Female - liver and T4 (mid cycle)

Hello, 42, FEMALE, 9% body fat, 134 lbs. Ran very clean diet (very low carbs for 6 days with 1 high carb day, cardio 50 min 6 times a week, 5 days weight training)

Cycle: 10mg var, 40 clen, 20 nova (blood test was done before I ran Nolva)

Symptoms: I ran var twice before for 6 weeks while bulking with no issues (tired sometimes). Once calories dropped for prep and once I started taking clen, everything changed. I was TIRED. Clen made me even more tired, sometimes I would go to sleep on it :) I started feeling like I am gonna pass out at the gym (on these days I would take a day off). Heavy feeling in legs, sometimes burning in legs, mostly super tired (well, yeah, cals were low that would do it :))

Blood work results:

Alk Phos. 28 LO
AST. 64 HI
ALT 46 HI
Chloride. 94 LO
Bun/Creat Ratio. 28.2 LO
THYROXINE (T4) 2.9 LO
FREE T4 INDEX. 1.0 LO

So, doc calls me and basically is like - wtf are you on? Your thyroid is spent, I am surprised you can even drive the car, you should be passing out any minute. This was 2 weeks out. I finished the show (march 24). I am not 8 weeks out from next show and supposed to start var in few days and I am freaking out. I don't know why. I think having these numbers is ok during prep? And it is expected to have elevated liver enzymes during cycle? I feel much better now, so this must have been the diet. Please advise. Thank you!

let your body recover for a fee weeks at least. shows over. time to recover, unless you have more shows coming up.

you may need thyroid meds, thyroid is nothing to take lightly

My next show is in 7 weeks, so I have been off everything for 3 weeks. So these T4 ranges are messed up? I never had thyroid problems ever before this ?:(

Do you do any high carb re-feed days while in prep ? staying low carb, low calorie, high cardio for long periods is just doing to destroy your metabolism.
I generally recommend weekly re-feed high calorie days and diet breaks for long diets.

your ALT and AST are elevated because your breaking down a lot of muscle tissue with your diet and training. the blood work labs cannot distinguish a difference between ALT/AST enzymes that are broken down from liver or muscle. only 10mg of VAR is not likely the cause (in fact a dose that low is actually prescribed to people who have liver damage, as VAR had regenerative properties).

I'm guessing your Coritsol is through the roof as well.. I would get off the Clen and any other stimulants, get some rest, and do a couple of re-feed days.

ALSO up your sodium intake (make sure its iodine containing salt) and look into getting all natural (not from concentrate) cranberry juice that is high in iodine. this will help stimulate your thyroid. also a very small amount of orange juice a few times per day, this will help stimulate the liver, as thyroid hormone is converted from in active to active in the liver. your thyroid, metabolism, and liver are all linked together in regards to controlling metabolism

This diet started 7 weeks out, so lasted for 7 weeks, before I was on ~2k calories (prep was for 19 weeks total). So this chit went on for 7 weeks only. I can't say that refeed his high carb, its higher carb than the rest of 6 days. So its been 3 weeks since this show and I been on maintenance for 3 weeks so far (clean eating), only 4.5 lbs gained. So I have not taken var or clen in the past 3 weeks. I feel fine. It's time to start var though and then clen (I am 7 weeks out now from the next show). I am thinking this 3 week break should be enough?

I am not sure about Cortisol, but doc didn't bring it up.

I will ask coach for higher carb refeed days, will take small amount of OJ, incorporate salt and cranberry juice.

so I guess its f it for me, gonna do this chit one more time and hopefully will come out alive.

Thank u!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mashanya

Hello, 42, FEMALE, 9% body fat, 134 lbs. Ran very clean diet (very low carbs for 6 days with 1 high carb day, cardio 50 min 6 times a week, 5 days weight training)

Cycle: 10mg var, 40 clen, 20 nova (blood test was done before I ran Nolva)

Symptoms: I ran var twice before for 6 weeks while bulking with no issues (tired sometimes). Once calories dropped for prep and once I started taking clen, everything changed. I was TIRED. Clen made me even more tired, sometimes I would go to sleep on it :) I started feeling like I am gonna pass out at the gym (on these days I would take a day off). Heavy feeling in legs, sometimes burning in legs, mostly super tired (well, yeah, cals were low that would do it :))

Blood work results:

Alk Phos. 28 LO
AST. 64 HI
ALT 46 HI
Chloride. 94 LO
Bun/Creat Ratio. 28.2 LO
THYROXINE (T4) 2.9 LO
FREE T4 INDEX. 1.0 LO

So, doc calls me and basically is like - wtf are you on? Your thyroid is spent, I am surprised you can even drive the car, you should be passing out any minute. This was 2 weeks out. I finished the show (march 24). I am not 8 weeks out from next show and supposed to start var in few days and I am freaking out. I don't know why. I think having these numbers is ok during prep? And it is expected to have elevated liver enzymes during cycle? I feel much better now, so this must have been the diet. Please advise. Thank you!

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Eat some carbs, your body will fix itself in a matter of days.

Carbs are clean food from the right source, and clearly you body needs it. Prep is not easy for anyone, its worse for some, even impossible for a few. You need a different approach for your prep... or you need to suck it up and endure it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GearHeaded

ALSO up your sodium intake (make sure its iodine containing salt) and look into getting all natural (not from concentrate) cranberry juice that is high in iodine. this will help stimulate your thyroid. also a very small amount of orange juice a few times per day, this will help stimulate the liver, as thyroid hormone is converted from in active to active in the liver. your thyroid, metabolism, and liver are all linked together in regards to controlling metabolism

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Iodine will help if theres a iodine deficiency, but iodine deficiency are usually due to difficulties in absorption, dont think this is the case here.

But the fructose in the cranberry juice might help fixing it :)