uh newbie ?'s

[friction]

i am really new to lifting all together... i am already on a strict five day workout. i am bummed that i have to wait awhile to see results. i have been skinnny all my life pretty much. i am 23 yrs old and like 6'2" and weigh approximately 153lbs. and in the past year everything that has gone wrong in my life has. i am really looking to do something positive and healthy. i have started a diet where i am eating like a horse and taking whey along with creatine and andro. i just recently got the hooks through a friend of a friend who works at a gym with some anabolic shot stuff. the source sounds pretty good and i have been dead set on doing this for myself for a long time now. i have researched this pretty extensively, for probably the past three months or more. i have no clue yet as to what type of steroid this is however. its setting me back a little and i am pretty sure this is some legit shit. i am probably gonna do some more extensive research before i take the shot though even after i aquire it. i want to do it right and safe and sterile. i plan on taking it for a couple sets of cycles and not permanetly. i just want to get the boost that my genes won't give me. i guess my question is... in a 4 to 8 week cycle using steroids will i probably gain some significant weight? what type if any of weight gain could i be looking at? like i said i just want the head start..... i am looking for no long term addiction. is it healthy for someone of my stature to do a cycle when they are this skinny? and is it safe to stack a number of over the counter supplements with a anabolic injectable? am i in over my head?

[TNT]

Good to have you here, bro, but I need to ask a favor.

Stand up for a second. Go ahead, we won't laugh. Okay, now turn around. Really. This will just take a second.

Whomp!

That was the sound of everyone here kicking you in the butt, bro. Because - and take this with the humor in which it is intended - that is what you needed.

Now, seriously, we really do welcome you to our merry band of marauders, but you have much learning to do. You are coming off like the heretic who gets saved at a revival meeting - heathen yesterday, born again today, and claiming to be a theologian tomorrow.

So sit back for a second and re-read what you wrote: "i just recently got the hooks through a friend of a friend who works at a gym with some anabolic shot stuff . . . i have researched this pretty extensively, for probably the past three months or more. i have no clue yet as to what type of steroid this is however. its setting me back a little and i am pretty sure this is some legit shit."

Let's see if I understand this: You claim to have done extensive research and have already bought "some anabolic shot stuff?" I submit, our newbie friend, that you have not done extensive research at all, because anyone who had done quality research would never refer to "anabolic shot stuff."

So here's my advice, and I think you'll find that most people will concur: Set yourself a target date to do your "anabolic shot stuff." Set it, say, six months from now. That's right, a full six months.

And during those six months, do some real research. Because, bro, we're talking about shooting shit into your body. And believe me, you are playing Russian Roulette if all you know about the gear you bought is that it's "anabolic shot stuff."

The place to start is at the top of the Index for the Steroid Questions forum- click on "Educational Threads" and go from there. And before you even consider doing some "anabolic shot stuff," find out what it is and determine if you've wasted your money. Because if your friend-of-a-friend source told you merely that it was "anabolic shot stuff" when he sold it to you, I wanna meet the guy - if he could say something like that without laughing his ass off, he can keep a straight face better than anyone I know. (Chances are that, in six months, you will realize that your "anabolic shot stuff" may or may not be fake. But if you don't know what it is, you won't want to shoot it. IN which case I recommend having it mounted in lucite as a reminder of your naive days. It will make a nifty conversation piece.)

So, friction, welcome to the world of the big boys and girls. If you've been ripped off, you're not the first, and you won't be the last. But you are definitely not ready to do a cycle. Get your feet wet first with some education. Ask any questions you have here, preferably after doing your reading, and we'll help you along.

Oh, and keep a copy of your initial post. A year from now, if you do it right, you will read that post and fall on the floor laughing at how naive you were. Again, don't sweat it - we've all been there - but don't rush the process either.

Once again, welcome to the board.

