AAS and hypothyroidism, ? Permanent effects

[panzers]

Hi guys, so I recently tested twice for thyroid level and was found to have low t3 and t4 with TSH of 6. My TSH was 2 in January. Recently I've been researching a bit about AAS and their link to decreased thyroid function. This is very important because thyroid hormones affect every cell in the body.
A year ago I finished a test/deca cycle. No AAS since. From the studies I've found it appears Deca is associated more than test with causing hypothyroidism -- BUT in test subjects the hypothroidism was no symptomatic and transient. But maybe for some it's permanent? I have no symptoms but I certainly don't want to risk any more cycles if it will cause me to have to be on thyroid Meds the rest of my life. I recently had to start TRT due to permanent HPTA shutdown. That's enough damage already.

Do any of u knowledgeable lads have good personal knowledge of this relationship or similar experiences? I have upped calories and exercise since they can raise thyroid function to a degree. Maybe when I retest blood in 2 weeks my Tsh will be lower.

 

[Megatron28]

Can you please post the studies you have been reading?

 

[halfwit]

Considering testosterone INCREASES thyroid function, I too would be interested in these studies. The only AAS that I know of to decrease thyroid output is trenbolone, but that's not from human studies either.

 

[panzers]

Ok. I'll look for them again and post links.

 

[Megatron28]

Are you certain the hypothyroidism isn't the cause of your hypogonadism; not vice a versa?

The interrelationships between thyroid dysfunction and hypogonadism in men and boys. - PubMed - NCBI

 

[Megatron28]

Considering testosterone INCREASES thyroid function, I too would be interested in these studies. The only AAS that I know of to decrease thyroid output is trenbolone, but that's not from human studies either.

Here is a study supporting Halfwit (I think -- TSH decreases among other things).

Androgenic-anabolic steroid effects on serum thyroid, pituitary and steroid hormones in athletes. - PubMed - NCBI

Endocrine responses in seven power athletes were investigated during a 12 week strength training period, when the athletes were taking high doses of androgenic-anabolic steroids, and during the 13 weeks following drug withdrawal. During the use of steroids significant decreases (P less than 0.05 to 0.001) in the serum concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone, thyroxine, triidothyronine, free thyroxine, and thyroid hormone-binding globulin (TBG) were found, whereas the value of triidothyronine uptake increased (P less than 0.001). In relation to the changes in the thyroid function parameters measured, we suggest that the primary target of androgen action was TBG biosynthesis. In five of the seven subjects, serum concentrations of growth hormone increased at some point of the study 5 to 60-fold. Because of the use of exogenous testosterone, serum testosterone concentration tended to increase. This increase was associated with a corresponding increase (P less than 0.001) in serum estradiol. Furthermore, there were major decreases in serum LH (P less than 0.01) and FSH (P less than 0.01) concentrations, and testicular testosterone production was therefore decreased. This was characterized by a very low serum testosterone concentration (5.1 +/- 1.8 nmol/l) 4 weeks following drug withdrawal. Cessation of drug use resulted in return of all the variables measured to the initial values, except for serum testosterone, which was at a low level (14.6 +/- 8.8 nmol/l) 9 weeks after drug withdrawal, indicating prolonged impairment of testicular endocrine function. No consistent changes were found in the eight control athletes.

 

[Hypnotix]

Some Prohormones mimic Tren as well I believe.. if this is true.. maybe that is why I developed Hypothyroidism.

Interested to see if the studies show anything useful here.

 

[panzers]

Megatron, my thyroid was fine in January. Good numbers, Tsh was 2. However, my total test was 65! I think nandrolone crushed my HPTA. One cannot be certain of what truly caused hypogonadism, excluding a pituitary tumor, but I believe the low test combined with lower calories and much less exercise because I was depressed MAY have lowered metabolism but I don't know what explains a Tsh of 6. I spoke to a Dr I work with and she said 6 isn't much to worry about because some patients have a Tsh of 200 plus. What do u think?

 

[panzers]

[Abuse of anabolic steroids and its impact on thyroid function].
Review article
Fortunato RS, et al. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metabol. 2007.
Show full citation
Abstract
The use of anabolic steroids to increase physical performance and for aesthetic ends has reached alarming indices in the last three decades. Besides the desired actions, several collateral effects have been described in the literature, such as the development of some types of cancer, ginecomasty, peliosis hepatis, renal insufficiency, virilization, amongst others. The most proeminent effect on human thyroid function is the reduction of thyroxine binding globulin (TBG), with consequent reductions of total serum T3 and T4, depending however on the susceptibility of the drug to aromatization and subsequent transformation into estrogen. In rats, anabolic steroids also act in the peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormones and seem to exert an important proliferative effect on thyroid cells. Thus, the aim of the present paper is to review data on the effect of supraphysiological doses of anabolic steroids on thyroid function, showing the danger that indiscriminate use of these drugs can cause to health.

Unfortunately the rest of this paper on nih.gov is in Portuguese.

 

[panzers]

Chronic administration of anabolic androgenic steroid alters murine thyroid function.
Fortunato RS, et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006.
Show full citation
Abstract
PURPOSE: The administration of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) to improve athletic performance has increased notably during the past three decades, even among nonathletes. Thyroid function is affected by AAS use in humans, although the mechanisms of the effects of AAS are unclear. We evaluated the effects on thyroid function of supraphysiologic doses of nandrolone decanoate (DECA), which is one of the most anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) used.

