quitting steroids,

[thewizkid]

cycled for about 6 years, blast to cruises,

finally throwing in the towel, going to quit my goal to have a "bodybuilding" physique, strictly for longevity and health reasons.

wanted to ask, would it be better to get off completely and try to restart natural test or just stay on TRT the rest of my life?

I am still planning to workout to maintain a healthy weight, eat healthy, etc.
im debating whether i should get off completely, reason being i had low natural test levels prior to starting gear, which is actually why i started. and by low i mean it was below normal

TRT would just be enough test to keep my levels in the mid-high normal range, don't want to put my levels above normal, or use any anti estrogens.
I'll make sure my estrogen is in range

are there any health risks with being on TRT vs not being on TRT? does it tax the body more having to process injectable testosterone vs naturally produced?

will be discussing with my endocrinologist but just wanted to ask what peoples thoughts were on this or if anyone has experience

 

[MyNameIsJeff]

are there any health risks with being on TRT vs not being on TRT? does it tax the body more having to process injectable testosterone vs naturally produced?

No and no. If your TRT dose is low enough to keep you in the normal range of test, then there are no negative effects on health (other than infertility, which can be addressed). On the contrary, being hypogonadal for years on end does carry health risks.

 

[LK3]

keeping test within the medium to medium high end of the "natural" spectrum is probably the best option for most.
if you can do that naturally great, if not there is trt, at some point age becomes a factor and then it comes down to what is best for your personal risk perameters of life.

there are studies to show that low test in men is not a good thing, low test aides muscle loss as we age, and muscle protects against slip and fall sort of injuries that a a major factor to personal decline in later years.

there are things we can say about trt and cns

blood clots may be a factor just like female bc. ( may be )
i prefer life with test as to life without.

 

[supermofo]

If it were me and I could recover a healthy natural testosterone level that would also allow me to feel good both physically and mentally, that's the route I'd explore first... If not, a healthy TRT protocol is the logical route to take for optimal health and quality of life. Just my opinion of if it were me but the choice is for you to decide what's best for you. Do your research and you will probably have some trial and error but that's just part of finding the best path for you. Life is a everchanging process so what's perfect today may not be what's best in a decade. I'm sure you can relate to what I'm saying. Always be paying attention. Best wishes brothers.

 

[buck]

Keeping a healthy level of test on your own would have to be a better way to go. Test is just one step in the hormone chain. And disrupting it to have a number that we want may not be the healthiest you. As the natural cascade could be changed. But if you were low to start and feeling bad, then that has to be looked into. Some people feel better at the lower end.

 

[j4ever]

I think if your levels will come back to a healthy range that you feel good at I would go that route, its very individual and can depend heavily on your age, IF you need to go on TRT you will know it, before I started TRT I was off everything for long time, it got to the point where I had absolutely no drive/motivation, my wife would go train with me and I just had nothing and just sit there, she would say come on bitch what are you doing, lol, went on TRT and made a world of difference, I started when I was 50.

 

[thewizkid]

Hm, seems like i'll try the restarting natural testosterone route first and see how it goes

it seems like the only benefit would be the ability to keep testosterone levels from declining when using trt from things like overtraining or dieting

i remember reading that people that train intensely like marathon runners, cardiovascular athletes had low testosterone levels. Would this actually be detrimental to health?

 

[maldorf]

Hm, seems like i'll try the restarting natural testosterone route first and see how it goes

it seems like the only benefit would be the ability to keep testosterone levels from declining when using trt from things like overtraining or dieting

i remember reading that people that train intensely like marathon runners, cardiovascular athletes had low testosterone levels. Would this actually be detrimental to health?

Back after my heart attack in 08 I went off everything of course and went about 11 months on nothing. I was seeing an endo that thought I would recover my natural production. We tried. My LH never got up over "below measurable levels" on the blood test. My total test would come back between about 35 and 50! Suffered almost 1 year that way and while I was trying to recover from a bad heart attack. It was hell. I still think it was worth trying. It is more healthy to not use exogenous testosterone if you can. If you suffer from low test it is bad for your health, and I read more than a few studies that showed men with low test levels have a higher mortality rate after a heart attack than do men with a normal level. Im glad I am on.

See what the endo thinks. I would try to regain your production if you can, and if like me it doesnt come back then get on. I dont think me having low T for about 1 year did any permanent damage although I just felt like shit most of the time. I was still lifting in the gym though.

 

[FrancisK]

You say "quitting" like you're on heroin or something, don't make it that dire. You don't see a reason to use AAS anymore that's totally understandable and an intelligent decision but don't make yourself out to be some junkie.


Run some HCG, take 6 months off and see what your levels are at. Even if they are low and you feel good you're all set, the numbers don't mean shit if you feel good. If they are low and you feel like crap then go on TRT, but know that TRT is just one step down from using steroids you'll always have an easy trigger ready to jump back in "I'm already on some test might as well thrown in some var, then some primo....then fuck it some tren summer is coming".

Haha you know our minds are programmed differently after knowing what that stuff does to us!

