Does AAS cause mental health issues? (neurotransmitter problems)

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Rocky

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I haven't dove into this yet but ever since a few years ago I was very interested in neurotransmitters, I was thinking about how to optimize them to excel in my career/education performance, to my surprise and experience it can be done, in which I eventually concluded my interest/research in it.

However I came across some videos by Andrew Huberman, Stanford PhD and it peaked my interest in AAS' effects on the bodies neurotransmitters. I recall him mentioning in his research that chronic/overstimulation of dopamine can cause downregulation or desensitization of the effects of dopamine on the body. If I remember correctly AAS has a net positive effect on dopamine levels/effects on the body (amongst other neurotransmitters and hormones) which made me curious if AAS use/abuse is a one way ticket to mental health issues?

I also saw him mention in his research (or research cited) that low testosterone levels also is shown to cause mental health issues, which is kind of a double edged sword.

I would assume it's an unpopular opinion in bodybuilding forum but it would be something one could look into if they are experiencing symptoms of mental health issues and is using or has used AAS. Personally I have noticed effects on my mental health from taking AAS, specifically one that he mentions a lot which is the human body's drive/motivational/reward system (which connects with dopamine), or lack of. Of course in hindsight this is obvious, at the time mental clarity wasn't optimal and it was not obvious.
 
Rocky said:
I haven't dove into this yet but ever since a few years ago I was very interested in neurotransmitters, I was thinking about how to optimize them to excel in my career/education performance, to my surprise and experience it can be done, in which I eventually concluded my interest/research in it.

However I came across some videos by Andrew Huberman, Stanford PhD and it peaked my interest in AAS' effects on the bodies neurotransmitters. I recall him mentioning in his research that chronic/overstimulation of dopamine can cause downregulation or desensitization of the effects of dopamine on the body. If I remember correctly AAS has a net positive effect on dopamine levels/effects on the body (amongst other neurotransmitters and hormones) which made me curious if AAS use/abuse is a one way ticket to mental health issues?

I also saw him mention in his research (or research cited) that low testosterone levels also is shown to cause mental health issues, which is kind of a double edged sword.

I would assume it's an unpopular opinion in bodybuilding forum but it would be something one could look into if they are experiencing symptoms of mental health issues and is using or has used AAS. Personally I have noticed effects on my mental health from taking AAS, specifically one that he mentions a lot which is the human body's drive/motivational/reward system (which connects with dopamine), or lack of. Of course in hindsight this is obvious, at the time mental clarity wasn't optimal and it was not obvious.
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It's worth being educated on in my opinion, but as far as some of these scientists are concerned I don't necessarily agree. Cut out coffee and any source of dopamine stimulation and you just have a walking zombie. Maybe dopamine fasting a day a week easy on music and coffee in moderation etc but what's the point in lowering testosterone and just taking cold plunges for a dopamine rush? I think the idea for me is balance and moderation. Cold unless are nice but for health reasons not getting a natural high. In my opinion. Hubermans good though he knows his stuff but in a real world for hard working people we don't always have time for all of these little tricks. Definitely worth understanding dopamine though and not over stimulating yourself then crashing. Just my own thoughts on it. Thanks for the info brother
 
Jerbear said:
It's worth being educated on in my opinion, but as far as some of these scientists are concerned I don't necessarily agree. Cut out coffee and any source of dopamine stimulation and you just have a walking zombie. Maybe dopamine fasting a day a week easy on music and coffee in moderation etc but what's the point in lowering testosterone and just taking cold plunges for a dopamine rush? I think the idea for me is balance and moderation. Cold unless are nice but for health reasons not getting a natural high. In my opinion. Hubermans good though he knows his stuff but in a real world for hard working people we don't always have time for all of these little tricks. Definitely worth understanding dopamine though and not over stimulating yourself then crashing. Just my own thoughts on it. Thanks for the info brother
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Actually Andrew Huberman is pro-caffeine. I can’t remember what he said about it, other than he typically takes his caffeine a few hours after he wakes up to prevent a crash to let adenosine level out and normalize.

I found most people with PhDs from reputable/high ranking schools (MIT/Harvard/Stanford) to be very knowledgeable on topics, it’s where I get most of my information from. I feel a bit better knowing that most likely the information is accurate as well, not to knock on anyone else.
 
Rocky said:
Actually Andrew Huberman is pro-caffeine. I can’t remember what he said about it, other than he typically takes his caffeine a few hours after he wakes up to prevent a crash to let adenosine level out and normalize.

I found most people with PhDs from reputable/high ranking schools (MIT/Harvard/Stanford) to be very knowledgeable on topics, it’s where I get most of my information from. I feel a bit better knowing that most likely the information is accurate as well, not to knock on anyone else.
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Yea I do agree with all of it. The only dopamine rush I don't support is porn, illegal drugs, and most social media. Other then cb of course lol
 
Rocky said:
Actually Andrew Huberman is pro-caffeine. I can’t remember what he said about it, other than he typically takes his caffeine a few hours after he wakes up to prevent a crash to let adenosine level out and normalize.

I found most people with PhDs from reputable/high ranking schools (MIT/Harvard/Stanford) to be very knowledgeable on topics, it’s where I get most of my information from. I feel a bit better knowing that most likely the information is accurate as well, not to knock on anyone else.
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Would dependency come into play on this as well?
 
My old lady works in mental health and yes steroids are bad for you mentally . There was a post a few months ago we talked about this. Steroids are a magnifying glass that bring out the mental things you already have . And leads to serious chemical suppression in the brain

Depression and Steroid use


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Like most stuff in this world, in moderation is likely fine. Reducing to actual trt levels or coming off likely allows the body to center itself.

Now obviously being on the gas for years on end will have a detriment.

