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That is an extreme case. One out of how many thousands or tens of thousands? In other words, far from normal. I am not saying it can't happen, but most of us who take steroids do NOT end up like that. Add to that, the top photo clearly shows the guy has gyno also. I posit he is a dumb-ass who put bodybuilding ahead of his well-being.

There is also the scare factor in the article, where the writer mentions low sperm count and shrunken balls. Those are reversible by stopping or with the use of HCG and clomid or nolvadex during or after a cycle. Of course he didn't mention that. Fair and balanced reporting would look like a pro-steroid stance during this period of escalating steroid vilification by the MSM.

An intelligent user would stop if problems occurred. The take home message is that if you are going to use steroids, get as educated as possible about them before you start, and keep trying to learn more as you go along. Among other things, find out how to deal effectively with side effects; find knowledgeable people who can advise you. There are plenty. An alternative message (for some) is don't use them if you aren't willing to accept the potential (not necessarily probable) negative consequences.

I'm sure, just thought it would be of interest to people here

A dear friend of mine takes steroids, understanding the risks but just doesn't dwell on them. I asked why, and his response was that if he does damage his body, he'll at least look good in his coffin. Surreal.

I've known many people living with AIDS who took steroids to ward off or treat wasting. I can see the benefits. However, those with out any need but vanity are playing with something very dangerous.

Whether it is a professional athlete or the guy next door, their choices to use speak more about our own cultural values than whatever rationalizations they proffer. It's unfortunate.

I can't believe that was a simple case of severe acne. That looks like an allergic reaction. His chest looks like something from an X-files episode.

That's awful. The article documented that the guy continued to take the steroids even though he was well aware of the severe acne. I'm sure a lot of that could have been avoided.

I was using stealth steroids that were produced by the underground. Not sure if all of you know by one of my recent postings but I suffered Non Hodgin's Lymphoma over the winter. I know my heavy steroid use had something to do with it. But not because of the steroids themselves. But because they were probably not made with pharmaceutical grade ingredients.

I noticed that I would get a mild fever after injecting. This was something I considered normal as I have read that others have had the same problem and that it goes away. In the past it did go away. But the last cycle I did was last November. I got a very uncomfortable fever that lasted a week. I did my next weekly shot the following week and the fever came back and it never went away for two months.

I don't understand the physiology behind it all but it also created numbness in my lower lip and chin area and also severe ear pain.

I suffered the numbness in my lips before and also read that this can be harmless side effect that goes away in a few short days. Maybe some of you know of this. But I want to say that I still have no feeling in my lower lip and chin and it's been roughly 11 months since all this horrible drama started.

I'm in remission now. So I'm good. I am not anti-steroids. But I highly discourage buying steroids over seas or Mexico. Pharmaceutical grade quality is the way to go. I don't think I will ever take steroids again. I have taken HCG, Clomid, Novaldex, you name it. My sex drive is lower than what it used to be but I'm fine with that. I almost died so I'm happy to have recovered as well as I have.
Lucky for the distributor that he lives over seas. If we lived in the same country I'd be tempted to pay him a visit with a very sharp object or....

muchmorethanmuscle said

Lucky for the distributor that he lives over seas. If we lived in the same country I'd be tempted to pay him a visit with a very sharp object or....

I probably would as well and I'm glad to hear you reassessed your desire to take something like that.

For me I've never smoked, taken any drugs, steroids.. just the thought makes me shudder for the very reasons
MuchMore had expressed. You never know what might happen.

I've been tempted to use steroids, but don't happen to know anyone who could provide it pharmaceutical-grade. Stories like muchmorethanmuscle's have kept me from trying it from other sources.

I have never wanted to take steriods. And after seeing those pictures just confirms that. Kind of nasty.

FitExecutive saidI've been tempted to use steroids, but don't happen to know anyone who could provide it pharmaceutical-grade. Stories like muchmorethanmuscle's have kept me from trying it from other sources.

You can get in touch with rejuvenation centers in the US to legally prescribe you testosterone made by American pharmaceutical companies.

Hint: be creative, put Google skills to use for you.

muchmorethanmuscle said

FitExecutive saidI've been tempted to use steroids, but don't happen to know anyone who could provide it pharmaceutical-grade. Stories like muchmorethanmuscle's have kept me from trying it from other sources.

You can get in touch with rejuvenation centers in the US to legally prescribe you testosterone made by American pharmaceutical companies.

Hint: be creative, put Google skills to use for you.

http://www.pblifex.com/

I've read conflicting things (on this board and others) about the interaction between Propecia (which I have been using successfully) and steroids.

Does anyone on here have personal experience with the combination?

