36 year old Recently retired Leatherneck

[Marinecorp705]

Hey all, Thanks for reading this post. I recently retired from the USMC and am ready to take my next step in achieving my physique goals. I have been training hard for the past 9 years minus my 3 deployments. I continued to workout during deployment but due to lack of equipment I mainly lift body weight. My diet has always been consistent, again, when I was able to. I am whats known as an Ecto/Meso hybrid. When I am eating correctly I tend to be more of a mesomorph, when I am really limited on food my body acts very Ecto (Fast metabolism, loss of muscle, very lean)I consume between 3500-4000 calories a day of mainly clean, high protein food sources. I am not going to bullshit you, I like Ice cream and pizza and enjoy it whenever I want. I am turning 37 here soon and I feel its time to take the test plunge. I have had no experience w/ steroids or pro hormones but know many who have or do, and if your not of 30 years of age or above, you have no business thinking about steroids. I have seen 23 year olds in the corp completely screw up their hormonal system because they decided to take juice before their time.
With this said, I am looking to run my first cycle. It will consist of :

Test e: 500mgs a week for 12 weeks.
Unfortunately, I am unable to run A.I's because I deal with PTSD and am on ssri's or Sertraline (zoloft) I was told taking both is going to produce pretty nasty sides, a lot more so than the test itself. Perhaps some of you could educate me as to my choices for A.I.'s?

If I go with no A.I.'s what are the chances of developing gyno, or other estro sides?
Would it work out better for me to change my weekly dosage in order to avoid these sides?

It is my personal decision to run a Test-E only first cycle as I have seen others be very successful with it as a first cycle.

Thanks to all in advance for your help and suggestions.

Leatherneck,

[king6 II]

Greetings and welcome devil dog. Aside from age, what are your other stats? Height, weight, body fat percentage? A lot of your goals can be accomplished from a proper bulking diet.

As far as an AI goes they are pretty essential when running a cycle. It is hard to say whether or not you will get gyno without an AI as everyone reacts differently to AAS. Armidex and Aromasin are the two most common AI's that people run. HCG should also be run during cycle to aid in eventual recovery and to prevent testicular atrophy. I wold also strongly caution AAS usage when dealing with other emotional issues such as PTSD, during PCT (post cycle therapy ) many experience depression from the sudden drop in test levels and when factored in to an already existing condition could be a recipe for disaster. It is best to read and research as much as you can before beginning a cycle.

-Semper Fi-

[kelkel]

Welcome. Read Austinites Educational Articles Sticky threads at the top of the AAS Forum. Ton's of info relevant to what you need to know.

[RangerDanger830]

Greetings and welcome devil dog. Aside from age, what are your other stats? Height, weight, body fat percentage? A lot of your goals can be accomplished from a proper bulking diet.

As far as an AI goes they are pretty essential when running a cycle. It is hard to say whether or not you will get gyno without an AI as everyone reacts differently to AAS. Armidex and Aromasin are the two most common AI's that people run. HCG should also be run during cycle to aid in eventual recovery and to prevent testicular atrophy. I wold also strongly caution AAS usage when dealing with other emotional issues such as PTSD, during PCT (post cycle therapy ) many experience depression from the sudden drop in test levels and when factored in to an already existing condition could be a recipe for disaster. It is best to read and research as much as you can before beginning a cycle.

-Semper Fi-

I will say that as a disabled vet, 30% of my rating comes from PTSD and while steroids do make it more prevalent in my day to day life, it is very manageable. I have to tell myself on a daily basis to breathe and remind myself that sometimes my moodswings are just the steroids. But it all depends on how many stressors and triggers you have in your life.

I would recommend taking an AI. I would even go so far as to say the AI is more important than the Zoloft when on cycle. I have taken Zoloft before so I know how good it can be sometimes but I have also had early symptoms of gyno and I hated that more than I liked the zoloft.

[Marinecorp705]

Thanks to all of you for your responses, I greatly appreciate it. King I have done lots of research in regards to a test only cycle. I do understand that the test may make my PTSD symptoms worse. Although king at this point I have put so much effort into my training and nutrition w minimal results for the past 2 years. I have tried bulking and various training regiments, they worked great 3 or 5 years ago, not so much anymore. So through my research I am trying to find the safest and most informed advise. As far as a.i"a go I'm pretty split between running it and not. Reason being the sides from the a.i"a seem to be worse than the actuall test sides. I am more than willing to cont to learn by listening to people like you guys. Thank you Brother. Here are my stats
: 6'0"
178 lbs
16 - 18% bf

Greetings and welcome devil dog. Aside from age, what are your other stats? Height, weight, body fat percentage? A lot of your goals can be accomplished from a proper bulking diet.

As far as an AI goes they are pretty essential when running a cycle. It is hard to say whether or not you will get gyno without an AI as everyone reacts differently to AAS. Armidex and Aromasin are the two most common AI's that people run. HCG should also be run during cycle to aid in eventual recovery and to prevent testicular atrophy. I wold also strongly caution AAS usage when dealing with other emotional issues such as PTSD, during PCT (post cycle therapy ) many experience depression from the sudden drop in test levels and when factored in to an already existing condition could be a recipe for disaster. It is best to read and research as much as you can before beginning a cycle.

