney funtion test was perfect so he told me not to worry to much as we are different and long term effects of ck from training isn't known yet.

The bit im getting at re the hyperchondria is this..... Ive also been getting a pain in the left side of my chest which throbs down to m left bicep. Had it for 4-5 days, still been training hard and heavy along with cardio twice per day with no ill effects other than the constant ache feel there.

It hasn't got any worse and i was kind of perhaps putting it down to a strain with last week being my 1st week back lifting after 2 weeks off.

HOWEVER , to be on the safe side i went to hospital where i had an ECG wired up which was perfect--phew. But they done a blood test to and as a result of that they got me a bed in the Cardio ward to keep me in for more tests and observations!!!
This was because a reading was out of the normal range which is specific to the heart. Normal is 0.1 and i was 0.3. Unfortunately i can't recall what the name was. However, i was told there is a small possibility that this was raised due to my size/mass and 'cos i took steroids on and off for a number of years. Currently 1g Sust and 400Equipoise along with 80mcg Clen and 75mg Proviron for last 2 weeks. But they needed to rule out heart disease or that this could be a precurser to a heart attack, if i havn't already had a mild warning!!!!

Ive never really had these specific test before, although when i see that Dr for bodybuilder i get bloods done so hey may cover that and ive been fine.

The hospital said iff the reading raised within a day that would indicate heart trouble. If it lowered or remained the same they said it would be more in my favour and its down to my use and size, although im only currently 104kg at 5ft 11 inches and 6 weeks from a show.

Makes me think perhaps this is time to call it a day. Hving said that i feel great and signed myself out as i was putting it down to use and size and that they would obviously be out the normal range as we arn't exactly normal. Dr kind of appreciated my view to some degree but he had to just tell me as it is.

What a nightmare eh. I was and am looking to hire Phil Hernon too as i want to make some serious gains in the next 12 month. AAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!

Im starting to see that we as bodybuilders have blood reading that are naturely out of the normal ranges and maybe not harmful to us.
P.s-- on a side note when i told the cardiac consultant i was using Sustanon he replied " WHAT'S THAT " Same reply regarding Clenbuterol. He didn't even ask what dosages etc which may of been impactive and relevant to the results.

Kind of makes me think what do they realy know about us

 

[maldorf]

When reading your post I was glad to see that you had yourself checked out. The EKG is a great tool, but it cant show every problem. I have heard of many men having partial blockages of their coronary arteries and their EKGs showing up normal. I know someone that had an ejection fraction of 25% and their EKG was fine. An ultrasound would be the best way to detect an issue. Did they run one of those, or offer to? I would approach one of your docs and see if they will order up one of those.
Not sure if you read my post, but I just had a heart attack 1 month ago. I had an ekg in january and all was normal.
http://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37736

 

[Wolfpack]

Your blood tests are going to continue to be skewed, or off normal, as long as you keep getting them done while still training and on over a gram of gear with clen added in. If you're seriously worried you need to get off of everything and get the blood test done while not training for about 4 days.

 

[Ashop]

if you even think for a minute that there is a heart problem I would skip past your regular doctors and straight to a cardiologist for more indepth testing.

 

[bananas007]

If your CK is raised they can do gel electropheresis to see which one is raised. There are three types of CK in the body CK bb, CK mb, and CKmm.


If CK MM is raised which I believe yours would be, it just means that u are a beast in the gym.

If CK MB is raised you are having a heart attack or something that is damaging your heart.

If CK BB is raised then your brain cells are dying.

But I understand bout being a hypochondriac man. I am like that too. And it gets worst when we put gear in and then you start thinking what if this is , what if that. but i think u should be fine.. Have you been gaining good while training and recovering fine??

 

[bananas007]

can u remember or look back and ask that test about .1, .3 . ?? call them back and ask them.

 

[T TOTAL]

Apparantly not---woohoo!!!

can u remember or look back and ask that test about .1, .3 . ?? call them back and ask them.

Just been released from hospital after being admitted on Tuesday morning at 6 am afer work. Id agreed to do that due to signing self out the night before.

Anyway it appears i have a clean bill of health. Had been wired up to ECG machine since admission untill today and all was fine. Had 3 more blood tests and again all was fine. The reading that was raised is apparantly specific to the heart and was for TROPONIN T. Initially mine was 0.03 when it should more or less be undetectable. 12hrs later and since then too its been normal as has B/P too at 130/65 and 70.

The initial reading along with the chest pain indicated heart damage. But i had chest xrays, heart scan and also excercise ECG test and for recovery. All perfect.
Theyve put the pain down to a muscular skeletal strain due to pushing to hard and quick after 2weeks off training. The reading being off theyve just put down to intense training and my heart trying to cope with the effort. They did say it may be due to steroids as in theory when training the ateries around the heart relax to allow more blood flow. Apparantly with steroids arteries can lose there elasticity and therefore not relax enough to allow sufficient blood flow during intense training. This ' may ' of happened to me which ' may ' of been why the Troponin T levels was raised. Still alot of ' may of ' and speculation as my heart seemed perfect.
I questioned wouldnt the Excercise ECG show this, but was told for someone like me, my age and my build it would not of been intense enough to cause the blood flow requirement, but it indicated that all was fine there too. Alot of contradictory readings to what they expected due to steroid use, as mine was all ok and went against what they expected from a steroid user.
Theyve also said the CK is down to my training and muscle mass. Its not as if im that big though, just the average gym rat i suppose.