Taking propecia can help to release bound testosterone and therefore the aromatization process can be exaggerated. Basically, what this means is that when testosterone aromatizes it converts to estrogen. So when you take steroids you you are supplying your body with more free testosterone which is what acts to help build muscle but when you take propecia it intensifies the process.

You can take something like arimidex to control the excessive estrogen that develops from this process.

Anti-estrogens - nolvadex (my preference) or clomid - will control the estrogen in that they block the receptors. Even better, they stimulate LH so you might not get a complete shut down of your testes while on a cycle. An anti-aromatase, such as arimidex (anastrazole), femara (letrozole), or aromasin (exemestane), will block estrogen formation. Of them, I believe, based on my reading, that arimidex is the worst choice as it messes up your lipid profile (HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio). Femara is better with cholesterol and also somewhat more effective. Aromasin is the strongest, completely zapping estrogen formation, but probably overkill. In any case, these 3 products are hard to find and very expensive. In their place, proviron might do the trick. It has a few benefits. It is a mild anti-aromatase and it binds to the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) preferentially over testosterone, which allows you to have more freely circulating testosterone washing through your muscle tissues. You normally don't need to take an anti-e and an anti-a at the same time. If you decide to use any of these compounds, take some time to find out more about their plusses and minuses. Don't be uneducated about what you are putting in your body.

Sounds good, Massimouno. I have quite a bit of femara left over from previous cycles. I was told that arimidex was better because it didn't totally wipe out estrogen levels. Arimidex still left healthy levels in tact which is what men should strive to maintain - a healthy level of estrogen, not zero %.

I think I will try Nolvadex again. I like that it helps to stimulate leutenizing hormone and simply blocks the estrogen from binding to receptor sites. It's probably safer in the long run as it doesn't screw with levels of hormones in your body but rather simply inhibits estrogen from binding to receptor sites that cause the unwanted problems.

I had gyno years ago and had a procedure to get rid of it. I have problems with estrogen if I'm not careful.

I'm also trying to think of what I can take that is not steroidal in order to try and stimulate my own natural production.

Any hints would be very much appreciated.

As far as bodybuilding, sometimes completely cutting estrogen off - during a cycle anyway - is desirable. But when you come off the cycle, you will start to naturally develop estrogen again. Aromasin does totally stop all estrogen production. Femara is 1/2 way between aromasin and arimidex, but a healthier choice as far as HDL/LDL. Arimidex is a slightly older drug. For those who don't use an anti-estrogen, nolvadex or clomid is really necessary for at least 3-4 weeks post cycle when test is low or nil and trying to bounce back, because estrogen will be high. Using just an estrogen block during the cycle doesn't eliminate estrogen, but only prevents it from docking and being effective. Let me just say a bit more about nolvadex and clomid. Nolvadex and clomid both stimulate LH. Clomid also stimulates FSH, which is good. But, clomid is weaker and if you use it for more than 9 months, it could cause vision problems. So for short bursts, clomid is okay to use. Normally, on a cycle, if I have pre-gyno tenderness, I use nolvadex (stronger) at 20mg/day for a few days. Post cycle, for a month, clomid might be a better choice because of the LH & FSH stimulation - but not for a long term use.

As to something to stimulate you non-steroidally, there are a number of ways to accomplish this, but of course, the idea is to stimulate your own test production, possibly manage your estrogen. I assume for you, pro-hormones are not the way to go. So, there are a few supplements I think are useful. I used to have my own online supps store and was very careful choosing what I wanted to sell because I thought and still think most supps are either junk or too low-dosed to be cost effective. I know lots of people say lots of things work, but it's often just placebo effect.I want to see the research on how/why something will work. A tribulus blend (trib and other sources of furostanols and saponins) is most popular for boosting endogenous testosterone, but there is a much newer supplement, called Fadogia Agrestis which looks even better. Do a google on it (the actual resources are very limited). There is a website called superhumanradio.com. Go into the archives and listen to the couple of shows on it. Very impressive. 6-OXO (from Ergopharm) is very good for the same purpose. Other supps I'd recommend: ZMA and glutamine for muscle repair and recovery. DIM for estrogen blocking (if needed). Blocked estrogen = higher test (in ratio). An avena sativa/stinging nettles blend to bind to SHBG. R-ALA (or flax seed oil) and fish oil caps are good for general healthiness (gammas and omegas). After those, probably arachnidonic acid (sold as X Factor from Molecular Nutrition) - it causes prostoglandins to be synthesized which, when you train and stress/damage muscle tissues, message cell nuclei to start DNA transcription, and thus protein synthesis. As for creatine, it's useful to natural guys, but only works for about 6 weeks, so you have to cycle it. It does boost strength a bit in that time, and does hydrate the muscle cells, but in the end, after it stops working, you lose your size/mass gain, unless the strength boost helped force the muscles to grow a little with the aid of the other supps. I just feel it's not worth the money unless you buy it dirt cheap. Look for the newer formulations for better absorption, instead of just the old creatine monohydrate. Ecdysterone and methoxyisoflavone work, but you'd need many times the recommended doses for noticeable effects. NO2 boosters are a no-no. An MD/bodybuilder friend suggested that NO2 is likely to be counterproductive. Bringing too much oxygen into the muscle cells prevents them for going hypoxic and thus stops them from going into an anabolic state. Moreover, how much is too much or not enough for an individual? Contrary to what you read (all marketing anyway), the science for NO2 is almost entirely lacking.

