would you use a beta or alpha blocker to calm down from the cycle?

ongos

Bluelighter
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Aug 9, 2011
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beta and alpha blockers are known to lower blood pressure. Has anyone used it when needed (i.e. when you're too jacked up on steroids).
 
I use an alpha blocker every night before bed. Clonidine hcl. 0.1mg. Tablets. Helps with trensomnia, night sweats, and my sleep is deeper too. On higher amounts of gear I sleep really light and get woken by the littlest of things. Keeps my BP in check too for the most part.
 
Yes, either will work. You'll likely find the beta easier to tolerate during the day, alphas great for a good sleep.
 
Yes, either will work. You'll likely find the beta easier to tolerate during the day, alphas great for a good sleep.

Thats interesting to know, welcome back CFC...!!

What's your thoughts on using alpha-blockers for sleep, if on an ACE inhibitor..?
 
I'm not sure about diphenhydramine (benadryl) for sleep due to it being anticholinergic. Now, beta blocker such as propanolol is known to lower blood pressure and blocks adrenaline. I would think steroids can cause a jump in adrenaline, right? I wish I could find these in lower dose and not the 40mg dose I always see.
 
Thats interesting to know, welcome back CFC...!!

What's your thoughts on using alpha-blockers for sleep, if on an ACE inhibitor..?

Thanks GF! Should be just fine, specially given your rather high BP, I'd say it could be a very healthy addition.

Clonidine used to be used (old skool) due to the GH release spike it causes. But it's often used (off-label) to improve sleep quality (encouraging stage 4 sleep), for sleep disturbances, night sweats etc.

You can get a rebound from Clonidine though once you've been using for a while. So a brief taper-off would be recommended.

Also: maybe talk to you doctor about changing to an ARB over an ACE? ARB is better from a bodybuilding perspective (prevents/reverses fibrotic accretion in cardiac/vascular tissues), is mildly anti-catabolic, and seems to be generally better tolerated as well.
 
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I'm not sure about diphenhydramine (benadryl) for sleep due to it being anticholinergic. Now, beta blocker such as propanolol is known to lower blood pressure and blocks adrenaline. I would think steroids can cause a jump in adrenaline, right? I wish I could find these in lower dose and not the 40mg dose I always see.

Diphenhydramine (Nytol/Benadryl) will knock you out, but not permit a proper night's sleep really. A bit like the way benzos will take you down without actually permitting a proper sleep cycle.

Ironically beta blockers can prevent sleep because there is feedback on the alpha-beta system, and you end up with a spike of norepinephrine in parts of the brain, making for a restless night and sometimes nightmares. Not everyone is affected though. As for a lower dose, why don't you just break the tablets??
 
curious what you guys think of eucommia herb as a beta blocker? It's as non-selective a beta blocker as propanolol is. I still want to get some propanolol eventually but was looking for natural options as well.
 
curious what you guys think of eucommia herb as a beta blocker? It's as non-selective a beta blocker as propanolol is. I still want to get some propanolol eventually but was looking for natural options as well.

I've never tried it, though I have heard surprisingly positive things about non-prescription reserpine (Carditone) from others, though it's something I'd be a little cautious to begin with given its mechanism of action.
 
I'm familiar with reserpine as well. I read it lowers blood pressure and depletes serotonin (if you have serotonin syndrome or psychotic it is helpful) Gandhi used it once. But I don't think it's similar to a beta blocker the way Eucommia is allegedly is purported to be.
 
No its MOA is nothing like a beta blocker, it depletes various neutrotransmitters, not just serotonin. However its ultimate effect may arguably be similar. Either way it is freely available if you can't get any others to try.
 
did you mean MAO or MOA? Where have you seen reserpine "freely" available? It's one of the hardest supplement to find as "single" supplement. Amazon only carries one (Carditone), even that has a bunch of other ingredients you don't need. It's marketed as to lowering blood pressure.
 
did you mean MAO or MOA? Where have you seen reserpine "freely" available? It's one of the hardest supplement to find as "single" supplement. Amazon only carries one (Carditone), even that has a bunch of other ingredients you don't need. It's marketed as to lowering blood pressure.

Definitely MOA.

I clearly mentioned Carditone as a non-Rx option. This is getting rather repetitive.
 
(prevents/reverses fibrotic accretion in cardiac/vascular tissues), is mildly anti-catabolic, and seems to be generally better tolerated as well.
whoa whoa, do you mean this would prevent/reverse the heart concern (left ventricle hypertrophy, i think?)? Why isn't it more popular? I've always considered that heart hypertrophy the scariest of all aas sides!
 
whoa whoa, do you mean this would prevent/reverse the heart concern (left ventricle hypertrophy, i think?)? Why isn't it more popular? I've always considered that heart hypertrophy the scariest of all aas sides!

Not specifically hypertrophy, as its not generally regarded as an issue, fibrotic accretion is...
 
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