[friction]

no no.... its not that at all. its a friend of a friend. and i haven't made any transactions yet. i do however know that this person is legitamit. what i don't know yet is the product. whether or not it is deca or some other form? all i know is it is injectable. my friend is not a steroid user, he works at a gym and been approached several times by people on this matter. he says i'm stupid for taking the stuff.... but in a way i think he empathizes with my situation. he is a good friend and he would never put me in touch with anyone or anything that would do me harm. he does know that when you want something so bad you will get it. he is just guiding me a person that has a reputation for quality. i guess what i really wanted to know is it safe, possible and effective for me to possible gain 10 to 20lbs in a set cycle from this? or is my body not gonna hack this stuff? is it possible to od on steroids? even if the injection is like 100cc to start in the first cycle? i mean what with my frame and weight?

[friction]

yeah i guess i do kinda sound like a herectic..... but man i want to get big bad!! i just want that boost. no one seems to understand what its like to be this god damn skinny. i tried alot of stuff. my doctor even prescribed a prescription drug for me. i don't know the name of it.... but i looked it up on the web and it is an anahistamine for like allergies and shit? supposedly it will give me a greater appetite? what is the likely hood of a doctor prescribing anabolic steroids to a patient for muscle or weight gian? or is that just laugh out loud funny?

[TNT]

Okay, friction, I know you're anxious. Actually, I meant that clinically. We can actually feel your anxiety, and yes - some people here do know what it's like to be that tall and that thin. As I right this, it's only six-something in the morning, but I'm sure you'll have some more responses throughout the day.

But once again, let's do a reality check and look at what you're saying . . .

"i guess what i really wanted to know is it safe, possible and effective for me to possible gain 10 to 20lbs in a set cycle from this? or is my body not gonna hack this stuff? is it possible to od on steroids? even if the injection is like 100cc to start in the first cycle?"

Hack what stuff? Something that you think might be deca? Bro, if you do not know the answer to whether you can OD on steroids, you are obviously not ready to do steroids. Moreover, when the [i]average[]/i] injection of any substance is 1 cc, do you realize the ramifications of injecting 100 cc's?

Here's a basic lesson. 30 cc = 1 ounce. So 100 cc = 3-3/13 oounces. Easy, right? Okay. Now go find a measuring cup and put a little over 3 ounces of water in it. Look at the water in that glass, and think to yourself: Would you want to inject that much of anything into your body?

Let me use one more thing you wrote to drive the point home:

"my doctor even prescribed a prescription drug for me. i don't know the name of it.... but i looked it up on the web and it is an anahistamine for like allergies and shit? supposedly it will give me a greater appetite? what is the likely hood of a doctor prescribing anabolic steroids to a patient for muscle or weight gian? or is that just laugh out loud funny?"

First, the likelihood of a doctor prescribing steroids is nil. This is a topic that often comes up here (and a chance for you do use the search feature at the top of this screen - use "prescribe" as your search term), and the general gist of it is tha no physician will jeopardize his or her license to do it.

But the more important point is that you do not even know the name of what your doctor has prescribed for you. Well, bro, learn the name of it. And when you post here, include the name of it. If we are not familiar with it, there are people on teh board who are qualified to find out about it and why it might have been prescribed for you. But we can't do that without the information.

Now, your profile indicates that you're 23 years old. And you're right - to be 6'2" and only 153 pounds is unusual. Not out of the realm of universal understanding, just unusual. So the first question to address is why you do not weigh more in light of your height and weight. Has your doctor said anything about this thus far?

An additional factor that has to be considered is whether you have any underlying medical conditions that would prevent you from gaining weight naturally. Also - and this is not as off the wall as you might think - anoher thing to be addressed is where you are in terms of physical development. Have you experienced any delayed puberty, for example? In other words, are you still growing naturally, or has your physical development stopped at this point? Do you need steroids as a kick-start to the completion of puberty, or a full cycle to take you off from a new point?

Finally, regardless of whether the antihistamine was prescribed apropriately or not, have you checked in with a growth specialist (like an endocrinologist)? And have you had lab work done that would explain any reason that you cannot gain weight naturally? In other words, have you explored all of your options short[ of a steroid cycle?

