To answer your question, peptide growth-horomone type things should be fine to combine with recreational drugs of all sorts. Growth horomones don't have direct influences on thigns like respiratory rate or synaptic monoamine levels in a direct way at all.
Deer antler extract does very little with regards to inflammation. It might increase endurance and knee extensor strength but that's it. (And it's cruel to the deer too.) The IGF-1 is actually a component of the antler extract. The stevia is just a sweetener; the steviosides are some 500 times sweeter than sugar, in a licorice-y lingering sweetness kind of way.
Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003 Sep;13(3):251-65.
The effects of deer antler velvet extract or powder supplementation on aerobic power, erythropoiesis, and muscular strength and endurance characteristics.
Sleivert G, Burke V, Palmer C, Walmsley A, Gerrard D, Haines S, Littlejohn R.
To determine the effects of deer antler velvet on maximal aerobic performance and the trainability of muscular strength and endurance, 38 active males were randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to either deer antler velvet extract (n = 12), powder (n = 13), or placebo groups (n = 13). Subjects were tested prior to beginning supplementation and a 10-week strength program, and immediately post-training. All subjects were measured for circulating levels of testosterone, insulin-like growth factor, erythropoietin, red cell mass, plasma volume, and total blood volume. Additionally, muscular strength, endurance, and VO2max were determined. All groups improved 6 RM strength equivalently (41 +/- 26%, p < .001), but there was a greater increase in isokinetic knee extensor strength (30 +/- 21% vs. 13 +/- 15%, p = .04) and endurance (21 +/- 19% vs. 7 +/- 12%, p = .02) in the powder compared to placebo group. There were no endocrine, red cell mass or VO2max changes in any group. These findings do not support an erythropoetic or aerobic ergogenic effect of deer antler velvet. Further, the inconsistent findings regarding the effects of deer antler velvet powder supplementation on the development of strength suggests that further work is required to test the robustness of the observation that this supplement enhances the strength training response and to ensure this observation is not a type I error.
Also.
So what, Dr. Andro? Does it work?
As much as I would like to provide you with a definite answer, the only thing I can tell you for sure are the following facts:
there is IGF-1 in whole deer antler
IGF-1 survives passage through the intestines of rats even if it is not micro-encapsulated
non-micro-encapsulated IGF-1 can be taken up in the jejunum, the ileum and the large intestine at surprisingly high rates
protease inhibitors, above all, the readily available and reasonably priced peptidase inhibitor casein can improve bioavailability even further
I would yet have to speculate on
whether or not the deer velvet antler extract used in The Ultimate Spray was derived from parts of the antler that actually contain more than trace amounts of IGF-1,
how much IGF-1 actually is in one serving,
how effective the "natural" and probably partly bound (to IGF1 binding globulins) form of IGF-1 in the product is compared to synthetic, free rhIGF-1,
if the liposomal encapsulation does in fact improve and not maybe even hinder absorption,
and, last but not least, if the amount of IGF-1 reaching the bloodstream would aactually be able to produce physiological effects
in order to answer Lerner's question. So, now that you got the facts, its up to you, students of the SuppVersity, to make up your mind on whether or not there is more behind this lurid yahoo news-story than just a clever marketing stunt.
http://suppversity.blogspot.ca/2011/07/ask-dr-andro-does-heath-evans-deer.html
For back pain, physical therapy and excercise will definitely help. Swimming is especially good. Drug wise, the order of therapies I would try is -
1a. Rest, massage, ice.
1b. something like an icy hot strip, or a camphorated oil rub. a gentle topical muscle relaxant.
2a. topical anti-inflammatories. (ibuprofen gel)
2b. oral anti inflammatories (ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac+misoprostol)
2c. acetaminophen.
3. topical anesthetics like lidocaine
4. miscellaneous non opioid painkillers/relaxants (orphenadrine, cyclobenzaprine, methocarbamol etc)
5. weak opioids (tramadol, codeine) and an anti-inflammatory/acetaminophen
6. stronger opioids (oxycodone, morphine) and an anti-inflammatory
If you find that opioids like tramadol or others are what works for you, just be aware you may become physically dependent.