2 other good things:
- BCAAs and a cortisol suppressor (it is anti-catabolic). I use a BCAA powder that has L-Leucine in a 2:1 ratio to L-isoleucine and L-Valine.
- I use 800mg phophatidylserine for the cortisol suppression (cortisol is anti-catabolic). But I think OXO-11 from Ergopharm looks very interesting.

As always, use google and search around for the best prices.

Massimouno, thanks! That was great. I'm going to look into this after I get past this week with my final exams.

You were right. I don't want to get into prohormones. I don't feel good about those.

remember that it's the BBC and It's not against the Law to import steroids for personal use in the Uk.

I get the impression there are things that article is leaving out it's hard to believe that steroids alone caused scaring to that effect.

That doesn't look like acne to me. That looks like a severely acutely allergic reaction.

Hey guys,

You all seem very knowledgeable on the subject of steriods. I was looking for some advice if I may.

I go to the gym 4 times a week, work hard but find it so hard to build muscle. Ive only been training hard for the past 6months but expected some better results by now.

I was thinking of taking Cetabon. A bouncer in work told me he used to use them. Do you recommend them? Are they even steriods?

Thanks

Michael

That doesn't look steroid-related. Looks like the skin ulcers I would get before I was diagnosed with diabetes. He's probably got some type of infection and, as luck would have it, was taking steroids at the time and we all know how steroids cause horrible cases of acne when you take them (can anyone show me the bodies?)

Looks more like a bad case of wrestler rash LOL!

Pro bodybuilders take copious amounts of various chemicals and you never see any of them break out in monster zits. This kid looks like he didn't know what he was doing to begin with because he's got some boobies growing there.

I've never seen another meat head break out at all and I just don't think this is steroids so much as self-mutilation by skin-picking.

How about not taking steriods to begin with? Unless you have a real reason to take them, medically, I have no problem with you now suffering from having taken them.

You played, you gambled and now you lost. I could not care less what you suffer now from taking steriods. Not at all.

Some of us built our bodies naturally. We did it the hard way. Lifting weights. I see the roid guys at the White Party at the pool trying to be all that. And maybe some guys went home with you because of your fake muscles. Fine.

I will be around for parties to come and I will look good because I worked my ass off in the gym. I have no fake muscles, I have no bitch tits. I have no side effects. I built what I have with hard work.

If all the steriod guys die off from side effects, so be it. It is called Darwinism or survival of the fittest.

You don't need balls... you can't bone a hole with balls... LOL!

Thanks, guys.....

I do not take steriods. Never have and never will. At 45, I am no longer the biggest and strongest guy in the gym like I used to be. But I am still pretty damn close. I can still outlift most everyone except for a few young bros. I assume they are natural, if not they should be natural to outlift me. If they need roids to outlift me, a 45yo guy, then that is sad. A 20-something should not need roids to outlift a 45yo guy.

But, from reading the different posts, apparently many guys on here are juicing. More power to them if they need that help. I never did. I just worked hard. My 18" guns are real, not the product of a needle.

The great thing about being natural is that you do not need to discuss all of the side effects and such from juicing. I is what I is. I have what I have. And my balls are still huge, like the way God made them.

Wow that was gross. I've never used steroids but I would still consider it even after seeing this one case out of how many? I believe steroids can be beneficial if used responsibly. Clearly this dumbass decided it was worth the risk. I mean when you got red marks all over your chest it's clearly time to pull back or stop completely. The fact that he let it go to the point where he developed open sores w/ bleeding on his chest... That's just horribly irresponsible. Now he's jacked up for life. Something tells me others were aware of what he was doing. Somebody else should have stepped in and stopped him. Oh well though. It's too late now.

try Navo Vapour its great realy

Ronnie Coleman, the extreme case of going to the dark side: