Reaction to Enanthate; Taste of Dianabol; Traveling with Steroids

Sore from Enanthate

Q: I’ve been getting very sore from testosterone enanthate injections. I’ve also had a fever two times for a couple of days after my shot. It is the first time I have used the drug. I’ve only tried Deca and oral steroids before. Is it normal? I am actually planning to stop my cycle short because of it. It is just too uncomfortable.

A: Soreness, fever, and tissue sensitivity are possible reactions to some steroid injections, and may be caused by a number of things. You never made any reference to the exact kind of testosterone enanthate you are using, so it does limit my ability to answer you to some degree. Were it a product from an underground lab, for example, I might suggest that the sterility or cleanliness of the product may be in question. Your body could be reacting to the presence of some irritant or toxin with a normal immune response, which could include the symptoms you described. The underground product may also be unusually high in benzyl alcohol, perhaps to facilitate a greater steroid concentration per milliliter or as a way of trying to assure the sterility of the solution. This is a common issue with “homegrown’ steroids, which are not carefully assembled under conditions that would ensure the proper amounts (and sterility) of all ingredients (carriers, anti-microbial agents, steroids, etc.). More fundamentally, you may be reacting to the use of enanthoic acid (enanthate) as the ester for testosterone. Carboxylic acid esters like this can be irritating to the body, especially the shorter chain ones. Enanthate is fairly long and well tolerated by most users, but even so a small percentage of patients do react to injections with the symptoms you described.

In a clinical setting, the type of reaction you are experiencing would be cause to change the method of therapy. It is clearly an unwanted adverse effect, and not something you should have to endure. You want the benefits of the drug without discomfort or adverse effects, the central focus in clinical medicine when it comes to the development of new androgen replacement therapies. If it is the enanthate ester itself that is causing the problem, an easy solution is to switch to a more comfortable ester. Testosterone cypionate is a common substitute for testosterone enanthate when this occurs, and in fact appears to be more popularly used in U.S. medicine. If you are using an underground or counterfeit product, the problem may be the same, or it may be something of greater concern. I always advise against the use of underground gear, and would certainly tell you to stop using it if that is the case. There would be no way to know for sure what is going on, of course, unless you had access to an American prescription testosterone enanthate product, which would eliminate the factors associated with underground manufacturing. Either way, I wish you luck, and hope you have a more comfortable cycle in the future should you decide to try again.

Dianabol Taste Test

Q: I’ve had two different dbols before, and both pills tasted very bitter. I have a new one that tastes very different, kind of bland. Did I get a fake? Does Dianabol taste bitter?

A: I’ve heard different “taste testing” strategies for identifying steroids before. I must confess that I’ve never given the concept a great deal of time. That is to say, I have never made any systematic examination of the different tastes of pure steroid chemicals, so I’d have little reference point to start from when it comes to evaluating their tastes as part of a blended compound. I can give you this little bit of information, however, which will hopefully put the whole thing into perspective. Dianabol usually comes as a 5mg tablet, meaning there are 5 milligrams of active drug in it. A typical tablet contains a whole lot more material than 5 milligrams. In fact, it is likely to contain 20 times that amount or more in the form if different binders, fillers, and perhaps coloring agents. Any combination of these materials may have different properties when it comes to taste. It is highly unlikely that even the most trained taste buds will be able to notice such a tiny amount of Dianabol next to an abundance (and variety) of other materials. In my opinion, this just isn’t a viable option for determining if you have a real drug or not. You are much better off examining the packaging of the product very closely, and comparing it to known legitimate products. You should make much more progress here. If you are buying an underground item, however, you are kind of on your own without some type of lab analysis.

Traveling with Gear

Q: I have a script for testosterone cypionate from my doctor. I need to fly next week to LA and will be away when my injection is scheduled. Do you know if I can I take syringes and steroids with me on the plane?

A: First, I am not an expert on the policies of the FAA, so I suggest you don’t do anything without checking with the airline you plan to travel with first. I wouldn’t want to misdirect you just to get a letter next week about your nightmare in the airport and my crappy advice. I am sure you can find all the policies online or with a quick phone call. I will tell you what I know, however, but please take the previous disclaimer to heart. You mentioned you had a valid prescription for the drug, so there should logically be no issues traveling with it. You have every right to travel with your medication so long as it is properly labeled as such, especially within U.S. borders where your prescription will always be recognized. It is perfectly legal to travel on a plane with syringes as well so long as they are accompanied by injectable medication. Depending on the airline, you can likely even take them on the plane in a carry-on bag. Some, however, may require that they be stored with your checked baggage, as the equipment is not essential to your health during travel. Again, check with your carrier first. At the very least, it should be no issue to put them together with the labeled vial of prescription testosterone and tuck them in a safe spot in the middle of your clothes. Remember, your bags might not be gingerly handled the entire time they are out of your sight. That is probably the issue you should be worrying about more. Good luck and travel safe.

Ask William Llewellyn #3

About William Llewellyn

William Llewellyn is a recognized authority on anabolic substances, and author of the bestselling steroid reference book series ANABOLICS, soon entering its 6th edition with ANABOLICS 2007.  Llewellyn has been featured in ESPN Magazine (Cover Story), The Washington Post (Front Page Story), Discovery Channel, Fox News Channel, ESPN Television, NPR news, ESPN radio, and other television and radio programs. He also publishes Body of Science magazine, a quarterly publication dedicated to the “understanding of sports enhancement”, with a focus on the athletic use of performance-enhancing pharmaceuticals. Llewellyn also writes a monthly column for Muscular Development magazine on the subject of anabolic steroids, and has authored numerous articles for other bodybuilding publications.