All of this is not to say that you would not benefit from AS. But you should see the big picture as you begin to consider what type of cycle is best for you.

Finally, psyche yourself up to become an activist - a proactive patient who knows what the fuck his doctor is giving him, and a dude who knows what he is going to potentiallly stick into his body and why. Shit, my brother, is something that we do. It's not a "generic something" that we stick into our bodies (as in "some anabolic shit"). It's not a disease or condition (as in, "anahistamine [sic] for like allergies and shit").

Don't think I'm trying to discourage you from doing steroids. Lots of us do steroids here, and lots of us don't. What matters is what will work best for you. But knowledge is power, and before you do anything, you have to know what you are doing.

And by the way, one of the toughest things to pull off is patience. Just remember that we're on your side.

[friction]

thanks for being kind. i am sure i need a kick in the ass anyways and as you can tell i am extremely anxious. but if patience is what it takes. then whatever it takes! my doctor prescribed me "cyproheptadine" in 4mg pills. one to be taken in the morn and one before bedtime. after one week he said he is gonna up my dosage. my doc did a little touch and feel and said he didn't feel anything strange. he said i probably just have an incredible high metabolism. he said there was "no magic" solution to my dilema, he did suggested creatine. this discouraged me quite a bit, thus i did not waste my time on the anahistamine thing. although i still have the prescription. oh and the doc, he did no blood work to determine this. my mother did have to have her thyroid removed when she was in her early 30's. i don't know if that could be a red flag. genetically in my family the males are around 6 to 6'2. pretty stocky guys and i somehow get these weird genetics? most people i run into now that i haven't seen i a year or so say damn dude did you grow? you look taller. and not to sound silly but i have always noticed i have less body hair than most guys. probably about six months ago i just started to get more facial hair it seems. can that be right though? i am 23 years old?!?

[Iron horse]

some people don't develop all there facial hair till about 25 I believe.

maybe you have an over active thyriod? calculate how many calories you usualy have in a day and then post it. how old were u went you hit puberty?

btw - im not a hairy guy either

[TNT]

What you have said leads me to believe that you may still be in the physical development process - in other words, your puberty has not ended. I base this on (1) the notion that you have grown in height as recently as within the past year, and (2) the notion that you have increased facial hair as recently as six months ago. As you may be aware, as part of the growth process, people tend to fill outward as well as upward. Everythign from your organ to bone function continues in some degree of development, although it's much more subtle than the otehr changes (like height, voice deepening, sexual development, etc.).

This is all the more reason that I would not rush a steroid cycle, at least until you have more information not only on the wacky world of steroids themselves, but more information on your natural progress as well.

One of the things we have not explored is your workout routine. You mentioned that you have a friend who works at a gym. But do you go to a gym? Let's assume that you suddenly start putting on weight, for example, whether through mucho eating or steroids. If you merely put on pounds, then all you are going to do is end up fat. You need a good exercise routine of some type to put on the right kind of pounds. Most of the guys (and women, too) on the board who do AS (get used to that abbreviation - it's simply the short way we say anabolic steroids) will specifically be into weight lifting or bodybuilding, usually through free weights. But you can also do circuit training (machine-based systems such as Cybex, Nautilus, etc.) along with cardio (treadmill, bike, stairclimber, etc.) to get solids results. The important thing is that you do something, not just piling in extra food or doing steroids.

Now, let's move to your doctor. All I can say is . . .

Huh???

(Yeah, I know . . . I have a thing for emphasis. )

The antihistamine that he has prescribed for you, cyproheptadine, is sold under the trade name of Periactin and it does, indeed, come in 4 mg. pills. Dosing for adults is based on body weight, with the average daily divided dose totaling between 12-16 mg. a day.

