ResearchSafe

Lipid panel shifts on low-dose Anavar, how low can HDL go safely?

Posted by wes_cycles in Safety & Side Effects - 2 points, 2 comments.

Started oxandrolone about 6 weeks ago for a short cut, 20 mg split twice daily, and my bloodwork from last week has me a bit concerned about the lipid side. HDL dropped from 52 to 38 mg/dL, LDL crept up from 98 to 116, and triglycerides are flat around 70. Fasting glucose and liver enzymes looked clean, ALT 22, AST 19, so the liver numbers are fine for now.

I have tracked HRV and sleep on my watch too, and my morning recovery scores are basically unchanged, so functionally nothing has shifted there. It is just the lipid picture that has me paying attention.

For those who have run Anavar longer term at similar ranges, what kind of HDL nadirs did you see, and how fast did it bounce back after stopping? Did anything in particular help recovery, fish oil dosing, duration off before rechecking, etc. Trying to figure out if 38 is something to ride out for another few weeks or if I should pull the pin now. Bloodwork is from a private panel, no doctor involved yet so will probably loop one in if it keeps sliding.

Comments

  • optimizer612: HDL below 40 is where I start paying real attention, you are not in the danger zone yet but it can drop fast on orals. In my own experience running oxandrolone at similar doses, HDL bottomed around 32 after about 8 weeks and was back to 44 roughly 6 weeks after stopping, so recovery can be slower than people expect. High dose fish oil (around 4 g combined EPA and DHA daily) and cutting saturated fat seemed to slow the slide a little, but honestly nothing fully prevents it on a 17aa oral. I wo
  • dana_d: That 32 to 44 recovery over 6 weeks tracks with what I have seen anecdotally... The HDL bounce back is not quick at all, even after stopping. The 17aa effect on HDL is brutal, no? Retest in 2 weeks is sensible advice. If it is still trending down, not worth pushing further for a cut. Cardiovascular fitness does not protect you from lipid shifts, that I learned the hard way 🙋

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.