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Muscle gains with opiates

J

john24

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Joined
Jun 18, 2013
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Over the years, i've really tried to notice how well (if at all) muscle gains were while being on opiates...and lifting weights / exercising .

I think the gains are at either 0% or slightly higher. It just seems like they don't help at all...even though they give such a boost when being pain free and lifting a lot. Maybe it even makes us weaker. 8)

Any thoughts or experiences from others doing the same are appreciated.
 
I would lift when I was an addict and at the time thought I got awesome gains.
Then I got off of them and found out how much they killed my gains, since I quit them it has been night and day.

I think if you're eating and training well you might get an initial boost as I found I could do more physically in every aspect while on opiates, but the eventual decrease in testosterone will catch up and ruin any gains made.
 
yea Dave, that's another annoying aspect. Testosterone definitely decreases when being on Opiates. I've got testosterone cream, which helps...but makes me kinda overly moody if I take too much...which I don't like.

funny but true...most testosterone creams are harvested from horse jizz. It's strange how just putting the cream anywhere on your skin...increases it almost instantly.

One good thing about Opiates (seems like nobody ever talks about the positives ) , is what a great weight loss supplement it is. probably the best i've discovered so far.
 
Opiates do a number of things to the body's ability to grow.

1. It directly suppresses the CNS (Central Nervous System) A very general general general summary of it is.... if the CNS can't fire properly you can't have maximum muscle contractions and thus create the proper environment to grow. It also would inhibit the body to successfully recover between work outs. There is way more aspects to the depression of the CNS, but that reason should be plenty.

2. If you become addicted then you have to occasionally taper off or suffer minor withdraws...that can cause an unbalance in hormones and drastically increase cortisol. Cortisol is directly affects protein synthesis, tissue growth, storage of fat, glucose utilization and can be a damper on some anabolic hormones that weightlifters desire (GH, Test)

3. Drugs always messed with my brain a lot. You're body could be an absolute powerhouse, but if you don't have your head on straight then whats the point? I personally only dibbled and dabbled in heroin as a teenager, but I hovered around 150-160 pounds just due to no ambition to be a healthy human being. Everyone is different and if you can function, get workouts in and be productive then I salute you. I could never manage reality even with recreational usage let alone having a full blown addiction.
 
GrymReefer said:
Opiates do a number of things to the body's ability to grow.

1. It directly suppresses the CNS (Central Nervous System) A very general general general summary of it is.... if the CNS can't fire properly you can't have maximum muscle contractions and thus create the proper environment to grow.
Click to expand...

It's good that way, because it prevents my mind from overthinking and getting migraines. I'm so thankful that opiates prevent my brain from reaching Migraine territory...because they become truly frightening at times.

3. Drugs always messed with my brain a lot.
Click to expand...

Dude, this is somewhat off-topic. But the whole muscle contraction thing you mention above....this is gonna sound nuts.. but the top parts of the left and right parts of my skull become suppressed...It's like my skull is like an upside down "V" shape.....or even teepee shape is better to explain.

I was wondering for years if it had anything to do with my Dilaudid use..So I finally stopped for 2 months, and my skull returned to normal round size ! The brain muscles contracted back... It was LITERALLY like it was frying my brain..that the top parts (left and right) were being suppressed like that. And does the same for others here...whether they realize that or not. Most probably can't tell because they have hair. But I have very short hair.

I guess we can even tell if others are using or not now...by looking for this. lol
 
.......?

Could it be that you used so much Dilaudid that your perception of what shape your head should be got distorted? lol.
 
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What about MAINTAINING one's level of strength but not actually making new gains, while being a 3-time a week Kratom user?

I'd think it's pretty realistic to say that a person who only uses Kratom 3 days a week can certainly maintain their level of strength at the gym.
 
For me I don't know if they have any direct effect but I just lose my appetite and barely eat when using down so I never make any gains while training on opiates.
 
GrymReefer said:
.......?

Could it be that you used so much Dilaudid that your perception of what shape your head should be got distorted? lol.
Click to expand...

possible, but when noticing physical differences with the shape of my head..i knew it wasn't mental.

Especially when it returns to normal skull shape 6 to 8 weeks after stopping completely.
 
I always remained pretty cut while on opiates. Could lift almost endlessly and kept my food intake pretty low. Always ate healthy too, never garbage.
 
-gulf2bay
I don't doubt it but if you're looking to gain, or see good results than your going to hit a wall eventually. I eventually was only eating once a day and that will limit anyones ability to make muscle gains.

-john24
I get cluster headaches, it's one of the worst forms of any kind of migraine/headaches try taking a migraine medicine, I take sumatriptan and for someone who would have a never ending migraine for months at a time, it works. I too thought that by maintaining opiate use that I was limiting the amount of headaches, but eventually they broke through and I would take suicide levels of pills. Since I quit them and started training correctly I haven't had a cycle of clusters.

I would say another good thing about opiates is the anti aging aspect of them. I look 10 years younger than I am and constantly am told that I am lying when people find out my age. I have read multiple reports about this and think that in some cases it is true. But in the end nothing is worth the pain and horror of opiate withdrawal and addiction.
 
David, still surprised nobody noticed what i've noticed when being on them for years. There was even like a bump a the very top back , middle part of my head that would always stick out. stayed like that for 2 years until I stopped. Sounds crazy...I know. And i'd feel the same if I was a spectator here, but I swear it's the truth. It does something to shrink the outer parts of our brains, to cause the skull area in that area to sag down. BUT once, I stopped completely I noticed the most severe headaches returned, David. Because my brain was trying to push back up, unfortunately the skull aspect wasn't ready yet..and just caused more pressure. Once again, like I said..people with shaved heads (or very short hair) would of been able to notice this much more...and ones without might not of noticed as all. Another thing about those headaches David...they are the most severe and scary in the world...that thru the years, I truly try to avoid every possible trigger in the world to not have another one of those. severe pressure / migraine type headache...as if my brain's about to explode. And I remember the few days AFTER I have a headache like that, i soo thankful for everything in the world. (because the headaches are absolutely h*ll...24/7)

the medicine I was on was dilaudid by the way.
 
Yea I agree, my goal at the time was to just stay lean, not really build muscle mass. I'm glad you found a medication that helps your cluster headaches, those are supposed to be the most painful experience a person can have. Apparently mushrooms can help Clear them too
 
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