 

[maldorf]

Y. Even if they are low and you feel good you're all set, the numbers don't mean shit if you feel good. If they are low and you feel like crap then go on TRT,

I think this is what the good endos use as a guideline in prescription. Mine asks me how I feel and how good my libido is etc. If it is really low like mine was then youre going to feel like crap, but yours could be just at or below the normal level and you feel fine. Try to be honest with the doctor. If you want to err of the safe side you could exaggerate your negative symptoms while off and the doc would most probably prescribe more or at least be more likely to prescribe at all.

 

[aphextwin]

Back after my heart attack in 08 I went off everything of course and went about 11 months on nothing. I was seeing an endo that thought I would recover my natural production. We tried. My LH never got up over "below measurable levels" on the blood test. My total test would come back between about 35 and 50! Suffered almost 1 year that way and while I was trying to recover from a bad heart attack. It was hell. I still think it was worth trying. It is more healthy to not use exogenous testosterone if you can. If you suffer from low test it is bad for your health, and I read more than a few studies that showed men with low test levels have a higher mortality rate after a heart attack than do men with a normal level. Im glad I am on.

See what the endo thinks. I would try to regain your production if you can, and if like me it doesnt come back then get on. I dont think me having low T for about 1 year did any permanent damage although I just felt like shit most of the time. I was still lifting in the gym though.

Wow! I've never heard of anyone being that low. I would hate to see what I'm at now.

 

[maldorf]

Im seeing a level of around 35 to 90 is normal for a healthy young woman.

 

[pheenix]

Been on script TRT for 5 years. Emerics 10mg really was a blessing. As the others said, try legit TRT see how you feel

 

[Delt123]

Testosterone replacement therapy and cardiovascular risk - Nature Reviews Cardiology

Conflicting findings about the effects of testosterone replacement therapy on the risk of cardiovascular disease have been reported in various studies and clinical trials. In this Review, Gagliano-Jucá and Basaria discuss the design, outcomes and shortcomings of studies on testosterone...

www.nature.com

A review study on TRT and cardiovascular risks.

‘Some retrospective studies and randomized trials have suggested that testosterone replacement therapy increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, which has led the FDA to release a warning statement about the potential cardiovascular risks of testosterone replacement therapy. However, no trials of testosterone replacement therapy published to date were designed or adequately powered to assess cardiovascular events; therefore, the cardiovascular safety of this therapy remains unclear.’

There is a study that is called TRANSVERSE trial, that has 6000 participants and started in 2018 and will last for +-5 years. This will hopefully give us a better view at the potential risks (if any).

 

[maldorf]

None of my doctors were too worried about me being on TRT after my heart attack except for watching my H/H. I get a CBC every 2 or 3 months and a phlebotomy if need be. I am also on coumadin, but I have a blood clot disorder and had a clot/heart attack. Ive been on for 11 years. I think if there was a big risk that I would be one person that doctors wouldn't want on it. I think it is like most things, you have to compare the risks with the rewards and go with what is best. In my case my levels were so low that they might be considered on the low end for a woman, and it was causing depression and other side effects in my life that were bad for life expectancy.

Keep in mind that I am taking a true TRT dose of 100 mg/wk, some are on even less and doing well. Emeric has his 10 mg/day protocol that many swear by. Some mention taking 200 mg/wk or more as being TRT.

 

[thewizkid]

Back after my heart attack in 08 I went off everything of course and went about 11 months on nothing. I was seeing an endo that thought I would recover my natural production. We tried. My LH never got up over "below measurable levels" on the blood test. My total test would come back between about 35 and 50! Suffered almost 1 year that way and while I was trying to recover from a bad heart attack. It was hell. I still think it was worth trying. It is more healthy to not use exogenous testosterone if you can. If you suffer from low test it is bad for your health, and I read more than a few studies that showed men with low test levels have a higher mortality rate after a heart attack than do men with a normal level. Im glad I am on.

See what the endo thinks. I would try to regain your production if you can, and if like me it doesnt come back then get on. I dont think me having low T for about 1 year did any permanent damage although I just felt like shit most of the time. I was still lifting in the gym though.

interesting, i'll give it a shot and see if my body bounces back

You say "quitting" like you're on heroin or something, don't make it that dire. You don't see a reason to use AAS anymore that's totally understandable and an intelligent decision but don't make yourself out to be some junkie.


Run some HCG, take 6 months off and see what your levels are at. Even if they are low and you feel good you're all set, the numbers don't mean shit if you feel good. If they are low and you feel like crap then go on TRT, but know that TRT is just one step down from using steroids you'll always have an easy trigger ready to jump back in "I'm already on some test might as well thrown in some var, then some primo....then fuck it some tren summer is coming".

Haha you know our minds are programmed differently after knowing what that stuff does to us!

A bit ironic don’t you think?

 

[little slice]

send me your leftover gear

 

[FrancisK]

interesting, i'll give it a shot and see if my body bounces back




A bit ironic don’t you think?

Ironic in what way?

 

[maldorf]

send me your leftover gear

I threw out about 100 vials of roids and 20 vials of GH after my heart attack.

 

[thethinker48]

You can stop the extra drug use and just do TRT and continue to eat and train like a bodybuilder, and you’d still look damn good I bet and be healthy.