Advice

[tdub06]

I have found myself in a unique situation. I have never had anything against steroids but had never planned on using them. I started lifting when I was 18 and went from around 5'7 at 118 pounds (I was a cross country runner) to around 150 at 21. I always stayed relatively lean and never really had to go on any kind of heavy bulk eating plan. Then things got complicated. I started losing energy and weight and became extremely sore from light weight low volume workouts. Over 6 months or so of degradation, it ended with me hospitalized, back down to 120, literally unable to walk. I was eventually diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease called dermatomyositis. The disease itself has very little information because it affects a very small number of people. I was treated with corticosteroids and various other immunosuppressants. Against the doctors advice, I worked out and took basic supplements (creatine, glutamine, citrulline, multi-vitamins) about 4 months after I was released from the hospital. I made a suprising recovery over the course of 1 and a half years, which I partly attribute to exercise and supplementation of creatine and glutamine. Currently, I have been off corticosteroids for over 8 months and off any type of immunosuppressant that endangers the liver for over 6 months. However, I have only been able to return to about 135. I believe that if I continue down the training path I am on I could probably return to 150 within 2 or so years. However, I feel a bit robbed by the disease and would like to be able to train harder and rest for less time so that I can get back to where I was...That mindset led me to find more information on steroids. Well, that has lead me here to find more advice on beginning cycles. I want to know about compounds with the best risk to benefit ratios, and out of those, which are preferred for begginer cycles?

[Armykid93]

I would recommend waiting till your at least 25. you should wait till you gain weight naturally to before you start a cycle and do lots of research on this site

[10nispro]

Welcome to the Board!!!

You are still to young to get on gear. Has your immune doctor ever tested your test levels?

[AD]

since it is such a rare disease, i dont think anybody will know what effects AAS will have on your condition, maybe not even your doctors. the danger that you will fear most is that AAS may induce a relapse. nobody knows what are the chances, in terms of %, but i guess high doses and longer cycle may be riskier. and then, depending you your age, there is the other danger of damaging your HPTA.