I'm 46, on doc prescribed 120 mg of test cyp a week for a year or so & have cycled 3 times over the last 3 years. Never had blood clots. My test level were in the low 900's when I had it checked in October. I've taken half an adult aspirin for years, but got tired of taking vitamins in November & December & so didn't take it. In early December, I injured my foot. Limped around for 2 weeks & then started getting cramps that slowly crept up my calf. In mid January, while doing a squat set I thought I was going to die. I couldn't catch my breath at all. Google told me that the symptoms indicated blood clots. Went to the doc & he said he didn't see the classic red, hot, swollen knots that would indicate blood clots. I also had a respiratory infection, so he said that caused the shortness of breath. Come back in 2 weeks if not better.

Last Wednesday, woke up with 2 swollen, red knots on my calf. Doc scheduled an ultrasound on my leg for the next day. Long story short, I had 2 clots in my calf, one near my groin that was moving as the tech scanned it. CT revealed my lungs were full of clots. They were stunned I was walking around. Patients had died from far less clots than what I had. Was given a risky clot busting treatment & released on blood thinners on Sunday with no restrictions.

Docs were all on board with the aspirin skipping + injury causing the clots. UNTIL a record check revealed I was on test. Then it was "test caused it all, you did this to yourself, you're done taking it, end of story." One specialist said he understood men love being on test & was willing to work with me on finding a safe much lower dose, & I'm definitely going to do this.

I've known from my work physicals that I've had slightly high levels on the following...

RBC 4.14 to 5.80 my level 6.17
Hemoglobin 12.6 to 17.7 my level 18.2
Hemoatocrit 37.5 to 51.0 my level 54.4

Obviously I'm not a doc, but those levels aren't dramatically out of range. I don't know if the test or if the no aspirin/injury or all three was the cause of the clots.

Now for the stupid question. I totally realize this is not worth my life, but of the dozens of questions I ask myself as I lay in bed at night, this is the one I don't know the answer to. I'm on 20mg of Eliquis daily for a week & then drop down to 10mg daily. If I wanted to run a cycle, would bumping the Eliquis up to 20mg daily while on cycle make it safe for me?

I've been lucky enough that I've never had any health problems at all before this & it's left me shaken. Honestly, a lot of my self confidence & self esteem come from the work I put in at the gym. It's scary to face the possibility that I'll be less strong after my test levels drop from the lower dose. But I'll take weaker & breathing over strong & dead any day.