going to doctor

[eckiller]

Hi,

I am going to go to the dr. to get some blood work done because I had some wierd side effects after I took some gear. I want to see if i took some bad shit.

First off, can my dr. get me in trouble for taking the gear?

Second, what kind of tests do i need?

Third, is a amnormally fast heart beat on gear normal?

Thanks

[arthurb999]

1. Nope, you can tell your doctor almost anything and be protected by patient confidentially.

2. What is the problem? Hopefully you won't need the full cavity exam. jk

3. Well a side effect is high blood pressure. Your doctor will be able to help you out.

[eckiller]

Ya, well that seems to be the side effect that hurtin me .

My hearts beating hard often and it scares me a bit and then i get nervous/anxious.

I feel restless and have difficulty sleeping (been taking some vicadin the last couple a days to aid in sleeping).

The heart beat is pretty bad, I don't think I'm exaggerating it.
Though I think I will be ok, I did a hard leg workout, intense squats etc. And I didn't die then so...

How will the Dr. help me out with high blood pressure?

[atwa]

i8f your blood pressure is high he will treat it with meds.

[nymattyk]

what did your cycle look like? do you do any drugs now that may affect heart rate (coke, etc)?

[eckiller]

Anyone know of some good over the counter blood pressure meds that might help me out a bit until my dr. appoinment tuesday?

Right now I'm taking aspiren every 6 hours.

[eckiller]

Im still on the cycle. I don't do anything like coke, speed. Just taking 1-2 amps of tesosterone enthonate plus a little of some other testosterone per week. Plus normal food, protein shakes, and water.

[PaPaPumP]

Sounds great! You can never get too much of that 'some other testosterone'...lol . Bro, you DO know what you are taking...right? Please tell me you are not just injecting stuff into your body without knowing what it is. That is just silly, and dangerous.

[eckiller]

You are a funny man, Yes I know what the other test is, but we are taking a low amount of it so i rendered it insignificant.

Anyways one amp of the stuff we got contains:

Each ampule contains 50mg of testosterone propionate and 200mg testosterone enanthate, dissolved in 1ml oil.

Now anyone know of some over the counter blood pressure relievers that will hold me over (calm my heart rate when needed) until my dr. appointment.

Its really quite annoying how it comes and goes.

[arthurb999]

Xanax or valium should do the trick but I'm no doctor. Perhaps you should stop the cycle. Obviously, it doesn't agree with you. It's not worth dying over.

[eckiller]

Thanks arthurb999 and everyone. I'm going to see what my doctor has to say. My next shot isn't until the day after I see him anyway. It sounds like my heart bounding isn't very normal, especially since I've been lifting for 6 yrs and consider myself in good shape. Though I don't do any cardio work...

I've been watching my fat intake as well.

Hopefully I'll live until tuesday.

[TNT]

No, he has not. And don't be so naive, EC, as to assume that any advice you get here will be as reliable, or even as accurate, as the advice you can get from a competent doctor. Notwithstanding that we are not physicians here, proper diagnosis and treatment requires an old-fashioned, in-person examination, not a "cyber consultation." But sit back, relax and read yet another TNT epistle and, as Ben Stein says, you might learn something.

That said, here are a few comments to hold you over until you get to see your doctor on Tuesday . . .

First, re-read Arthur999's first response to you. I agree with everything he said except for one comment made in jest: You actually do want the "full cavity exam." You do want the doctor to stick his (or her) finger up your butt and poke around. That's how they identify an enlarged prostate. In fact, a doctor sticking his finger up your butt even has a technical name - the DRE, or Digital Rectal Exam. It's how they first discovered that my father had early-stage prostate cancer nine years ago, which resulted in his being successfully treated then, and alive and well today. And since prostate enlargement can be a side effect of using testosterone, you shouldn't even consider seeing a doctor who doesn't stick his finger up your butt.

(Ah, besides, you may like it, and they need more clerks at Bloomingdale's. But I digress . . .)

