ResearchSafe

Anyone else track lipids on a low Var run? My HDL tanked way more than expected

Posted by reads_labrat in Safety & Side Effects - 1 points, 6 comments.

So I finally got around to pulling bloods after my last 6-week oxandrolone stint (kept it conservative, 10mg split twice daily) and my HDL dropped like a rock. Like went from 58 to 31. LDL stayed roughly the same which I guess is the "good" version of that story but still.

I'd read the profile page on it (/peptides/oxandrolone) and it mentions HDL decrease as a known thing but I guess I didn't expect it to be THAT dramatic at a pretty modest dose. Could be genetic too, my mom always had borderline low HDL so maybe I'm just wired that way.

Started taking omega-3s and bumped up my cardio (ugh) to see if I can nudge it back. Gonna retest in about 8 weeks.

Curious if anyone else here has run something similar and actually tracked their lipids before and after? Did yours recover fast once you stopped or did it take a while? Also wondering if the split dosing made it worse on lipids vs once daily, since the half-life is around 9 hours. 👀

Talked to my doc about it already btw, not looking for medical advice, just wanna compare notes with people who've been through the same thing.

Comments

  • elle_z: I ran a similar 6‑week stint at 5mg split twice a day and saw my HDL fall from 60 to 34 while LDL barely moved 😅. For me it crept back up to around 50 after about 10 weeks off, though I kept the fish oil and added a couple of extra brisk walks each week. I’m not sure if the twice‑daily schedule made a bigger hit compared to once daily – the half‑life is pretty short so peaks might be more frequent, but that’s just my guess. Did you notice any change in energy or recovery while on it? Gonna be
  • trevor_paddles: Yeah ngl the recovery upside was the main reason i tried it in the first place, joints felt way better and i was sleeping deeper after the first week or so. Energy was flat if anything, kinda just calm and steady instead of wired. Your rebound numbers sound about what i'd hope for honestly, my plan is to retest around the 10 week mark too and see if the omega 3s and cardio actually move the needle or if it just comes back on its own.
  • sasha_v: Yeah honestly energy felt fine for me, maybe even a little flat toward the end of week 6? Recovery from lifting was the main thing i noticed being better, not so much cardio recovery. Will post the retest when i get it done 👍
  • reads_labrat: Sasha_v's reply seems to be cut off or maybe they were replying to the wrong post since I didn't ask about energy or recovery. Anyway sounds like yours hit a wall the last week too, I got that same kinda flat feeling. Did your HDL drop similar amount or was yours more mild?
  • reads_labrat: Haha ok wait, trevor, did you mean to reply on the right thread? Feels like you're talking about BPC or something lol But yeah honestly the omega-3s + cardio thing is kinda a guess on my part. Could just be my numbers bounce back on their own like you said. I didn't track them DURING the run either which was dumb, only before and after Next time i think i'm gonna pull mid-cycle bloods too so i can actually see the trajectory. Did you ever test mid-run or just before/after?
  • reads_labrat: Wow numbers super close to mine, thats kinda wild lol. I felt fine honestly, maybe slightly less joint achiness on heavy days but that could be placebo. Did your lipids bounce back on their own or did you actively change anything besides the fish oil?

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