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The summary from both Luke himself and Milos Sarcev, IFBB pro and trainer of Aussie IFBB pro Luke Wood, infers that it was caused by an incorrect dose of pharmaceuticals when posting recently about what happened with Luke at the Atlantic City Pro. Luke was reported to be shaking onstage, and was in the last callout, after showing great promise in his pre-show photos. Read below for exact details:

Below is Milos’s exact quote:

“I will gladly share with all of you what happened - and I am sure Luke will be glad to tell everyone what really happened…

Needless to say - it was devastating to even watch him…and what photos can’t show - all of us that had a chance to be around him - witnessed how Luke was really feeling each and every day in his last two weeks of preparation…

If I would tell you guys that he was EATING LIKE FOOD IS GETTING OUT OF STYLE…that he didn’t do any cardio in last 10 days…hadly trained…and also DID NOT TOUCH ANY KIND OF DIURETICS - would you believe me?

While I can’t go into great detail at this point (I just returned from my trip and have soooooo much to do…) I will share with you this much:

Many bodybuilders (majority of competitors that I know…me included…) in their contest preparation use specific THYROID medication protocol…(namely: T3 - CYTOMEL or TRIACANA…+ T4 - SYNTHROID, TEVOTHYROXINE) to pharmacologicaly enhance metabolism - in effort to get leaner and loose some body fat…

So, that is something that everyone considers pretty much normal…

However, IF anyone attempts to abuse thyroid - results could be devastating…

What I’ve learned from Luke - upon his arrival to California is that he feels some strange exhaustion lately and that he is running out of breath quite easily…
Also, he was always hot, sweating just way too much and way more than ever before…and certainly much more than ordinary…

First thing I asked him was to hit few posses - so I could asses his condition…and when he did that - I was speechless…Luke was in THE MOST INCREDIBLE CONDITION I have ever witnessed…Absolutely “skinless” yet - big, full and hard…Winning combination any which way you look at it…The only problem was: he could not hit any pose without shaking uncontrollably…

When I asked him “how come you are shaking so much?” - he answered - ” I really don’t know what is happening to me…but last few days I am running out of breath doing simplest things…and I have no energy for the life of me…”

I asked him: “Well, are you doing anything different?”…thinking our usual stuff…and he told me - NO….

Than why would you shake like a leaf? I asked….

“Mate - I have no idea…but this has to stop - as I don’t know how would I last during the prejudging?”

OK Luke - how much thyroid are you taking?

Not much…just 2 + 2 / that means in “our terminology” 2 tablets of T3 and 2 tablets of T4 daily…(T3 or “cytomel” comes in 25 mgc per tablet and T4 or “synthroid” comes in 50 or 100 mcg per tablet…

Well, that is OK I guess…so what’s next?…

By process of elimination I would have analyze everything he was doing/taking just to find out WHAT in the world is doing “IT” to Luke…until I realized - CATASTROPHIC NEWS…

Compounded pharmaceuticals Luke got a hold of as his substitute for CYTOMEL and SYNTHROID… had 2.5 and 10 per tablet…ONLY PROBLEM IS:

NOT mcg (micrograms) but mg (milligrams)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now to understand this - you must calculate:

2 tablets of 2.5 mg of T3 = 5 mg of T3 (which is: 5000 mcg of T3 - equivalent to 200 tablets of CYTOMEL per day!!!!!)

