quitting steroids,

maldorf · Dec 3, 2019

pickapeck said:
Personally, I think it's worth a shot to try and restart. I went off after cycling for over 3 years back in the early 90s. It took over a year to recover. I cycles again for over 3 years and again stopped. It again took over a year to recover. Then when I turned 46 I started to ahve the normal mid life slowdown so I started cycling again. After every run I went off for at least 12 weeks and up to 6 months. I always tested before going back on and always tested in the mid 500s to mid 600s. The difference between the way we did it back in the 80s and 90s is that a lot of us actually CYCLED. That means we went on and off meaning we took months and months off between cycles. We didn't always recover between cycles and the longer you cycle the longer it takes to completely recover. But if you take time off your HPTA at least comes back on line. It might limp along but you are exercising it. If you blast and cruise you can put it to sleep and maybe permanently. I recovered into my mid 50s. Now not so much. But I did it successfully for a long long time. Those periods that I ws off I felt great. I stayed in shape and once things were back on line a lot of the muscle came back and it sure was liberating to not have to be dependent on some shot. I'm not sure why so many men have trouble restarting. My guess is blast and cruise puts the boys to sleep and maybe they never wake up. Most of the guys that cycled from back in my day seem to have recovered. They went off, had kids and went on to other things in life. Some continued to train and some didn't. Seems to me like the 70s through the 90s were the best far as habits of abuse that let recovery happen. Now with internet candy stores, blast and cruise and long long cycles it seems like we are having more issues. In the 80s-90s there was no common TRT or clinics. We just went off. Often concentrated on other things in life like masters degree etc. A year went by and recovery happened. No wringing of the hands. No clinic looking to sell TRT. No boards yelling "you're doing it wrong". Just stopped and eventually recovered.

I agree 100%. Im a bit younger than you, about 50 years old, and remember how we used to cycle on and off. Didnt do PCT in the 80s and 90s. I had limited experience then, but I never knew anyone selling PCT drugs. It was all just basic stuff, and you would pyramid your doses up and then down to make it easier when you got off. We recovered because I would be off for 6 months or more and felt fine. That was early on for me. Later in the early 2000s it was cycling on and off into a PCT. Stayed off if you were good about it the same time that you were on, that was the rule. Time on=time off. Then in the mid 2000s it started to be you would cycle and then go onto a TRT dose that for me ended up being about 250 mg/wk test cyp. It was then that my health issues started to come on stronger.

After my heart attack i was off for 11 months and never recovered. The endo gave up too and prescribed me my testosterone.

Rogue · Dec 3, 2019

Some excellent information being discussed,
If I was giving a friend advise, and that person had been 'ON' for a prolonged period of time. I would implement a TRT protocol of mid level healthy Testosterone level as a ramp for your intended discontinuance of exogenous testosterone use.
This TRT period will help your body adjust around a "normal" level and bring many of its functions within range.
The transition from TRT into complete discontinuance would be more likely to be successfully achieved after this transitional stage.
As mentioned above I would not recommend the use of a PCT at this point.
HPTA recovery is different from restoring gonadotropic functions. PCT is intended for the latter and often, you can restore gonadotropic function while on a full blow cycle... temporarily while using the PCT drugs.That is NOT your objective here.
Androgen receptor UPREGULATE when using AAS, they are responsible for MANY functions in you body.
Successfully restoring HPTA function involves primarily DOWNREGULATING these additional receptor close to normalcy...
The use of exogenous testosterone WITHIN range will allow you to stay functional while you down regulate these additional androgen receptor that would otherwise still be starved even if your body was to immediately return to it pre-cycle level of Testosterone production.
It will take a little time, your objective is to stay healthy and fit during that transitional period.

NovaPharma · Dec 3, 2019

When I did my first shot, I knew it was going to be for the rest of my life.

