pro's: liver and other internal organ damage?

[flexshack]

hey guys
just wondering how is it that some of the older pro's, like arnold, aren't dead yet from all the abuse their bodies took from the heavy roids. i mean their insides must be crying with cancer. if not, then i guess that roids don't really have any serious long term side effects?? the older pro's would pretty much be like guinea pigs for long term sides, right? so far, has there been any older pro's that are having major problems?? ie.: liver cancer, etc... this is pretty interesting to me. i guess it just goes to show you that roids aren't even close to as bad as the media makes them out to be.
flex

[Nathan]

I don't think many of the older pro's like Arnold got too out of hand with the gear, at least not nearly like today's pro's. It'll be interesting to see where those guys are in 20 years. I wouldn't be surprised if Arnold and Lou are still around. Well, maybe.

[DeWil]

Ive heard that "hulk-hogan" confessed taking amounts of steroids and that it had fucked him up pretty good inside...

Dont know the details.

Dewi

[bigkev]

i agree with nathan that anrnie, lou, etc... didnt overkill the way todays pro's do. but, arnold is only 55-56 yrs old, and i am sure he has health problems that he keeps under wraps. he had heart problems a few years ago. mike mentzer was a methamphetamine addict, but he also had problems with his heart and liver. ray mentzer was on dialysis for years. so i am sure the guys from arnolds era have probs that will get worse as they get older.

i can only imagine what ronnie colemans liver and kidneys look like.

[Mike]

YES there are serious long term sides to steroid usage - we havent seen ronnie etc in long term - wait a few years - I have a feeling they will be hurting bad - there used to be much worse sides associated with AS in the sport back in the day before people knew what they were doing - before anti-e's were used etc - I think we will still progress to the point where steroids will get safer and safer - but for now no it is not correct to think there are not long term serious sides - there definitely is - many have been seriously hurt or died from juice

[TNT]

Originally posted by flexshack
just wondering how is it that some of the older pro's, like arnold, aren't dead yet from all the abuse their bodies took from the heavy roids. i mean their insides must be crying with cancer. if not, then i guess that roids don't really have any serious long term side effects . . .

The answer is quite simple - AS affect different people in different ways. Yes, some of the older pros may have had more side effects than they have made public (Hulk Hogan comes to mind), while it may not have affected others in a significant manner.

If anything, there's a message that's useful to any AS user (not just the pros), and it's one that goes alng with being up front with your own doctor about your AS use . . .

Before starting AS, I recommend having a "baseline" series of lab tests done, specifically a lipid panel (which tests cholesterol levels), comprehensive metabolic panel (which includes a hepatic panel, and tests for kidney and liver functions as well as creatinine, calcium, fasting glucose, and other levels), total testosterone (obviously your test level), hematocrit and hemoglobin (or, better yet, a CBC - Complete Blood Count - which includes the hematocrit and hemoglobin tests), Vitamin B12 (especially if you're injecting cyanocobalimin), and PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen, since injecting test can have an impact on the prostate, and prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men). This minimum list of tests shows you what your normal, pre-cycle levels are for the major factors that can be impacted by AS use.

Then, depending on your cycle schedule, have the same series of lab tests taken six months later. If your cycle has had any negative impact on anything, you'll be able to adjust your next cycle accordingly to lessen any risk of future problems.

Remember that your doctor is the one person you can trust in terms of knowing about any AS you're using. You are protected by physician-patient confidentiality, and you can even ask your doctor not to mention your AS use in your chart (since, in the event of an accident or injury at any time in the future your chart can be subpoeaned by opposing counsel). If your doctor is judgmental or can't deal with your AS use, it's time to find another doctor - not necessarily one who supports AS (that would be hard to find), but one who does not allow anything (including any negative opinions he or she may hold) to interfere with your best interest.

Here's a P.S. - Ask your doctor for a copy of your lab results any time you get tested (yes, most physicians will let you have a copy), and drop them in a file folder. This way, you can keep track of how AS might be affecting you in the long term.

- TNT
(Who has labwork done for test
every three months, and every
other freakin' test I mentioned
every six months, religiously.)