Any experience on cycling with controlled hypertension

[Cinque]

Hi all, long time lurker, first time poster here.

I'm 38, 187cm, 100kg, 12-14% BF. Been training consistently since I was 19, with hardly any breaks but refining my understanding and application of nutrition constantly to get where I'm today - unfortunately when I started good info was not as accessible as it is now. Luckily I somehow found misc.fitness.weights and started my "real" bodybuilding journey from there.

I've never run a cycle, simply because I always knew that I could eke out that little bit more from my body by tweaking my diet and training. Right now, I feel that I'm very close to the end of that road.

I would like to do a typical beginner cycle (500mg Test/ week for 12 weeks, followed by PCT). However, one thing is stopping me: I've been diagnosed with primary hypertension when I was 30, and have been on medication to control it ever since. I guess I am lucky in that I responded well to the drugs and it is under control - but the daily meds are a lifetime thing.

I realize that one of the most common sides of any AAS, and test especially, is elevated BP. Common sense tells me (as do a couple of doctors that I have spoken to) that my condition immediately makes me more susceptible and more likely (as in certain) to experience this side effect. They are all very conservative and very opposed to my using AAS, quoting left ventricle enlargement and possible complications as a result. I would really like to further my training and physique by using AAS, but not at an expense of my health - I'm a husband, and a father to two girls, and would like to enjoy those things for quite a while to come.

I'd like to hear from members, if any, who are running/have run a cycle while on hypertension medication. Is this something to not even consider, or something which can be safely done if approached intelligently and with the right precautions? Obviously, any opinions from members with AAS experience, even if not dealing with hypertension themselves, are welcome and appreciated.

 

[Milton]

An official welcome to the site! We have lots of members with your same family status so you will get lots of solid/wise advice from them, please keep us posted!

 

[Roush]

Just a blunt comment here by me that may or may not be of benefit to you --
I'm 38 years old. I have had physical check ups and always had a clean cardiac bill of health my entire life and NEVER once had high blood pressure . however, after beginning my journey down the road of AAS use, I have been diagnosed with hypertension and sent to the doc on various occasions because of high BP (220/100 one day when I went to go donate blood). Again, my BP was fine my entire life (usually 120/65) UNTIL AAS use. Also, my resting heart rate has raised significantly over the years since doing AAS ,, it was always in the 60s, now it is in the mid 80s

just something to consider.

note also, that I still continue to use AAS and I've managed to keep BP under control , for the most part, with diet and managing estrogen and water retention, and not over doing my dosages of AAS use.

 

[Gainjin260]

Roush- those BP numbers are scary high. Glad you're controlled now.

OP- I've had primary hypertension since 13 years old. It's controlled with meds now. I recently have started a TRT dose of test @ 225/wk with almost no increase in BP. Maybe 10 points on the upper number but still at 125/65. I'm upping to 500/wk starting this week so I can give you an update on BP in a month or so if interested.

My advice is go ahead and start and monitor. You can also look into L-arginine and a small, daily dose of Cialis; both lower BP. I see no reason not to cycle. I'm assuming Roush's hypertension stemmed from multiple compounds over multiple cycles.

 

[Roush]

Roush- those BP numbers are scary high. Glad you're controlled now.

OP- I've had primary hypertension since 13 years old. It's controlled with meds now. I recently have started a TRT dose of test @ 225/wk with almost no increase in BP. Maybe 10 points on the upper number but still at 125/65. I'm upping to 500/wk starting this week so I can give you an update on BP in a month or so if interested.

My advice is go ahead and start and monitor. You can also look into L-arginine and a small, daily dose of Cialis; both lower BP. I see no reason not to cycle. I'm assuming Roush's hypertension stemmed from multiple compounds over multiple cycles.

yes, TRT, multiple cycles and multiple compounds . Though the first big scare with super high BP numbers happened on only my third cycle.. on a positive note , it was easy to fix. I got off of TRT for 6 months , and all compounds all together and detoxed for 6 straight months and went on a Keto (zero carb) diet that entire time as well. my BP dropped down to 115/65 during that time.

