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Anabolic Steroids

Cholesterol crushed after 8 weeks on cycle - looking for feedback

BatmanVAR

BatmanVAR

Member
Looking for feedback on cholesterol changes from my cycle.

Background. This my cholesterol from 3/7/25 when I was completely natural (no anabolics or peptides or anything):
Total cholesterol: 154
HDL: 38
LDL: 96
Triglycerides: 102

My HDL has always been lower than I'd like despite proper diet and supplements. It's never been above 42 my entire life. So other than that I was happy with the numbers.

I started TRT (180mg a week) in May. In July I added 2mg of Reta a week. In September I added HGH 4IUs a day (titrated from 2 to 3 to 4). I wanted to do a blast so got labs beforehand and they were really good:

11/26/25
Total cholesterol: 127
HDL: 42
LDL: 63
Triglycerides: 134

So I started the blast 12/1. 500mg of Test C a week and 50mg of Anavar a day for 4 weeks (front loading Anavar wasn't my smartest move, I know that now).

Got new labs after 4 weeks of that on 12/27/25:
Total cholesterol: 129
HDL: 28
LDL: 88
Triglycerides: 62

HDL took a hit as expected. I stopped the Anavar then so I assumed it would go back up. However, I added some other compounds during this time which likely fucked that up. On 12/28 (the day after these labs) I added 250mg of EQ a week, and on 1/15 I added 20mg of Tren Ace per day (so 140mg a week).

Then got new labs on 1/24/26:
Total cholesterol: 97
HDL: 23
LDL: 63
Triglycerides: 44

Yikes. I'm assuming that it's Tren crushing my total cholesterol and HDL, but it's only been 9 days, so is that possible? If I was a smart man I would have gotten labs before added Tren but I didn't. Lesson learned.

My plan:
- add lots more dietary fat (avocados, walnuts, olive oil, etc,)
- discontinue citrus bergamot
- add 20mg of Pregnenolone per day
- considering dropping tren entirely
- retest in 4 weeks. My planned cycle end is in 12 weeks, so I will consider ending early if the labs don't improve.

Thoughts? I know this was not a well planned cycle and I made some missteps, so I don't need any comments reminding me of that. Looking for constructive feedback on moving forward.

Thanks.
 
BatmanVAR said:
Looking for feedback on cholesterol changes from my cycle.

Background. This my cholesterol from 3/7/25 when I was completely natural (no anabolics or peptides or anything):
Total cholesterol: 154
HDL: 38
LDL: 96
Triglycerides: 102

My HDL has always been lower than I'd like despite proper diet and supplements. It's never been above 42 my entire life. So other than that I was happy with the numbers.

I started TRT (180mg a week) in May. In July I added 2mg of Reta a week. In September I added HGH 4IUs a day (titrated from 2 to 3 to 4). I wanted to do a blast so got labs beforehand and they were really good:

11/26/25
Total cholesterol: 127
HDL: 42
LDL: 63
Triglycerides: 134

So I started the blast 12/1. 500mg of Test C a week and 50mg of Anavar a day for 4 weeks (front loading Anavar wasn't my smartest move, I know that now).

Got new labs after 4 weeks of that on 12/27/25:
Total cholesterol: 129
HDL: 28
LDL: 88
Triglycerides: 62

HDL took a hit as expected. I stopped the Anavar then so I assumed it would go back up. However, I added some other compounds during this time which likely fucked that up. On 12/28 (the day after these labs) I added 250mg of EQ a week, and on 1/15 I added 20mg of Tren Ace per day (so 140mg a week).

Then got new labs on 1/24/26:
Total cholesterol: 97
HDL: 23
LDL: 63
Triglycerides: 44

Yikes. I'm assuming that it's Tren crushing my total cholesterol and HDL, but it's only been 9 days, so is that possible? If I was a smart man I would have gotten labs before added Tren but I didn't. Lesson learned.

