Andro, Testosterone, Getting Old

[Tiger7Moth]

For over a year now I have been faced with a variety of "minor" sports injuries that have interuppted my ability to exercise and resulted in a low level of fitness. The worst of my "minor" sports injuries has been back problems.

I have been seeing a Chiropractor from the US who is a big proponent of muscle strenghening as the solution to back problems and he has told me specifically the machines to use at the health club.

Unfortunately, I keep having problems that interrupt my efforts to get fit (the thinking is once I am fit my problems will be lessened and I will be more easily be able to maintain fitness).

So, today I saw the Chiropractor and discussed with him the use of Creatine (which he has used and I will definitely use) and the use of a form of Andro or direct use of testosterone. I emphasized that I am just looking for use over a short term, maybe 2 months to get me over the hump and am not interested in long term use.

He seemed to agree with my thinking but was not able to provide more direct help.

I actually have a book called the "Smart Guide to Andro" which discusses testosterone, Androstenedione and Androstendiol. I read the book but still am not sure what to do and what is available in Bangkok (I have been in the pharmacy directly across from Cal Fitness on Silom and know testosterone which can be injected is available for purchase - I am not qualified to inject myself and I am not sure what else this pharmacy has).

Anyway, the point is I would like to use an Andro product or testosterone or ???? for a couple of months.

If you are knowledgeable in these matters, I would greatly appreciate some guidance.

By the way, I am 58 years old and after 3 weeks of decent workouts, I woke yesterday morning with severe pain in my back and will probably lose another week of exercise. Typical of the last year.

Thanks

[JSixpack]

I never heard of taking steroids to prevent injury or to recover from injury except for, in the latter, the judicious use of cortisone in combo w/ rest. The use of any such drugs hasn’t been recommended or prescribed to you by any reputable sports doc. You aren’t qualified to do so yourself. Self-prescription isn’t wise. Have you had X-rays and MRI?

Injuries don’t result from one’s not taking steroids. They result from improper form, imbalance, lack of stretching (daily is often needed), overuse, and structural problems.

I strongly believe your chiro is on the right track. Do appropriate back exercises, ab exercises, and stretching. There are no shortcuts. I think you should learn to listen more closely to your body. When you do so well enough, then you’ll have longer periods free of pain. You may not be able to do all the sorts of exercises you prefer.

It's not unusual for people to live with a steady low level of pain. Sometimes a simple ibuprofen before or after exercise is enough to get by.

Some sites of interest:

http://www.nismat.org/orthocor/programs/lowback.html

http://www.physical-therapy.org.uk/exercises.htm

http://www.backfixbodywork.com/

[Tiger7Moth]

I never heard of taking steroids to prevent injury or to recover from injury except for, in the latter, the judicious use of cortisone in combo w/ rest. The use of any such drugs hasn’t been recommended or prescribed to you by any reputable sports doc. You aren’t qualified to do so yourself. Self-prescription isn’t wise. Have you had X-rays and MRI?

Injuries don’t result from one’s not taking steroids. They result from improper form, imbalance, lack of stretching (daily is often needed), overuse, and structural problems.

I strongly believe your chiro is on the right track. Do appropriate back exercises, ab exercises, and stretching. There are no shortcuts. I think you should learn to listen more closely to your body. When you do so well enough, then you’ll have longer periods free of pain. You may not be able to do all the sorts of exercises you prefer.

It's not unusual for people to live with a steady low level of pain. Sometimes a simple ibuprofen before or after exercise is enough to get by.

Some sites of interest:

http://www.nismat.org/orthocor/programs/lowback.html

http://www.physical-therapy.org.uk/exercises.htm

http://www.backfixbodywork.com/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for your note.

I will check out the links you provided.

I have seen an Orthopedic specialist at Bumrungrad and a Physical Therapist at Bumrungrad. I had x-rays taken and it appears I am fine structurally. The Physical Therapist gave me about 12 different stretches to do and I do them daily.

I forget to mention cortisone in my original post but I did discuss that with the Chiro I have been seeing.

I might go back to the Orthopedic specialist again but having had many sports injuries over the years and having seen many "regular" docs and sport medicine docs, it has been my experience that sports medicine docs try to find a sloution to the problem and get you back exercising and "regular" docs have an orientation of "if it hurts don't do it". The Ortho doc ar Bumrungrad seems like a "regular" doc, unfortunately.

I am not trying to self medicate (if I were I would have self medicated and not entered my original post) and I am not interested in anything long term. I made this post hoping I would get a response from knowledgeable individuals and/or any doc that participates on this board.

Anyway, thanks again for your reply and I will look into the links you provided.

[pedro01]

OK - STOP RIGHT THERE....

You do not want to use steroids OR creatine at this point in training. You will certainly injure yourself.

You should concentrate on exercises that stress the connective tissue (tendons) as this takes a lot longer to strengthen than your muscles.

I am guessing that this is the cause of your pain - are you going heavy in training reps 8-10 range ?

Get back to the gym - concentrate on perfect form & hitting 20-30 reps with light weights.

I personally used creatine, my dumbell bench press went from 55 to 70lb dumbells & I ended up with tendonitis in my elbows & wrists. My tendons could not take such a rapid increase in strength.

