Self perscribed gear for injury?

[tazman03]

Ok, I haven't been on here in a while, but I wanted to pose the question to an audience that will have a better understanding of the situation.

For the last 2 months I have been in physical therapy 2x a week for SEVERE muscle tightness/spasms in my lower back. Truth is I wasnt even at the gym. Hell i wasnt even at work. I was at home playing with out 6 month old husky when I was dropped to the floor by the worst pain i've ever felt from the top of my ass cheek to my toes in my left leg.

Ended up in ER where they said I was having muscle spasms that where causing some bulging disk's pinching off my sciatic nerve, along with many other nerves throughout my lower body. All through physical therapy, they said the muscles in my lumbar area where extremely tight on my left side and more or less locked up to prevent further injury. I have done all there stretches and exercise's everyday along with setting in hot tub. I still CANNOT support my bodyweight on my left calf only. In other words, when i stand on my tip toes, I will be fine with both calfs or even only my right, however as soon as I place the load on my left one only I fall flat footed instantly. So this coupled with the continued muscle problem in my back is really getting to me.

To kind of put it in perspective, you can visibly see a "knot" in my lower back. I have gotten to the point where the pain is just an everyday thing and am getting used to it but it is still very persistent. The doc mentioned steroid injections so this is where my reasoning came from. However im sure the compounds he was thinking may slightly very from what I was thinking. Just because I pose this question doesnt mean I am going to just go and start jabbing myself. I just want feedback from some of the EXPERIENCED people on this board who have either gone through injuries and did what I am asking or someone with a little medical background. I do not have health insurance so all these doctor visits are adding up fast and if I can avoid another bill its all the better and I really dont want to be asking my doc about it just yet.

Sorry so long. Needed it to be well understood.

 

[Polynikes666]

I'm certain that the compounds that your physician referred to were corticosteroids, which are vastly different from what you are thinking. I would not self administer AAS until your back issues are completely resolved. I'm not a doc, but I think that you would be shooting yourself in the foot by doing so, so to speak.

Good luck,

poly

 

[juced_porkchop]

for soem injurys I would res hghg or even better igf-1LR3 or steroids with a high collagin synthisis like anavar, deca ect. but for what your having I WOULD NOT rec these.
I have some buldging discks on my lower back liek you (and i thin upper im going for more MRI) from acar accedent, my neck, upper and lower back are kinda fucked im always in pain, shit im in pain right now tping this. and i plan on goign on igf-1LR3 in a few weeks for a few weeks to see if i can help healp up the dissisiated disks and other damage i have now. but this car accedent was OVER 3 yrs ago and these issues are only growing from ware and tare of my body compansating from the car accedent and duldgeing diskes.

but for somthign that JUST happened and soo suddenly out of nowhere i woudl not rec the same for you.
give it time. maybe you need sergury maybe just some time.
I would look into it ferther liek i did before you jump on anything on your own. at the vary least keep trying to figure this out evenif you do decide to say do a high deca LOW test cycle to try and hel. as it might not help.



ps. sorry for my spelling i just got up and gf is pissing me off big time today.


GOOD LUCK

 

[R1rider]

i would wait till all the back issues have been resolved Tazman. take the corticosteroids, they help

 

[tazman03]

Dont worry about it Juiced, lol we all been there. Mine back is the same way, I have dealt with sight sciatic pain here and there for last few years. but as of last year I was hurting more then ever. When I got laid off, I took it as a blessing and a time to heal up, but it still got worse. Mine is just due to the rough nature I put my body through everyday, but Im sure somewhere amongst all the ignorant things ive done in the past ive done something to directly screw me now.

I wasnt exactly saying I wanted to go on high dose of test or something and get back into the gym. I have been Doing everything Doc says and relaxing, no gym ect... hell for 2 weeks I could hardly walk. It is alot better than it was 2 months ago, but it scares me that this may return after i feel better to go back to work.

I was thinking same cycle I ran sometime last year of low dose test/Deca/ Anavar just to help the muscles recover in my back. Maybe this is best after some more time. Like I said I was just throwing it out there to see if others had similar experience's. I wasnt planning on just jumping in for the hell of it hoping it works.

I am scheduled for follow up visit tomorrow, then from there Im almost certain they want an MRI. I am to go see another specialist as my Physical Therapist said my spine is moving well, but something is still pinching my sciatic nerve causing pain as well as numbness. I still have the slight "knot" or buldge in my lower back muscle to.

Thanks for the input fella's. I will see here in the next few days what approach they are going to take.

 

[Teutonic]

i just got up and gf is pissing me off big time today.


Every day for me jp...unreal...

 

[Greybeard]

Consider seeing a Chiropractor?

Yeah, I never did either until I got Sciatica... Couldn't walk more than 10 feet before I had to bend over to get some pain relief!

Doc tried pain meds that did nothing... I was desperate for normalcy so I finally went to the Chiro.

About 3 weeks later I was PAIN FREE!

Something to think about anyways...

 

[Polynikes666]

I am going to strongly reiterate my initial suggestion: Please wait until you at least know what you're dealing with medically. Especially with lower back issues.

poly

 

[juced_porkchop]

if you use gear thow go loew on the test, say 200-300mg along with the deca or var.
test is good for mucle growth but not collagen synthisis at high doses.

 

[tazman03]

I have indeed gone to a chiropractor. I was going 2X week. BEFORE any of this occured. I was going for the sciatic nerve pain in my leg that was haunting me daily same as you. I went for quite a while, but it seemed to be getting worse. The Chiro said it was the muscles overcompensating for my spine being out of align. Coupled with the heavy B.S. lifting at work all day it made sense, but I got laid off and quit going. About 2 months later when it happened.

So I went to doc this morning.........
She said there is Definite decrease in nerve activity in my left leg. She checked my xrays which looked fine, and seems to think that it is still the muscles constricting nerves to my leg. Scheduled for MRI on Friday, and follow up for results on the 7th. She said MRI shows there is no problems with the disk's, then it is steroid inject. and more Physical Therapy. If there are problems other then the muscles causing it, im off to neurosurgeon.

POLY, I wont be getting on anything until I know specifically whats going on. I understand im dealing with the spine and nerves that could paralyze my leg if i fuck it up worse then what it is. Once we get everything figured out and I am feeling better and Doc seems to think im good, I will be running my own cycle to help strengthen whatever muscle fibers or ligaments may have been damaged. All for the sake of PREVENTING something like this in the future. Just wanted feedback from some that have gone this route before. It is one thing to run a cycle to pack on mass or lean down, but totally different ball game when it comes to the potential for some compounds for things of this nature. I am not trying to jump on cycle again just for the hell of it to "hope" that it helps just so I can get back into the gym. Altho realizing today how much I have lost when nurse weighed me and says "WOW, you have lost alot of weight since last time" kinda made me frown.

Like juicy said and some things I have read, the higher levels of test hinder collagen syn. but keep it low and add deca and Anavar (var) and the percentage of collagen syn increases dramatically.
I had strongly considered HGH or the IGF in the past, but i am unfamiliar with these, so I have some research to do. I need to have 1 on 1 with someone who really knows the stuff to explain bits I dont get.

 

[Johnnny]

Hey, lol, you do not want steroids to make you more muscular i.e. ANABOLIC steroids, what you need is a CATABOLIC steroid injection. To help relax the balled up muscle. As polynike said, a cortisol shot.
They are opposite of AAS, ie not anabolic, but catabolic.

Here is just a quick explanation I got off of google. I had one for a knot in my back as well> Hurt for like six months and wouldnt go away> One cortisone shot and it was gone and been gone for 8 months

What is cortisone?
Cortisone is a type of steroid that is produced naturally by a gland in your body called the adrenal gland. Cortisone is released from the adrenal gland when your body is under stress. Natural cortisone is released into the blood stream and is relatively short-acting.

Injectable cortisone is synthetically produced and has many different trade names (e.g. Celestone, Kenalog, etc.), but is a close derivative of your body's own product. The most significant differences are that synthetic cortisone is not injected into the blood stream, but into a particular area of inflammation. Also, the synthetic cortisone is designed to act more potently and for a longer period of time (days instead of minutes).

How does the cortisone injection help?
Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory medication. Cortisone is not a pain relieving medication, it only treats the inflammation. When pain is decreased from cortisone it is because the inflammation is diminished. By injecting the cortisone into a particular area of inflammation, very high concentrations of the medication can be given while keeping potential side-effects to a minimum. Cortisone injections usually work within a few days, and the effects can last up to several weeks.

What are some common reasons for a cortisone injection?
Many conditions where inflammation is an underlying problem are amenable to cortisone shots. These include, but are certainly not limited to

* Shoulder Bursitis
* Arthritis
* Trigger Finger
* Tennis Elbow
* Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Does the cortisone injection hurt?
The shot can be slightly painful, especially when given into a joint, but in skilled hands it usually is well tolerated. Often the cortisone injection can be performed with a very small needle that causes little discomfort. However, sometimes a slightly larger needle must be used, especially if your physician is attempting to removed fluid through the needle prior to injecting the cortisone. Numbing medication, such as Lidocaine or Marcaine, is often injected with the cortisone to provide temporary relief of the affected area. Also, topical anesthetics can help numb the skin in an area being injected.