Next, your doctor will determine what blood tests you need, especially with regard to your cardiac health. But make sure he includes the following specific tests which are impacted by the use of AS:

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel: This includes both a basic metabolic panel and hepatic panel, which indicate your kidney and liver functions - both of which can be impacted by AS.

Lipid Panel: Indicates your various cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which can also be affected by AS. Also includes a fasting glucose test, which gives you an indication of your sugar levels.

Hemoglobin and Hematocrit: Individual blood tests for levels that can be affected by testosterone.

Total Testosterone: Obviously, your test level. It's nice to know how high you've zonked it. (Note: zonked is not a clinical term.)

PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen): Tells you your specific PSA level. Even if you get a digital rectal exam, if you've been using testosterone, you should have this one since test use can cause prostate enlargement.

Neither an abnormally fast heart nor high blood pressure is normal on some types of gear, and neither is a side effect of testosterone. However, my first question is whether you have been doing any supplements. Supps containing ephedrine (such as Xenedrine or an ECA stack), for example, can cause high blood pressure or a fast heart rate. Remember, it's not just the AS you have to look at, you also have to evaluate the effects of any over-the-counter supps you've been taking. (You mentioned protein shakes, for example. How closely have you read the ingredient list for those shakes?) In other words, you don't need coke or speed to get your heart racing; sometimes, the stuff at GNC will do the trick just as well.

When you say that the high blood pressure is "the side effect that's hurtin" you, wrong! High blood pressure is a silent condition - you generally don't know you have it until you've had your blood pressure checked. That's why they call hypertension an "invisible killer." You can tell if you have tachycardia (rapid heart beat) by simply taking your pulse, but blood pressure requires the whole ball of wax - pressure cuff and gauge (well, if you have to know, it's called a sphygmomenometer, though it's so many years since I've used the word that I don't know if I spelled it right) and stethoscope, or self-contained blood pressure monitor.

But I'm a little concerned about your use of the word hurtin.' If you're in actual pain, you should head to the nearest emergency room. Now. So sit back and think for a moment: Are you actually experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack? They include, among others, severe chest pain or tightness extending into the upper arm, nausea, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath.

If you are not having these symptoms - and you've made no mention of them, my guess is that you have a good case of (drum roll, everyone) . . . plain ol' anxiety. Which is okay - anxiety is a recognized and fairly common adverse reaction (side effect) of testosterone enanthate. In which case you should make an effort to lay back and chill out until you can get to the doctor on Tuesday. The first step to doing that is to recognize that you are experiencing anxiety in the first place.

Now, let's talk drugs . . . First, the aspirin is a good idea, but it's only a temporary solution. As you may be aware, many physicians recommend aspirin as a preventive measure against heart attacks. Every six hours is not necessary, but it won't kill you. But make sure you're not masking any serious symptoms by using it. Again, if you fit the symptom list of having a heart attack, head for the hospital now; if not, chilling out and relaxing a little will help you more than anything else until Tuesday.

As for the Vicodin, remember that it's not a sleep aid, it's an opiate (Hydrocodone with a dose of Acetominophen, the generic equivalent of Tylenol) used for moderate-to-severe pain. It's also highly addictive, so don't use your symptoms as an excuse to overdo it. Moreover, while it may help you get to sleep, it won't help you stay asleep - you'll get much better quality of sleep without it, and you won't have a hydrocodone hangover the next morning. If you truly need help sleeping, your doctor can prescribe Ambien or one of the newer sleep aids, any of which will be less dangerous than the Vicodin.

Next, I'm glad you elaborated on the test - I was beginning to worry about you, bro. But the fact that you're taking test in amps instead of vials tells me, first of all, that you're not using a test that's legally manufactured in the U.S. or Canada. (In other words - and don't take this personally - you're using crap.) So you can't be sure of the drug's purity of dosage levels, and you may, indeed, be experiencing some physical side effects.