My plan:
- add lots more dietary fat (avocados, walnuts, olive oil, etc,)
- discontinue citrus bergamot
- add 20mg of Pregnenolone per day
- considering dropping tren entirely
- retest in 4 weeks. My planned cycle end is in 12 weeks, so I will consider ending early if the labs don't improve.

Thoughts? I know this was not a well planned cycle and I made some missteps, so I don't need any comments reminding me of that. Looking for constructive feedback on moving forward.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
If you are really concerned about it then stop adding compounds and go into a trt cruise until it bounces back. Then keep the diet clean and cardio consistent. You are going to struggle trying to fix it if you keep adding good cholesterol crushing compounds. So my advice, go to trt for 12 weeks or so. It’s your decision if health or gains are more important. But at least you know it’s fucked cause you checked.
 
BatmanVAR said:
Looking for feedback on cholesterol changes from my cycle.

Background. This my cholesterol from 3/7/25 when I was completely natural (no anabolics or peptides or anything):
Total cholesterol: 154
HDL: 38
LDL: 96
Triglycerides: 102

My HDL has always been lower than I'd like despite proper diet and supplements. It's never been above 42 my entire life. So other than that I was happy with the numbers.

I started TRT (180mg a week) in May. In July I added 2mg of Reta a week. In September I added HGH 4IUs a day (titrated from 2 to 3 to 4). I wanted to do a blast so got labs beforehand and they were really good:

11/26/25
Total cholesterol: 127
HDL: 42
LDL: 63
Triglycerides: 134

So I started the blast 12/1. 500mg of Test C a week and 50mg of Anavar a day for 4 weeks (front loading Anavar wasn't my smartest move, I know that now).

Got new labs after 4 weeks of that on 12/27/25:
Total cholesterol: 129
HDL: 28
LDL: 88
Triglycerides: 62

HDL took a hit as expected. I stopped the Anavar then so I assumed it would go back up. However, I added some other compounds during this time which likely fucked that up. On 12/28 (the day after these labs) I added 250mg of EQ a week, and on 1/15 I added 20mg of Tren Ace per day (so 140mg a week).

Then got new labs on 1/24/26:
Total cholesterol: 97
HDL: 23
LDL: 63
Triglycerides: 44

Yikes. I'm assuming that it's Tren crushing my total cholesterol and HDL, but it's only been 9 days, so is that possible? If I was a smart man I would have gotten labs before added Tren but I didn't. Lesson learned.

My plan:
- add lots more dietary fat (avocados, walnuts, olive oil, etc,)
- discontinue citrus bergamot
- add 20mg of Pregnenolone per day
- considering dropping tren entirely
- retest in 4 weeks. My planned cycle end is in 12 weeks, so I will consider ending early if the labs don't improve.

Thoughts? I know this was not a well planned cycle and I made some missteps, so I don't need any comments reminding me of that. Looking for constructive feedback on moving forward.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Imo, I would definitely drop the TREN, and since you were running the TREN A which saturates pretty fast because of the short ester that could absolutely be a factor, I think where you also derailed yourself is by adding two different compounds in at the same time, therefore not really knowing which one of those compounds could be the culprit, I know this is not a real detailed response , but that's just from the outside looking in , but TREN is known to crush lipids,, up to a 50-90% , and EQ can reduce lipids up to 20-50%, of course this is all dose dependent,
 
Sampei said:
I don't think you have any idea on what numbers you should achieve and look for.

Your last cholesterol test is the best you had compared to the previous.

Read more and study more on the subject
Click to expand...
LDL and triglycerides were great, but total cholesterol at 97 and HDL at 23 are extremely low.

Can you elaborate why you think those are good?
 
BatmanVAR said:
LDL and triglycerides were great, but total cholesterol at 97 and HDL at 23 are extremely low.

Can you elaborate why you think those are good?
Click to expand...
What's the issue with total. Cholesterol? I don't get it. I never had a total. Cho over 100 on mh whole life most of the time 75/80.

HDL will always be low on steroids, your issue us high LDL and tryg.