Are there side effects?
Yes. Probably the most common side-effect is a 'cortisone flare,' a condition where the injected cortisone crystallizes and can cause a brief period of pain worse than before the shot. This usually lasts a day or two and is best treated by icing the injected area. Another common side-effect is whitening of the skin where the injection is given. This is only a concern in people with darker skin, and is not harmful, but patients should be aware of this.

Other side-effects of cortisone injections, although rare, can be quite serious. The most concerning is infection, especially if the injection is given into a joint. The best prevention is careful injection technique, with sterilization of the skin using iodine and/or alcohol. Also, patients with diabetes may have a transient increase in their blood sugar which they should watch for closely.

Because cortisone is a naturally occurring substance, true allergic responses to the injected substance do not occur. However, it is possible to be allergic to other aspects of the injection, most commonly the betadine many physicians use to sterilize the skin.

Can I get a cortisone injection more than once?
Yes. There is no rule as to how many cortisone injections can be given. Often physicians do not want to give more than three, but there is not really a specific limit to the number of shots. However, there are some practical limitations. If a cortisone injection wears off quickly or does not help the problem, then repeating it may not be worthwhile. Also, animal studies have shown effects of weakening of tendons and softening of cartilage with cortisone injections. Repeated cortisone injections multiply these effects and increase the risk of potential problems. This is the reason many physicians limit the number of injections they offer to a patient.

 

[tazman03]

thanks for the post Johnny. Btw Im assuming by your avi your from or around the Metro D as well?

Ok so I went to docs on monday, he said I have 2 bulging Disk's in my lumbar area. Now i have apt with Nuero Surgen on the 29th to decide which route to go. im assuming by the diminishing pain and the SLOW increase in muscle function in my left leg, surgury will not be needed.

I will more likely be sent to pain clinic for injections. To this point I have been told by my Physical therapist that he believes the muscle was so tight that it was constricting the nerves. From the MRI, they gathered that the bulges were what is constricting the nerve. I dont know if that muscle is putting so much stress on my spine that it is the cause for the bulges though. If so, then the cortisone in theory should let everything go back to normal..... I hope. But no one to this point can give me a straight answer.

Since cortisone is considered catabolic, is there a chance that it my start to break down the muscle tissue in the surrounding areas or other areas in my body? I would hate to think that once injected, I would begin to loose muscle mass. May sound silly, but im am just curious and dont know much of anything about this.

So that would bring me to my next point of the administration of Anabolic substances to increase the ligament and tendons in my lower back since from the post it says it can break them down. this is more the idea i had from the beginning. Maybe even GH or the igf-1LR3. GH is pretty pricey, not sure on the igf though as I am not sure of dosing ect... or even someone trusted to obtain either one. If possible, I would like to only run one of these two as they are more tailored to this issue and hold off on the stronger stuff until much further down the road. I am more concerned about healing than building muscle at this point.

 

[Tipper]

My buddy had the corticosteroids shots and he is and has been worst pain than before he received them. I have the same problem and told my Doc I want to stay away from the shots for now, so he is giving some pain meds and meds for the inflammation, but my question is how will IGF help with this? I am very interested in knowing this and will do anything to avoid Back injection and surgery.

Thanks

 

[kevininny]

having the same problem, mri shows herniated disk in c7, and herniated c6, right arm is numb often also have lost considerable strength in right tricep. when the disks bulge or are herniated in pets pressure on spinal canal narrowing it pressing on nerves, is called spinal stenosis. i have appointmaent with neuro surgeon in july, also with a spine clinic in 2 weeks for possible injections. was hoping that was going to instantly cure my problem, am sick of the pain and limited strength in right arm. anyone else have any info on same type problem? or any knowledge on it?

 

[tazman03]

ok I am rather disappointed tonight. Went to the gym to kind of just go through the motions to see where my strength was and asses exactly what has been weakened by this issue. Did light cardio for 15 minutes which felt good with no pain. Did some very light leg extensions with no problems. I isolated each leg in every exercise. Then i moved to some seated leg curls...... this is what killed me. Altho i was doing very light weight I couldn't even do half the weight I could with my non affected leg. the same thing was very apparent with my left calf. so i in total i have very decreased muscle function in my left hamstring and calf.

i understand things take time to heal after traumatic injury so i am not jumping to conclusions but i am praying i dont have permanent nerve damage. the 2 bulging disk's may still be pressing on the nerves and causing the decreased function (i hope). If that were the case i would be slightly relieved as there is more likely a chance things will heal to almost normal over time.

Has anyone ever had the cortisone injections personally? I want to get a feel for all options before i go into my appointment.

not that Doc would prescribe it, but does HGH OR IGF-1 have the potential to heal nerve damage if this is determined to be the case? Anyone have personal experience with either one for this purpose? keep in mind just because im asking doesnt mean im going to run out and start self medicating, lol. just want to do some research. if anyone has any good literature on this please pm me.