I obviously had the lecture about steroids etc, but when i told them that this was my only vice and that i don't abuse it or drink, smoke, eat fatty foods etecetc they kind of accepted my arguement of what the risk to benefit is for me and that i get bloods done every 6-8 weeks. Just got told give it some thought and be careful from the heart surgeon/consultant.

So feel a whole lot better.

Think the October show is out the window though as lying in hospital for 3 days after only a week back after 2 weeks off and also having to eat poor hospital food has blown what condition i had achieved/maintaned. Im worse now than i was after 2 week holiday, AB's are all blurred, The stomach injections to thin the blood didnt help as they swelled up quite watery where they injected.

 

[maldorf]

Just been released from hospital after being admitted on Tuesday morning at 6 am afer work. Id agreed to do that due to signing self out the night before.

Anyway it appears i have a clean bill of health. Had been wired up to ECG machine since admission untill today and all was fine. Had 3 more blood tests and again all was fine. The reading that was raised is apparantly specific to the heart and was for TROPONIN T. Initially mine was 0.03 when it should more or less be undetectable. 12hrs later and since then too its been normal as has B/P too at 130/65 and 70.

The initial reading along with the chest pain indicated heart damage. But i had chest xrays, heart scan and also excercise ECG test and for recovery. All perfect.
Theyve put the pain down to a muscular skeletal strain due to pushing to hard and quick after 2weeks off training. The reading being off theyve just put down to intense training and my heart trying to cope with the effort.
Theyve also said the CK is down to my training and muscle.

I obviously had the lecture about steroids etc, but when i told them that this was my only vice and that i don't abuse it or drink, smoke, eat fatty foods etecetc they kind of accepted my arguement of what the risk to benefit is for me and that i get bloods done every 6-8 weeks. Just got told give it some thought and be careful from the heart surgeon/consultant.

So feel a whole lot better.

Think the October show is out the window though as lying in hospital for 3 days after only a week back after 2 weeks off and also having to eat poor hospital food has blown what condition i had achieved/maintaned. Im worse now than i was after 2 week holiday, AB's are all blurred, The stomach injections to thin the blood didnt help as they swelled up quite watery where they injected.

Glad to hear you are doing well. Sounds like about the only thing they didnt do to you was an angiogram, and thats not called for since all of your other tests came back normal.

 

[T TOTAL]

Glad to hear you are doing well. Sounds like about the only thing they didnt do to you was an angiogram, and thats not called for since all of your other tests came back normal.

Cheers Maldorf, You wouldn't beleive the releif i have right now even though ive still the pain in my chest. I even asked before i was discharged if they were sure my heart was fine and i was told definitely. I hope to god there right, but i can't see how they could be wrong after all the tests.

I kept thinking of what happened to you my friend and how you had coped with it. I was like telling them if they told me i couldnt train etc id be devistated as its my life to train aswell as my family ofcourse, but training is what i do even if im not world class or even national standard. Credit to your courage mate.

Your right to, its only the angiogram they didn't do. It was discussed but because all the other results were perfect, there was nothing to indicate it needed done as there are risks around doing one, ie stroke and even heart attack.

 

[maldorf]

Cheers Maldorf, You wouldn't beleive the releif i have right now even though ive still the pain in my chest. I even asked before i was discharged if they were sure my heart was fine and i was told definitely. I hope to god there right, but i can't see how they could be wrong after all the tests.

I kept thinking of what happened to you my friend and how you had coped with it. I was like telling them if they told me i couldnt train etc id be devistated as its my life to train aswell as my family ofcourse, but training is what i do even if im not world class or even national standard. Credit to your courage mate.

Your right to, its only the angiogram they didn't do. It was discussed but because all the other results were perfect, there was nothing to indicate it needed done as there are risks around doing one, ie stroke and even heart attack.

Yeah, with the angiogram you could possibly develop a clot which could travel around the body and lodge somewhere else. It is pretty invasive too. You wouldnt believe the brusing I got from mine. I had one in each leg. Today, 5 weeks later, I still have bruises! I was on heparin though, an anticoagulant. I am also on plavix now, so that might slow down the bruise healing. Im not sure, but I still have bruises and the inner part of my thigh is painful if I touch the bruise.

 

[T TOTAL]

Yeah, with the angiogram you could possibly develop a clot which could travel around the body and lodge somewhere else. It is pretty invasive too. You wouldnt believe the brusing I got from mine. I had one in each leg. Today, 5 weeks later, I still have bruises! I was on heparin though, an anticoagulant. I am also on plavix now, so that might slow down the bruise healing. Im not sure, but I still have bruises and the inner part of my thigh is painful if I touch the bruise.

Maldorf, after going through this little scare my thoughts are with you my friend. For the 3 days i was sure there was damage, even afew hours before i was discharged with the all clear i had a nurse tell me i had angina now and would be on various med for life. As it turned out she was way off the mark and the surgeon even said he had no idea where she got that info from as all my readings/results had been coming back as normal.

I hope you recover well mate, take care and be strong eh