Keep your LDL below 50 and your tryg low and you will be fine. Check your APOB / APOA / LPA too
 
Sampei said:
What's the issue with total. Cholesterol? I don't get it. I never had a total. Cho over 100 on mh whole life most of the time 75/80.

HDL will always be low on steroids, your issue us high LDL and tryg.

Keep your LDL below 50 and your tryg low and you will be fine. Check your APOB / APOA / LPA too
Click to expand...
Everything I've read said that cholesterol below 100 isn't good. Considering mine was 258 5 years ago (when I wasn't eating right or training good) it's just more shocking than anything.

But my biggest concern is the HDL but yeah that hit was expected.

I'm also surprised you think my LDL is high, because under 100 is considered good and mine is 63. Same with triglycerides - mine are 44 and anything below 150 is considered good. Where are you getting your food and bad ranges from?
 
BatmanVAR said:
Everything I've read said that cholesterol below 100 isn't good. Considering mine was 258 5 years ago (when I wasn't eating right or training good) it's just more shocking than anything.

But my biggest concern is the HDL but yeah that hit was expected.

I'm also surprised you think my LDL is high, because under 100 is considered good and mine is 63. Same with triglycerides - mine are 44 and anything below 150 is considered good. Where are you getting your food and bad ranges from?
Click to expand...
The cholesterol too low thing has been debunked. As others have said keep ldl as low as possible. HDL will always be low on gear and it doesn’t matter if your ldl and ApoB are low enough.

I’ve said this elsewhere but my regimen of Pitavastatin and Zetia has my LDL in the low 30’s even on tren / mast / anavar. ApoB is 50, and Lp(a) is essentially undetectable. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll never understand why PED users don’t use statins more aggressively. We’re not the most level headed bunch that’s for sure. But given that (1) raising HDL has never been shown to improve outcomes and (2) decades of data showing that LDL is the issue, if it were me I’d just hop on the most tolerable statin (pita) and zetia (side effect free) to lower your risk. I can promise you’re wasting your time with nonsense like bergamot, red yeast rice, niacin, etc.
 
RockyP said:
The cholesterol too low thing has been debunked. As others have said keep ldl as low as possible. HDL will always be low on gear and it doesn’t matter if your ldl and ApoB are low enough.

I’ve said this elsewhere but my regimen of Pitavastatin and Zetia has my LDL in the low 30’s even on tren / mast / anavar. ApoB is 50, and Lp(a) is essentially undetectable. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll never understand why PED users don’t use statins more aggressively. We’re not the most level headed bunch that’s for sure. But given that (1) raising HDL has never been shown to improve outcomes and (2) decades of data showing that LDL is the issue, if it were me I’d just hop on the most tolerable statin (pita) and zetia (side effect free) to lower your risk. I can promise you’re wasting your time with nonsense like bergamot, red yeast rice, niacin, etc.
Click to expand...
Do you have sources that cholesterol being too low has been debunked? A quick Google search and asking ChatGPT isn't yielding anything. I'd love to learn more about it.
 
BatmanVAR said:
Do you have sources that cholesterol being too low has been debunked? A quick Google search and asking ChatGPT isn't yielding anything. I'd love to learn more about it.
Click to expand...
There are lots of good threads here with a ton of info.

Here is one.

Juicedhead

Thread 'Who here is on a statin?'

Doc wants to put me on a statin for my colesteral. Any of you guys on one and would you recommend it?
  • Like
 
BatmanVAR said:
I'll have to read it in more detail later and check its sources, but this seems focused on lowering LDL, but not low total cholesterol which is my concern.
Click to expand...
I’ve been around a while I’ve never heard of anything related to total cholesterol being too low. There was a long held belief among the medical community that ldl should not go below 50 (they picked that out of a hat) due to concerns over stroke, cell membrane integrity, etc., which has now been debunked. Even the LDL/HDL ratio is now known to be meaningless. The name of the game is keeping your ldl as low as possible. All of the advanced blood tests yield non-actionable information. Like if I know what my oxidized LDL count is, how is that going to change anything? I’ll still keep my ldl as low as possible.