So listen to PapaPump - he knoweth of which he speaketh - and Arthur: If you haven't already done so, stop your cycle. If the test is what has been causing the symptoms, stop taking the test (duhhhh . . . . . ), at least until you have seen the doctor.

I have to strongly, but cordially, disagree with my bro Arthur on one thing, however: Stay away from the Xanax and Valuium. Both are benzodiazepines that have their own set of side effects. Xanax is an anti-anxiety drug, and Valium is a tranquilizer and muscle relaxant. Neither of them is, or should be, used to treat high blood pressure.

There is no such thing as an over-the-counter blood pressure medication, and there is nothing you can take to relieve high blood pressure until you see your doctor. If necessary, he will prescribe a hypertension medication that will do the trick, since blood pressure is quite easy to treat medically. But don't fuck with these yourself (and, if you live at home, don't take any of your parents' medications). The opposite of hypertension is hypotension - high blood pressure versus low blood pressure, and the opposite of tachycardia is bradycardia - rapid heart beat versus slow heart beat. And if you self-prescribe anything that lowers your blood pressure too much, you'll go into bradycardia and feel even more crappy than you do now. Don't risk it, bro - treating high blood pressure is not something for amateurs.

So, now that I've loaded you with some heavy-duty stuff, there's one thing I want you to do now. If it's cold where you are, put on a coat. Then go outside. Sit down, kick your feet out, and smell the night air. Take a couple of good, relaxed deep breaths and do . . . nothing. Seriously, bro. You may have some physical symptoms, but I sense a lot of anxiety - and thats normal. But unless you're in an urgent or emergency situation, the best thing to do right now is lay back, chill out, and relax for the next couple of days. Stop your cycle and stop your workouts - everyone needs an occasional break, and taking one won't kill you. (But if there is anything significantly wrong, continuing with the heavy leg workout and squats can kill you. Play it safe and wait for your doctor to tell you that everything is cool.) And know that we're rootin' for you on Tuesday.

[PaPaPumP]

Classic TNT.

[eckiller]

Thanks you very much for the detailed reply TNT. Out of the symptons you mentioned, I feel nasious (I get nasuous though whenever i'm anxious/nervous), rapid heart beat, and i have to take deep breaths every once in awhile.

By the way I am 22 yrs old.

Also I should mention I don't feel these symtoms 24/7. When I'm busy working on something I am fine. Which makes anxiety a big possibility. I think I'm going to quit the cycle, I don't like this feeling.

We got the gear in mexico by the way.

I'm going to try and pass on the vicodine tongiht. I've only been taking a tab b4 i go to bed and its only been 2 nights.

Thanks for the help, its nice to see ppl care on something as unpersonable as a forum on the net.

[arthurb999]

Awesome post TNT.

Your probably right about the xanax/valuim, but I figured because they are anti anxiety drugs, they may chill him out until his doctors appoitment. Like I said, I'm no doctor though.

[planetx]

TNT:
that's some heavy knowledge my friend. thank you for sharing.
where do I send my check, that is the best medical advice I have heard w/o even knowing the patient. We all owe you a consultation fee. Regards!!

planet

[THE JU-ICE]

Smoke some weed. Your heart rate may increase, but you will feel better.

[TNT]

Originally posted by THE JU-ICE
Smoke some weed. Your heart rate may increase, but you will feel better.

But if you took it seriously, eckiller, this may not be the best time to get zonked.

Smoking weed can increase the heart rate between 50-100% and can double the risk of a heart attack up to five times. (That's the results of a clinical study of some 3,800 heart patients at the Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston back in 2000.)

Don't think I'm being judgmental here; I don't drink or do weed, but have always felt that weed was far less dangerous than booze. Nonetheless, with the symptoms you've been having, it's probably best to wait until after you've seen the doctor . . . and when he or she tells you that everything is okay, then you can toke.

(By the way, I know of no studies that indicated whether the same heart rate increase was observed in people who ate weed when cooked in brownies or spaghetti sauce, a much mellower high. Not that I know about this kind of stuff, you understand . . . )