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Enlarged Heart - Please help

HamStuffer

New member
Early this year, I was diagnosed with something called Cardiomyopathy. It is an enlargement of the heart, specifically the left ventricle. I have a twin brother that does not use AS and he is fine. I have never used GH, only test, winny, dbol, deca, and so on... I have been using for 2 years, 4 cycles total. I had a heart attack last Sunday and it was not pretty. Can anybody tell me with confidence that AS does not cause the heart to grow? I want to eliminate AS as the cause of my problems. Anybody with knowledge of the heart would know something called Injection Fraction, and mine has gone down to 27%. It was 49% only 4 months ago. Please please help. The doctors that I have don't seem to have an answer for me.
 
HamStuffer said:
Early this year, I was diagnosed with something called Cardiomyopathy. It is an enlargement of the heart, specifically the left ventricle. I have a twin brother that does not use AS and he is fine. I have never used GH, only test, winny, dbol, deca, and so on... I have been using for 2 years, 4 cycles total. I had a heart attack last Sunday and it was not pretty. Can anybody tell me with confidence that AS does not cause the heart to grow? I want to eliminate AS as the cause of my problems. Anybody with knowledge of the heart would know something called Injection Fraction, and mine has gone down to 27%. It was 49% only 4 months ago. Please please help. The doctors that I have don't seem to have an answer for me.


i found this




and the androgenic steroid induced cardiomyopathy

http://www.wits.ac.za/fac/med/physiol/cardpath.html


and this


Moreover, reports of complications associated with use of AASs as performance enhancing drugs among athletes may represent an important warning. Even though the incidence of these complications is unclear since the denominator of drug use in athletes is not well defined, the physiologic effects of virilization, irregular menses, and hirsutism in women and testicular atrophy and infertility in men are common.[17] Likewise, the risk of AAS-associated premature epiphyseal closure in teenaged users or reductions in serum high-density lipoprotein levels can have long-term consequences. Reports of CARDIOMYOPATHY,[18] hypercoagulation,[19] tendon tears, hepatocellular carcinoma,[20] psychiatric disorders, and sudden death[21] have been documented.

http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/library/readroom/vol_281/ed90024x.htm

hope this helps bro
-Todd
 
I don't know, but I'll bump it for ya. And some karma for you too. Hope it all works out.

If you don't mind me asking, what were your symptoms? Why did you first go to see your doc?
 
I had severe abdominal pains, I mean SEVERE to the point I passed out and got sick, July 4th. They did not know what the cause was and I thought that I might have a kidney stone. They did a bunch of test and at that time, found that I had and enlarged heart. Along with the cardiomyopathy, I have enlarged arteries going to the heart, eschemia (lack of blood in the heart tissue), high blood pressure, high cholesterol, to name a few. There really were no symptoms and I would have never thought that AS would cause an enlarged heart. I have been fighting it ever since. The ejection fraction is the biggest concern right now. Normal people have an ejection fraction about 55%, that means 55% or more of the blood in the left ventricle gets ejected with each beat of the heart. Any lower is a concern. The thick left ventricle is the cause of the low ejection fraction. Only 27% of the blood gets pumped out. Scary shit.
 
Man this is scary stuff....how old are you? Were your cycles long or normal length (8-10 weeks)? What do u do for a living...endurance runners tend to have that problem.
 
Interesting note: the left ventricle has been found to be the only part of the heart to clearly show somewhat of a growth with vigorous excercise and conditioning in healthy humans--even without steroids.
 
Sexual Mustard said:
Interesting note: the left ventricle has been found to be the only part of the heart to clearly show somewhat of a growth with vigorous excercise and conditioning in healthy humans--even without steroids.


Thats because the left ventricle is doing most of the work. Just like any other muscle, it will enlarge with more load.

As for your cardiomyopathy, it has been a proven complication in AS use. An ejection fraction of 70% is considered normal. Sometimes with valve problems, it can be corrected. The best way to see if any of your valves are affected is to get an ultrasound(echocardiogram). The bad news is that the only way to fix a valve is to replace it in an open heart surgery with a porcine valve(pig) or a plastic/synthetic valve. With plastic or synthetic valves you will need to take blood thinners for the rest of your life. With pig valves you will need to take antirejection meds for some time, but i dont know how long.