That shows that AAS use (between trt and blasts) was the direct cause of the problem, BUT that is was 'curable' by simply making a lifestyle change. I'm now back AAS use, but monitor BP daily

 

[carverelli]

Keep estrogen in check helps tremendously. Water retention is famous for raising bp

 

[Mountain-Man]

My bp meds got me right I can use very high doses and no bp problems get with a doctor that specializes in hypertension and u should be fine mine stays 120/117

 

[mightysatchmo]

I am on BP meds as well and have gone pretty high with doses and multiple compounds with no big increase or issues. Be on top of it though as others have said, estrogen control is huge part of this and your diet. Donate blood regularly also and you should have no problems. It good to go in smart and concerned as you are rather than start just blasting like some do then fight the fire when it happens. Your in a good place for alot of knowledge. Good luck.

 

[Cinque]

Thanks very much guys. Seems a spike in BP is a certainty regardless of prior history or whether medicated or not. I way would be to monitor it closely, use an AI from the onset to keep estrogen as low as possible, and adjust the medication dosage if I see it going up significantly.

 

[Cinque]

Roush- those BP numbers are scary high. Glad you're controlled now.

OP- I've had primary hypertension since 13 years old. It's controlled with meds now. I recently have started a TRT dose of test @ 225/wk with almost no increase in BP. Maybe 10 points on the upper number but still at 125/65. I'm upping to 500/wk starting this week so I can give you an update on BP in a month or so if interested.

My advice is go ahead and start and monitor. You can also look into L-arginine and a small, daily dose of Cialis; both lower BP. I see no reason not to cycle. I'm assuming Roush's hypertension stemmed from multiple compounds over multiple cycles.

Yeah, please - really would like to know how your BP responds to 500mg/week. How old are you now and which BP meds are you on?

 

[Ghost124]

question to the guys on BP meds, how are you able to work out? Doesn't BP meds restrict you from that?

last year I was diagnosed with hypertension and my doc put me on atenelol which is a beta blocker. I went to go work out the next day and could not catch my breath after my first set into my workout. after researching the drug it turns out that this stuff regulates your heart rate and does not let it go over 85. so when you are trying to pump iron, your heart does not get the oxygen that it needs and does not pump at the rate it's supposed so when working out which will make you very very tired very fast.

I got off that crap and started to drop my body fat. the past 2 years I have really let myself go because of business stress and personal life stress. at one point I was 33% body fat. now I am down to 18% and dropping. that and my daily regime of fish oils, L-argeneine, beat juice, apple cider vinegar and nitric oxide, the highest my BP gets to now is 130/85 but most of the day is at 118/78.

 

[Cinque]

question to the guys on BP meds, how are you able to work out? Doesn't BP meds restrict you from that?

last year I was diagnosed with hypertension and my doc put me on atenelol which is a beta blocker. I went to go work out the next day and could not catch my breath after my first set into my workout. after researching the drug it turns out that this stuff regulates your heart rate and does not let it go over 85. so when you are trying to pump iron, your heart does not get the oxygen that it needs and does not pump at the rate it's supposed so when working out which will make you very very tired very fast.

I got off that crap and started to drop my body fat. the past 2 years I have really let myself go because of business stress and personal life stress. at one point I was 33% body fat. now I am down to 18% and dropping. that and my daily regime of fish oils, L-argeneine, beat juice, apple cider vinegar and nitric oxide, the highest my BP gets to now is 130/85 but most of the day is at 118/78.

It depends on the agent used. Beta blockers are the most aggressive and exhibit the most side effects, so it's quite unusual that your doc kicked off with them as a means of controlling your BP. I'm on ACE inhibitors and it doesn't affect my training or anything else at all.

 

[Mad- scientist]

I'm on atenelol 100mgs a day and have been on it for 8 years and it never made me tired or week in the gym.

 

[Milton]

Good read.

 

[Gainjin260]

Update: upped my test to 500/wk 4weeks ago and the last 2 weeks have been at 750. My BP remains at 120/65. Since starting my cycle I have included l-arginine and 6mg of RUI cia, which may have helped keep,it so low.

I see no issue with someone with controlled hypertension cycling with test only.