Every prescription drug has indications, the technical term for reasons that they are prescribed. The indications for Periactin include perennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis (in other words, plain ol' allergies), certain other types of allergies, and certain skin conditions. It is not prescribed to help you gain weight. So the question is whether you havever had allergies or another reason to have this particular drug prescribed. My other concern is that Periactin is a bit old-fashioned insofar as it can cause drowsiness (as to many antihistamines). Even if you have common allergies, it is much mroe common today to prescribe non-tranquilizing antihistamines such as Claritin or Allegra; cyproheptadine has a lot more baggage in terms of side effects.

(If you have not had allergies, I would see another doctor because I'm not sure why he would have prescribe it. In fact, I would consider seeing another doctor anyway. If your insurance covers it - meaning if you do not require referrals because you are in an HMO, the best type of doctor would be an endocrinologist. However, this is really where you need patience, because it may take several weeks to get an appointment with one.)

My other concern is that your doctor did not run any lab tests. Considering the basic factors - that you are 23 years old, 6'2", and only 153 lbs., I would think that the doctor would have at least run basic lab work, including thyroid tests. The fact that your mom had her thyroid zapped is not necessarily relevant (thyroid conditions are not necessarily heriditary), but this is an important area to check out in terms of any delayed growth factors. Likewise, basic lab tests would rule out diabetes, which can also impact growth factors.

Additionally, I would ask your doctor to run a total testosterone test. You may have noted in your extensive research (sorry, friction, I sometimes get a little tongue-in-cheek ) that one of the foundations of the wacky world of AS is testosterone. There are a couple of cool medical reasons for which it can be prescribed, one of which happens to be delayed puberty. So if you have low TT (total testosterone) levels, it is worth knowing about.

As I said, my concern is that your doctor didn't run any lab tests. Without determining the reason for your low body weight, I think he jumped the gun in his conclusion. That means that this may be beyond his scope of knowledge and, combined with the antihistamine prescription, it raises a red flag.

Finally, at this point we are operating from the presupposition that your weight is light considering your height and age. This may or may not be the case. Remember that we tend to emphasize a "Bulked-up GI Joe" mentality in the wacky world of weightlifting. Depending on your frame, you may not be as bad off as you think you are. You are below the bottom number of a person at your height with a small frame and, in my opinion, that underscores the importance of your physician checking a little further than he appears to have done.

[The famous Metropolitan Insurance Height-Weight Tables, which have been used for a few generations now, were revised in 1983 to more realistic standards, although many people think that they are still a bit off the wall. They are, however, still the medical standard for ideal height-weight ratios. So where do you find them, you ask? (I'm glad you asked. ) You'll find them by clicking right here.]

Anyway, that's my take at this point. I'm due for some sleep, and I'm sure you'll have some more feedback from others today. In the meantime, keep remembering to chill out, because nothing will change overnight. You've already taken the first steps, so allow yourself the time to digest all of this information and consider your next steps.

[D00fy]

i love TNT post its like going to the library

[friction]

damn tnt..... i had no idea. i will definetly check that out. the endocrinologist that is. i did feel blown off and that it was a little strange he didn't do any tests on me(the doc). and i couldn't for the life of me understand why the hell he prescribed that crap for me when we were directly speaking about weight gain. and that is why i went to him in the first place. there was no word or mention of allergies and i have never taken allergy medication before. even when i got home i researched the hell out of the drug he prescribed me, couldn't find a single side effect even that would show increased appetite. hmmm, thats crazy i didn't that about the delayed puberty thing. i am definetly gonna be checking that out!

[Vegas Kid]

Listen to TNT, he's right on as usual. I was very anxious when I joined but now the only thing I'm anxious about is learning more about AS. There is so much more than I ever thought possible and you'll find it all here, you just have to take some time and read.

Welcome and good luck!!

[androplex]

TNT, You always hit things right on.

Great post.....

[rangerdudeleads]

well said tnt, even when i cant answer a post i always learn from good bro like tnt and other regulars on here.Good job guys.

[D3m3nt3d]