Sustanon 250

Sustanon 250, a strong anabolic with pronounced androgenic activity, is considered by many as one of the most powerful combinations of testosterone.

Originally developed by the international drug firm Organon as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), this anabolic androgenic steroid contains four different testosterone esters: Testosterone propionate (30 mg), testosterone phenylpropionate (60 mg), testosterone isocaproate (60mg), and testosterone decanoate (100 mg) that stimulate a fast yet extended release of testosterone.

Sustanon 250 has the chemical name of 17ß-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one and can be detected over a period of 2-3 months. This steroid has an active life of nearly 2-3 weeks and the molecular formula of Sustanon 250 is C19H28O2.

Sustanon 250 is one of the most commonly recommended drugs for the development and maintenance of reproductive tissues such as the prostate, epididymis, seminal vesicles, testes, and penis even at low doses. Sustanon 250 also has the ability to prevent degeneration of existing muscles in wasting diseases and is prescribed to individuals diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Sustanon 250 can easily promote muscle function, muscle size, body strength, and nitrogen retention gains and also has the potential to improve plasma concentrations of Testosterone, Dihydrotestosterone, Oestradiol (estrogen hormone), and Androstenedione. Most athletes and bodybuilders use this steroid to experience improvements in the level of sexual function, such as libido and erectile function and reduction in the levels of serum LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides.

When used as per medical advice, Sustanon 250 can even stimulate improvements in levels of hemoglobin and Hematocrit without resulting in any clinically relevant changes in liver enzymes and PSA. Sustanon 250 is commonly used by athletes as a bulking drug that leads to exceptional strength and muscle mass gains. Sustanon 250 does convert to estrogen but it is slightly more tolerable than testosterone cypionate or enanthate. This is primarily because blood levels of testosterone build slowly with the use of this steroid and it means that side effects do not happen fast.

Testosterone Cypionate - still the best possible mass builder in the world.

Testosterone is the prime male androgen in the body, and as such still the best possible mass builder in the world. It has a high risk of side-effects because it readily converts to a more androgenic form (DHT) in androgen responsive tissues and forms estrogen quite easily. But these characteristics also provide it with its extreme anabolic tendencies. On the one hand estrogen increases growth hormone output, glucose utilization, improves immunity and upgrades the androgen receptor, while on the other hand a testosterone/DHT combination is extremely potent at activating the androgen receptor and eliciting major strength and size gains. While not always the most visually appealing result, there is no steroid on earth that packs on mass like testosterone does.

Testosterone Cypionate is a single-ester, long-acting form of testosterone. Due to the length of its ester (8 carbons) it is stored mostly in the adipose tissue upon intra-musuclar injection, and then slowly but very steadily released over a certain period of time. A peak is noted after 24-48 hours of injection and then a slow decline, reaching a steady point after 12 days and staying there for over 3 weeks time. Of course most users of anabolics will not find adequate benefit in the use of this steady-point dose, so Testosterone Cypionate is normally injected once a week, making the very lowest dose higher than half the peak dose at any given time. This is roughly the starting blood level as well. A long-acting testosterone ester is a must-have in any mass-building cycle. As such Testosterone Cypionate is a very decent product.

Personally I have more affinity for Testosterone Enanthate, but few users will note any real difference between the two products, and both remain a better buy than their popular counterpart sustanon 250, which is a poor choice of testosterone in my opinion. It makes sense that a user simply opts for which one is most readily available at the time. They sell for roughly the same price, and are almost equally good. So most North and South-American users will usually opt for the use of a cypionate, as it is more available in those regions, whereas Europeans and Asians will probably prefer the enanthate version.

A long-acting testosterone ester may be the best for all your mass-building needs, but its not an easy product to use. Because of the extreme length of action (3-4 weeks) one cannot easily solve occurring problems by simply discontinuing the product, as it will continue to act and aggravate side-effects over extended periods of time. In regards to damage control and post-cycle therapy, some familiarity with the use of ancillary drugs is required prior to using a long-acting testosterone product. Nolvadex and Proviron will come in very handy in such cases and post-cycle HCG and clomid or Nolvadex will be required as well to help restore natural testosterone. Frequency of side-effects is probably highest with this type of product.