I find that after a while, my body asks for a break, so I allow it. Now the body is lazy and screams break 2 weeks in, so you need to lwarn to know if you really need a break, or it’s your body fooling you too early. See growth (in all aspects is something the body will fight)

At trt I’m a very happy mellow dude.
 
gondar1 said:
Tren = neurodegenerative issues and maybe possibly bonus of early Alzheimer's in at least a couple of studies iirc. I can't remember any specifics, it's on my no-go list so I don't worry bout that particular one.
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I wonder if it’s dose duration dependant?

Were the studies on guys who ran tren for years almost straight, at higherish doses?

I did a fairly quick search and only one rat model study was done and I cannot find the actual study to see how much they used and duration. For all I know it would be equivalent to a gram of tren biweekly for 6 months.
 
Ok I read this on another board, and I do not want to butcher what was stated by me paraphrasing it so here you go.



Trenbolone causes more psychological effects than any other PED, and there is no question that it affects your brain differently than others. We don't fully understand why, just as we don't fully understand a lot of things as appropriate research has not been done. That aside, Alzheimer's is another HUGE FAIL in medicine.

Read the work of Dr. Bredesen. He has a book on Amazon (The End of Alzheimer's) that is very accessible to the layman, but with excellent citations.

https://www.drbredesen.com/thebredesenprotocol

Alzheimer's is not really a disease, but the way your brain attempts to protect itself due to external factors. It is effectively an inflammatory response, and the plaques than form are not the cause, but the effect of other disorders. We know this now because for 30 years, hundreds of drugs have been tried that remove these plaques and many actually work quite well at doing so. But they do not cure cognitive decline.

There are genetic factors at play - for some people, their brains overreact with this defense mechanism. The causes can very. For many, infection is a likely cause. Increasingly, we are learning that many disorders are commonly caused by pathogens. Prominent examples include HPV (various female cancers) and toxoplasmosis (schizophrenia). Common herpes can infect the brain as well. None are directly associated with Alzheimer's at this time as pretty much NO research has done except to remove these plaques. Medical research is rife with dogmatic hypotheses that persist for decades. I'm sure you know by now that consuming fat does NOT cause heart disease for example.

Dr. Bresnan does however indicate that vascular issues are a factor. interestingly, testosterone and estrogen replacement therapy has proven to be one of the more successful components of his regiment. This is more of an issue for women, as estrogen HRT has a much higher incidence of cancer than does testosterone. They really have to choose a high risk of developing cancer, or losing their minds. For men with any cognitive decline, TRT is a no brainer.

Bottom line - when it comes to PEDs, appropriate control of blood pressure and hermactrotit is essential and could be a factor in cognitive decline. Cardio, antihypertensives, nitroglycerin, and phlebotomies should be essential regular components of your regiment, ESPECIALLY with trenbolone. Lisinopril and nitroglycerin are so cheap from offshore pharmacies, it is in my opinion irresponsible not to use them. You should be checking your blood pressure and heart rate daily as part of your regular log - not just your strength gains, weight, and bodyfat.

His dietary recommendations are also good, and are easily compatible with this lifestyle.

I was very impressed with the book, and I highly suggest reading it, irrespective of this issue. It really was eye opening.

All that said, I routinely suggest to everyone to stick to test and primobolan. Avoid the temptation for the quick gains tren can give you. They don't last, and I do not believe the risks justify the benefits. All of us I believe have accepted that using these drugs will shorten our lives, but be smart about it.



I believe this makes perfect sense. Even though I do not agree with everything, it’s good advice.
 
Sorbate said:
I wonder if it’s dose duration dependant?

Were the studies on guys who ran tren for years almost straight, at higherish doses?

I did a fairly quick search and only one rat model study was done and I cannot find the actual study to see how much they used and duration. For all I know it would be equivalent to a gram of tren biweekly for 6 months.
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Sorry Sorb I don't remember too much more than what I said and I don't see anything in my bookmarks. Might have been rats. I'm kinda hyper aware of the massive dose thing but I don't recall that being the case here.
It's likely that given the things we hear about peoples Tren experiences combined with my own negative experience with it my thought was something like 'This seems to line up and I'll never touch it again anyways so case closed, no further investigation required'

For anyone curious I didn't have any notable mental issues, wasn't on it for long, main issues was real quick gyno flare up.
Also yer second post is in line with some other stuff I've read about Alzheimers too fwiw but I'm not current on that either. Probably should learn more about it though.
 
Grey Beard said:
This is true for sll 19-Nors I believe.
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I have heard something similar and i wonder if it is truth?
I run 19 nors very frequently, and fuck you fuckhead, i find fuck all wrong with the fucken things, wtf now??? LOL, seriously though i have heard something similar and i do run them as a staple and i have ran Tren 2 times in mmy life, First time i figured must have been something else, because everyone loves the shit....I ran it again and almost ended up in jail, and worse, then i realized i was absolutly not meant for Tren, this was mid to late 90s and it was newer on the scene, we homebrewed it, then several years later, we see many of us feeling the same as i did back then and im glad i listened to my gut.
Now saying that deca, NPP etc have nothing even close to these effects negatively on me, i do get a bit different and need to watch myself more on higher doses of Deca/NPP, but after last run a few months ago, i am dropping the dose down even more to very low dose as I'm already low dose nors...
Nothing like Tren though, if i was still doing tren or carried on in my 20's and 30's i would not be where i am, i know that for sure...
 
As i age i find the deca/npp is a bit more to deal with, it use to feel to be inert on my emotions or lifestyle. Good growth always and no issues with dick etc, BUT now i find i can feel it more as i age for certain... So i am still avoiding AI's Caber etc as much as possible and adjusting doses, i am going a bit lower due to this..
 
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