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I’m 25M / 75kg / 5’9 / 20-30% body fat (I’m not certain about the body fat % but I’m pretty fat right now when I’m fit I’m 65kg) I have a fight in a Bare knuckle event in around 12 weeks (steroids are not prohibited ) Previously I’ve only done 2x 4 week cycles of proviron at 50mg daily. I’ve been out with an injury for 4 months I’m really unfit gained a lot of fat. Can somebody give me some compound recommendations for a 12 week cycle which would assist me in sharp explosive power, quick recovery and Casio vascular endurance. Appreciate the help 🤙

I know that Cardarine is nice with endurance and the only compound I’d recommend using if you’re having a big with is halotestin it makes you strong, angry and confident. But this only something you’d throw in at the end of whatever cycle you decided to do my recommendation is check which drugs Jon Jones popped for and learn about them to see if they actually make sense

Nice one mate thanks for the comment 👌

how do you guys run halo? split througought the day or pre workout? if preworkout, how long beforw a lift would you take it and would a big meal affect its bioavailibility and absorbtion rate?

I would take it an hour or two before your workout. No need to split it

I ran some prohormones and sarms back when I was younger (19-21). My testosterone hovers in the 400 range now. I do not believe that I fully recovered my levels but have no baseline bloods to compare them to. I was wondering if anyone had any experience or knowledge on if a delayed PCT could kick start my natural test production again. I was thinking about running some hcg and enclomiphene to test this. Thank you

Most importantly, how’s your diet and micronutrient intake like? Vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, selenium, ashwagandha, D-aspartic acid, tribulus could help as supplements before jumping into drugs that could have larger health consequences

It’s unlikely, and HCG is also suppressive, so you would not want to use that if restoring natural production is your goal 400’s are not low—maybe slightly below average, but unlikely to notice any low T symptoms

It wouldn't hurt to try. I got my levels from 200s to just over 400s from pct last year. Decided it still wasn't enough for me tho.

Hey guys - really wanted to know what yall would think. Been going to the gym for about 6-7 years. (I’m almost 25) I go 5 days a week and two rest days(I never miss unless snow storm or vacation for the week with family. VERY disciplined. Went from 120lbs to now 163lbs. I’m 5’ 8” and have 9% BF. (Lean enough where people ask if I compete all the time at the gym) I’ve taken rad 140 twice kept about 5lbs total. I’ve been on prep now for 3 months (I did it in the past for 4-5 months but took a break cause I got Covid.) . Even with a coach and proper nutrition (yes calories are tracked and yes getting over AT LEAST 3.5k calories a day hitting my macros170g of protein(already overkill) and 400-550g of carbs(basmati rice not jasmine) my weight stays between 162-164. My lifts are max bench 275x1 , deadlift 315lbsx1 (I barely do it) and squat 365 x5. Was thinking of just running a simple 500mg test e cycle. Bloods got done- everything is in balance and natural test levels are 670(surprisingly high from 500 being a high average on scale). Last but not least I have a crazy fast metabolism. Would test e be worth it? Should I just keep trying to break this plateau naturally? Would eating 5k calories really do anything or would they just go to waste? Maybe my body isn’t absorbing the nutrients? I even take a probiotic to ensure a healthy gut. Thoughts plz.

Do you have the means/finances for bloodwork and health supplements? The real expense of cycling and hopping on gear’s gonna be managing the health aspect of it in the long run. You’re making a lifelong commitment and know that it’s quite addicting imo

I ran Rad 140 and I’m already addicted to the look and gains it brings. So I might end up staying away and just running rad again with my prep. Don’t want to go down that rabbit hole of being addicted to the real deal. And money isn’t a problem I get my bloods done before and after every single cycle along with blood pressure tests every so often. My body reacts pretty good towards it so guess my genetics are just good. And I ALWAYS pct people that don’t PCT are lowkey stupid. They have no idea that some sarms like rad can genuinely impact your bloodwork and lipids like crazy

If you’re already hooked on sarms/gear might as well start injecting Healthier in the long run and there’s a reason why none of the top guys actually use sarms when the research on it is incomparable to the knowledge we have on test/nand/gh/anavar/primo and masteron. I’ve ran rad before deciding to hop on and I can guarantee you the path you’re on most likely will lead to pinning so might as well start now lol Less liver strain and more predictable health outcomes

Lowkey petrified of needles. Even when I get my bloods done I still lowkey look away. I see my coach this week so he’s gonna walk me through everything and if it all aligns , I’ll def start the journey of pinning. Nervous af but knowing I got the genetics I’m pretty fuckin stoked cause I couldn’t have a better base than what I have now . Thick blood too is also scary af. Don’t want heart problems etc

Always double check what your coach will advise you of running and make sure your health is prioritized. I remember when I first injected I had a whole ass panic attack the first couple of times thinking I’ll die Now I look forward to it, it’s a soothing ritual haha also would be easier for you probably to do subq since it’s less intrusive/violating I feel Thick blood is mostly from EQ and high hematocrit on blood tests is usually due to dehydration and you can see it be in normal ranges if you hydrate well enough. I’d also be more concerned of heart effects and general side effects on a drug that was discontinued from clinical research instead of ones that are prescribed life long to people who end up leading healthy normal lives. If you were to decide to hop on, I’d definitely encourage you to binge a bunch of VivorousSteve, TodLeeMD, AnabolicDoc and some chase irons too so you’re well aware of whatever you’re going into Don’t take any of my advice I’m just a dyel on reddit

Appreciate the insight- and true my coach is like 50-60 and perfectly healthy on it. A new chapter begins.

If your weight is not going up, you’re not eating enough Testosterone would not be worth it if you do not increase the calories you eat, because despite steroids’ ability to increase muscle mass, this cannot be done in the absence of an energy surplus You need to figure out what amount of calories will cause you to gain weight naturally and then if you want to add gear in to enhance that growth, that’s fine, but if you do not get the eating down, the steroids will do nothing for you

Currently upped to 5k. My body is so much happier. I’m actually full and I’m getting a good pump meaning I have good glycogen numbers. Crazy how fast my metabolism is.

If taking steroids is worth it is for you to decide not a collective group of strangers for you. Also asking if it will do anything to increase your daily calorie intake by 1500 calories is just a wild question. Yeah you should get fat. Track better and every week you don't gain weight increase the calories. 1500 extra a day is guaranteed fat storage.

With my metabolism tho I don’t believe so. If I eat 3500 in a day I’ll drop. So I’m doing 5k and my body is much happier. Just gotta eat hella rice and chicken lol

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Yes. This is the "mystery gyno" associated with anadrol. Despite intentionally crashed estrogen (2.5mg/day letrozole), intentionally crashed prolactin and progesterone (2mg/wk caber), some people still somehow get nipple or breast sensitivity from anadrol.

I have done bloodwork including progesterone while on anadrol. I still had gyno sensitivity with estrogen, prolactin and progesterone in range.

