New User Intro

[Jtab]

Hello All,

Thank you for having me! I have always been a gym goer and athletic. Been a firefighter for the last 16 years, had a couple kids over the last few years and ended up feeling sloppy while focusing on my new priorities. Spent the last year getting back after it. Currently sitting at 6’2 223 and 17% body fat on a cheap scale. Looking to keep the progress going but with all the insight I can find. Thank you for reading I look forward to the forum.

 

[sionnach]

 

[Elektrobot]

17% body fat on a cheap scale

She lies. Judge by your vascularity.

Have you started taking any anabolics yet?

 

[Jtab]

Looking more vascular than I have in a long time. 140test c for the last year and a half and time researching in the forums. Wife is just finishing up first trimester with what I’m hoping is the last kid so for the last 2 weeks upped test to 250. Plan to see what that does for me for a bit and then hopefully by then will have an idea of what I would like to do next. There is so much Info and opinions out there it gets overwhelming deciding. Thank you for reaching out. I’m open for any and all advice!

 

[Elektrobot]

Looking more vascular than I have in a long time. 140test c for the last year and a half and time researching in the forums. Wife is just finishing up first trimester with what I’m hoping is the last kid so for the last 2 weeks upped test to 250. Plan to see what that does for me for a bit and then hopefully by then will have an idea of what I would like to do next. There is so much Info and opinions out there it gets overwhelming deciding. Thank you for reaching out. I’m open for any and all advice!

Congratulations on the pregnancy! Were you using exogenous test when you got pregnant or did you have to come off and pct?

I think the reoccurring advice you will get here is getting frequent bloodwork done and base your decision on what you see in the results.

Did you start test on your own, or through a dr? Were you hypogonadal?

Why did you increase your dose recently? Did you get bloodwork done before doing that?

Get familiar with the topics in the serum blood testing area, learn what tests to get and why, and then look how to address anything that is out of line.

Don't just blindly add more drugs

 

[Jtab]

Thank you. I started the test from a Trt clinic. Over the last three years of physicals that my department put us through my test was coming back between 300-520. When I started I asked for HCG and was running with the test. Semen analysis were better than prior to starting.

Tested the week before upping dose came back at about 1100. Estradiol slightly elevated and hematocrit slightly elevated just over range. No symptoms. Will run labs again in 2 weeks.

Mainly just upped my dose to see if I could squeeze some more results out of the test before adding anything else.

Thank you for the thread recommendation I will dive in.

 

[sionnach]

Hang on, you were only taking 140/wk and your hcrit was already >50? And then you upped your dose?
Yeah bruh, you need to get more labs before the month is over.

 

[Jtab]

That should have said 160 not sure if that makes much of a difference.

 

[sionnach]

That should have said 160 not sure if that makes much of a difference.

I'm not a hematocrit hysteria kind of guy, lots of people function just fine in the high 50s, particularly at high altitude.
But all other factors assumed normal, being over 50 because of a TRT-level dose alone could indicate a more serious health issue. There are guys here blasting over a gram a week and still in the 40s.

 

[Jtab]

Thank you for the heads up. I was 52.7 and will keep an eye on. What made me feel ok about it was in Aug went through a whole lifescan physical bloodwork, ultra sound, stress test, urine, etc… All normal function. Most of the guys in the department on some form of Trt were elevated a bit in the 50’s.

 

[sionnach]

Most of the guys in the department on some form of Trt were elevated a bit in the 50’s.

I forgot you were FD, hadn't even considered factoring that in. Could be higher as compensation for minor lung damage due to smoke and hazardous materials inhalation. Or chronic dehydration. Something to keep in mind and maybe even mention if your doc or NP bring it up.

Effect of hydration on whole blood viscosity in firefighters - PubMed

WBV measurements were better determinants of hydration states than HCT or Hb and should be performed to monitor the cardiovascular health of at-risk firefighters.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov