Taking Steroids? Sticking needles in your ass, has to be a fan favorite topic...
Let's just get right to it with this idiot...
Are there any effective oral cycles?
"The problem with most orals is as they're so short acting that after the cycle the gains wear off pretty quickly. By using a longer acting substance in conjunction you can reduce this see-sawing effect. The gains from the oral don't wear away as your still anabolic from the test, your body gets used to holding the extra mass and you lose less when you come off." - Random Steroid User"Cutting cycles can be effective with orals as your only looking for anabolism to counter the catabolism of dieting. That being said the most common oral cutting steroid, Winstrol, is so suppresive you wouldn't want to run it without some test. What wouldn't be so bad is a cutting cycle of Var. But you would want a short cycle and hefty pct to combat the catabolism that would occur from low natty test levels. You'd probably want to run it with a hefty cutting drug like T3 as well to make it worth it. T3 is not something beginers should mess with and Var has some odd side effects Im told so again wouldn't be best for a beginner. Its also pretty pricey which is unattrictive to beginners. Also most beginners want to be gaining mass rather than losing fat and retaining muscle." - Random Steroid User
Hence why an injectable test cycle is generally regarded as the only thing a beginner should mess with...
"Orals can absolutely be effective. However, most are hard on your liver, and should never be taken in the sorts of dosages and for the durations that injectable steroids can safely be taken for. 700 mg a week of injected testosterone for twelve weeks isn't likely to do much more than raise your cholesterol and blood pressure a bit. 700 mg a week of dianabol for twelve weeks could very well kill you and would probably be less effective." - Random Steroid User
"So, a serious steroid user injects for the greater safety of injectables, which allows them to safely use higher doses, producing greater results. There's nothing inherently bad about orals like dianabol; they just aren't the best tool for the job (mostly due to toxicity) and there's no reason to avoid injectables other than just being chicken about sticking a needle in yourself. Generally if you find a guy doing an oral-only cycle, you've found somebody who doesn't really know what they're doing, because a competent steroid user would be injecting. (It's popular to combine some orals WITH injectables, but an injectable steroid should usually be the base of a cycle.)" - Random Steroid User
"In my opinion, somebody who isn't ready to inject shouldn't use steroids because I consider it a sort of 'gut check'; if you aren't determined enough to give yourself an injection, you aren't ready to be tampering with your own biology on this level.
It all depends on what your goal is, if u wanna get big then yeah i would go for Test E for my base @500mg a week then maybe some deca and run both of those for 12 weeks. I would start the cycle with 50mg of Dianabol for 2 or 3 weeks until the test starts to kick in. U will also need some arimidex to combat the aromitization of the test into estrogen so i would take it throughout the whole cycle @ .5mg to 1mg every other day." -Random Steroid User
"Lets say u wanted to get some lean mass and cut some bodyfat, then i would run Test E 500mg a week for 12 weeks then add some anavar or winstrol in during the last 4 to 6 weeks as long as u take the proper liver supplements because all orals are harsh on the liver!!
Then for PCT ur gonna need a lot of of hCG and serms like nolvadex to combat the estrogen...I would start my PCT a week and a half or 2 weeks after my last shot of test because the half life is 10 to 14 days. I would kick start my natural test with the hCG by doing 1000UI every other day for 10 shots while taking 20 to 40mg of nolva for the rest of the pct which is usually ran for 3 to 4 weeks. Basically you run the hCG for 10 days to 2 weeks and then take the nolva for 4 weeks starting when u take your first injection of hCG. That pretty much covers the basic bulk or cut cycles with the proper PCT."
In spite of this, oral steroids continue to be largely used by people worldwide. How this can be explained? First of all, injectable steroids can be detected in the blood long time after ending a steroid cycle. In case of orals, traces can be found few weeks after the last ingested pill. It may seem a long time too, but in compare with injectables this frame of time is quite shorter.
On the other hand, there are individuals who fear needles and will do all to avoid dealing with them. In this case, oral injectable is going to be used to replace the gains injectable can cause in human body. Oral steroids are more convenient to use, but are while less effective than injectable.
How is liver damaged while running oral steroid cycle?
Liver is one of the most important organ in human as that if it shuts down we have only 2-3 days to live. It’s the “cleanser” of the body, helping to get rid of toxins. Fortunately for us, liver has the capacity to regenerate and be functional even when 75% of it is damaged.
All 17A oral steroids are modified in a way to avoid degradation in the liver and be able to get in the blood. These kinds of steroids are toxic to liver because they inhibit the excretory function of the liver. Likewise, liver can get rid of toxic and they accumulate in the body. Known as cholestasis this is the most common disease caused by 7aa oral steroids are blamed for.
If no action is taken then after a while this disease worsens and may turn into cirrhosis, a stage where the activity begins to slow down. Worth to be mentioned cholestasis is not a lethal disease and is reversible if needed measures are taken on time. The best is to avoid getting to this stage at all, as ideal is to keep your liver safe instead of trying to treat.
The things get worse when two 17A oral steroids are taken concomitantly. Never admit this mistake. Always try to cycle an oral steroid along with an injectable one, this being the smart way of using steroids.
What are the most liver toxic oral steroids?
Don’t put all oral steroids in the same light as not all of them are liver toxic. Some of them are more toxic than others, while a minority has no bad influence on liver at all.