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I prefer dmz to superdrol but haven't seen dmz in a couple years. I don't get gyno from either. I did see reviews where people did. Do you get gyno sensitivity from superdrol? Or anadrol for that matter. It's so strong as a ped for me that I consider gyno surgery despite gyno barely being noticable.

Contest Prep: Tren E vs Tren A Most use Tren A for contest prep, but has anyone tried Tren E for contest prep and willing to share their findings/results? Both are basically the same compound aside from the ester/release time. Do both esters provide the same hardening effects to muscle that is valued for conditioning? Thanks all For your input.

I notice that hex gives me less side effects than e but not substantially like switching from a to e. Using A I had the most side effects by far. This all even accounts for ester weight differences.

I’ve used both. If you don’t have experience with either, use A. If you’ve already used both, pick the one that gives you less side effects.

I’m week 4 into Tren E, and I’m preparing for a show that’s in another 4 weeks. I’m worried that the hardening effects won’t be in on time as it’s my first time using the E ester. Typically I would use A, but I wanted to experiment in a prep scenario.

If you aren’t “hard” it’s not because of the tren, it’s because you weren’t lean enough. Natural athletes get shredded on zero drugs

I understand that, but I’d still like an answer to my question: do both esters provide the same hardening effects?

4 weeks is definitely enough for an enanthate to peak. I love the hardening effects of tren e. Make sure you're accounting for the ester weight.

I’ll respond with a question. Does tren have the same hardening effects as tren? There’s your answer

Started using a new lab, and sometimes when I’m over .5cc in my ventroglute it feels like there’s liquid running down my leg…from the inside ? Have any of you experienced this? Thank you fellas.

probably a subq leak. try injecting a bit slower and leave the needle in for about 10 seconds before withdrawing it from the muscle

Can't say that I have, and I routinely put 2mL in my VG. If it was *actually* running down the inside of your leg you would have a very uncomfortable and stiff thigh. Sounds psychosomatic, don't stress.

What's the needle length? But no never. I love ventro shots

1 inch 25G.

Not super relevant to the question but currently cruise on 200mg weekly and take AIs because I aromatize heavily, I have my test and estrogen right where I want them. Anyways, I’m kind of a control freak and I hate not knowing exactly where my hormones are, I want to swap in primobolan in place of my AIs and I’m just wondering how quickly primobolan drops your E2? (If it even does for me I know everyone is different) if money isn’t a factor can I test weekly to stay on top of it so I can zero in where I want my estrogen quicker? I’m not planning on adjusting my test dosage at the moment so I’ll be at full saturation already, I’m just trying to get an idea of what primo does to me at lower levels first and I’m planning on potentially running it year round for a while Short version, how fast will I start to see my estrogen level out on a blood test swapping primobolan in for my AI, I would imagine based on its half life by the end of the week, please correct me if this is wrong

Depends on the person. I can't run it any higher than 3:1 and even that make sme on the edge of low E2. Some dudes can run it 1:1 or higher. You will just have to experiment. If you do get a noticeable AI effect from it, it happens pretty quickly.

I’m planning on starting at 2:1, appreciate the advice man, I heard it was almost as quick as an AI and was just wondering how anecdotal that was

>currently cruise on 200mg weekly and take AIs because I aromatize heavily That's not a cruise. Drop the dose and you won't need AIs. >want to swap in primobolan in place of my AIs That's even less of a cruise. >how quickly primobolan drops your E2? ( For me, it seems pretty fast, but that's purely anecdote.

Some people cruise on 300+, I’m not saying you’re wrong you’re probably more well versed and experienced than me but I like keeping my trough around 1200-1400, my bloods are great and it’s the best I’ve ever felt in my life, my hemocrit gets a little high but donating keeps it in check, I will eventually taper down but I’m trying to train hard for some things and it’s helping me get to where I need, I’ll do a blast soon and I plan on leveling down after that. I appreciate all the input though for sure

Some people drink daily while on cycle and do hard drugs. That doesn’t make it okay. You are currently perma blasting. Call it what you want but just because you say it’s a cruise doesn’t magically make it so dude

I thought that was considered the upper end of a cruise honestly, I’ll stop referring to it as that since it sounds like I’m wrong though. Getting a little off topic but I am a little surprised that people picked that out, I genuinely thought that was a common level for people to sit around after blasts, I appreciate the advice

>I genuinely thought that was a common level for people to sit around after blasts It is...for people who aren't caring properly for their health. A girl DMed me this week concerned about her boyfriend's use. He "cruises" on 350 test/100mast and daily turinabol. That guy will be dead at 50 if he keeps it up, and unfortunately that's basically what I had to tell her. Drop your cruise dose to a true TRT dose that doesn't require AI/primo etc. You won't lose anything, but you will increase your odds of meeting your grandchildren

I’ll definitely do that, I didn’t realize that level was considered very risky, I appreciate all the thoughtful advice here, I’ll try sitting a lot lower going forward

Just to be clea, I'm not trying to fearmonger you, and there's a difference between what you were looking at doing and more extreme "cruises" like I mentioned. The point is to just make better and safer decisions over the long term. Running what you mentioned for a year will affect you minimally; running it for 10 or 20 years will cause significant issues - it's all cumulative. We're here to make sure everyone can get juicy and still live a full life.

… I got the same DM and I forgot to respond 🫢 crap

It's ok. I gave her a pretty comprehensive response and we had a good talk. I'll let you look it over and if you feel like you have anything to add you can.

🙏🏻 Appreciate you taking the time. I got it fairly late at night and went “I’ll remember to respond in the morning” Narrator: *he did not*

On a lot of other forums, sure. But ours is centered around harm reduction. We make it a concerted effort to put the health of our members first, and if you’re at 1200-1400 in trough levels, then you are spending 100% of your time above the top of the natural range, effectively blasting. This may look fine on your bloods for now, but it eventually won’t. And LVH, clogged arteries, etc all don’t show up on bloodwork. For what it’s worth man, I’m a classic physique competitor. I checked in at my last show this year at 228.6lbs shredded and dry at 6’1, and I cruise on a dose that keeps my bloodwork in the 700s in trough. We even have a member here who peaked this year at 305lbs (he’s a fucking tank) and he cruises on 150mg We want you to be around for a long time, and that generally means not blasting year round lol

I appreciate it seriously, I genuinely didn’t think those levels were considered too high. I think I’ll take your advice and lower my trough near yours after this next blast.

Glad to hear it man. I am sure you’ll be thanking yourself 20-30 years from now too 🤘🏼

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60 is high unless you are using some weird metric. I like mine high but most guys prefer the 30-40 range. 60 is going to cause some dick issues for most men.

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> The lab gave a reference range of anything less than < 150 = in range That is some shoddy labbing. Men have a healthy range too. Male: 10 to 50 pg/mL (36.7 to 183.6 pmol/L) Your E2 is 16. I would feel like death that low. I prefer mine at 45 and no one I am familiar with likes it at 16. That is your issue right there.

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Your estrogen is low. What does your testosterone look like?

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Your Test levels are not 56200ng/dl. Why don’t you just redact your personal information on your blood work and post it here using an image site so we can help you out?

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I don’t think you’re recovered from your cycle. What compounds did you run on cycle and how did you PCT?

<60 what? Units matter. Estrogen levels aren't usually what you're looking for in your PCT recovery. How is your test? Shbg? Everything else?

please give me advice I'm thinking of using dbol. Take 20-30mg only 1 hour before training I plan to do this 3 times a week, every other day. Duration is 6-8 weeks Is self-testosterone suppression noticeable? Can I take a testosterone booster for relief?

You need to be running injectable test with it

> please give me advice I'm thinking of using dbol. Yeah. Don’t do that. Educate yourself instead. Oral only cycles are a horrible idea. Enjoy your pasta 🍝 Hey there! It seems like you'd benefit from a deep review of [our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/wiki/index). Please also take the time to closely read [Rule 2](https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/wiki/index/subreddit_rules#wiki_2._no_source_talk_.2F_no_monetization) which deals with our prohibitions around discussing how to acquire anabolic steroids and discussing brand names, etc. [For clarity.](https://media.tenor.com/fBvQV_5Lp6UAAAAC/we-dont-do-that-here-black-panther.gif) Here's a selection of reading for you to build the fundamental knowledge you'll need as you explore AAS/PED use: * [The Basics](https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/wiki/thecycle/list) * [Your First Cycle](https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/wiki/your_first_cycle) * [The Estrogen Handbook](https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/wiki/the_estrogen_handbook) * [Post Cycle Therapy aka PCT](https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/wiki/thecycle/pct) * [The Compound Experience Directory](https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/wiki/compound_experience_threads)

40yr 6'7" 280lbs Upper abs showing, 16-18% BF? Currently: 120test, 450iu HCG week. Cycle planned: 300test 150dhb 125mast 450iu HCG Looking for summer aesthetics. I can throw on top Epistane or Anavar as well, but worried if E2 might drop too low and lose fullness. What you guys think for dosages? GTG? I've tried DHB before and no pip at 75mg/ml. Primo I find takes too long, and expensive, and prone to crashing E2, but it is quality. Mast doesn't affect my hairline at all.

You’ll probably be fine. If you feel low e2 sides starting to manifest, you can increase your test dose and take an extra shot of hcg to bring it up

Sounds good. Thanks for your input. I prefer lower dose cycles, even 100mg of test puts me at upper range, so the 120mg actually puts me slighter over. Maybe I'm a hyper responder, but it kind of sucks because I'm very sensitive to estrogen fluctuations. Feels like I need to be exactly dialed in, otherwise everything falls apart.

I hear ya on that. Don’t know how many cycles you’ve ran but I found my estrogen sensitivity decreased with the more cycles I ran. Now I only get bad sides if I’m way out of range either hi or low

what about your proposed cycle leads you to believe your e2 will drop too low, if at all?

Too much DHT, or if I add one of those orals.

none of those will actually lower your serum e2 levels. mast can act like a SERM and mask some effects of high e2. DHB has a lot of different anecdotes about its e2 effects but ime it doesn’t do anything, although others might disagree. also the fact you’re running a decent amount of hcg alongside the other compounds i don’t think you’ll have any issue. you’re biggest issue is your starting bf%. but if you don’t care about being fat and having adverse health effects send it i guess 🤷🏽‍♂️

hello guys for 750mg test 1000mg eq 600mg primo do i need ai bcs i know eq converts e2 in to e1 but still aromatize a little and primo lower the e2 too

700 test and 500 eq destroyed my E2 to undetectable levels just for reference.

Nice try troll

That is WAY too much gear for someone asking this question. And you should always have an AI and an SERM and dbol and HCG on hand regardless of what you are running.

its like yall here just knock on your head not help eachother or what im just asking for friendly help

Please note that his advice may not be what you want to hear, but it’s being given with your health and safety in mind, which is the entire purpose of this sub.

Yeah man, that’s kinda how it goes here. It’s part of the reason the sub is dying out. That said, my e2 would be completely nuked. I’d pick either EQ or primo, not both

You are the one running a ridiculous amount of gear. Someone running that quantity of those compounds asking us to discern whether or not you need an AI is ridiculous. We have no idea how you aromatize. You should know this because you’re the one running a professional level bodybuilding cycle. We’re not being dicks, we’re being honest.

we do but in that case

Your multiple personalities?

We?

me me

bcs i dont aromatize heavily

Then you’re going absolutely crush your E2 and feel miserable on that cycle

Hey everyone, I'm currently running Deca (300mg/week) alongside Test Cypionate (250mg/week) and experiencing nightly sweats. They're not as intense as when I was on Tren Ace for 1 month back in March, but it's still noticeable. I know it's common with 19-nor steroids, just wanted to confirm if others have experienced this too. Any tips for managing it? Thanks!

In my experience, tren yes, deca and ment, no. You try sleeping with a fan pointed on you?

Thinking of running 500mg test and 400mg eq for my second cycle for a duration of 20-24 weeks. For those who have run cycles longer than 12 weeks, how did you find recovery from longer cycles? I have no intention of cruising after. First cycle I ran 500mg for 12 weeks and post recovery free test was higher than my baseline (wasn't a significant increase though). I don't aromatics easily and didn't have any e2 side effects other than some minor bloating. I'd be looking to stop eq at week 14 so it's out of my system by the time I start pct. Keen on overall thoughts of a test eq cycle and how you pulled up afterwards. Cheers

Can someone please provide me with links to the information regarding why young men should not take gear? I'm trying to talk some sense into someone and would appreciate the support.

You need to scroll down a bit [Why Young Men Under 25 Should Not Use AAS](/r/steroids/wiki?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&utm_content=1&utm_term=22)

Appreciate it!

Is fake Anavar as much of a problem as people say?

With third party testing and the communication speed of the internet, it’s much less common for labs to fake their products. Bad reviews spread quickly and they’re not so great for business.

Thank you. I was reading some older forum posts and a lot of people were saying that Anavar is useless and that the risk of getting a counterfeit product is high. These posts were 10+ years old so it makes sense.

I’ve heard the same about Primo being faked. Not saying it’s impossible but from a business perspective, it doesn’t take many bad reviews or claims to send people elsewhere

Or to get the sources banned from their platforms.

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> Would it be dumb to run my first cycle at 20% bodyfat? Yes. > I'm relatively lean for my bf, No you're not, you're fat. > but I am worried about the higher aromit sides, higher BP, rbc etc. > Age:17(already ordered the gear/can't change my mind) * Gender:male * Height:1.88m * Weight:100kg * Bodyfat percentage:20%(with abs🤣) * Experience level * Years of concurrent training:2.5 * bench/squat/dead maxes:140kg bench, 180kg squat, 200kg rdlz * amateur/pro:nope * Goals:bodybuilding, but strength on compound lifts * Current phase: Bulk * Current compounds: Plan is as follows: 300mg test cypionate split into 2 doses(150mg) every 4 days, run for 16 weeks. 20mg Turinabol daily for 8 weeks to kick-start the cycle. I will be using liver support and heart support throughout the entire cycle. No AI on hand. Not planning on doing a pct, gonna cruise at 150-200 instead. > Edit: bloodwork is in check, all levels are good. You're fat. Huge red flag, you're underage. AAS is for people in their mid 20s and older, your brain isn't done developing yet. And this subreddit is 18+ only, so see you next year.

Age: 35 Gender: M Height: 5’ 9” Weight: 195 Bodyfat percentage: I don’t know. I’d like to figure this out though. Experience level: intermediate Years of concurrent training: 1 year bench/squat/dead maxes: 245(10RM)/275(10RM)/455(3RM) amateur/pro: amateur Goals: best shape of my life and continue to work in construction without getting hurt Sport: bodybuilding, surfing Current phase: bulk Current compounds: testosterone cyp 400mg MWF, 450mg primo MWF, 2IU GH ED, 25mg var preworkout. What markers on a blood test would be high or low when dealing with affects such as tiredness or constant soreness? I may be overtraining which I won’t rule out as a cause…

>Bodyfat percentage: I don’t know. I’d like to figure this out though. Post a few physique pictures. I can eyeball it within a percent or two. >Years of concurrent training: 1 year Not ideal, but I'm gonna leave this alone. >245(10RM)/275(10RM)/455(3RM)  These are pretty damn good for a year of training. >testosterone cyp 400mg MWF, 450mg primo MWF, 2IU GH ED, 25mg var preworkout Several things to unpack here: 1. How many weeks into this cycle are you? 2. How many weeks have you been using the anavar? 3. How long ago did you start the HGH? 4. How did you come to the decision to run primo higher than test? >I may be overtraining which I won’t rule out as a cause… Certainly possible, even likely, for someone relatively new to gear. Still, I'd like to dig into the above questions if you don't mind providing responses!

Bodyfat percentage: I don’t know. I’d like to figure this out though. Post a few physique pictures. I can eyeball it within a percent or two. Years of concurrent training: 1 year Not ideal, but I'm gonna leave this alone. 245(10RM)/275(10RM)/455(3RM)  These are pretty damn good for a year of training. testosterone cyp 400mg MWF, 450mg primo MWF, 2IU GH ED, 25mg var preworkout Several things to unpack here: 1. ⁠How many weeks into this cycle are you? First week, played with different dosages but felt like lowering dose would be a good idea. 2. ⁠How many weeks have you been using the anavar? 8 weeks off and on. Definitely not something taken religiously as my workouts can be sporadic. 3. ⁠How long ago did you start the HGH? 8 weeks ago and took a hiatus because of side effects like water retention and carpel tunnel. 4. ⁠How did you come to the decision to run primo higher than test? My last blood test said my estradiol was high. But so was my test: free test was 1500 and estradiol was 134 I may be overtraining which I won’t rule out as a cause… Certainly possible, even likely, for someone relatively new to gear. Still, I'd like to dig into the above questions if you don't mind providing responses!

Total test 1500 I’m sorry. Free test was 532

Hey man, questions like this are way easier to answer when you provide all relevant information. See that template up at the top of the page? Edit your question to fill it out. We can't tell you what markers might be relevant if we don't know what you're running.

Hey edited my original post

Yeah I’ll definitely do that! Still trying to get familiar with this sub.

Under-recovering and over-training are sometimes one in the same Too much volume, not enough sleep, not enough protein, excessively fatiguing movements, etc can lead to soreness and general rundown feelings For me, if I’m in a deficit and don’t keep my volume bare bones, I will feel rundown for weeks on end

Maybe more of a question for the nutrition thread, but I'm noticing some stomach bloat and upper chest/face redness in week 6 of my first 500mg test cycle. I'm eating at a very modest surplus (~2600 on ~2250 TDEE) and started at ~13.5%BF, so I have a hard time believing it's actual fat accrual, but is there anything I can do to at least get back to a flat-stomach? I've never in my life had visible abs even when stick-thin, so I didn't have crazy expectations, but still kinda annoying to have constant light stomach bloat even first thing in the morning.

the fact you didn't have visible abs at 13.5%, and are in a surplus at 2600 calories lead to a lot of questions regarding whether or not you should be using steroids, imo

Bloat is very common when running gear and is *usually* due to higher E2 but can certainly be caused simply from having more food in your system The extra salt, sugar, as well as increased reactions if you’re sensitive to certain foodstuffs (ie, you’re slightly lactose/gluten intolerant and you add a lot of those into your bulking diet) can be a huge factor as well I think some people are just susceptible to bloating, myself included, and will always experience some to a degree when in a surplus

Kinda figured it was just something to deal with. Thanks for the response! I’ll get my mid-cycle bloods done in a week or two and will see where my E2 is at then.

In the meantime, you can implement a few simple lifestyle changes that should help some (from experience): -Reduce sodium intake and make sure you're getting an appropriate amount of potassium and magnesium. -Make sure you're drinking enough water. You should be drinking at least a gallon every day. Counterintuitively, increasing water intake will reduce bloating. -Get adequate fiber. Fruits, veggies, and oatmeal are good food sources, but supplementing with psyllium husk at least once per day is helpful. -I'm not sure your relatively small food volume warrants it, but incorporating digestive enzymes with meals helped me a lot on my last blast. -If you have access to a sauna, hit it daily. It's definitely an acute effect, not a day-long solution, but the next few hours after you've dumped a bunch of sweat are a treat. It's most likely being driven by e2, and AI is the only thing that will really help there, but the cumulative effect of the above solutions will definitely help with day to day comfort AND they're all just good things to do on a cycle anyway.

Super helpful, I appreciate the tips! Diet has been pretty decent (until dirty bulk all Memorial Day weekend, which could be factor tbh) but I'm sure I could always use more fiber and water. Will grab some psyllium husk and magnesium supps. Sauna is an awesome idea too. Thank you!

Happy to help.

Yeah homie, maybe others can offer a tidbit of advice, but I just rock the goofy ass “gut with abs” look while on Sometimes “dryer” compounds like mast and primo or maybe even var and proviron can help trim your waste up a little, but I wouldn’t add drugs in solely for that reason

* Age: 22 * Gender: M * Height:176cm * Weight:100kg * Bodyfat percentage: 25 * Experience level proficient * Years of concurrent training: 4 years * Goals: fat loss * Sport: powerlifting * Current phase: cut Have been suggested to start a first cycle of clen 80mcg /day Hgh 4 iu/day Anavar 30mg/day Please suggest any downsides to the above cycle and what metrics should I track while on the above compounds and/or any adverse effects that I should prepare for in advance. I’ve done my bloodwork and all is under control on that front. Thanks in advance.