While most will tell you it's a waste to not use testosterone, as it will take ages longer to build proper mass, these are all points to take into consideration. Testosterone is a product that is heavily used by beginners and veterans alike and justly so. Those who fear they may never understand the proper use of ancillary drugs, may want to suck it up and invest in some propionate or suspension testosterones instead. These are much shorter acting and easier to control, but they do need to be injected once every two days, whereas this type of ester will impart great gains with a single weekly injection. Something to keep in mind.

Testosterone is the most powerful compound there is, so obviously its perfectly fine to use it by itself. With a long-acting ester like Testosterone Cypionate doses of 500-1000 mg per week are used with very clear results over a 10 week period. If you've ever seen a man swell up with sheer size, then testosterone was the cause of it. But testosterone is nonetheless often stacked. Due to the high occurrence of side-effects, people will usually split up a stack in testosterone and a milder component in order to obtain a less risky cycle, but without having to give up as much of the gains. Primobolan, Equipoise and Deca-Durabolin are the weapons of choice in this matter. Deca seems to be the most popular, probably because of its extremely mild androgenic nature. But Deca being one of the highest risks for just about every other side-effects, I probably wouldn't advise it. If Deca is used, generally a dose of 200-400 mg is added to 500-750 mg of testosterone per week.

Primobolan is sometimes opted for, and can be handy since it doesn't aromatize, which will make the total level of water retention and fat gain a lot less than with more test or with Deca for example. Unfortunately, its mild nature combined with a lack of estrogen make Primobolan a very poor mass builder. Again, doses of 300-400 mg are used. I would actually suggest a higher dose, but with the current prices for Primo I don't think it would be very popular. My personal preference goes out to Equipoise. Androgenically its not that much stronger than Deca because it has next to no affinity for the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme and is only half as androgenic as testosterone. Its twice as strong as Deca, mg for mg, and has a lower occurrence of side-effects. It has some estrogen, but not a whole lot so it actually tends to lean a person out rather than bloat him up as Deca will. It also increases appetite, which promotes gains, and improves aerobic performance, which may be wishful as testosterone normally has an opposite effect.

Of course Testosterone Cypionate can be stacked with any number of compounds apart from these, but these make the best match. When stacking with testosterone, one needs to look at what the other compound can bring. Either it has a characteristic that testosterone doesn't have, or its nominally safer. The testosterone will bring all the mass, so adding another steroid to enhance mass alone, is futile. More testosterone is the best remedy for that.

One needs to be familiar with a host of other compounds when using long-acting testosterone esters however. First of all, anti-estrogens. The rate of aromatization of testosterone is quite great, so water retention and fat gain are a fact and gyno is never far off. If problems occur one is best to start on 20 mg of Nolvadex per day and stay on that until problems subside. I wouldn't stay on it for a whole cycle, as it may reduce the gains. In terms of an aromatase blocker, testosterone is one of the few compounds where Proviron may actually be preferred over arimidex. The proviron will not only reduce estrogen and can be used for extended time on a testosterone cycle, it will also bind with great affinity to sex-hormone binding proteins in the blood and will allow for a higher level of free testosterone in the body, thus improving gains.

Usually 50-100 mg will suffice, the lower end is preferred for maximal results since estrogen plays a key role in gains, but those more worried about estrogen should opt for a higher dose. For those worried about androgenic side-effects (hair loss, prostate hypertrophy, deepening of voice), one can utilize the hair loss treatment finasteride. This blocks the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme and stops the conversion of testosterone to the more androgenic compound DHT. I'm not a big fan of this, because DHT reduces estrogenic bloat, increases free levels of testosterone and is a very potent androgen that is 3-4 times stronger than testosterone. Those worried about hair loss however, may want to opt for arimidex as their anti-aromatase, since Proviron is a form of DHT after all. After a cycle, mainly due to the high aromatization and increased levels of estradiol in the blood after discontinuing, natural testosterone levels will be severely suppressed. This means steps need to be taken to assure the quick return of natural testosterone, or we stand to lose a lot of the gains we made while using testosterone. Since it's a non-toxic, potent mass-builder its mostly used in long 10-12 week cycles. So some testicular shrinkage will have occurred too. Its very important that people see that HCG and Nolvadex/clomid are essential as a post-cycle therapy, and that both are equally important in achieving our goal. HCG injections should be started the last week of the cycle and continued for 3-4 weeks, using 1500-3000 IU every 5-6 days. HCG will act as an alternative to LH and start the endogenous testosterone cycle, thereby increasing testicle size once again. Then about 2 weeks after the last shot of testosterone is given, Nolvadex/Clomid cycle should be started. 40 mg of Nolva or 150 mg of Clomid per day for two weeks, followed by two more weeks with either 20 mg of Nolva or 100 mg of Clomid per day should be adequate. Always remember that HCG is suppressive of natural testosterone itself and should be discontinued at least 2 weeks prior to finishing Nolvadex/Clomid.