Using anything (drug or not) that causes your muscles to get stronger than your tendons will cause injury.

As a guideline, when increasing the weight in any exercise - never increase by more than 10% at a time, even if you feel your muslces can do more.

As a side note - steroids have been shown to cause degradation in connective tissue - look it up on the net.

The only thing that may help to strengthen tendons is Human Growth Hormone & you will not find that in Thailand. People are selling it here but its fake.

Be safe.

Pedro

[ray23]

OK - STOP RIGHT THERE....

You do not want to use steroids OR creatine at this point in training. You will certainly injure yourself.

You should concentrate on exercises that stress the connective tissue (tendons) as this takes a lot longer to strengthen than your muscles.

I am guessing that this is the cause of your pain - are you going heavy in training reps 8-10 range ?

Get back to the gym - concentrate on perfect form & hitting 20-30 reps with light weights.

I personally used creatine, my dumbell bench press went from 55 to 70lb dumbells & I ended up with tendonitis in my elbows & wrists. My tendons could not take such a rapid increase in strength.

Using anything (drug or not) that causes your muscles to get stronger than your tendons will cause injury.

As a guideline, when increasing the weight in any exercise - never increase by more than 10% at a time, even if you feel your muslces can do more.

As a side note - steroids have been shown to cause degradation in connective tissue - look it up on the net.

The only thing that may help to strengthen tendons is Human Growth Hormone & you will not find that in Thailand. People are selling it here but its fake.

Be safe.

Pedro

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Xrays will not show soft tissue injuires such as a pinched nerve, a MRI will. I have the impression that your injury is short term at this juncture, if so keep up the excercise at limits that you can handle and build gradually. Back injuries do not heal fast.

[Sheryl]

Anyway, the point is I would like to use an Andro product or testosterone or ???? for a couple of months.

If you are knowledgeable in these matters, I would greatly appreciate some guidance.

By the way, I am 58 years old and after 3 weeks of decent workouts, I woke yesterday morning with severe pain in my back and will probably lose another week of exercise. Typical of the last year.

Thanks

Agree with the other postings re conservative approach rather than messing about with hormones. However, if you do opt for testosterone or androgenic, be sure you've had a recent PSA (prostate specific antigen) and prostate check. The biggest known danger from the makle sex hormones is that they can exacerbate and speed up the growth of cancer of the prostate. Anyone using them, especially anyone over 50, should be careful on this point. Prostate cancer is common and usually grows slowly enough to allow for early detection and full cure but if fed testosterone may grow much more rapidly.

That's the danger we knopw about...but there's a lot not known. Look how long it took them to find out the risks associated with estrogen supplementation for women....If there is a really compelling need that's one thing but I wouldn't advise taking these things just to improve work-out perfromance

[soi lurker]

For over a year now I have been faced with a variety of "minor" sports injuries that have interuppted my ability to exercise and resulted in a low level of fitness. The worst of my "minor" sports injuries has been back problems.

I have been seeing a Chiropractor from the US who is a big proponent of muscle strenghening as the solution to back problems and he has told me specifically the machines to use at the health club.

Unfortunately, I keep having problems that interrupt my efforts to get fit (the thinking is once I am fit my problems will be lessened and I will be more easily be able to maintain fitness).

So, today I saw the Chiropractor and discussed with him the use of Creatine (which he has used and I will definitely use) and the use of a form of Andro or direct use of testosterone. I emphasized that I am just looking for use over a short term, maybe 2 months to get me over the hump and am not interested in long term use.

He seemed to agree with my thinking but was not able to provide more direct help.

I actually have a book called the "Smart Guide to Andro" which discusses testosterone, Androstenedione and Androstendiol. I read the book but still am not sure what to do and what is available in Bangkok (I have been in the pharmacy directly across from Cal Fitness on Silom and know testosterone which can be injected is available for purchase - I am not qualified to inject myself and I am not sure what else this pharmacy has).

Anyway, the point is I would like to use an Andro product or testosterone or ???? for a couple of months.

If you are knowledgeable in these matters, I would greatly appreciate some guidance.

By the way, I am 58 years old and after 3 weeks of decent workouts, I woke yesterday morning with severe pain in my back and will probably lose another week of exercise. Typical of the last year.

Thanks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

some pretty soud advice so far. Only thing i can add is there are definately major benifits from the use of hormonal therapy and anabolics for tissue repair. You havnt been too specific with the listing of your injuries, at this point its important to consult your physician/trainer to understand exactly what sort of training your back can withstand. Having that sorted, the next step for me would then be firstly ask him if your fit to use steroids. Having understood that I would ask his advice on exactly what i could use and for how long. I can now give you some suggestions: Sustanon (testosterone) is excellent, Deca durabolin is an anabolic which is also excellent for tissue repair and you could even use growth hormone with both the others and you would see dramatic improvements in your physical fitness, well being, body composition and repair. Not to mention the sex drive. I would use Proviron throughout the entire course as well. All these substances can be used in dosages as prescribed by your physician. Im sure he can add a lot more information than i could. But there you are, some suggesetions at least!