TweetAnd while I'm at it, I've been using Milk Thistle and rALA the entire time and NAC the past 2 months.

TweetIs this a contest? If I guess the right values I get a free bottle of test right? LOL


DROID

TweetIt's good your getting a GGT level checked. AST and ALT are so general in what effects them, they are alomst worthless in difinitively diagnosing any kind of a problem based on AAS usage. Slightly elevated as well, is too common than not.

I'll post up a study on GGT vs AST and ALT in a minute

TweetJ Am Osteopath Assoc 2001 Jul;101(7):391-4

Evaluation of aminotransferase elevations in a bodybuilder using anabolic steroids: hepatitis or rhabdomyolysis?

Pertusi R, Dickerman RD, McConathy WJ.

Department of Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107-2699, USA.

The use of anabolic steroids among competitive athletes, particularly bodybuilders, is widespread. Numerous reports have noted "hepatic" dysfunction secondary to anabolic steroid use based on elevated serum aminotransferase levels. The authors' objective was to assess whether primary care physicians accurately distinguish between anabolic steroid-induced hepatotoxicity and serum aminotransferase elevations that are secondary to acute rhabdomyolysis resulting from intense resistance training. Surveys were sent to physicians listed as practicing family medicine or sports medicine in the yellow pages of seven metropolitan areas. Physicians were asked to provide a differential diagnosis for a 28-year-old, anabolic steroid-using male bodybuilder with an abnormal serum chemistry profile. The blood chemistries showed elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatine kinase (CK) levels, and normal gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels. In the physician survey (n = 84 responses), 56% failed to mention muscle damage or muscle disease as a potential diagnosis, despite the markedly elevated CK level of the patient. Sixty-three percent indicated liver disease as their primary diagnosis despite normal GGT levels. Prior reports of anabolic steroid-induced hepatotoxicity that were based on aminotransferase elevations may have overstated the role of anabolic steroids. Correspondingly, the medical community may have been led to emphasize anabolic steroid-induced hepatotoxicity and disregard muscle damage when interpreting elevated aminotransferase levels. Therefore, when evaluating enzyme elevations in patients who use anabolic steroids, physicians should consider the CK and GGT levels as essential elements in distinguishing muscle damage from liver damage

TweetThis is a great point. My last blood work I had ast/alt and GGT done also. My ast/alt were well in the normal but my GGT was elevated by about 9 points.


DROID

TweetPheedno,
That study is what prompted me to check GGT. I wish I would have had it checked before so I would have something to compare it to. Oh well. I'm also very curious how my lipid panel turns out, since I'm been running ~600mg test for quite some time

I hope you post that study on as many BB message boards as you can...

TweetIf you have some negatives come back on the lipids, estrogen is going to be the main concern for correction.

Are you running a SERM(Nolva)?

Are you running an AI(L-dex/Femara)

TweetI'm using neither at the moment. I will run both periodically, but it is simply too cost prohibitive to run them the entire time.

TweetWell, an AI can have a negative impact, a SERM is helpfull in rasing HDL, so both in conjunction is what I'd suggest.

Really a bad idea to run periodic cycles of them, and the fluctuations in estrogen could manifest a rebound.

Policosinol is another effective aid in reducing LDL so if your lipids are of concern, which they may not be; then policosinol and a SERM should both help greatly in alleviating the problem

Hope it turns out everything is tip top though. Luck to ya

TweetWell, good news. After much substance abuse (bodybuilding related) my test results are in. BTW, I just used DNP @250mg/day for 4 days approximately 4 days before the blood was taken.

Homocysteine, Cardiovascular
8.4
Reference < 11.4

Triglycerides
75
Reference < 150

Cholesterol
127
Reference < 200

HDL
37
Reference > or = 40

LDL
75
Reference < 130

Cholesterol/HDLC Ratio
3.4
Reference < 5

Alkaline Phosphatase
53
Reference 20-125

GGT
15
Reference 2 - 80

AST
28
Reference 2-50

ALT
25
Reference 2-60

Glucose
80
Reference 65-109

and then a few other things on my renal panel which all came back perfect...

So the only thing off was my HDL... need more flax seed oil and salmon.....