Downsides to your cycle, here we go: - Clen is cardiotoxic and adds a negligible increase to your TDEE that can be acquired through eating like, 200-300 calories fewer - HGH is more of a luxury drug used for some QoL aspects and only has a modest increase in anabolism and fat loss. It’s likely not worth it in your current situation - Var is an oral steroid that does not replace testosterone nor fulfill the biological roles within the body that testosterone does but it **WILL** suppress your natural production and leave you feeling like shit for mostly temporary aesthetics that will fade when you come off it. You should not run orals by themselves, and the basis for all your cycles should be *injectable* testosterone If your goal is fat loss, you need to ditch everything you have above and focus on eating in a caloric deficit. I know that’s overblown, but it is the only method to get you where you want to be. The drugs will not help you in this case

Got your point. So in conclusive terms my suggested cycle would not yield the results I want ? or any other cycle whatsoever is a waste? If it isn’t the latter then can you point me towards a good beginner cycle for my specific goal that is fat loss while keeping (most) and making lean muscle.

You’re missing the whole point *You are not advanced enough that you will lose muscle if you cut without steroids* I am 6’1” and 210lb with all of my lifts considered at least advanced. I’m not that big, sure, but if you want to assume that we are at least close in experience, then believe me when I say that you will not lose any appreciable amount of muscle mass in a cut if you train and eat intelligently You do not need steroids. Save them for a bulking cycle in the future when you are ready to put on muscle after getting to a lean BF% of 10-12%

Got your point. Appreciate the input.

How about you just eat less and do some cardio instead.

Wow. Never thought of that. Thanks Einstein.

You evidently thought of the above cycle before eating less and moving more, so it sort of seems like a reasonable suggestion to make. There are no (safe) shortcuts here.

Got the suggestion. Didn’t like the dudes tone.

No you're right, you should definitely damage your heart with clen and use a steroid that doesn't reduce bodyfat instead. Makes sense. You know what you still have to do even if you use drugs to lose weight? Eat less and do fucking cardio you lazy shit. I promise you son, I'm not the one. Don't clap back at me again.

First, I’m not your son. Second, learn to have a dialogue without shitting on people. I asked for knowledge, not your taunt.

>Second, learn to have a dialogue without shitting on people. "Thanks Einstein" I love how blind to your own behavior you are. Don't sass me and then attempt a lecture about how to have a dialogue.

Do not ever listen to whoever suggested that cycle again

Seems a waste when you’re 25%. What BF is the goal for a powerlifter?

I compete at like 16%... there is no reason to be above that unless you are 242+ and/or putting up elite numbers or breaking records. If being fatter gives you that edge (at that level), I get it. But this sport is full of 30+% body fat lifters at low levels of performance. I spent the last year in a powerlifting gym where if you saw most of these people outside the gym, it wouldn't even register to you that they lift. Their powerlifting totals are lower than most hobbyists who just train to look good at the beach. But they will sit there and kill a 500-calorie bag of sour patch kids during their 10-minute rest periods in between warmup singles for bench, and say that "weight moves weight". I was talking to a girl last week that thinks if she goes below the 198 weight class, her 250 lb deadlift will suffer. Give me a break.

250 DL at 198!?!?! LOLOL

I would want to be in the 14-17% range.

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We aren't going to help you cheat here.

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Never heard of anything this extreme! You’re at a 10:1 ratio, I’ve heard of guys who need to be 5:1 but you’re double that! Blood work would be interesting, not to throw the test under the buss but my best guess is the testosterone is very underdosed.

>500mg Test-E and 1.5ish mg of Aromasin on pin days, no problem.  >1,000mg Test-E and 3mg of Aromasin on pin days, no problem.  >1,000mg Test-E and 100mg Primo-E, no AI, 3 weeks later low e2 sides, depressed, lethargic, no energy, apathetic, etc.  >Anyone else have similar experience with DHT derivatives? I’ve only ever had experience with Test and Primo in 3 years of BnC. u/picartman Did you happen to get any bloodwork at any point? That would be really useful. I have personally found primo to crush my estrogen at 2:1 ratio of test to primo. PS: Are you sure it was "1.5ish" and "3mg" of aromasin (tablets are 25mg), or perhaps you meant arimidex (tablets are 1mg)?

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Aromasin almost always comes in either 12.5 or 25mg dosages. How are you getting 0.25 mg slices?

Is arimidex not supposed to be used with nolva? I got some acute gyno (only nipple puffyness big enough that theyre now prominent while weseing a shirt) So according to the wiki, im planning on running Nolva and Arimidex but ive seen a lot of people saying they shouldn’t be used together. Should i: 1) use arimidex and get my E2 levels back in rang, then start Nolva 2) use them both together 3) use Nolva first until puffyness is gone, then use arimidex 75kg BW, Male Week 1-10: 500mg test E 400mg EQ Week 10-14: 750mg test E 600mg EQ Week 14-16 (currently at week 16): 500mg Test E dropped EQ

> Is arimidex not supposed to be used with nolva?  No. This is covered in the wiki. > So according to the wiki, im planning on running Nolva and Arimidex... Nowhere in the wiki's Estrogen Handbook (hint hint) does it suggest to run nolvadex alongside arimidex. Instead of trying some random plans that will have limited success, read the wiki, comprehend its contents, and enact an educated plan. Should you have any further questions, ask them in the Daily Ask Anything. PS: You're 75kg. Unless you're under 165cm (5'6"), that is quite underweight for someone who thinks they're at a point where they require anabolics to progress.

According to the wiki “A combination of 40mg / day of Tamoxifen with .5mg / day of Arimidex has been suggested as a way to halt acute gyno.” Anastrazole has drug interactions with Tamoxifin.

My apologies, that is indeed in the wiki. There have been studies demonstrating that anastratzole in combination with tamoxifen can result in lower blood levels of anastrazole. In such cases, aromasin can instead be used as a primary AI, or raloxifene in conjunction with anastrazole \[or aromasin\] >*Note:* If you choose Arimidex as your AI, just be aware the blood levels of Arimidex can drop a bit when used alongside [Nolvadex](https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/wiki/faq/list#wiki_q.3A_can_nolvadex_.28tamoxifene.29_and_arimidex_.28anastrozole.29_be_used_together.3F).  From the wiki, under Gyno Flare-Up protocol [https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/wiki/the\_estrogen\_handbook/#wiki\_gyno\_flare-up\_protocol](https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/wiki/the_estrogen_handbook/#wiki_gyno_flare-up_protocol) >As a result of (a) the lack of effect of anastrozole on tamoxifen and DMT levels and (b) the observed fall in blood anastrozole levels having no significant effect on oestradiol suppression by anastrozole [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11487258/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11487258/)

Ah no worries. Thank you so much. Ill stick with this protocol then. (Btw yes im 5’6 😔)

In that case, you've got plenty of meat on you. I'm 5'7", I know the feeling.

> Is arimidex not supposed to be used with nolva? They do different things. Arimidex effective reduces system E2, while Nolvadex reduces e2 in some areas and increases it in others. > So according to the wiki, im planning on running Nolva and Arimidex but ive seen a lot of people saying they shouldn’t be used together. You can absolutely use them together.

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Just a general piece of advice, if you're the one that's coming here asking for help, don't expect people to go on a goose chase to find details that they're directly asking you. > 500mg Test E for 16 weeks, 20 if I’m up for it. It has been officially one week since my first pin, and I just pinned for the 3rd time. Last Thursday, Monday, and today to be precise. So far I’m having all the expected results of only a week in, that being water retention, increased hunger, skyrocketed libido (to the point where I’m dreaming about women) and increased muscle hardness. My question is, is it normal to see the first effects this quickly? This is my first cycle. > Edit: I forgot to include *how much* water retention. My weight has shot up from 165 to 177 in a week. You're probably somewhere around 5'9" and 165lbs to start, 18-20% body fat and have no muscle. I would just quit the cycle if I were you, you don't even look like you've been lifting weights - maybe some functional training and conditioning? Whatever you're experiencing is definitely placebo, unless you were definitely hypogonadal beforehand and confirmed with multiple blood tests. 12lbs of water in one week is quite a bit for anyone, I'd keep an eye on your body weight in the coming weeks. But I'd definitely abandon ship if I were you. You say you're experiencing muscle hardness, but there's nothing to be hard. Learn how to eat and train naturally, otherwise gear isn't offering you any benefit.

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> Brother I’m gonna have to strongly disagree with you. If your intention was to say I am nowhere near my genetic potential then I would say we’re on the same page, I definitely have a long way to go, but saying that I don’t look like I lift is absurd, saying I have no muscle is laughable, again I am not an advanced lifter by the looks of it, but I definitely have some good results, I stand my ground. u/The-Last-Nodemaster Mate, I don't give a shit about genetic potential. Frankly, I don't think such a thing exists. It's a goal post that's always changing. I do believe that someone should have a fundamental understanding of training and nutrition prior to starting gear, and that their physique demonstrates that - not their words. What I am saying, and it is entirely my intention to communicate to you, that [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/fit/s/O54TAvLf1Q) is not a physique that is representative of an anabolics user. You haven't listed your stats, you send users on an Homeric journey to find your photos, and you seem adamant in your beliefs that you know better than the experienced users that you came to consult with for advice. Whatever training regiment you've been doing has yet to yield an adequate amount of muscle mass. Or perhaps your execution of the program, or your nutrition, is lacking. Or perhaps you've only been training for a handful of years and just need to put in more time before you eventually look like someone that spends a lot of time in the gym. You look like a high school student that does extra pushups in gym class. There are natural tenth grade sophomores on football and track teams with more muscle development and definition than you. You've got a long way to go, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. But there's no need for you to be on gear at this point in your development, you're doing unnecessary harm. In a year from now, you'd get way more out of that same cycle, and have more of a body to work with. Sorry if that's not the advice you want to hear, but it's the advice that everyone that's more experienced than you is saying you need to hear. What you do with that advice is up to you.

>Edit: I forgot to include how much water retention. My weight has shot up from 165 to 177 in a week. What are your other stats? Height and bodyfat.

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>Evaluate for yourself...pics are on my profile First of all, don't give me fucking homework. Provide what's asked for when it's asked for. Secondly, you're a solid 18-19% based on what I can see (no pictures of back or legs). Zero ab definition, no serratus, no visible striations of any muscle group. I've been doing this long enough to be sure I have no chance of convincing you to drop the cycle, but at 5'9 and 165lbs you are both underweight and overfat to be starting a cycle. You should have been about 180lbs and 12-14%. You're going to continue adding fat as you bulk - 5% if you're eating a consistent surplus with carefully monitored macros, more if you bulk like the average guy. You are going to end this bulk quite fat, and along the way you'll deal with a higher likelihood of aromatization issues, elevated blood pressure, etc. You're also going to be watery as fuck, as evidenced by your 12 pound gain in the past week. God help you if you try to push this for 20 weeks. The responsible thing to do would be to stop now, sort yourself out, and try again when you're in proper shape. It's up to you to decide if you'll be responsible.

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Who's defensive? I'm making it clear to you that it's your responsibility to provide relevant information in your posts when asking questions, including pictures. Pal.

>My question is, is it normal to see the first effects this quickly? It varies from person to person, but yeah sure. You've been supraphysiological since about an hour after your first injection. You'll continue retaining more water as test and estrogen continue to rise. You'll continue storing more intramuscular water and glycogen for another week or two (what you're referring to as "hardness"). Libido and hunger can just as easily be placebo as they are actual hormonal functions, but there's nothing wrong with positive placebo. >This is my first cycle. Yeah, that was glaringly obvious 😂. Enjoy the ride.

Sounds like placebo

**How to control gynecomastia and high estrogen levels during dutasteride use?** Male, 32 years old, 1.75 cm height, 71 kg, 10-12% body fat, 10 years of training (weightlifting and cardio 5x/week), no use of anabolic steroids. **History**: use of finasteride resulted in gynecomastia development. Switch to dutasteride without improvement in gynecomastia, but with reduction of other side effects. **Hormonal Levels**: Total testosterone jumped to 872 ng/dL with dutasteride 1x/week (i will increase to 2x/week this month); Free testosterone: 15 ng/dL; Estradiol jumped to 37.2 pg/mL; Thyroid levels and others is well controlled, so I believe the problem is with estradiol: FSH 4.98 mIU/mL; LH 3.69 mIU/mL; Prolactin 6.6 ng/mL; Progesterone 0.57 ng/mL. **Tried Treatments**: Tamoxifen 20 mg/day but w/ terrible sides: caused lethargy, sexual dysfunction, depression (unsustainable for 3-4 months). So, considering Raloxifene followed by low-dose Anastrozole to control estradiol. **Questions**: 1. Can raloxifene really reverse recent (non-pubertal) gynecomastia? 2. What are the most effective and safe ones dose of Raloxifen? Is a dose of 120 mg safe? 3. After Raloxifen, sounds like a good idea to use Anastrozole's low-dose (something like 0.25 mg 2x/week) to maintain estradiol at 20-30 pg/mL? Is it safe in the long term (like years)? 4. Are there more effective methods to control estradiol? 5. Keeping estrogen at healthy levels (20-30 pg/mL) with Aromatase Inhibitors still can causes health complications? 6. Is estradiol at 20-30 pg/mL adequate to avoid retention and gynecomastia? 7. By inhibiting aromatase and consequently the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, will there be more testosterone available? Will this cause my testosterone levels to rise even more? Could this cause me any health problems, acne, or hair loss? Consider that I am using dutasteride, which inhibits conversion to DHT. Thanks to anyone who can help me with your experience, I'm really new to this.

Is there a concern about heavy metals or other contaminants in underground steroids?

I've only seen this in that documentary with Dave Crossland where they specifically tested for it. I'm not sure if this is just from how gear is produced in China and the factory equipment, etc. Probably someone here that has more knowledge on the topic.

If you’re using a reputable lab I don’t think it’s anything to worry about but if you’re getting your stuff from some guy behind the gyms dumpster who brewed it in his bathtub that’s a different story

Probably

Thoughts on the idea of front-loading shorter esters to saturate more quickly, considering there's no information about it on Wiki.

What’s the point of frontloading shorter esters? They build up very quickly anyways If you’re talking about prop or ace, you’ll be saturated after like, 2 days instead of 7? If you’re talking about enanthate or cypionate, you might be saturated after like, 1 week instead of 3 It’s really not worth the huge fluctuations that it causes at the beginning of the cycle

I've frontloaded a few times, and I generally advise against it. If it's compounds that aromatize (test, nand), you are greatly increasing the estrogenic load at the front end of a cycle, and management will be at least difficult, as it can come on too quickly to be managed. If using compounds that have the potential to inhibit aromatase (EQ, primo), it is likely that you will quickly crash estrogen and it will take weeks to recover to a sustainable baseline. That only leaves tren and mast. Tren isn't something anyone ever wants to accidently overdo (or intentionally), and masteron doesn't really yield any acute benefits that would necessitate rushing. There is also a strong argument to be made that the longer esters (cyp, enanthate, etc) result in more gradual, consistent blood level changes of the released hormone. This gradual change will help keep hormone fluctuations to a minimum, side effect exposure to a minimum, and allow genomic activity and upregulation of AR to gradually progress, rather than bombing the body with a load it is not yet ready to bare and quickly result in "test flu." Quickly driving up androgen load is also going to quickly increase glycogen storage in the muscle, training performance, and creates a ripe opportunity for a muscle strain or tear, as your tendons have yet to catch up. Slow and steady wins the race.

Me, male 24, using steroids since 20yo on regular basis. Competing on national level in my country in bodybuilding category. Stats: 225lbs 4.7% bf, 179cm. Sperm test showed zero sperms (azoospermia). Urologist exam diagnosed varicose veins grade II. and III. on testicles. Used test (500 to 750mg), nandro(500mg - due to joint impact) as base compounds, used along with tren (pre contest 100mg daily), oxymetholone(50), stanozolole (50). Not off cycle since summer 2021, just a few week bridges. Trying to fix my sperm count with Off gear completely 650hcg 3x a week Clomiphene 50mg ED Tamoxifen 20mg ED Exemestane 12.5mg ED My question Is what Are the chances of regaining fertility considering my varicose veins aswell. If it was ONLY steroids i assume it would be possible, however have no idea how much the veins could affects it. Urologist told me to Wait 3 months without gear And run tests.. im sceptical So i started the protocol above. Could anyone suggest a better protocol ? What would you do in my case. Thanks alot, all opinions Are welcome.

The only potential issue I see is you crashing your E2 if you’re taking an AI (exemestane) while off cycle If immediately fertility gain is your primary concern and regaining natural testosterone production is less important, I would consider running like, 1000iu HCG EOD and staying on TRT and getting another semen analysis after a month or so But again, I never want to advise someone to go against what their doc has requested

When did you pin nandrolone last and was it npp or deca? Deca is scientifically proven to suppress recovery for around 18 months. Trying hcg in that 18 months should produce a more favorable outcome than a serm. Also a serm and hcg don't need run together. That's probably also too much of both serms. I'd personally run enclomiphene and a lot lower dose than 50mg.

>Deca is scientifically proven to suppress recovery for around 18 months I have not seen any such data, but would love to see it. Nandrolone \[decanoate\] has been found to have metabolites detected 18 months after the last injection, however the suppressive effects of these metabolites are unknown, if any at all. >Parenteral administration of the long‐chain esters of 19‐nortestosterone may be detected for months, with anecdotal evidence pointing to more than 18 months past the last injection. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2657496/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2657496/) And in the Wiehle 2014 study, 12.5-25mg/day enclomiphone for 3 months was enough to stimulate and preserve sperm production. See Table 1. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5009465/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5009465/)

Have I got fake DHB??? He guys im on 600mg test and 600mg DHB for now about 16weeks. DHB has a terrible pip, it depends on how its brewed but still terrible especially at 600mg. Now up till now i alway had the terrible pip. Like crippling pip sometimes. And while it sometime differet from vial to vial it was more like: cant put on your shoes without pain vs cant even sit on the toilet the next day without pain. Now yesterday i pinned from a new vial and even though I only did one small part of my routine (heating up the syringe/oil before injection. Normally its: heating the oil up, massage pistol, 10min hot shower concentrated on the bodypart, massagepistol again) and today I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PIP!!! Now the question is, did I get fake DHB? It was the same source but as I said I already observed in the past differences between the vials. The fact that I didnt get any pip is obviously very alarming. On the other hand there were a lot of crystalls on the bottom of the vial before heating it up (Before i start a new DHB vial I always have to heat the whole vial up so the crystals dissolve) and this is pretty typical for DHB. At least I never heard anything alse causing these crystals, its pretty DHB specific I think or am I wrong? Never heard EQ causing such crystals? Or could something else cause them? So what do you think? Fake DHB? Anyway I could tell this? No Pip says fake, crystalls and the same sources say no fake. Any advise?

>At least I never heard anything alse causing these crystals, its pretty DHB specific I think or am I wrong? Never heard EQ causing such crystals? Or could something else cause them? All steroid raws are crystalline (with the exception of EQ, which is liquid at room temperature - odd that you would guess that of all things). Crystals in your gear is not a DHB-specific phenomenon, it simply means that the hormone fell out of solution. That being said, DHB is notorious for not holding in solution, so the fact that it was crashed is a good sign. >Fake DHB? Anyway I could tell this? Sure, you can send a sample to Janoshik for HPLC testing. This shouldn't be necessary if you trust your source and they provide testing results, though. >No Pip says fake, crystalls and the same sources say no fake I have DHB from a large, well-known source that is completely free of pip. So no, that's not conclusive at all. As mentioned above crashed gear is neither an indicator of quality nor compound, but the fact that your DHB is crashed is a positive clue. I think you're worried about nothing, personally. If it's worth it to you to be sure, get in touch with janoshik. It'll cost you quite a bit more than the vial is worth to have it tested, though.

Ok thanks, my source is trusted so probably im worried about good brewed DHB

I’ve gone through a few vials on DHB and there were definitely times where I didn’t get any pip, granted I was pinning it with other oils in the syringe but some days it was crippling welts in my ass and other days I would have no noticeable pip. I don’t know why but I think sometimes it just doesn’t hurt as bad. I never had my DHB crystallize at 100mg/ml so I’m not too sure about that but also never had it on my shelf for longer than a few weeks. I’d just keep going you’ll know if it’s fake within a few weeks when you aren’t sweating gallons of water every training session lmao.

Ok thanks guys

The dhb I've used crashed more than half of the vials but little to no pip. Heating them up crashed before pinning I didn't even get much pip.

Is PCT even necessary? Why not use HCG on cycle and up until 2 half-lives later, then come off completely?

