Tren (Trenbolone) Side Effects – Are They Dangerous or Exaggerated?

Trenbolone or the Monster steroid can produce unmatched results (Tren results) when it comes to gaining sheer power and strength for building muscle as well as for getting rid of excess body fat. However, the side effects of Tren also remain a major cause of concern.

Tren side effects can range from acne and hair loss to high blood pressure, depression, testosterone suppression, insomnia and also virilization in women.

This article takes you through all the common Trenbolone side effects and finds out if those side effects are really dangerous or life-threatening.

Tren Side Effects

Trenbolone comes with a high anabolic rating of 500. Not just this, it also bears a high androgenic rating of 500. What it means is that it is equally effective for both bulking and cutting cycles (Check out what to expect on a Tren cycle).

Without much ado, let us find out more about the side effects of this powerful steroid:

Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

Perhaps the most damaging side effect of Trenbolone is the changes that it can bring about in your lipid profile. It can increase LDL cholesterol in your body and regular use of Tren over a period of time can lead to an increase in cardiovascular strain and left ventricular hypertrophy.

This is something that is common with the use of anabolic steroids and Trenbolone is a steroid that has the highest anabolic rating. Such steroids can result in cardiomyopathy (heart disease) and as such people who are genetically predisposed to cardiac conditions or have it running in their families should avoid using Tren.

Is this side effects dangerous?

Yes! It is. There cannot be two ways about it. In fact, heart attack remains one of the most common causes of death among professional bodybuilders who regularly use steroids.

I do not recommend using Tren at all. However, if someone decides to go for it then he must try to have 4g/day of fish oil since it has shown to decrease blood pressure and improve blood flow to the heart when used along with a good cardio workout.

Even though such measures cannot completely reverse cardiovascular strain occurring because of regular Trenbolone usage but they will definitely reduce the risk of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.

In addition to this, it is important to keep in mind that stacking Trenbolone with other oral steroids including Dianabol, Anavar or Winstrol can further worsen the condition. As a matter of fact, oral steroids have a devastating effect on both your heart as well as the liver and are highly hepatotoxic.

They tend to stimulate hepatic lipase in the liver which is an enzyme that is likely to reduce HDL or the good cholesterol in your body.

Testosterone Suppression

Testosterone suppression or slow down/shut down of exogenous testosterone production in the body is something that commonly occurs because of anabolic steroids use.

When you inject yourself with an anabolic steroid, your testosterone levels shoot up almost immediately. However, as your body detects an excess of synthetic hormone or testosterone in the bloodstream, it slows down or even shuts down the production of natural testosterone.

Trenbolone is a powerful steroid and users experience a crash post-cycle when they stop having Trenbolone injections.

Because of the potent nature of Trenbolone, it often leads to a complete shut-down of testosterone secretion in your body and it may take a couple of weeks or months to get back to its normal level. The duration or the time taken to get back to normal may depend upon the dosage taken as well as the length of the cycle.

During the period of shutdown, you may experience the worst such as depression, low self-esteem, erectile dysfunction, diminished libido, low energy levels and reduced overall well-being.

PCT can help you restore your exogenous testosterone production but that too may work slowly to put things back on track. What is worse is that drugs used for PCT also come with their own side effects.

Is this side effect dangerous?

Yes! It is something that can take a toll on you both physically and mentally. Not just this, it can make the life of people living around you extremely difficult too. You are likely to become so irritable and annoying that it may it people living around you hard.

Possible Gynecomastia

One of the benefits of Trenbolone is that it does not lead to aromatization or the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. However, it does not mean that it cannot lead to gynecomastia.

Estrogen happens to be just one of the female sex hormones that can lead to gynecomastia in men. Progesterone is yet another female hormone that can also lead to gynecomastia. This is the hormone that is responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle in women and when raised to very high levels in men it can lead to lactation in men resulting in puffy nipples and also gynecomastia.

Progesterone basically mimics the effects of high estrogen levels and progestins stimulate the tissue in the mammary glands resulting in enlargement of the breast tissue in men.

Stacking Trenbolone with other steroids that are highly estrogenic tends to worsen this effect. Thus, you need to be cautious while stacking it with Dianabol, Testosterone and Anadrol.

In order to prevent aromatization, bodybuilders can opt for AIs or Aromatase Inhibitors. Another option available is to take SERMs or selective estrogen receptor modulators.

The problem with AIs is that they can worsen their cholesterol profile by increasing LDL cholesterol. SERMs, on the other hand, directly inhibit the effect of estrogen in the mammary glands.

Yet another problem with AIs is that they can elevate your blood pressure. SERMs are a better option since they not only prevent gynecomastia but also do not affect your cholesterol levels negatively.

Two of the most popular SERMs used as PCT include Nolvadex and Clomid. However, I must make it clear that they should not be taken with Trenbolone since they are likely to increase progesterone levels in your body which can further worsen gynecomastia for you.

Thus, the only option for you to consider is an AI. One important thing to remember here is that you must take it only when and if you see your nipples getting puffy or swollen. There’s no point in taking it before that and putting extra strain on your already stressed cardiovascular system because of Trenbolone.

Is this side effects dangerous?

I don’t think it is as dangerous as some of the other side effects. However, it can certainly put any man under psychological stress.

