Testosterone Benefits Take Months

[HawaiianPride.]

Anabolic Research Update

By William Llewellyn



***Be Careful What You Put Into Your Body***



Testosterone Benefits Take Months

Older men receiving testosterone medications to replace declining levels and treat androgen deficiency symptoms may need to be patient with therapy, according to a recent study published in the journal Aging Male.1 The study examined the sexual and psychological changes that resulted from androgen replacement therapy in a group of 40 men. Two different treatments were used— either injectable testosterone enanthate or oral testosterone undecanoate (Andriol ). The researchers placed special emphasis on determining the time-course of benefits, using weekly questionnaires to ascertain how long it took for various improvements to be noticed. As it turned out, many of the benefits were far from immediate.

When measuring the tendency for the men to have sexual thoughts and fantasies, these variables seemed to return to normal very quickly, within three weeks of starting therapy. So too did the occurrence of spontaneous morning erections (three weeks). Total erections, however, took up to nine weeks to reach plateau. Ejaculations per week/sexual satisfaction took a full 12 weeks to peak.

Other physiological variables varied a great deal as well. Depression scores were significantly reduced, reaching the lowest levels after six weeks. Mental concentration scores increased, reaching peak at three weeks following testosterone enanthate , and nine weeks after testosterone undecanote. Increased self-confidence reached plateau at three to six weeks, and positive mood improvements peaked at six to nine weeks. Lastly, measures of fatigue took up to four months to improve. Measures of aggression did not change.



Steroids— NOT Gateway Drugs

The ‘gateway’ drug theory has been a long-standing argument by drug war supporters to justify the continued prohibition of marijuana. The argument goes something like this: even though marijuana is a relatively benign drug compared to most others (no overdose, minor health risks, no physical addiction), it can serve as a gateway to other, more serious drugs. For example, a teenager who may have never contemplated the use of heroin before, might be inclined to try it after experimenting with marijuana. Marijuana itself may not be so dangerous, but it is a direct cause of heroin addiction, in some people. Thus, prohibition is still justified to preserve the greater good of less serious drug abuse.

The ‘gateway’ argument, of course, falls apart very quickly upon scrutiny. To begin with, a small percentage of marijuana users actually go on to use hard drugs. A very small minority of them become drug-addicted. Given this low-level association, one could as easily make a link between hard drugs and alcohol or cigarettes. Individuals are sometimes introduced to hard drugs through poly-drug dealers, when looking for marijuana. Eventual experiences with marijuana may also serve to put someone’s guard down (if marijuana isn’t that bad, cocaine might not be). In both cases, prohibition may inadvertently be serving as the catalyst, not protection. Eliminating the policy would actually further the distance between the soft drug (in this case, marijuana) and hard drugs.

I bring up these scenarios because I think they may be relevant for some discussions about steroids . I’ve been seeing this small but increasing trend among certain writers and advocates to consider anabolic steroids ‘gateway’ drugs. This troubles me, mostly because so many people are working hard to change the public perception of these drugs, at least in a medicinal sense. An honest medical assessment of steroids, even when they are abused, would of course result in steroids being classified as ‘soft drugs.’ Throwing in such gateway propaganda is certainly not going to help the situation any. Nobody wants to see teen steroid abuse , for example, but truth is still what we all need— not sensationalism.

I was glad to see a recent report in the medical journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, which addressed this subject.2 It involved a study at the Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden. Over a period of one year, researchers there interviewed 56 individuals who had been suspected of breaking Sweden’s extremely tough anti-steroid laws (they were found with steroids, or confirmed steroid use during arrest). The team asked questions to see how many of the subjects had also used other narcotic drugs, to see if there was an association. It turned out that 73 percent of the subjects had used narcotics. The vast majority, however, had used the narcotics before steroids, not after. Researches found that their data did not support the hypothesis that steroids were common gateway drugs. I’d like to hope we will see even less talk of this ‘indirect danger’ now, but suspect that will be unlikely.



China— Counterfeits Booming

An article recently appeared in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, which describes China as a nation with a rampant drug-counterfeiting problem.3 Many of the counterfeiters are very sophisticated, able to copy legitimate drug packaging with high accuracy, even detailed security features like holograms. Because of this, many fake medicines are getting into the hands of sick people. One source interviewed in the article said that fake drugs have been so widely distributed in official channels in China, that some have even made their way to Chinese hospitals. Another source described the counterfeiting of medicines as tantamount to “mass murder.” Since many deaths have been attributed to counterfeit Chinese drug products already, this is difficult to argue.

