Grappling with male body image and anabolic steroid misuse

[tareload]

Different strokes for different folks.

Note the AAS tie in:

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Gary Coleman - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Gary Wayne Coleman was born[3] in Zion, Illinois, on February 8, 1968. He was adopted by W. G. Coleman, a fork-lift operator, and Edmonia Sue, a nurse practitioner.[4] Due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disease, and the corticosteroids and other medications used to treat it, his growth was limited to 4 ft 8 in (142 cm),[5][6] and his face kept a childlike appearance even into adulthood. He underwent two unsuccessful kidney transplants in 1973 and again in 1984, and required dialysis.[7]

 

[FunkOdyssey]

Honestly I thought you were being critical. Apologize for misreading your comments. Yea, we all worry about the unknown. I may have a problem and drop dead tomorrow who knows. But I can safely say I lead a great life and did things not very many people could dream of. The use of anabolic steroids and lots of hard work gave me the chance.

I have a hard time understanding how anyone could jump out of a perfectly good airplane and the consequences of things going wrong are very deadly. But lots of people do it and love it. Not this guy.

No, you sold me on getting bigger. I'm just trying to do it safely without aggravating my gimpy GI tract or turning myself into a vegetable like the steroid = fried brain study above suggests is possible.

I wouldn't jump out of a plane either. The death rate is one per 60,000 jumps, about one out of the population of the small city where I grew up. It doesn't take too many jumps to turn that one in 60k into a smaller number that can easily swallow you up.

 

[DixieWrecked]

Definitely exists. I must be 115 IQ right now. Almost functionally incapacitated.

High doses give you that stuttering misfiring foggy brain? I can get this too. Was wondering if our other thread about electrolytes has anything to do with this. Seems to me androgens put one's physiology into overdrive and anyone on superphysiological dosages would need more of everything that is required for health, ie nutrition, sleep, relaxation, electrolytes, physical activity, etc. If we don't compensate for the increased reqirements for these things, we are really buring the candle at both ends.

I think its possible to do if you are only "optimizing" but there is no way to compensate for grams of gear, even with a perfect lifestyle.

 

[FunkOdyssey]

High doses give you that stuttering misfiring foggy brain? I can get this too. Was wondering if our other thread about electrolytes has anything to do with this. Seems to me androgens put one's physiology into overdrive and anyone on superphysiological dosages would need more of everything that is required for health, ie nutrition, sleep, relaxation, electrolytes, physical activity, etc. If we don't compensate for the increased reqirements for these things, we are really buring the candle at both ends.

I think there are a few possibilities and it may be one or all of them together:

1. Unrelenting high levels of androgens "burn out" neural circuits that are forced too fire too much for too long without rest. This might involve oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, accumulation of toxic metabolites like dopamine breakdown products, etc.
2. Sleep disruption. Anything that consistently damages any aspect of sleep (length, depth, architecture) will affect brain health and cognitive function negatively.
3. HPTA shutdown. Any number of hormones that drop to near zero on exogenous T may be needed to support normal cognition, including GnRH, kisspeptin, LH, FSH, pregnenolone, progesterone, etc.