Top most liver toxic oral steroids are:
- Superdrol
- Dymethazine
- Halodrol
- Epistane
- DHEA
- Epiandrosterone
Top of less liver toxic oral steroids:
So, only 17-aa steroids are liver toxic, while all other steroid have minor to no influence at all. A good idea is to stack a 17aa steroid with a non one in order to keep your liver functional while enjoying noticeable gains in muscle mass.
Symptoms of a damaged liver
When your liver function is perturbed because of oral steroid use there are series of signs that you have to worry about. Pay a close attention to your overall feeling when running a steroid cycle to be able to prevent any disease before it will to late.
Here are some of signs that should alarm you when taking orals:
-Lowered appetite;
-Fever associated with nausea (many take it as a cold , but it is not);
-Itchiness;
-Yellowish skin or eyes;
Whenever one of these signs occurs is time to take a break and revise what you are doing wrong. The earlier you acknowledge what happens in your body and give a hand of help, the higher chances to pass through a cycle with your liver function untouched.
The best would be not to wait for these signs, but simply take enzymes before and after steroid cycle. Few weeks later after the cycle is finished repeat the tests and see how it shows. This way you will have a closer look on your liver situation.
Products that help keep liver health while on steroids
As we said is better to prevent than to treat. A range of supplements available online are able to ensure a proper function of liver while taking 17aa steroids. LIV 52 and Milk Thistle, Essentiale are just few of them, while a simple search on Google would list you a longer list. Whatever you choose, make sure you have one of these supplements in your cycle.
If you already have liver problems than taking 17aa steroid is a bad idea. Thier use will worsen your condition so that it can turn into something irreversible. Go with injectable in this case or use non-17 aa anabolics.
Protect your liver before it is too late. Make sure your liver is 100% health before getting involves in a 17aa steroid cycle and make sure you add in some supplements able to help you liver cope with bad effects of steroids. Do you tests and keep an eye on signs which talks about a liver problem.
And then you get your Withdrawl!
People addicted to anabolic steroids may experience withdrawal when they stop taking the drugs. This happens because of the hormonal imbalance caused by steroid abuse. Steroids mimic the male sex hormone testosterone. The bodies of steroid users become used to having an increased level of testosterone. While someone is taking steroids, their body attempts to adjust the levels of testosterone to normal. It does this by decreasing its own production of testosterone.
The withdrawal symptoms from steroids are a result of low levels of natural testosterone in the body. These symptoms persist until the body can restore its normal production of testosterone.
Withdrawal Symptoms
Anabolic steroids can produce effects such as increased energy, libido, concentration and a sense of confidence. However, the withdrawal symptoms of steroids are essentially the opposite of the drug’s effects.Common withdrawal symptoms include:
- Depression
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Trouble concentrating
- Insomnia
- Lack of appetite
- Decreased sex drive
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Muscle aches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Withdrawal Duration
The duration of withdrawal symptoms from steroids varies from user to user. Two factors that increase the length of withdrawal are the dosages and frequency of use. Those who take higher doses of steroids for a longer period of time usually have a longer duration of withdrawal.The time over which a steroid stays in a user’s body is known as the drug’s half-life. It takes longer to withdraw from steroids with longer half-lives. The half-lives of some commonly abused steroids include:
- Equipoise (veterinary steroid) – 14 days
- Deca-durabolin – 14 days
- Durabolin – 4.5 days
- Winstrol – 24 hours
- Anavar – 9 hours
- Anadrol-50 – 9 hours
- Dianabol – 6 hours
Withdrawal Timeline
| Days 1-2 | The first symptoms of withdrawal begin at some point within five days of the user’s last dose, depending on the half-life of the steroid. Symptoms start faintly and may include irritability, headache and nausea. |
|---|---|
| Days 3-5 | Once withdrawal symptoms start ramping up, former steroid users experience decreased energy and alertness. Psychological symptoms like depression and anxiety also start getting worse during this time. |
| Days 6-7 | Withdrawal symptoms often peak the second week after the user’s last dose of steroids. Abdominal pains, nausea and weight loss are common. Steroid users may also reach the height of a depressive episode and struggle with insomnia. |
| Week 2 | Minor withdrawal symptoms may persist after the second week of quitting steroids, but these symptoms pale in comparison to the previous week. Soon, withdrawal symptoms fade out completely. |
Anabolic Steroid Detox
Steroid detox is the process of the drugs leaving the body. Getting steroids out of a user’s body is the first step toward recovering from an addiction to these drugs.“When you completely stop [taking steroids], you might find yourself prone to mood swings, sleeplessness. And then, I found myself emotionally sensitive. But it only lasted about two weeks. And then it was sort of back to normal.”A doctor-assisted detox is recommended for people who heavily abused steroids. Doctors can prescribe medications during detox to lessen withdrawal symptoms. Some drugs can help restore normal hormonal balances in steroid users. Doctors may also prescribe medication for pain and depression.Former bodybuilder Eugene Robinson, NPR, 2014
Doctors may recommend a tapering down strategy as part of detox for those who used extremely high doses of steroids. Tapering down allows users to gradually reduce their dose over time to prevent a drastic shift in their hormone balance.
Treatment for Withdrawal Symptoms
People who have experienced steroid withdrawal should seek treatment to prevent any negative outcomes. There are inpatient and outpatient rehabs that can guide users safely through withdrawal.