I did have a similar conversation on this board with someone else a few months back, but i havent seen them since....not a good sign.

You can live comfortably with an EF where you have it now, but EF's of less than 20-25% are usually associated with shortness of breath and difficulty with any exertion.

T
 
My cycles were usaully 12 weeks or less in length. Most of them were 8 weeks. I did not overdue it on any of the steroids and kept them all with reasonable ranges (i.e. I did not take 100mg of Dbol to get big faster). Something to keep in mind for all the new guys/gals out there wanting to use this stuff. Atleast keep this in mind and get in checked out as your cycles go in length. Good luck to all out there.
 
Just an addition to my last post.....less than 10% ejection fraction is not compatible with life. With only 10% efficicency in pumping, your heart just cannot sustain adequate blood flow to the brain. Only treatment for this is a balloon pump temporarily inside the heart, and a heart transplant in the long run.


T
 
from what I've heard its a genetics issue....you could have gotten it without using AS and simply training hard at a sport such as cycling or triathalon for example....don't stress too much and don't blame yourself. Look forward....BEST OF LUCK!!!
 
Bro, high blood pressure, if left untreated for a long period of time will do the damage you've described here. So if your high BP is from anabolic steroids, then it would make sense that this is the link between your condition and anabolic steroids.

Please ty the following:

You need to first and foremost get your blood pressure down below normal levels ASAP to minimize the load that your heart has to undergo. This must be done with anti-hypertensive med's. Get on a beta blocker like Tenormin or Tenoretic to minimize how much your heart reacts to stress.

Next, after you've got your BP down to normal levels, start taking these heart strengthening supplements:

Hawthorne Berry
CoQ10
Magnesium
L-Carnitine
Carnosine
Vitamin C

Don't take those supplements I listed above lightly, they're powerful and do work.

Next, get on a *very* low calorie diet to slow down your metabolism giving your body its best chance to heal itself. It's been proven that the #1 life extension/healing medicine is caloric restriction.

This all will give your heart the BEST chance to heal.

All the best to you, brother, I pray the Lord will help you.
 
Hey DocTodd,

I always thought any organ damage was the result of years of abuse. This poor bro has trouble after just 4 cycles. Wouldn't that be considered unusual?
 
He probably has more of a medical history than has been described so far. Two different things that are very similar are cardiomyopathy and cardiac hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is from longterm hypertension. Cardiomyopathy is different...too long to get into here and there are different types. Easily searchable on the internet. Only cardiomyopathy has been directly related to AS. Hypertrophy is indirectly related due to the longterm high BP from AS.

Another thing he said was that he had a heart attack. This will cause scar formation of the cardiac muscle where there was normal muscle before, which will lead to a reduced ejection fraction.

If he did fairly heavy cycles, i would say it could have caused his cardiomyopathy. Some people are just more prone to it. Is it likely he got it from only 4 cycles?.......probably not if they were light. If he was already having some heart problems, the AS would accelerate it alot. Either way, the AS definitley did not help...not even a little bit.


T
 
Hay Doctodd, would this be a hard cycle possibly cauising something like this?

1250mgs of test first 2 weeks, 600mgs of deca first 2weeks

weeks 1-8: 750mgs of test, 400mgs of Deca 50mgs ED winny



Also, wouldn't like every pro bodybuilder be dead right now if so little cycles could have affecton one another like that.?
 
Hamstuffer I'm sorry to hear that you have not gotten better since we last exchanged e-mails. But there is a lot of help for your condition. My last echo showed an EF of 15% that is not a typo. I have all the same problems more or less as you except all my blood lipids are low normal. I was having trouble catching my breath putting my shoes on. I went to a specialist who put me me on two meds, one quite new. I feel pretty good now and I'm getting some power back, right now I'm only allowed to use weights that I can rep for 20 or more times, but todey I got 25 reps with 90lb dumbells on the incline.:) Now back to the business at hand e-mail me and I will give you the name of my Doctor who is smarter than hell in these matters. I.m sure that if your Doc contacted him, he could get a real handle on helping you.:) I actually feel real good with a positive outlook. By the way roids had nothing to do in my case, I had a nasty viral infection in my heart caused by the goddam flu.
 