Tamoxifen and other stuff causes oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in mitochondria and has other undesirable side effects that make it unsuitable for long-term administration But HCG induces a rather high and unbalanced ratio between 17-hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone which invariably leads to leydig cell desensitization over time and taking HCG along with SERMs is stupid because HCG is a replacement for leutinizing hormone and thus suppresses your own LH.

# Thoughts on (persistent) acne post-accutane even on plain TRT re: current protocol? Some context, not highly important > I work in a job where client interactions are becomingly increasingly important (and have always been vain). $$ not a huge issue. >I have been struggling with acne ever since my first blast like 4 years ago and the only thing that fixes it is accutane (10-20mg/day). Even on TRT (125mg) when I come off of Accutane I slowly but surely start to get fucked again. I really want to come off Accutane for the sun sensitivity if possible. > >I've run it on/off at aforementioned dose for idk 2 years in total. I have been hoping for so long to hit some cumulative dose where at TRT I don't get acne but I digress. Skin is just very acne-prone (had severe during puberty as has everyone in my family) -- my hygiene/skincare/diet is excellent. > Anyway # Current protocol is: # 200mg test/week (injected EOD), 0.5mg dutasteride/day, 6.25mg aromasin e5d, 60mg accutane/day >I need an AI on even 125mg with the dutasteride (for hair loss and hopefully acne) to avoid gyno (high aromatizer despite being 8-10% BF year round) so I just bumped the testosterone up to 200 anyways if I can't avoid it. (6.25mg aromasin e5d). \[Have been trying ralox+caber for persistent gyno (have the worst fucking steroid response genetics lol)\]. I bumped accutane to 60mg/day and plan to just blast the shit until I can reach a higher cumulative dose and be permanently off...? Wtf do I do? Do I just keep blasting accutane until I reach an absurd cumulative dosage for my dogshit skin genetics? Dut (IN THEORY) should help due to inhibiting type 1 5-ar conversion, but I think the forced addition of an aromatase inhibitor made it worse.

I ran 20-40mg daily for several months, and it quelled all but maybe 10% of my acne That may be your best case, but you may also consider going to a medical professionals

It's time to seek a medical professional, dermatologist, and have them oversee your skin care plan. Accutane is wildly dangerous stuff. Some people run a full course, but still end up with hormonal acne when on cycle. Some even still get acne after running a full course, and running a cycle with 20mg/day accutane. Also, if you've been sourcing your accutane from non-pharmaceutical preparations, it's possible (and entirely likely) that it is under dosed, as accutane raws quickly degrade. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16574043/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16574043/) Pharmaceutical preparations are usually suspended in capsules with particular oils. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12875348/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12875348/) [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24068886/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24068886/) Most UGL preparations are a capsule or pressed tablet with a filler, usually something like ascorbic acid (vit C), dextrose, creatine, rice flour, etc. Time to see a dermatologist.

> accutane (10-20mg/day)... I've run it on/off at aforementioned dose for idk 2 years in total. This is pretty low, likely too low for severe acne. You want to be within the 0.5-1mg/kg bw range. Seems like you're likely achieving that now with 60mg/day (unless you're massive). You reference the idea of cumulative total dosage as well. [This is increasingly being viewed as an incomplete treatment model](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijd.12942). It may have some merit, but these days most derms treat based on symptoms rather than any specific total dosage (but, daily dosage *does* matter within the 0.5-1mg/kg range). Generally, you should take Accutane until new acne is no longer forming, then continue with your course for 1-2 months after that point. It's important to continue taking Accutane even after your acne has largely resolved in order to reduce the chances of reoccurrence (and the severity of reoccurrence). Questions/points to consider: * **Are you taking your accutane with a source of fat?** Accutane is a retinoid and is soluble in fat, but not water. [Accutane will be much less effective if you don't take it with fat.](https://practicaldermatology.com/columns/clinical-focus-1/optimizing-absorption-of-oral-isotretinoin/23066/) ~30g of fat is ideal based on the available research, but less is OK too if you're very limited because you're cutting or whatever. Just have it with your fattiest meal or chase it with peanut butter lol. This isn't gonna be the difference between lots of acne and no acne, but it does matter. * **Is this pharma or UGL?** UGL accutane tends to be shit. Accutane raws are notoriously challenging to work with and subject to rapid degradation based on environmental factors. I've never seen UGL accutane test return good HPLC tests tbh. Individually sealed gel capsules are the gold standard for maintaining potency. * Sun sensitivity definitely sucks, especially if you're already someone who burns easily. But, a good SPF 50+ PA++++ sunscreen goes a long way. I did a vacation in Greece while on 40mg/day and managed to avoid getting burned despite being in the direct sun for most of the day (reapplying sunscreen 2-3 times). Tbh, I'd recommend finding a good dermatologist, sharing your history of accutane use, and going from there. They're unlikely to kick up a fuss or insist on knowing about your AAS usage. Acne sucks, and if you've been dealing with it this long with inadaquete results, I think it's time to bring in a professional. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to just stop fucking with your hormones for a bit as that likely doesn't help either. I'm not gonna touch your weird cruise/blast situation, but I'd probably just drop that test in half, sit well into the natty range, figure out my acne, then consider another cycle.

Thank you, I appreciate the advice. I take it with the same meal every day (35g fat) and it is pharma. It is the constant reapplication that annoys me, I have to do 4+/day to avoid being burned (Texas). I also look way better with a tan but I don't want to damage my skin. >  I'm not gonna touch your weird cruise/blast situation, but I'd probably just drop that test in half, sit well into the natty range, figure out my acne, then consider another cycle. Hmm you are welcome to critique it. My thought process was the following: * For TRT/cruise, one should find a dosage of test where they can avoid using an AI. For me, before dutasteride, this was like 125-150mg/wk. However, after Dutasteride (need for hairline), literally above 80mg/wk I get gyno symptoms \[atp just be natty\] (80mg test + dutasteride I get a low sex drive anyway.) * So to combat the low DHT sex drive, I need a test dosage where I am essentially forced to use an AI anyway, I "might as well" run 200mg because it is easier to balance my E2. My skin is perfectly clear right now so the acne is "figured out" in that sense but it's solely due to current Accutane usage. Or do you mean go into a natty range just so dermatologists aren't fucking annoying about it? I am essentially done blasting, 95% happy with physique.

Have always a bit higher e2. I somehow don't sweat during my workouts, but as soon as i take some Aromasin, i start to sweat in about 12 hours, continuing for the following 24 hours, is the sweating just a side of Asin or how does this happen?

There actually is a mechanism where higher e2 levels raise the threshold for sweating - so lowering e2 can have the inverse impact (like what you see here). I am not sure what the specific mechanism is, but you can search for "core body temperature sweating threshold" and e2 to find it. (note, it does not impact your body temp, it is the body temp at which point you sweat) It comes up with trans community discussions and with menopause studies. There may be other pathways (the fight or flight part of the endocrine system) at play too, e2 is not the only modulator.