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 Steroids and Blood Clots
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| Author | Topic: Steroids and Blood Clots |
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TexInNYC Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 23) |
posted July 25, 2000 11:15 PM
  
I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. Four years ago I became hypogonadic...I was loosing weight, became seriously anemic and was real depressed. My doctor put me on testosterone replacement shots and deca to regain weight. He also felt that since I needed steroids I might as well take advantage of them and put on some real muscle. He put me on a long term testosterone replacement therapy and a 12 week cycle...with a requirement of strenuous resistance training at least three times a week with a trainer. It was a great success...no anemia, no depression, and, best of all 30 lbs of solid muscle which I still have today. At the end of the 12 weeks I was in a hospital though. I was hypercoagulative and had painful clots in one leg. I was admitted into the hospital to keep the clots from moving into my torso and causing either pulmonary or coronary thrombosis. After two cycles in two years with the same result, we came to the conclusion that the steroids were causing the clots. It seems that they are hematopoietic and cause the kidneys to tell the body to go on producing more red blood cells than you need...thickening the blood. This raised hematocrit level is apparently not uncommon among weight lifters...but it generally results in minor afflictions like head aches. Some heavy duty guys have a pint of blood drawn (phlebotomy) on a regular basis to prevent more serious complications like thromboses (clots). To date no doctor has been able to give me any explanation as to why it causes clotting in some. Since then it's been walking a real thin line for me. I try to inject just enough to keep my testosterone blood level within normal limits. Even with this, I have still been hospitalized twice since then, and, just today once again diagnosed with clots in my left arm. There was one period of about a year where bi-weekly testosterone level testing revealed my levels to remain in the normal range. That was the only sustained period within which I had no clotting problems. I want to keep what muscular gains I have. In fact I would really like to gain even more. Does anyone know of anyone with the same problem (whatever that problem is!) and of the reason this happens to some but not others? And, although I already take large amounts of flax seed oil, Vit. E and other supplements to help the situation, I obviously need more help. IP: Logged |
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barrabaz Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 14) |
posted July 25, 2000 11:35 PM
TEXinNYC, This is very interesting. I am aware that steroids do have the capacity to increase red blood cell production, but only to the extent that minor complications can occur (in fact, some by-products of this can be positive such as increased endurance due to a higher capacity to carry oxygen). I have never come across anyone who uses steroids either for physique enhancement or for medical reasons that reacts so severely. You also present with hypogonadism. In short, its rather complicated and VERY SERIOUS. I think anabolic use should be strictly prohibited on your part. You do not want a blood clot traveling up to the pulmonary vasculature (or anywhere else for that matter). I would listen only the advice of a physician that can give you an actual physical. Take everything you hear here with a grain of salt, as I'm sure you will. I too am very interested to see if anyone else with medical training might have an opinion. Take care and I wish you well. IP: Logged |
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barrabaz Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 14) |
posted July 25, 2000 11:35 PM
TEXinNYC, This is very interesting. I am aware that steroids do have the capacity to increase red blood cell production, but only to the extent that minor complications can occur (in fact, some by-products of this can be positive such as increased endurance due to a higher capacity to carry oxygen). I have never come across anyone who uses steroids either for physique enhancement or for medical reasons that reacts so severely. You also present with hypogonadism. In short, its rather complicated and VERY SERIOUS. I think anabolic use should be strictly prohibited on your part. You do not want a blood clot traveling up to the pulmonary vasculature (or anywhere else for that matter). I would listen only the advice of a physician that can give you an actual physical. Take everything you hear here with a grain of salt, as I'm sure you will. I too am very interested to see if anyone else with medical training might have an opinion. Take care and I wish you well. IP: Logged |
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