Hello everyone,
Here is my situation:
I've been under gear since August 2025.
I have only one cycle to my credit: 50mg anavar (daily) and 250mg test C (weekly).
I remain in "TRT" (although in supra-physiological dosage) until mid-January; or I decide to stop. So progressively I lower the test to +/- 150mg / week. I have clomid and nolvados available. I was planning to take my blood tests and buy HCG and possibly HMG.
I am also thinking of being followed by a public hospital and/or an addictologist to have blood tests prescribed to me (from Europe).
I have physical tests for my classes in may. I have a cardio test that is stressing me because i am heavier and quickly out of breathe (i smoked cigarett's again since september). If i go natural again in minutes its will be a no worry test. But with the PCT in mind, its another thing. What if its longer to recover ? (if i recover i guess) I heard it was hard on the mind to come off, what should i except from it ?
Do you have any tips, advice and monitoring points to give me? (i didn't had any blood work until i realized that was stupid of me to think that its a no risks game)
Thanks for being open about your situation, that already puts you a step ahead of where many people realize things too late.
First thing to say clearly and calmly: you’re right to be concerned now, and you’re also right that running anything without bloodwork was a mistake. The good news is that this is a correctable situation if you slow down, gather data, and act methodically rather than emotionally.
A few important points to frame this properly.
Coming off is not automatically a disaster, but it can be uncomfortable if it’s rushed, poorly planned, or done without monitoring. The mental side is usually harder than the physical side: lower mood, lower drive, anxiety, flat motivation, sometimes sleep issues. That doesn’t mean it happens to everyone, and it doesn’t mean it’s permanent, but it’s common enough that you should expect some turbulence rather than being surprised by it.
Recovery time is very individual. Some people feel functional again in weeks, others need months. What makes the difference is baseline health, lifestyle, stress, sleep, smoking, cardio fitness, and how cleanly the transition is handled. Smoking again since September is honestly a bigger red flag for your cardio test than your cycle history. That alone can explain getting out of breath quickly.
Regarding your physical tests in May: that timeline actually works in your favor if you stop making decisions based on fear and start making them based on data. Trying to “optimize” performance while panicking about recovery is usually what creates problems. Cardio capacity, resting heart rate, and breathing efficiency will respond far more to quitting cigarettes and structured aerobic work than to staying on or coming off hormones.
About PCT and recovery anxiety: yes, some people struggle mentally when coming off, mainly because hormones influence neurotransmitters and stress tolerance. Expect some drop in confidence, motivation, and emotional resilience for a while. What helps a lot is knowing this in advance, keeping routines stable, not isolating, and not catastrophizing every bad day as “I’m broken”.
Very important: involving a public hospital or an addiction specialist is actually a smart and mature move, especially in Europe. You don’t need to frame it as “I want drugs”, but as “I’ve used anabolic hormones, I want medical monitoring and a safe recovery”. Many doctors won’t judge you, but they will insist on bloodwork, which is exactly what you need right now.
Before deciding anything else, bloodwork is
non-negotiable. At minimum, you should be looking at:
- Total and free testosterone, SHBG
- LH, FSH
- Estradiol (sensitive assay)
- Prolactin
- Lipids
- Liver enzymes
- Hematocrit / hemoglobin
- Thyroid panel
- Fasting glucose and insulin
Without that, every decision is
guesswork.
A few general principles, not instructions:
- Don’t rush!!!.
- Don’t stack recovery strategies blindly.
- Like @SalvatoreCorvus said Fix lifestyle first: cigarettes, sleep, cardio base, stress.
- Expect ups and downs and don’t interpret them as failure.
- Monitor, reassess, adjust.
Finally, if you want more meaningful input from people here, it would help to add:
- Age, height, weight, estimated body fat
- Training history and current cardio level
- Whether you’ve ever had anxiety, depression, or panic episodes before
- Sleep quality and resting heart rate
- Any symptoms you already notice (libido, mood, fatigue, brain fog, etc.)
You’re not stupid for realizing late that this isn’t a “no risk game”. You’d be stupid if you ignored that realization now. Take a breath, get your labs, clean up the smoking, and approach this like a health problem to solve, not a countdown to a disaster.
In case needed, just contact… we are ready to help…
Shark