The Effects of HIV on the Body

What does human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) look like?

Though symptoms can go undetected for some time, eventually the disease takes its toll on the body by damaging a person’s immune system, paving the way for numerous diseases to move in. While many of the diseases and infections that strike people with HIV are common, others are unusual and their presence is what often leads to a diagnosis of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) — the final stage of HIV disease.

HIV: Early Symptoms

The earliest symptoms of HIV can resemble the flu and they generally clear up within a month or two. These symptoms may include fever, headache, fatigue, and swelling in the lymph nodes, particularly those in the neck and groin. However, not everyone who acquires HIV will experience these symptoms. Similarly, for several years, perhaps as long as a decade, a person with HIV may not have any symptoms at all. During that time, though, the virus is still multiplying and it's possible to transmit HIV to someone else.

HIV progresses differently for each person affected. The course of the disease is determined by the specific infections or complications a person with HIV develops. HIV complications can affect different parts of the body: Some are localized to the mouth, others in the brain, and others result in total body changes like losing body weight. Skin conditions are also common.

HIV: Skin Effects

Several of the main skin conditions that affect people with HIV are caused by viruses most people already have in their bodies. However, these viruses typically do not cause disease in people whose immune systems are healthy. Some of the more common dermatological, or skin, effects of HIV include:

• Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection. VZV is a herpes virus that causes both chicken pox (varicella) and shingles (herpes zoster). Most adults have already been exposed to this virus. HIV-infected individuals may develop new skin sores from either of these diseases. HIV patients who didn’t have chicken pox earlier in their life may develop the condition, which in some cases can affect their organs and become life-threatening. Shingles can be localized to one area or it can spread over large areas of the skin. Shingles lesions can become infected and even lead to the development of encephalitis (brain inflammation) in people with HIV.
• Herpes simplex virus (HSV). HSV was one of the first diseases identified in people with advanced HIV disease and is now considered one of the AIDS-defining diseases by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HSV causes open sores that may look like a cluster of blisters. They pop and crust over before healing completely; this process takes about 7 to 10 days in otherwise healthy individuals, but in people with advanced HIV disease, the sores may enlarge to 2 to 10 centimeters in diameter, becoming crusted and painful.
• Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). KS is a cancer caused by a herpes virus called Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus. Healthy individuals may be infected with Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus without developing the cancer. However, as HIV-infected people become sicker, KS may develop. KS tumors grow from cells that line blood vessels and lymph nodes. The cells form tumors on the skin that appear as brown, purple, or red splotches, called lesions. In some cases, the lesions look worse than they are, as they may cause no other symptoms. Other people with KS may experience painful swelling, particularly around the eyes, in the legs, or in the groin. Although less common, KS lesions can also form in organs, like the liver, digestive system, or the lungs, which could be deadly.

HIV: Oral Health Problems

HIV infection can also cause oral health problems that are rare in uninfected people, including:

• Candidiasis. Candidiasis is a fungal infection that HIV patients often get as their CD4+ cell count decreases. One of the most common types associated with HIV, thrush (or pseudomembranous candidiasis), appears as white patches in the mouth or pharynx.
• Periodontal disease. HIV-positive individuals very often have periodontal disease caused by bacterial infections even if they do not have any other symptoms of HIV. At first, the periodontal disease is characterized by the sudden and rapid loss of soft tissue and jaw bone. As the disease progresses, the person may also develop gingivitis with ulcers that leave crater-like crevices after healing.
• Herpes simplex virus. HSV can also cause sores in and around the mouth. Typically, HSV-1 causes ulcers in the mouth and HSV-2 causes genital herpes. However, oral infection with HSV-2 and genital infection with HSV-1 can occur — this infection is usually spread during oral sex. The symptoms of both types are identical.

