[quote]EyeDentist wrote:
How many times have you donated blood this year?[/quote]
probably at least 6 times, i do it myself though and usually only take half a pint out, i had to yesterday actually because hct was almost in high range
[/quote]
Bingo. More than likely, that’s why you’re iron deficient. Frequent bloodletting is a well-documented cause of iron deficiency in males. (Google it.)
That said, the prudent course of action would be to discuss your lab results with your physician before deciding on a course of action. There’s no substitute for having a physician lay eyes/hands on you for a proper exam.[/quote]
yeah my doc seems to think im losing trace amounts of blood in my intestines so im getting a colonoscopy,
[/quote]
That’s because s/he didn’t realize you were losing large amounts of blood via your antecubital fossa (or wherever you stick yourself for bloodletting). Consider contacting your physician prior to your colonoscopy and alerting him/her to what you’ve been doing, as it may change the course of management s/he recommends.
“Your gear is creating more Hemoglobin and RBC, masking some of the expected effects of iron deficiency. Correcting the iron loss issue might lead to more hematocrit and associated problems.”
Gear exaggerates blood cell formation in the bone marrow, HTC goes up. You do drain off blood to lower HTC and iron levels fall.
This whole problem is caused by 1000mg T per week. You might not have any GI bleed blood loss at all. And an occult blood test would pick that up fast and cheap.
[quote]C27 H40 O3 wrote:
It really sounds like an absorption issue. When I was training for mass I always had loose stools. I learned later that protein powders, creatine, and other supplements are great in moderation but wreak havoc on GI epithelium and bacterial flora. It is critical both epithelium and flora of the stomach and intestine be in check for absorption of B12 and iron among other things.
Ask yourself, do you eat too frequently? Frequent supplements? Few fruit and veggie servings? Alcohol/binge drinking? NSAIDS? Aspirin? Stomach acid reflux? Gas and bloating? Strong odor flatulence? Over-eating? Drink water following a meal?
Have you got liver panels? Ferritin is made in the liver and iron is also stored there.[/quote]
i do have liver panels, alt and ast are always elevated slightly, but whenever i take a few days off from training they do drop lower, also had an ultra sound and everything was good.
as far as poops go, everything is normal besides the way it looks, mostly soft serve ice cream texture, sometimes logs but mostly soft. i do eat frequently and drink a lot of water. no alcohol. sometimes asprin for migranes occasionally but thats it. YES ACID REFLUX. sometimes its so bad i feel it in my ears. my doc seemed to be concerned about this. bloating and gas occasionally, just depends on what i eat i suppose. i could eat more veggies. i have about 8oz of greens a day and thats it. and for fruit ill eat a banana and apple daily but thats it.
Acid reflux and ‘heartburn’ can sometimes be associated with ulcers of the stomach lining. Not only is it painful but it will also impair digestive functions, stomach emptying, and intrinsic factor. The inflammation very often causes increased acid secretion as well. Most ulcers are the result of helicobacter pylori and is readily treatable if this is part of your issues. Mal-digestion would explain the soft-serve (loose) stools. I had the same consistency stools when I was taking 5 scoops of protein and weight gainer/day but I didn’t have any stomach issues I knew of.
I really think supplements are incredibly helpful but I think sometimes it’s good to ease up on them. It is after all a heavily processed food source and often rich in toxins. Things that bad gut microbes absolutely love!
[quote]C27 H40 O3 wrote:
Acid reflux and ‘heartburn’ can sometimes be associated with ulcers of the stomach lining. Not only is it painful but it will also impair digestive functions, stomach emptying, and intrinsic factor. The inflammation very often causes increased acid secretion as well. Most ulcers are the result of helicobacter pylori and is readily treatable if this is part of your issues. Mal-digestion would explain the soft-serve (loose) stools. I had the same consistency stools when I was taking 5 scoops of protein and weight gainer/day but I didn’t have any stomach issues I knew of.
I really think supplements are incredibly helpful but I think sometimes it’s good to ease up on them. It is after all a heavily processed food source and often rich in toxins. Things that bad gut microbes absolutely love![/quote]
Yeah this is why I think it would be best to get the colonoscopy procedure just to at the very least rule anything out, do you know if there are any risks of having this procedure done while on gear?
[quote]C27 H40 O3 wrote:
Acid reflux and ‘heartburn’ can sometimes be associated with ulcers of the stomach lining. Not only is it painful but it will also impair digestive functions, stomach emptying, and intrinsic factor. The inflammation very often causes increased acid secretion as well. Most ulcers are the result of helicobacter pylori and is readily treatable if this is part of your issues. Mal-digestion would explain the soft-serve (loose) stools. I had the same consistency stools when I was taking 5 scoops of protein and weight gainer/day but I didn’t have any stomach issues I knew of.
I really think supplements are incredibly helpful but I think sometimes it’s good to ease up on them. It is after all a heavily processed food source and often rich in toxins. Things that bad gut microbes absolutely love![/quote]
Yeah this is why I think it would be best to get the colonoscopy procedure just to at the very least rule anything out
[/quote]
The esophagus and stomach will not be visualized during a colonoscopy.
Edit: Not saying you shouldn’t have it done; rather, just pointing out that it’s not going to yield any info re your upper GI tract.
The greatest risk of colonoscopy is GI bleeding. Coagulopathy (dysfunctional clotting) would be the main concern during that procedure and your physician will most likely get a PTT(prothrombin time) and INR (international normalized ratio) which measure clotting times of certain blood factors. Androgens increase protein synthesis and may upset this fine balance but by how much I don’t know. All the research I’ve done has been regarding “normal” T ranges or slightly outside. Sadly medicine isn’t a wealthy source of knowledge as far as recreational use goes. Bodybuilders have been true pioneers in hormone science but sadly anecdotal evidence and intuition rarely sway medical approach.
Yeah, you’ll possibly want to get a gastroscopy later to assess your esophagus and stomach. If you’ve had this reflux condition for extended time they may need to biopsy the esophagus for Barret esophagus.
If the issue is ulcers or gastritis you should probably avoid aspirin unless it’s entericcaly coated. Pepto bysmol is very helpful for ulcers and H pylori really hate it too which is great. Some non-medical advice that I found works for stomach discomfort is I’ve made it a habit to drink about 8oz of water after each meal. Firstly to moisten any food left in my stomach and assist in breakdown(water is the universal solvent) and secondly to rinse residue from the esophagus and upper stomach.
[quote]C27 H40 O3 wrote:
Yeah, you’ll possibly want to get a gastroscopy later to assess your esophagus and stomach. If you’ve had this reflux condition for extended time they may need to biopsy the esophagus for Barret esophagus.
If the issue is ulcers or gastritis you should probably avoid aspirin unless it’s entericcaly coated. Pepto bysmol is very helpful for ulcers and H pylori really hate it too which is great. Some non-medical advice that I found works for stomach discomfort is I’ve made it a habit to drink about 8oz of water after each meal. Firstly to moisten any food left in my stomach and assist in breakdown(water is the universal solvent) and secondly to rinse residue from the esophagus and upper stomach.[/quote]
I’ll keep that pepto bismal thing in mind. The only reason I haven’t taken any acid reducers or anything like that because I read that low stomach acid could actually cause acid reflux too. I also read that hypothyroidism can cause low stomach acid. If these things could be connected I am not sure.
Oh yeah and the doc did say he will be doing an upper scope as well at the same time, so he will be looking into my stomach as well.
Have any of you guys ever gone through this procedure, I am scared shitless, I hate being put under although I know it’s not like annastesia it’s an injection of some kind of sedative, I forget the name.
Have any of you guys ever gone through this procedure, I am scared shitless, I hate being put under although I know it’s not like annastesia it’s an injection of some kind of sedative, I forget the name.
[/quote]
I have had esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD; endoscopic inspection of the esophagus, stomach and proximal duodenum) twice, and colonoscopy once. (It so happens my next routine screening colonoscopy is scheduled for this week.) The prep is the worst part–no solid food the day before, and you have to drink a concoction that empties your colon, if you know what I mean.
If not contraindicated, conscious sedation is usually achieved with the short-acting benzo versed (midazolam). Among other properties, versed is a powerful amnestic, so you likely won’t be able to remember anything concerning the procedure itself.
Have any of you guys ever gone through this procedure, I am scared shitless, I hate being put under although I know it’s not like annastesia it’s an injection of some kind of sedative, I forget the name.
[/quote]
I have had esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD; endoscopic inspection of the esophagus, stomach and proximal duodenum) twice, and colonoscopy once. (It so happens my next routine screening colonoscopy is scheduled for this week.) The prep is the worst part–no solid food the day before, and you have to drink a concoction that empties your colon, if you know what I mean.