-Semper Fi-

[Marinecorp705]

Ranger thanks for your thoughts. If you don't mind me asking, did u run an a.i. With zoloft? If so what or how did you feel? Not taking the zoloft is not an option for me. What did you cycle and what was your end result?

[Marinecorp705]

Thank you.

[Docd187123]

I think you may be mixing up AIs and SERMs.

According to two drug interaction sites both anastrozole and exemestane do not interact with SSRIs and Zoloft specifically.



Also:

The treatment for hot flashes in patients receiving AI therapy includes nonhormonal measures, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and gabapentin. Although most hot flash studies conducted to date have included tamoxifen, a summary of the data demonstrates that a similar approach to hot flash treatment should be adopted in women receiving tamoxifen and those who are not.23 In fact, aromatase inhibition does not affect the use of SSRIs for hot flash therapy, whereas tamoxifen use may be affected. Because tamoxifen is metabolized by the CYP2D6 enzyme and some SSRIs are known to inhibit this enzyme, conversion of tamoxifen to its active metabolite endoxifen may be reduced, causing a decrease in tamoxifen efficacy.

Managing Aromatase Inhibitors in Breast Cancer Survivors: Not Just for Oncologists

Since it received FDA approval in 1977, tamoxifen has reduced breast cancer recurrences by one-half and breast cancer deaths by one-third in women with early-stage estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Unfortunately, the drug does not benefit every woman who takes it.

One reason is genetic. The liver uses the cytochrome P450 enzymes to metabolize many drugs. One of them, CYP2D6, is the principal enzyme that converts tamoxifen into endoxifen, a form that is active in the body. Variations in the gene that synthesizes CYP2D6 can limit women's ability to convert tamoxifen into its active form; about 7% of women have no CYP2D6 activity.

But drug interactions also contribute — an important consideration for mental health clinicians, as approximately 20% to 30% of the women who take tamoxifen also use antidepressants to alleviate depression, anxiety, or hot flashes. Some antidepressants are such strong inhibitors of CYP2D6 that women who take these drugs may not benefit from tamoxifen. Two papers suggest that three antidepressants — paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), and bupropion (Wellbutrin) — are most likely to inhibit CYP2D6 and interfere with tamoxifen treatment.

In one paper, researchers at McGill University reviewed seven clinical studies of women taking both tamoxifen and antidepressants. They also examined laboratory studies to assess the inhibitory effects of various antidepressants on the CYP2D6 enzyme in cell cultures. They found consistent evidence that two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) — paroxetine and fluoxetine — were strong inhibitors of CYP2D6. Indirect evidence from the laboratory studies suggested that bupropion, an antidepressant that affects the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine, also severely inhibits CYP2D6. Other drugs had less of an impact on this enzyme (see table).

Antidepressants and Tamoxifen - Harvard Health Publications

Until the issue is resolved, women taking tamoxifen have alternatives to CYP2D6 inhibitors to prevent hot flashes, said Dr. Pierce, noting that not all SSRIs inhibit the enzyme. Using an aromatase inhibitor instead of tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer recurrence is another possible option.

"You should make the best judgment in terms of the appropriate medication for the patient, given her disease," said Dr. Pierce. "There are ways to work around the problem if tamoxifen is the best drug for a patient. But certainly aromatase inhibitors are very important drugs in our armamentarium for postmenopausal women with breast cancer."

ASCO: Conflicting Data on Breast Cancer, Tamoxifen, SSRIs

You'll be fine using the AI and Zoloft but will need to watch out for tamoxifen/Nolva with the Zoloft. The way I see it you'll only really he using Nolva for PCT or gyno treatment so you have several options that I can see:

1) use raloxifene instead of Nolva. Raloxifene isn't metabolized by the CYP2D6 enzyme so it's immune to the effects of inhibition from SSRIs.

2) drop the Zoloft before running tamoxifen and pick back up after ending tamox treatment. Obviously this is the most risky as it takes you off an anti-depressant.

3) have your Zoloft script changed to venlafaxine (Effexor), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), mirtazapine (Remeron), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), nefazodone (Serzone). Effexor being your best choice in regards to interactions with tamoxifen bc it inhibits the enzyme less than the rest.

[David LoPan]

I am a disabled vet as well. Still have PTSD and take a SSRI, Lexipro. I think Zoloft sucks, personally. I would not go off a SSRI without a doctors help but I would try to change from Zoloft. Old drug and the newer ones that are mentioned above are much better with less interactions and sides. I have not had any problems using any of the AI you talked about.

[RangerDanger830]

I am a disabled vet as well. Still have PTSD and take a SSRI, Lexipro. I think Zoloft sucks, personally. I would not go off a SSRI without a doctors help but I would try to change from Zoloft. Old drug and the newer ones that are mentioned above are much better with less interactions and sides. I have not had any problems using any of the AI you talked about.

That's why I stopped taking zoloft myself. But to answer your question marine, no I didn't take them at the same time. I took the Zoloft in between cycles so I am sorry I couldn't help more. I like what Doc has to say though.