Unless some serious health reason that would get me off trt.

maldorf · Dec 3, 2019

Rogue said:
Some excellent information being discussed,
If I was giving a friend advise, and that person had been 'ON' for a prolonged period of time. I would implement a TRT protocol of mid level healthy Testosterone level as a ramp for your intended discontinuance of exogenous testosterone use.
This TRT period will help your body adjust around a "normal" level and bring many of its functions within range.
The transition from TRT into complete discontinuance would be more likely to be successfully achieved after this transitional stage.
As mentioned above I would not recommend the use of a PCT at this point.
HPTA recovery is different from restoring gonadotropic functions. PCT is intended for the latter and often, you can restore gonadotropic function while on a full blow cycle... temporarily while using the PCT drugs.That is NOT your objective here.
Androgen receptor UPREGULATE when using AAS, they are responsible for MANY functions in you body.
Successfully restoring HPTA function involves primarily DOWNREGULATING these additional receptor close to normalcy...
The use of exogenous testosterone WITHIN range will allow you to stay functional while you down regulate these additional androgen receptor that would otherwise still be starved even if your body was to immediately return to it pre-cycle level of Testosterone production.
It will take a little time, your objective is to stay healthy and fit during that transitional period.

Thank you for a great post. I think that is THE most intelligent post about this subject that I have ever read.

Not everyone is going to be able to recover, but it really is worth the try. It is more healthy to be natural, but if your levels are too low it's better to be in HRT. It is good to see guys willing to give it a try.

EWRECK · Dec 3, 2019

My heaviest usage which would be nothing to most on this board was 300test 200tren for 6 to 8 month runs starting around 44 years old. I did a few cycles during my college football years but honestly have no idea what I was even taking. Currently 52 and I quit on my 50th bday for numerous reasons, health being #1 even though the only thing that was wrong was slightly elevated BP. My natural test has came back fine, 550 to 600 free range and I’m told thats pretty good for my age. I’ve never looked like a bodybuilder but I do look like a non frequenter of buffets. Strength down,some muscle loss,but still horny and active as ever. We’re all gonna check out somehow and I’m a firm believer in freedom of choice.

thewizkid · Dec 3, 2019

pickapeck said:
Personally, I think it's worth a shot to try and restart. I went off after cycling for over 3 years back in the early 90s. It took over a year to recover. I cycles again for over 3 years and again stopped. It again took over a year to recover. Then when I turned 46 I started to ahve the normal mid life slowdown so I started cycling again. After every run I went off for at least 12 weeks and up to 6 months. I always tested before going back on and always tested in the mid 500s to mid 600s. The difference between the way we did it back in the 80s and 90s is that a lot of us actually CYCLED. That means we went on and off meaning we took months and months off between cycles. We didn't always recover between cycles and the longer you cycle the longer it takes to completely recover. But if you take time off your HPTA at least comes back on line. It might limp along but you are exercising it. If you blast and cruise you can put it to sleep and maybe permanently. I recovered into my mid 50s. Now not so much. But I did it successfully for a long long time. Those periods that I ws off I felt great. I stayed in shape and once things were back on line a lot of the muscle came back and it sure was liberating to not have to be dependent on some shot. I'm not sure why so many men have trouble restarting. My guess is blast and cruise puts the boys to sleep and maybe they never wake up. Most of the guys that cycled from back in my day seem to have recovered. They went off, had kids and went on to other things in life. Some continued to train and some didn't. Seems to me like the 70s through the 90s were the best far as habits of abuse that let recovery happen. Now with internet candy stores, blast and cruise and long long cycles it seems like we are having more issues. In the 80s-90s there was no common TRT or clinics. We just went off. Often concentrated on other things in life like masters degree etc. A year went by and recovery happened. No wringing of the hands. No clinic looking to sell TRT. No boards yelling "you're doing it wrong". Just stopped and eventually recovered.

I will take your advice and try it out restarting my natural test, i actually agree, i never had a friend who hasn't been able to restart their natural test. my only reason for doing it is i had low test levels before i started anabolics, but ill give it a shot anyways. I wouldn't mind test at the lower end as long as it doesn't affect my bloodwork in anyway, ie. lower insulin sensitivity, cholesterol etc.

im seeing my endo anyways, will see what she says as well

GASPARI said:
Quit? Impossible for me. I did try to quit some twenty years ago, but couldn't. It was just so hard to adjust to how I was feeling and my lack of sex drive. I just could not live like that. Now 20 years later I'm having some heart issues been thru 5 surgeries due to heavy lifting and my connective tissues couldn't handle my strength. Still doing test and gH, and sometimes Tren and some orals. Yes, I've made health issues because of my usage, but I've accepted it for what it is. No regrets, none whatsoever.

its never too late to quit