Add to this 2 tablets of 10 mg of T4 (or 20000 mcg of T4)…and you’ll understand WHAT WAS GOING ON…

What is worse — it is still NOT OVER…

Luke is trying his hardest to re-establish NORMAL levels of thyroid…but that will take some time…

I will wait for him to jump in and explain few things - but for the time being - I wanted to inform all of you - before rumors reach “epic proportions”…”

[Photos and text courtesy of MD and Milos Sarcev]

Luke Wood’s post on the matter, which has appeared on forums:

“Firstly thankyou so much Milos for explaining this! Guys for those who do not buy it or think its a BS story than i don’t really care! No one is more gutted or more upset than me! 3 weeks out of this show i was in the shape of my life and very confident of not nly being at my all time best but actually qualifying for the Olympia! BUT!! I knew about 4-5 weeks out that something was not right! I got some Thyroid from a sorce i will not disclose! (no one would know them anyway) Yes it was dumb and i am only human! I had some bad exprience sometime back with thyroid and (2004 Aussie GP) and it ate me alive as i was taking stupid amounts. Since than i use very, very little of it. I hate the stuff but sometime when we want something so bad we turn a blind eye and do DUMB thngs!

While i was in Thailand i was using a small does of pharmacetical grade t4 (150mcg/day). I had this other home made stuff and i thought why not just add a little. This was about 6 weeks out. I was all ready way ahead and for the life of my i have no idea when i took it but thats the devil on your shoulder telling you that can be harder and harder….. Me thinking that i was taking 25mcg /day was so far from the truth!! The thing is that for the first 2 weeks i just got so shredded and my energy was ok!!! and i was eating 1,000g carbs /day as i was getting harder and harder. Abiut 4 weeks out of the show i was getting very, very tired!!! by the time i got to Cali to see Milos i was more than ready to get one stage!!! Milos said and i qoute, “You are as dry as dorian”!!! We were both confident of top 3! I was receiving emails daily from people all just amazed at my condition. The thing is when i would pose for Milos it was like i was breathing through a needle! I coudld’nt catch my breath and could not stop shaking! I thought it was maybe the clen, so i stopped it completely but i was getting worst! The more food Milos gave me the more i was going catabolic!

I cannot even explain to you how bad i felt! i was looking amazing and was just trying to ignore the symptoms but when i was falling asleep between sets and just so out of it, we knew that something i was doing was not aggreeing and possibly doing damage!

Milos never ever tells BS so what he posted is 1000% true! By the time we found out (milos took me to a specialist who deals with this) the massive, massive doses it was too late! you cannot just stop thyroid cold turkey!! it has to be graudule. The horse had bolted by than as they say and with one week to go i just could’nt hold my weight for the life of me. Even mcdonalds 2-3 times/day!!
I had to come off slowly and i still am with also special medication! When my thyroid was tested 10 days out it was through the roof and resting pulse rate was almost 100! but to the specialist amazement my thyroid was still in good condition when they test for certian damage and they is no permantly damage!! what they call THYROID STORM or THYROID SHOCK! im lucky! VERY LUCKY!

I had more blood work done 5 days out and it was a little better reading but still at a ridiculos level to really be able to compete. But i did’nt care i wanted so bad to get on stage! I had so many people supporting me and man i feel so terrible about letting them down! Beleive me guys that if i knew…… i can 100% honeslty say that this is the safest i have ever been for a show! i was so cautious with everything it did except one major thing and really i am lucky to be here!

To all my mates, family, fans and Milos, i am SO VERY SORRY!! i feel very embarrassed and i feel i have let you all down!

I know the main thing is that my health will be ok and it a the near future my thyroid will be back to normal but it does not take the pain away that i worked soooooooo damn hard for this show and all the time i took off and money spend was and feels like a waste! Again i feel let down all you people!

I did prove though that i can come back and show that i can still be a force and can still get on that olympia stage!

There will be no backyard vitamin crap for the Australia Grand Prix and i will be back!

Thankyou all so very much! the support i got and still get really does bring a lump to my throat! ”

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Our take on this - this website seeks to support Australian bodybuilders/figure, all feds, all divisions. Luke is well known in Australia to be one of the biggest supporters of bodybuilding and nicest people you could meet. Most competitors have some great showings and their not so great. Luke has placed as high as 7th before in an IFBB pro show, which was the competitive New York pro as well. Also, as a disclaimer [legal] we do not advocate use of medication in any manner without medical consent.