ResearchSafe

Low-dose Oxandrolone and lipid changes – anyone seen HDL drop?

Posted by runner_aaron in Safety & Side Effects - 23 points, 4 comments.

Howzit folks. I ran a short 6‑week cycle of Oxandrolone at 15 mg split twice daily, mainly to keep lean while cutting for a summer 10k. 0 mmol/L.

LDL and triglycerides were pretty unchanged. Tbh I’m not sure if it’s the compound, the low calorie diet, or just normal variation, but the drop felt noticeable. Has anyone else seen a similar shift with low‑dose oral Oxandrolone?

If so, did you add anything like omega‑3s or adjust the dose to help bring HDL back? Also, any thoughts on how long it usually takes to rebound after stopping? Just looking for real‑world hints before I think about another round.

Comments

  • weekendnate: I ran a similar 6‑week stint at 15 mg split twice daily while cutting for a half‑marathon. My HDL fell from about 55 mg/dL down to 38 mg/dL, LDL and triglycerides stayed flat. I’m not sure if it was the Oxandrolone, the steep calorie deficit, or just normal swing. After I stopped, HDL crept back to roughly 50 mg/dL after about a month; I added a daily fish‑oil capsule during that time, but it’s hard to say if that made a real difference.
  • runner_aaron: Yeah my HDL went from ~58 to 39, similar drop. After stopping it took ~5 weeks to creep back to ~52 without fish oil. Curious if the oil helped you or just time.
  • fasted_scientist: Ngl, that mirrors what I saw on a low‑dose run – HDL dipped hard while LDL stayed flat. After stopping mine crept back up in about five weeks, though I was also upping my oats and omega‑3s so can’t say what moved the needle. Did you notice any change in recovery or energy while HDL was low?
  • runner_aaron: Tbh I did not feel any different energy wise. I felt LEEKER than ever during the 10k prep, so the low HDL did not seem to hit my performance. Five weeks for the rebound sounds decent. I am just wondering if the omega-3s you mentioned actually helped or if it was just the oats. Do you think it would be worth doing bloods every two weeks if I ran it again?

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