In the dark corners of the internet / social media you’ll find “papers” associating longevity with higher total cholesterol values. I would urge a great deal of caution in extrapolating anything from this “data.” Is it true that lots of people have heart attacks with normal cholesterol? Yes of course. But what was their CACC? Did they ever have a coronary angiogram? What is their family history? Cholesterol is but one of many variables impacting cardiovascular health. However, those of us who choose to use drugs that without any exception cause dyslipidemia it behooves us to manage this dysregulation as it is a known risk factor. And it’s easy to do with minimal / nil side effects.
 
Last edited:
RockyP said:
I’ve been around a while I’ve never heard of anything related to total cholesterol being too low. There was a long held belief among the medical community that ldl should not go below 50 (they picked that out of a hat) due to concerns over stroke, cell membrane integrity, etc., which has now been debunked. Even the LDL/HDL ratio is now known to be meaningless. The name of the game is keeping your ldl as low as possible. All of the advanced blood tests yield non-actionable information. Like if I know what my oxidized LDL count is, how is that going to change anything? I’ll still keep my ldl as low as possible.

In the dark corners of the internet / social media you’ll find “papers” associating longevity with higher total cholesterol values. I would urge a great deal of caution in extrapolating anything from this “data.” Is it true that lots of people have heart attacks with normal cholesterol? Yes of course. But what was their CACC? Did they ever have a coronary angiogram? What is their family history? Cholesterol is but one of many variables impacting cardiovascular health. However, those of us who choose to use drugs that without any exception cause dyslipidemia it behooves us to manage this dysregulation as it is a known risk factor. And it’s easy to do with minimal / nil side effects.
Click to expand...
I haven't read all the sources and citations yet, but ChatGPT has a good breakdown of the issue as well as citations: ChatGPT - Low Cholesterol Risks
 
BatmanVAR said:
I haven't read all the sources and citations yet, but ChatGPT has a good breakdown of the issue as well as citations: ChatGPT - Low Cholesterol Risks
Click to expand...
Keep in mind these citations will undoubtedly assume normal HDL levels. That doesn’t apply to anyone here. The fact that using PEDs is going to push your HDL low changes the calculus. If a person had a normal HDL and they weren’t taking drugs that cause LDL to increase, they would not need to be so aggressive with LDL management. But having low HDL means you don’t have any scavengers to remove plaque. So you need to do everything you can to minimize the substance that causes plaque deposition (LDL). This seems obvious but it’s not. I am constantly reminding my doctors why I want to be so aggressive with LDL lowering. Having a low HDL changes the game.
 
Good read.
Last I checked I think my HDL was 5:cool:

E

Post in thread 'Had a Heart Attack today at age ~30. Be safe guys.'

ChemBB said:
- Start high intensity statin therapy for goal of less than 55
Click to expand...

Goddammit. I'm going to piss off your cardiologist but fuck this shit. I've posted this before and will post again:

1758726705639.webp

See how they all flatline right in the middle? That's where the adverse side effects really start to kick in without a concomitant increase in efficacy.

I haven't gotten through this whole thread, but @Ghoul mentioned on the first page and maybe others have as well, but you want to tank your LDL. Get it as low as possible with the goal of achieving plaque regression. The ACC is...
  • Like
 
Photon said:
Good read.
Last I checked I think my HDL was 5:cool:

E

Post in thread 'Had a Heart Attack today at age ~30. Be safe guys.'

ChemBB said:
- Start high intensity statin therapy for goal of less than 55
Click to expand...

Goddammit. I'm going to piss off your cardiologist but fuck this shit. I've posted this before and will post again:

1758726705639.webp

See how they all flatline right in the middle? That's where the adverse side effects really start to kick in without a concomitant increase in efficacy.

I haven't gotten through this whole thread, but @Ghoul mentioned on the first page and maybe others have as well, but you want to tank your LDL. Get it as low as possible with the goal of achieving plaque regression. The ACC is...
  • Like
Click to expand...
5? JFC man, lol
 
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