Kaposi’s sarcoma and shingles can also cause ulcers in the mouth. Kaposi’s sarcoma oral lesions are very similar to the skin lesions. Shingles lesions in the oral tissue may merge into large ulcers instead of crusting over as they do on the skin. Shingles oral ulcers often get into the gum tissue, causing tooth pain.

HIV: Neurological Effects

Although HIV does not appear to infect nerve cells, it does somehow affect their ability to function normally. People with HIV can experience:

• AIDS-related dementia
• A decrease in the ability to think properly and process information
• Brain tumors that either begin in the brain or spread to the brain from elsewhere in the body
• Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), which is caused by a virus most people are already infected with, but does not cause disease in people with healthy immune systems. Symptoms include difficulty walking and talking, weakness in the limbs, and seizures.

Other neurological complications such as headaches, fever, nausea, and dizziness may occur as a result of HIV treatments.

HIV: Weight Effects and Wasting Syndrome

A big concern for people who have HIV that has progressed to AIDS is AIDS wasting syndrome, which is defined as any unintentional weight loss of 10 percent or more of your body weight. HIV patients may lose muscle as well as fat, and once lost, the weight is difficult to regain. The person may also have diarrhea and a slight fever. These symptoms are usually accompanied by a complete loss of appetite. AIDS wasting syndrome is extremely dangerous for HIV-infected people but it can largely be prevented by eating a healthy, nutrient-rich diet (including such foods as peanut butter, eggs, cheeses, and legumes) and regular exercise to maintain muscle mass.

While HIV infection can lead to a variety of very serious complications, advances in treatments have significantly improved the outlook for people with HIV infection. In fact, a study found that only about 10 percent of people with HIV die of one of the conditions that defines AIDS. Since HIV-infected individuals are now living longer, they are more likely to die from other causes.

Oxymetholone reduces wasting among HIV patients.

Oxymetholone, an anabolic steroid, appears to be effective in countering wasting among HIV-positive patients taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

This finding results from a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial at the University of Essen, and the University of Bonn, Germany. Eighty-nine HIV-positive women and men participated.

Chronic involuntary weight loss is a serious problem among patients on HAART. The alterations in energy metabolism and endocrine regulation cause loss of lean body mass (LBM) and body cell mass (BCM).

There has been partial restoration of LBM in studies among HIV-positive men undergoing androgen replacement therapy, or treatment with recombinant growth hormone. However, these treatments have largely been ineffective among eugonadal individuals.

In the present study, the men and women with wasting were given Oxymetholone 50 mg twice (BID), or three times daily (TID), or placebo for 16 weeks, followed by open-label treatment. Endpoints were body weight, bioimpedance measurements, and appetite.

The clinicians found that Oxymetholone produced a significant weight gain of 3.0 ± 0.5 kg in the TID group, and 3.5 ± 0.7 kg in the BID group, while patients in the placebo group gained an average of 1.0 ± 0.7 kg. Body cell mass increased 3.8 ± 0.4 kg in the BID group and 2.1 ± 0.6 kg in the TID group. This corresponded to 12.4T and 7.4% of baseline BCM, respectively.

The patients taking Oxymetholone reported significant improvements in their appetite and food consumption, plus a reduction in feeling weak. The most important adverse event was liver-associated toxicity.

Overall, 35% of patients in the TID, 27% of patients in the BID Oxymetholone group, and no patients in the placebo group, had a greater than five times baseline increase for alanine aminotransferase during the double-blind phase of the study.

Clinicians concluded that “the BID (100 mg/day) regimen appeared to be equally effective as the TID (150 mg/day) regimen in terms of weight gain, LBM and BCM and was associated with less, but still significant liver toxicity.”