METHODS: Male Wistar rats were treated with vehicle or 1 mg.100 g(-1) body weight (b.w.) of DECA, once a week for 8 wk, intramuscularly. We analyzed thyroperoxidase (TPO) activity, type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase (D1) activities in liver, kidney, pituitary, and thyroid, and serum levels of total T3, total T4, free T4, and TSH. Parametric and nonparametric t-tests were employed for statistical analyses.

RESULTS: Treated animals showed a significant increase in the weight of kidneys and heart, and a decrease in the relative testis weight. Retroperitoneal adipose tissue was only slightly decreased. DECA treatment induced a significant increase in the absolute and relative thyroid gland weight. The concentrations of total serum T3, free T4, and TSH decreased significantly with treatment, but total serum T4 levels were unchanged. Thyroperoxidase activity was unaltered, whereas liver and kidney D1 activities were significantly increased, but pituitary and thyroid D1 did not change.

CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that DECA exerts direct actions on the thyroid gland and in the peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormones and might lead to thyroid dysfunction.

PMID 16531893 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Full text
Full text from provider (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins)

 

[panzers]

And an article written by prohormone chemist Patrick Arnold is interesting:

ANABOLIC STEROID USAGE AND THYROID SUPPRESSION-article by PATRICK ARNOLD

ANABOLIC STEROID USAGE AND THYROID SUPPRESSION
Patrick Arnold

[...]

Bodybuilders who use large amounts of anabolic steroids often report lethargy as a side effect. Sleepiness, irritability, and foggy-headness are commonly reported by users of some of the more powerful anabolic steroids in large dosages. The cause of this lethargy has been the subject of debate in the performance-enhancement drug community, and the solution may be multifactorial. Published studies have given reason to suspect that thyroid hormone suppression may be one of these factors.

THYROID HORMONES

There are two major thyroid hormones, T4 and T3. T3 is considered the most active thyroid hormone, and its job is to act as a sort of ter regulator of every major aspect of metabolism- from protein thesis to carbohydrate and fat oxidation. T3 acts in general as a ********* stimulator, and in addition to its influence on how the uses fuel for energy and tissue building, it also works to generate heat production (thermogenesis) via enhancement of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) expression in the liver.

The production of too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) and too little thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) are both undesirable conditions. Hyperthyroidism leads to overstimulation of the nervous system (resulting in elevated heart rate and nervousness), as well loss of lean body mass due to protein catabolism. Hypothyroidism; the other hand, leads to depression and fatigue, as well as other symptoms such as joint pain, sensitivity to cold, and fat gain.

ANABOLIC STEROIDS AND THYROID SUPPRESSION

As I stated in my introduction, published studies have confirmed that anabolic steroid use can suppress thyroid hormone levels in the blood. It appears that this is not due so much to a decrease in the production of the main thyroid hormone (T4) in the thyroid gland, however. What really is the culprit of the suppression is debatable, as different studies have found different things. Two things are clear, though. The levels of total and free active thyroid hormone (T3) are decreased with anabolic steroid use, and T4 thyroid hormone-binding globulin levels are markedly elevated. However, free T4 appears to be unchanged, as does TSH, which is the hormone that your brain produces to stimulate thyroid hormone production in the thyroid gland. So what is happening is not entirely clear. It may be a combination of disrupted conversion of T4 to T3 and/or interference of bioavailable T4 levels by excessive T4 thyroid hormone-binding globulin. Whatever the case, levels of the active thyroid hormoneT3 can be suppressed by anabolic steroid use- particularly at higher dosages. Such suppression can interfere with maximum muscle growth from a cycle, as optimal protein synthesis activity is dependent upon ideal T3 levels in the body.

It is interesting to note that bodybuilders have discovered by trial and error that thyroid hormone supplementation leads to greater gains during a cycle. I am pretty sure that this anecdotal discovery was made without the knowledge that AAS (anabolic-androgenic steroid) usage is thyroid suppressive.

 

[panzers]

There is another long discussion with lots of studies referenced regarding thyroid suppression by AAS which I found but it is from another site similar to this and I do not believe I am allowed to link it.

 

[Megatron28]

Megatron, my thyroid was fine in January. Good numbers, Tsh was 2. However, my total test was 65! I think nandrolone crushed my HPTA. One cannot be certain of what truly caused hypogonadism, excluding a pituitary tumor, but I believe the low test combined with lower calories and much less exercise because I was depressed MAY have lowered metabolism but I don't know what explains a Tsh of 6. I spoke to a Dr I work with and she said 6 isn't much to worry about because some patients have a Tsh of 200 plus. What do u think?

I believe anything below 10 is considered "subclinical" hypothyroidism. Docs may not see a need to treat it with medication but I wouldn't say there is nothing to worry about.

 

[Megatron28]

There is another long discussion with lots of studies referenced regarding thyroid suppression by AAS which I found but it is from another site similar to this and I do not believe I am allowed to link it.

A couple of thoughts. The studies you found are on rats. That is a huge red flag right there. Second, they seem to be showing that TSH decreases, which I believe means that the thyroid is functioning better.