Good post Doc, makes sense. Six months ago when I had a chest xray, the doc said my heart was nice and thin. I thought that was a queer thing to say at the time but now I have a better idea of what he was talking about.
 
Good info on that post nordstrom. AS can definitely affect cardiomyopathy. I would think your AS days are over if you want to help prolong your life.

As Doc said, you just be prone to cardiomyopathy and AS may not have caused this at all, however, studies do show that it can affect it. I wouldn't take the chance any more if I were you. Good luck.
 
I am sorry to hear about your condition bro. It sounds to me like your EF reduction is quite possibly secondary to the myocardial infarction (heart attack). After an MI the heart often is left severely damaged with scar replacing what used to be functioning heart muscle. Unfortunately there is not too much you can do about that. The cardiomyopathy which I assume is what is called a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy because of your mention of a "thick" left ventricle is different from what is called dilated cardiomyopathy. The latter is what has been associated with AS. Therefore, I would tend to agree with Doc in saying that your cardiomyopathy is probably not related to the AS if it is indeed the hypertrophic type. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is something that pops its ugly head up in the news once or twice a year as sudden death occuring in young healthy athletes. It does seem to have a strong genetic link and prognosis is often determined by the specific gene mutation. The most common symptoms of the disorder are shortness of breath, chest pain and even passing out typically after exertion. The real danger lies in the fact that the disorder often causes an arrhythmia which can be fatal. The usual treatment is a beta blocker such as propranalol or a calcium channel blocker such as verapamil both of which will help control blood pressure. Other treatments including implanted defibrillator (sort of like a pacemaker) and rarely surgery are possible in severe cases. The prognosis is highly variable. In your case, I think that your MI may be related to the cardiomyopathy and most definitely was not helped by the AS. You absolutely need to worry not about weight training but more about getting your cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk factors under control. An ejection fraction of 29% is not good, but it is tolerable so long as you do not further injure your heart. Another heart attack might be deadly. You need to forget about AS and start watching your cholesterol levels closely. You also need to start very light cardiovascular exercise after you are cleared by your physician to do so (Get an ECG first). Your EF might very well improve with time. If it gets worse you are likely to begin having problems with congestive heart failure and that is a road you do not want to travel. Your condition is very serious and I wish you the very best of luck. I hope this information is helpful and if you have any questions I will try my best to answer them.
 
Shit, what a board this is. Great resources here. Good luck to HamStuffer and it sounds like this is the time for some serious positive thinking.
 
I work in cardio vascular crital care medicine, and the best advice that I could give would be to never fuck around with AAS again if your condition is that advanced. I think the posts above pretty well explain the ejection fraction being that it consits of the percentage of blood that the left ventricle pumps out. You can actually go down too 45% without being extremely concerned, but 29% is not desirable and much lower than that becomes incompatible with life. this number is going to most likley be lower now because you have some permanant damage to your heart tissue. As for anymore cycles, you have to remember that the AAS that cause increased blood pressures secondary to the water retention will definately be a increased risk for anyone with a prior cardiac history such as yourself.

Good luck Bro
 
In addition to what joeyz123 and embolicintent said, nobody with any family history or personal history of coronary artery disease should use AS due to the elevated cholesterol as well as high BP. A heart attack in your 20's or 30's is a possibility.


T
 
My cycles were usaully 12 weeks or less in length. Most of them were 8 weeks. I did not overdue it on any of the steroids and kept them all with reasonable ranges (i.e. I did not take 100mg of Dbol to get big faster). Something to keep in mind for all the new guys/gals out there wanting to use this stuff. Atleast keep this in mind and get in checked out as your cycles go in length. Good luck to all out there.
 
HamStuffer said:
Early this year, I was diagnosed with something called Cardiomyopathy. It is an enlargement of the heart, specifically the left ventricle. I have a twin brother that does not use AS and he is fine. I have never used GH, only test, winny, dbol, deca, and so on... I have been using for 2 years, 4 cycles total. I had a heart attack last Sunday and it was not pretty. Can anybody tell me with confidence that AS does not cause the heart to grow? I want to eliminate AS as the cause of my problems. Anybody with knowledge of the heart would know something called Injection Fraction, and mine has gone down to 27%. It was 49% only 4 months ago. Please please help. The doctors that I have don't seem to have an answer for me.

It appears that it might be possible that some of us are prone to this condition when taking AS. 6 years ago, while I was taking mild dosages of As, I began experiencing dizziness, numbing in the arm and a myriad of other strange bodily symptoms. I had all kind of tests done, nothing could be found. I went to a cardiologist who said that I had mild cardiomyopathy which he blamed on the steroids. He said the disease was not causing the other symptoms though. I was under a lot of stress at that time and maybe that what caused dizziness,etc. I did my own research and talked to other doctors many of which did not think the cardiac damage was due to the steroids.

I HAVE BEEN ON A CYCLE NOW OF 250 MGS. SUSTENON FOR ABOUT 14 WEEKS NOW. LAST NIGHT I HAD TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER AT THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK. I WOKE UP GASPING FOR BREATH AND MY HEART WAS FLUTTERING IS THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE IT. I WAS REALEASED ABOUT 5 HOURS AGO. AT FIRST THEY DREW BLOOD AND CAME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT MY CPK LEVELS WERE EXTREMELY HIGH INDICATING POSSIBLE HEART MUSCLE DAMAGE. THIS MORNING THE DOCTOR RULED THAT OUT, SAYING THE CPK LEVELS WERE PROBABLY DUE TO MUSCLE DAMAGE FROM WEIGHT LIFTING BECAUSE OTHER ENZYME LEVELS WERE NORMAL. THEY GAME ME A STRESS TEST AND ECHOCARDIOGRAM. I AM AWAITING THE RESULTS AND I WILL LET ALL KNOW. THIS SUX.
 
Re: Re: Enlarged Heart - Please help

sereneman said:


It appears that it might be possible that some of us are prone to this condition when taking AS. 6 years ago, while I was taking mild dosages of As, I began experiencing dizziness, numbing in the arm and a myriad of other strange bodily symptoms. I had all kind of tests done, nothing could be found. I went to a cardiologist who said that I had mild cardiomyopathy which he blamed on the steroids. He said the disease was not causing the other symptoms though. I was under a lot of stress at that time and maybe that what caused dizziness,etc. I did my own research and talked to other doctors many of which did not think the cardiac damage was due to the steroids.

I HAVE BEEN ON A CYCLE NOW OF 250 MGS. SUSTENON FOR ABOUT 14 WEEKS NOW. LAST NIGHT I HAD TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER AT THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK. I WOKE UP GASPING FOR BREATH AND MY HEART WAS FLUTTERING IS THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE IT. I WAS REALEASED ABOUT 5 HOURS AGO. AT FIRST THEY DREW BLOOD AND CAME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT MY CPK LEVELS WERE EXTREMELY HIGH INDICATING POSSIBLE HEART MUSCLE DAMAGE. THIS MORNING THE DOCTOR RULED THAT OUT, SAYING THE CPK LEVELS WERE PROBABLY DUE TO MUSCLE DAMAGE FROM WEIGHT LIFTING BECAUSE OTHER ENZYME LEVELS WERE NORMAL. THEY GAME ME A STRESS TEST AND ECHOCARDIOGRAM. I AM AWAITING THE RESULTS AND I WILL LET ALL KNOW. THIS SUX.
Man Im sorry to hear that. It sux so bad to see people trying to be their best get slapped with something that could affect their futures. I wish you both the best.
 
That's terrible, I'm very sorry to hear that my friend. I hope the best for you, I didn't catch your age? Well, take care.


