First cycle log

[B-Rett]

38 years old, 6”1, 197lbs at the end of a 4 month cut, probably 12-14%bf. I realize this is still a bit too fat to start a cycle, but we’re doing it.

Helion Labs test cyp, Oct 2025
400 mg injected EOD
4IU HGH taken all at night
Cycle length: 20 weeks if health allows it

Plan to PCT off completely for this first one to experience it all. I’ll be using Raloxifene and Enclomiphene with HCG in between. I chose Enclomiphene as it seems to be just as effective with less eye floater side effects over clomid and I had Raloxifene on hand already in case of gyno.

Pre cycle blood work shows total test at 481ng/mL, everything else in range.

Diet: Aiming for 3300 calories to start, 250 protein, 60-70 fat and the rest carbs.

I’ll follow a PPL split, but I’ll continue to only do shoulders once every few weeks since I’ve always had massive shoulders and traps, I’ve actually had many steroid accusations in the past and I feel that I need to bring my chest up in comparison.

Will give updates

 

[atruse]

Canadian?

What’s the goal? Continue to cut? Or switching to bulk for cycle?
If this is a log, what are you logging?

This is first cycle ever?
Did u mean 400/week total split into smaller doses? Or going for 1.2g/wk lol

 

[Nick_Vaz]

How’s the cycle treated you thus far

 

[Jvbatisti]

any news for us ?

 

[B-Rett]

Cycle update:

I started on Dec 1 and officially aborted on Jan 14th.

Weeks 1-3: Not much different feeling, muscles started to look fuller and felt harder

Week 4: Major bloating which had to have been more than just glycogen. My lower back and hip sciatica is present and seemingly permanent, whereas before I would had bad days here and there but stretches and core strengthening would quickly bring it back to normal. I also started getting mid back pain on either side which felt like my the ribcage under my lats.

Original plan was to get bloodwork at week 6, but I decided to get it on Jan 2 instead.

(Sorry for the Canadian units)

	Pre Cycle	4 weeks in
Total test	16.7 nmol/L	71.5 nmol/L
Free Test	183 pmol/L	2980 pmol/L
SHBG	47 nmol/L	23 nmol/L
Estradiol	46 pmol/L	630 pmol/L
Prolactin	9.3 ug/L	22.6 ug/L
ALT	21 U/L	48 U/L
Ferratin	162 ug/L	49 ug/L
HDL	1.16 mmol/L	0.98 mmol/L
LDL	2.71 mmol/L	2.67 mmol/L
CRP		24.66 mg/L
D-Dimer		0.7 mg/L FEU

After seeing the alarming estradiol, I immediately took 0.5mg arimidex and dropped my testosterone dose to 300mg per week. This probably wasn't needed but I have no problem going slow and getting this under control.

Week 5: Got paranoid about rising blood pressure and RHR. My RHR was average 66 and was now average 77, but would typically be at 90+ sitting on the couch in the evening. The average increase stated by my Apple watch would be normal on this androgen load, but I didn't like seeing the 90+. BP also jumped to 130-145/80 consistently and was more like 120/77 pre-cycle. My chest felt heavy and I could feel something when I would try to take a deep breath, not necessarily pain, but an uncomfortable feeling.
I decided to start 40mg Telmisartan each day. (I realize this can take upwards of a month to notice)

Week 6: At this point I've been taking 0.5mg adex every 3rd day. Started to now also get an acute pain in my mid chest ribcage, right around the sternum. The pain would be sharper moving certain way and especially laying on my side with pecs pushing together. Wondering if I'm taking enough adex? Now also got numbness, tingling and loss of grip strength in both hands, especially the right one, most likely carpel tunnel from high e2?
Major edema in my ankles, very swollen, socks leaving a huge indent.

Week 7: The plan was to get additional bloodwork and adjust the arimidex dose further, but I honestly got scared from the chest pain symptoms and extremely high CRP number, I decided to stop all injections and continued to take 0.5mg adex every 3 days this week

The chest pains and deep breath issue have finally subsided after 8-9 weeks and I'm currently contemplating staying off with little to no PCT (I assume bounce back won't be too bad after only 6 weeks) or start injecting a normal TRT dose for the immediate future and titrate up slowly.

I'm obviously a mega aromatizer and my SHBG was decimated, but I still can't explain the super high CRP value. I had no PIP or injection reactions and I haven't been sick in a long time. Is this high value simply a result of the test and high estradiol? I would like to try again by titrating up from TRT slowly to see how my body reacts, or with the use of primo to help control the e2. I also suspect I would have needed closer to 1mg of arimidex EOD or possibly a switch to aromasin.

Anyways, thanks for reading my disaster cycle log. Always open to tips and criticism, I'm still learning.