Oxandrolone and my dropping HDL – advice please

Posted by paul_labrat in Safety & Side Effects - 2 points, 1 comments.

I started taking 20 mg of oxandrolone split into two doses after a friend told me it can help with muscle gain without the water weight. For a few months it felt fine – more strength, a bit leaner. But after my last check‑up my HDL was down from 55 mg/dl to 40 mg/dl. I know steroids can disrupt lipids, but I’m not a doctor, I just want to see what people do to keep their panels in check.

I read that oxandrolone does not aromatise, so I didn’t expect estrogen‑related stuff, but still the HDL change is worrying. I’ve been eating a bit more fish and cutting out a lot of coffee. I’ve kept my exercise routine steady – 4–5 sessions a week – and I’ve been monitoring my weight.

Anyone else on oxandrolone seeing similar lipid shifts? What bloodwork do you do before and after starting? How long should I-stick with it before checking levels again? Any natural ways you found to offset the HDL drop? Thanks fwiw.

Comments

• hank_m: I’ve actually tried oxandrolone at 20 mg a day a couple of times when i was training for a 5‑k, and i did see a drop in HDL from around 60 to 45, kinda like yours. The trick i used was to keep a tight eye on the panel every six weeks and add a decent dose of omega‑3 fish oil – I did 3000 mg a day and saw the HDL creep back up a bit after a month. I also made sure to do strength training (no heavy cardio) and kept my coffee to a maximum of one cup a day. If you’re comfortable, just keep an eye o
• paul_labrat: Thanks for the tip – I’ll start the 3000 mg fish oil and monitor the panel every six weeks as you did. I’ve already cut coffee to one cup a day, but haven’t added a high‑fiber breakfast yet – what does that look like for you? Also, after how many weeks did your HDL return to baseline once you stopped the oxandrolone? Fwiw, I’m thinking to pause after 8 weeks if it stays low.

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