Acne Vulgaris

Acne is one of the androgenic side effects of Trenbolone. As mentioned above, Tren is a steroid with a high androgenic rating of 500. Thus, it is quite obvious that it can lead to oily skin and acne breakouts.

Those that have sensitive skin and are already prone to getting zits may experience severe acne vulgaris. Some of such users are known to have experienced cystic acne which may take the appearance of golf balls under the skin.

Is this side effect of Tren dangerous?

To be honest, Acne vulgaris can be painful and affect your looks in a big way but it is certainly not life-threatening.

One of the ways to help bodybuilders on a Tren cycle prevent acne is with the help of Accutane. It can help shrink the sebaceous glands and thereby reduce sebum buildup and thus prevent pores from getting clogged.

Male Pattern Baldness

This is yet another androgenic side effect of Trenbolone. With a rating of 500, Trenbolone happens to be the most androgenic of all anabolic steroids. Thus, it is likely to be destructive to hair follicles since it increases DHT or dihydrotestosterone in your body. Tren can not only lead to hair thinning but can also make your hairline recede.

DHT can destroy hair follicles and can also lead to scalp inflammation. However, the extent of hair loss that you experience depends on your genetics. If male pattern baldness runs in your family then you are more likely to experience hair loss when on Trenbolone.

It is important to keep in mind that anabolic steroids such as Trenbolone tend to increase hair loss over a period of time when you take them repeatedly.

In the short term, they may cause little thinning of recession. More often than not, it gets reversed when your DHT levels get back to normal once you stop taking the anabolic steroid.

Is this side effects dangerous?

Hair loss is a common problem that a lot of men suffer from. It may affect the way you look but it is certainly not dangerous or life-threatening.

Visceral Fat

One of the common issues with anabolic steroids is that they can help burn subcutaneous fat in your body but they can increase visceral fat.

Visceral fat is the fact that surrounds internal organs in your body under the abdomen and it isn’t visible to the naked eye.

However, high levels of visceral fat can make you look bloated with a protruding belly or midsection. I am sure you must have noticed how IFBB pro bodybuilders look these days with protruding bellies giving them an appearance like that of pregnant women. This is something that is caused because of cycling estrogenic steroids.

It is worth noting here that estrogen in women increases visceral mass and this is why women store more body fat in their abdomen area than men.

How does it relate to Trenbolone when it does not aromatize?

Even though Trenbolone does not convert to estrogen, it certainly increases progesterone levels in your body. This is another female hormone that mimics the effects of estrogen. While on the one hand, Tren can help burn fat and help you get more defined muscles and a sculpted look, on the other hand, it can also cause a potentially bloated-looking midsection.

Is this side effects dangerous?

High levels of visceral fat can lead to serious complications.

Anxiety/Depression

Trenbolone is a powerful steroid and it not only affects you physically but also emotionally or psychologically. Trenbolone users are known to get irritable and depressed. It is not uncommon for some of such users to experience paranoia and anxiety.

This could be because Trenbolone tends to stimulate your CNS resulting in an increase in adrenaline output shifting the user into a fight or flight mode.

Such a change in brain chemistry can lead to dramatic changes in the way you interpret everyday situations and may presume them to be a threat. This can trigger panic attacks or bouts of depression because of the complete depletion of serotonin in the brain.

This is perhaps one of the most concerning side effects of Trenbolone. It still remains a mystery as to why Tren can lead to such behavioral changes.

It is because of this reason even a lot of professional bodybuilders avoid taking Trenbolone.

Is this side effect dangerous?

Yes! It certainly is. Changes in your behavior can make you do things that you would normally won’t even think of doing.

Tren Cough

Trenbolone is infamous for its Tren cough. This is a condition that is likely to occur when the Tren is injected into the body and is accompanied by a violent fit of dry coughing that may last a couple of seconds.

Some bodybuilders also experience tightness in their chests while coughing. Not just this, they may also experience a metallic taste in their mouths when this occurs.

Even though it is not clear what actually causes Tren cough, it is presumed that it occurs because of this high androgenicity.

The highly androgenic nature of Trenbolone may cause vasoconstriction by activating inflammatory lipids which are also known as prostaglandins.

This vasoconstriction of the bronchus’ muscular wall in the lungs may trigger such violent coughing as soon as Trenbolone is injected into the bloodstream.

Is Tren cough dangerous?

Even though it may be quite painful for some, it is not considered a dangerous or life-threatening side effect. This is a side effect that can occur with other steroids like Deca Durabolin and Testosterone too but it is more common with Trenbolone.

Virilization in Women

Trenbolone is one of the high-risk steroids when it comes to causing virilization in women. Some of the side effects that it can lead to could include clitoral enlargement, deepening of the voice, growth of body hair, jaw hypertrophy, breast shrinkage, etc.

This is because Trenbolone is highly androgenic in nature. As such it should not be used by women who value their femininity.

Having said that, a lot of professional female bodybuilders use it in order to win competitions.

As far as women are concerned, Anavar seems to be a better option.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that Trenbolone can produce a lot of side effects. While of some of them can be really dangerous others are overrated or exaggerated. One of the best ways to avoid such side effects is by using a natural or safe alternative such as TBulk from Brutal Force which can help you get amazing results from your workouts. Even though it does not work as fast as the real Trenbolone, it is free of side effects and has been getting awesome user reviews.