I saw a similar post that included some thoughts on anabolic steroids and CF. I thought that this particular topic should drag me out of the lurking shadows and create a separate thread to do it justice. This topic really hits home with me.
Some basic background on me. This is my first post, but I've been around these boards for quite awhile. I'm a 31 year old male with CF (dx @ 2 years old) and used steroids/Growth Hormone/Insulin/etc. all in the name of bodybuilding. I want to share with this community my experiences in the hopes that it raises questions and shines a light on an otherwise taboo topic that may have far reaching implications for CF.
I began using steroids 10 years ago. I was 150 pounds at 5'10' even though I worked out with weights 5-6 times a week and ate as much food as I could. I think I was at the top end of my "genetic potential" in terms of the amount of weight I could gain without the use of 'added' drugs. At the time, I wanted to gain weight for the cosmetic effect. In hindsight, it was the best thing I ever did for my CF. OK....let me explain.
I must've done 15-20 cycles in 5 years. A cycle is about 12-16 weeks on steroids followed by a 8-12 period being off. You 'cycle' steroids to allow your body to make it's own testosterone during those off times. The first cycle I did brought me up to 175 pounds in only 10 weeks! My appetite was dramatically increased, my exercise tolerance was amazing, and there were ZERO side effects.
That last statement may have been met with a bunch of rolling eyes. But I won't sugar coat anything-- no reason to. The gains I achieved with steroids changed my life. I took a low dose (not Arnold Schwarzenegger amounts) and were monitored by a professional. He made sure the cycle was properly done to avoid any side effects. Ironically, injecting steroids is far safer than taking a pill. A pill must pass through the liver and tends to be harsher on the body. Injections are as safe and you can imagine. Mass media is always portraying steroids as something evil and will cause a bunch of side effects including "roid rage" and even death. Trust me....it doesn't.
Anyway, after a few years of cycling steroids, I also tried Growth Hormone. WOW. I would wake up in the worning and feel as though I could JUMP out of bed and run a marathon. I'm not exaggerating for reader appeal. That's the truth. Again, zero side effects. If anyone wonders if HGH does anything, it does. I still remember how good I felt.
My last doctor's visit, I spoke candidly (for the first time) to him about my experiences. Fortunately, he listened and took notes. I mentioned that I once took clenbuteral (a pill that raises your body temperature, dialates the bronchial tubes, makes you jittery, etc.). I told my doc that when I was taking clenbuteral, my lungs felt like new. I would do a set of an exericise and when I was done, I would feel as though I hadn't even exerted myself. In a nutshell, my time on steroids virtually ERASED my CF symptoms. My lungs were great, my weight was 175, and my exercise tolerance was the same as my "healthy" friends--actually, better than them!
When I stopped taking "sports enhancing drugs", I was able to maintain 165 pounds on my own for 3 years. I didn't feel as good, but my weight was still good. I stopped because I became more serious about having children, my steroids weren't being monitored by a doc, and the cost was great. However, if my doctor prescribed them, monitored me, and the cost was covered (in part) by insurance, I am positive I would be in a different place today. Last year my gallbladder was removed and I lost 25 pounds in 3 weeks. I was worried that steroids might have played a part in that, but my doc assured me that it was completely unrelated. So, my zero side effects still holds true. I only wish he could've presribed a low does of steroids to get my weight back to normal in no time. Instead, it took me almost a year to gain that weight back.
I want the CF community to understand that there is more the medical community can do to help us out. I've seen first hand what anabolic steroids can do for someone with CF. Athletes who abuse them to improve their batting average or run faster cannot be the measure we use here.
I wanted to start a dialogue on this topic and express to everyone my frustration with the lack of vision I see in doctors who think steroids are evil and have no place in 'real' medicine. I am more open minded and I hope that soon, the medical community will agree.
Thanks.
Some basic background on me. This is my first post, but I've been around these boards for quite awhile. I'm a 31 year old male with CF (dx @ 2 years old) and used steroids/Growth Hormone/Insulin/etc. all in the name of bodybuilding. I want to share with this community my experiences in the hopes that it raises questions and shines a light on an otherwise taboo topic that may have far reaching implications for CF.
I began using steroids 10 years ago. I was 150 pounds at 5'10' even though I worked out with weights 5-6 times a week and ate as much food as I could. I think I was at the top end of my "genetic potential" in terms of the amount of weight I could gain without the use of 'added' drugs. At the time, I wanted to gain weight for the cosmetic effect. In hindsight, it was the best thing I ever did for my CF. OK....let me explain.
I must've done 15-20 cycles in 5 years. A cycle is about 12-16 weeks on steroids followed by a 8-12 period being off. You 'cycle' steroids to allow your body to make it's own testosterone during those off times. The first cycle I did brought me up to 175 pounds in only 10 weeks! My appetite was dramatically increased, my exercise tolerance was amazing, and there were ZERO side effects.
That last statement may have been met with a bunch of rolling eyes. But I won't sugar coat anything-- no reason to. The gains I achieved with steroids changed my life. I took a low dose (not Arnold Schwarzenegger amounts) and were monitored by a professional. He made sure the cycle was properly done to avoid any side effects. Ironically, injecting steroids is far safer than taking a pill. A pill must pass through the liver and tends to be harsher on the body. Injections are as safe and you can imagine. Mass media is always portraying steroids as something evil and will cause a bunch of side effects including "roid rage" and even death. Trust me....it doesn't.
Anyway, after a few years of cycling steroids, I also tried Growth Hormone. WOW. I would wake up in the worning and feel as though I could JUMP out of bed and run a marathon. I'm not exaggerating for reader appeal. That's the truth. Again, zero side effects. If anyone wonders if HGH does anything, it does. I still remember how good I felt.
My last doctor's visit, I spoke candidly (for the first time) to him about my experiences. Fortunately, he listened and took notes. I mentioned that I once took clenbuteral (a pill that raises your body temperature, dialates the bronchial tubes, makes you jittery, etc.). I told my doc that when I was taking clenbuteral, my lungs felt like new. I would do a set of an exericise and when I was done, I would feel as though I hadn't even exerted myself. In a nutshell, my time on steroids virtually ERASED my CF symptoms. My lungs were great, my weight was 175, and my exercise tolerance was the same as my "healthy" friends--actually, better than them!
When I stopped taking "sports enhancing drugs", I was able to maintain 165 pounds on my own for 3 years. I didn't feel as good, but my weight was still good. I stopped because I became more serious about having children, my steroids weren't being monitored by a doc, and the cost was great. However, if my doctor prescribed them, monitored me, and the cost was covered (in part) by insurance, I am positive I would be in a different place today. Last year my gallbladder was removed and I lost 25 pounds in 3 weeks. I was worried that steroids might have played a part in that, but my doc assured me that it was completely unrelated. So, my zero side effects still holds true. I only wish he could've presribed a low does of steroids to get my weight back to normal in no time. Instead, it took me almost a year to gain that weight back.
I want the CF community to understand that there is more the medical community can do to help us out. I've seen first hand what anabolic steroids can do for someone with CF. Athletes who abuse them to improve their batting average or run faster cannot be the measure we use here.
I wanted to start a dialogue on this topic and express to everyone my frustration with the lack of vision I see in doctors who think steroids are evil and have no place in 'real' medicine. I am more open minded and I hope that soon, the medical community will agree.
Thanks.