If not contraindicated, conscious sedation is usually achieved with the short-acting benzo versed (midazolam). Among other properties, versed is a powerful amnestic, so you likely won’t be able to remember anything concerning the procedure itself.[/quote]
these mo fos are trying to tell me no solid food 2 days before the procedure, I’ll fucking starve, seriously lol.
[quote]eatliftsleep wrote:
these mo fos are trying to tell me no solid food 2 days before the procedure, I’ll fucking starve, seriously lol.
[/quote]
It’s a very difficult procedure mainly because of the prep. Usually they allow some types of food like jello but it isn’t enough. The bowel prep drugs can be really unpleasant too. It’s worth the investigation though to go through all that in your case.
yup, luckily its scheduled on a monday so ill have all weekend to not eat anything and shit my brains out, better than doing it at work i suppose. its on the 10th so ill check back in with results if anyone is interested.
Ok guys, anyone who has preped for a colonoscopy please help!
I am now starting the day where i can only have clear liquids, its only 130 pm and im already starving and wondering how im gonna make it till 2pm tomorrow.
Are there any clear liquids that are calorie dense i could be eating or do you guys have any tricks for suppressing hunger? Any help is appreciated, im withering away over here, help!!!
Here’s a list from the Mayo Clinic but I’m sure you’ve been supplied with instructions that include something similar:
Water (plain, carbonated or flavored)
Fruit juices without pulp, such as apple or white grape
Fruit-flavored beverages, such as fruit punch or lemonade
Carbonated drinks, including dark sodas (cola and root beer)
Gelatin
Tea or coffee without milk or cream
Strained tomato or vegetable juice
Sports drinks
Clear, fat-free broth (bouillon or consomme)
Honey or sugar
Hard candy, such as lemon drops or peppermint rounds
Ice pops without milk, bits of fruit, seeds or nuts
[quote]C27 H40 O3 wrote:
Here’s a list from the Mayo Clinic but I’m sure you’ve been supplied with instructions that include something similar:
Water (plain, carbonated or flavored)
Fruit juices without pulp, such as apple or white grape
Fruit-flavored beverages, such as fruit punch or lemonade
Carbonated drinks, including dark sodas (cola and root beer)
Gelatin
Tea or coffee without milk or cream
Strained tomato or vegetable juice
Sports drinks
Clear, fat-free broth (bouillon or consomme)
Honey or sugar
Hard candy, such as lemon drops or peppermint rounds
Ice pops without milk, bits of fruit, seeds or nuts
[/quote]
Thanks man, yeah my list is pretty much the same so i guess not much i can really do but wait
Ok, procedure is done and as i type this i am still a little fucked up from the sedation but here are some results i know so far, ill have a follow up with my doc in about a week also to get more in depth answers.
So basically i have a mild hiatal hernia, possibly from the bad reflux i have, but im gonna be honest, im not going to stop training or take it easy whasoever so they can kiss my ass with that, ok moving on…
They said i have pretty bad sleep apnea and i need to get that taken care of. Colon was fine as far as they could tell but took biopsys for celiac and something else but i forget.
So all in all im really fuckin pissed right now and anyone that has anything positive to say from this i would greatly appreciate it.
[quote]eatliftsleep wrote:
Ok, procedure is done and as i type this i am still a little fucked up from the sedation but here are some results i know so far, ill have a follow up with my doc in about a week also to get more in depth answers.
So basically i have a mild hiatal hernia, possibly from the bad reflux i have, but im gonna be honest, im not going to stop training or take it easy whasoever so they can kiss my ass with that, ok moving on…
They said i have pretty bad sleep apnea and i need to get that taken care of. Colon was fine as far as they could tell but took biopsys for celiac and something else but i forget.
So all in all im really fuckin pissed right now and anyone that has anything positive to say from this i would greatly appreciate it.[/quote]
Hiatal hernias are not an uncommon finding in weightlifters. If you don’t want to have it surgically repaired, be sure to talk to your doc about medically controlling the resulting reflux disease, which is a risk factor for esophageal cancer. (As an aside: Hiatal hernia can cause reflux disease; reflux disease does not cause hiatal hernias.)
Sleep apnea is a well-documented complication of testosterone use, and is a risk factor for multiple medical issues, including sudden cardiac death. Fortunately, it is treatable. Again, talk to your doc about your options.