SOLID
 
I really appreciate the support. It's nice to know that other people care. You don't get that feeling in a hospital. I am 37.
 
i thought cardiomegaly meant an abnormally large heart? oh well, my Med. Term teacher sucked, best of luck bro, i wish you the best :)
 
I feel for you bro, but if you don't already know that this is a risk we all choose to take then you shouldn't be taking any AAS.

Heart problems is just one of many serious health issues that can and do occur. lets face it we all do them for different reasons but at the end of the day the body is not suppost to have trhese kind of drugs in them, it not designed to carry that level of pressure you are placing on it or the level of bulk you place on it.

sorry bro but they are the cold hard facts.

so in answer to your question yes it could be your use of AAS. and 27% is a low worring figure, if i were you i would never even look at an amp or vial again.
 
Good News. My ejection fraction was 54% which was what it was 6 years ago. I feel great today. It may have been that I just had too much caffeine and ephedrine built up in my system along with not enough sleep and stress. I should get the full results Monday to find out if my heart muscle is damaged beyone what they said it was 6 years ago, which was very mild and could have been there for several years. I hope not, because I'm looking very good and don't want to go back to looking like a normal person.
 
I hear what you're saying John and I appreciate your concern. My EF is right at normal at 54% and the damage to my heart muscle diagnosed 6 years ago was very minimal and could have been caused in childhood. If my heart is at the same function it was at 6 years ago and I have been on a low dose 14 week cycle, then it doesn't appear that it is affecting my heart. However if I continue the AS use, I will keep it a low dosages and I will keep my heart monitored often. Thank you for you thoughts on this. I will definitely get more unbiased proffesional advise before I continue.
 
sereneman said:
I hear what you're saying John and I appreciate your concern. My EF is right at normal at 54% and the damage to my heart muscle diagnosed 6 years ago was very minimal and could have been caused in childhood. If my heart is at the same function it was at 6 years ago and I have been on a low dose 14 week cycle, then it doesn't appear that it is affecting my heart. However if I continue the AS use, I will keep it a low dosages and I will keep my heart monitored often. Thank you for you thoughts on this. I will definitely get more unbiased proffesional advise before I continue.

Supplement ALA and CoQ10.

These 2 supplemments are CRITICAL to heart health.

If any of you guys who use moderate-high AAS doses aren't
using these 2 supplemets then you're not overly smart.

Co-Q10(60-100mg/day) and ALA(1000mgs/day)

Fonz
 
Fonz said:


Supplement ALA and CoQ10.

These 2 supplemments are CRITICAL to heart health.

If any of you guys who use moderate-high AAS doses aren't
using these 2 supplemets then you're not overly smart.

Co-Q10(60-100mg/day) and ALA(1000mgs/day)

Fonz

I say add a full spectrum E and Magnesium to this. :)
 
About 8 years ago LONG before I ever used AAS an innocent X-Ray by the Chiropractor turned my life upside down. She remarked I had the largest heart she had ever seen, it was so large she actually got worried and begged me to see a cardiologist. Kinda worried I did and it started 6 months of test after test after test. Saw at least 4 differant cadiologists, no one had an answer. I did exhibit some symptoms of heart trouble which made it even more bizarre. Finally a very well known cardiologist from Philly sat me down and said I didn't had the largest heart he had ever seen.......however he really didn't answer when I asked him if it was the largest HEALTHY heart he had ever seen. Basically they couldn't find a thing wrong with me, I just had this extremely oversized heart. I'll probably drop dead at 40 and honestly could care less. I just live for today. I feel for ya brother, and I hope the best for ya.
 
Shoot Me Up said:
how old are you and what were the exact cycles you have done? i am getting nervous about taking steroids again

I'm 37. I have never been a heavy steroid user. I have probably done 10-15 cycles all together and they were spaced out by long periods of time. Cardiomyopathy can be caused by steroid use from what I have read and heard. You have to be susceptible to it. Some are just unlucky. I have heard of and known some that have died in their 20's while on steroids from heart attacks. Thanks for the advice about the ALA and CoQ10 whoever that was.
 
sereneman said:


I'm 37. I have never been a heavy steroid user. I have probably done 10-15 cycles all together and they were spaced out by long periods of time. Cardiomyopathy can be caused by steroid use from what I have read and heard. You have to be susceptible to it. Some are just unlucky. I have heard of and known some that have died in their 20's while on steroids from heart attacks. Thanks for the advice about the ALA and CoQ10 whoever that was.

No problem. It'll make a huge difference.

If you want to buy it from a good place, buy it
from www.vitaminshoppe.com. Its 50% off
everything in September. Very cheap.

Hope you get better.

Fonz
 
HamStuffer said:
Early this year, I was diagnosed with something called Cardiomyopathy. It is an enlargement of the heart, specifically the left ventricle. I have a twin brother that does not use AS and he is fine. I have never used GH, only test, winny, dbol, deca, and so on... I have been using for 2 years, 4 cycles total. I had a heart attack last Sunday and it was not pretty. Can anybody tell me with confidence that AS does not cause the heart to grow? I want to eliminate AS as the cause of my problems. Anybody with knowledge of the heart would know something called Injection Fraction, and mine has gone down to 27%. It was 49% only 4 months ago. Please please help. The doctors that I have don't seem to have an answer for me.

I'm sorry to hear about your condition,

Its time to pray bro!!!I will be praying for you!!
 
zocker said:
@fonz

can you tell me why CoQ10 while on roids?
whats the effect when on juice?


thanks

AAS reduces the amount of oxygen available for the heart.
Basically, redices the ability of the heart to pump out blood.
Now, this isn't deadly unless you're a HEAVY user or
you use AAS for a long time.
However, remember that over time you do a lot of cycles.
So, why CoQ10 and ALA? They increase oxygen availibility to the heart, negating the effects of AAS.
As before, unless you're subsceptible, heart problems are
very rare on AAS. However, always be safer rather than sorry
and cut off the possibility of any health problems.
This is similar to running a liver protectants while taking
17-AA steroids.

Fonz
 
zocker said:
@fonz

thanks for your answer

any idea what to do to prevent enlargement, heard nothing really sensible.
:rolleyes:

Nothing.

Even strenous excercise causes heart enlargement.

Its totally genetic.

Fonz
 
Hi guys, I need a little advice.. My brother is 47..He was rushed to the hospital last week. He had a hard time breathing and was retaining fluids, and his feet were swelled. To make a long story short they found that he has an enlarged heart and enlarged arteries, his EF ( ejection fraction ) was only 16%. They found no heart disease and no blockage, they say he has the heart of a 70 year old. My bother has known to do steroids back n the mid 90's but said he hasnt done them since. But just looking a my brother you can tell hes ripped.. you almost have to wonder sometimes. Well while he was in the hospital... his wife found Danabol tabs hidden in his med cabinet, when he was confronted he said he last took them last year. He tells me that the Doctors think he could have had a virus to enlarge the heart, and I know this is a bunch of BS. He will not mention anything about the steroid use.

I have a feeling my brother has an addiction to Anabolic steroids .. he has all the side effects to steroids as well .. fatigue , insomnia , and most of all depression.. he even went into a small rage the night before he went to the hospital and punched a hole through the wall.

My question to you all is can this all have happened from taking danabol last year? or do you think he was taking these recently? Some how I think hes lying and he was taking them recently. I hope this really makes him change his point of view , he could have easily died.
He now will be on meds for the rest of his life. My fear is hes been doing these for a long time, and people who have addictions usually fall off the wagon and start back up on what they want or crave.. I feel if he does this again, he will kill himself. Im going to confront him this week and have a serious brother to brother talk and Im going to tell him I know why this has all happened and if he needs help, Im here to help him and dont want to lose him.

So please , give me your thought on this .. I deeply appreciate it.
 
I dont mean to scare you, but I worked at a store where one of my coworkers dropped dead at the age of 22 where his heart "literally exploded" and the octor said even if he was at a hospital when it happened there was nothing that could have been done...

You are going to have to be really, really careful and that might not even be enough unfortunately...

I feel bad for you, best of luck, hope things turn out OK
 
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