In 2008, contaminated heparin was responsible for at least 80 deaths in the United States, and hundreds more adverse reactions. The problem was traced back to a supplier of raw heparin in China, which was supposed to be pharmaceutical grade. Upon chemical analysis, a full one-third of the material turned out to be filler contamination.4 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration speculates the contamination was intentional, so that a seller could yield greater profit on the material sold to drug manufacturers. This material wound up in a product made by Baxter, a major U.S. pharmaceuticals maker. This is an extremely disturbing incident, and to critics it underlines a serious weakness in the legitimate global (as well as U.S.) supply of drug materials.

One of the things that seems to be confounding the problem in China is the lack of sufficient penalties. According to the article, an individual caught operating a facility that makes counterfeit medicines can expect to pay a fine ranging from about $20 to $500. A productive lab, of course, can make millions of dollars, especially if it is putting inert materials into its ‘medicines.’ There is, alternately, the potential penalty of death. In 2007, authorities executed the former head of the Chinese Food and Drug Administration, after a scandal involving bribes. Such action is very rare, however, and we tend to only hear about it when there is a large international incident.

A close Chinese friend of mine tries to explain the culture: “China is about commerce right now. They protect business, and will generally look the other way. That is, unless you cause the nation public shame. If this happens, you better watch out!”

The examples cited in the article are not directly related to the use of anabolic steroids. Still, I think the events it describes (and the broader issue as a whole) are important for the steroid user to consider. Clearly, if someone were making a lot of money churning out inert drugs, denying sick people the proper medications they need, they would have few moral reservations about putting out counterfeit anabolic steroids. One would hope this would only mean drugs that are underdosed or inert, but of course the steroids could have more serious issues, such as being contaminated with bacteria, heavy metals, or other dangerous substances. This type of contamination is something we have seen already with black-market steroids.

The highly black-market nature of the global steroid trade makes the infusion of counterfeit steroids all the easier. Even sloppy counterfeiters of low sophistication can find ample buyers for their steroids. I’m sure that some people reading this article right now are using an anabolic steroid product that was traded entirely through black-market hands, all the way back to the point of manufacture in China.

The point I am trying to make is that now, more than ever, you need to be careful about what you put into your body. Many quality drugs are made in China, but many fakes, too. Thankfully, at the present time, we have little to discuss with regard to serious or life-threatening reactions to counterfeit Chinese steroids. Let’s hope it stays that way. Be safe.

References:

1. Aging Male, 2009 Dec; 12(4):113-8.

2. Drug Alcohol Depend, 2010 Jan 9.

3. CMAJ, Nov 10,2009 181(10) E237-38.

4. Heparin Contamination May Have Been Deliberate. The New York Times, April 30, 2008.

[Matt]

A very good article HP, ive given up on ordering HGH from China i believe its absolute shit...

[HawaiianPride.]

A very good article HP, ive given up on ordering HGH from China i believe its absolute shit...

Thanks to XTRA I've decided to hold off on them as well. Most of my stuff doesn't come from there anyways but this should be a re-assurance statement to those still ordering from them...

[yoyoma1]

I wonder what doses they are talking about here. trt so i'm assuming less than 250 a week? is that a good guess?

[aPlinker]

I wonder what doses they are talking about here. trt so i'm assuming less than 250 a week? is that a good guess?

+1 im wondering this as well

[HawaiianPride.]

I wonder what doses they are talking about here. trt so i'm assuming less than 250 a week? is that a good guess?

Use the references as guides.

[Bonaparte]

Probably the standard 200mg every other week BS. This would also explain why it took so long to reach full effect, since each dose was washing out of the system just as it was replaced by another, so that the doses never overlapped and accumulated.

[turk1968]

Agreed .Most people on trt are between 100mg and 250mg per week. Im 48 and on 150mg . This dose doesnt keep my physique the same as on cycle, my strength still drops but i still have the desire to train and shag all the time. Sometimes less is more. Trt is very different in individuals, i personally want as little test as possible between cycles to allow my body to rest but not to cause a drop in "performance!". I tried 100mg before which i felt was too low. After my next cycle i will drop to 125mg and see.