Body pain after halting AAS usage

[Björn2023]

I have searched a bit on here and havent found anything related.
My question is how many people here over 40 have stopped using AAS completely, gone through the withdrawals, leveled off and then started TRT and still feel sore everyday?
Now I do have a background of injuries, lifting related and non lifting related, ive worked my ass off as an industrial welder working 74-84 hrs a week for nearly 7 years out of 25 in the business, im 50 years old and used PEDs for over 10 years.
I have been off of all PEDs for about a year, started TRT and have a much lower work load.
I work out 2-3 x per week to stay fit, some cardio, and eat fairly well.
I am not getting on stage again, not a hugely competative person and I just want to stay healthy.
Does anyone else have day to day joint soreness?
My main cycle was 500 Test 300 Deca 25mg Var/day. Did cutting cycles of everything for stage and in between.
Please keep dumbass remarks to yourselves. I am asking for serious responses of likeness.
Thanks

 

[4Drago]

Yep, I keep telling myself it's part of getting old. I have chronic pain issues 24/7. I feel better when on cycle and worse while on cruise.
A lot has to do with intense training, intense effort at physical labor required career, and injuries.
When I'm on cycle it just feels like my joints are held together better with more support whether it's from glycogen stores or extra water around the joints I'm not sure.
I don't plan to stop cycling until I'm in my 60s though if I can. As long as my heart continues to check good and all my blood work it good. And I check these things often. Blood pressure is a big one as well.

 

[4Drago]

Also every warmup in the gym is painful. Until I get past the warmup, then it's good.

 

[Björn2023]

Thanks for the input 4Drago..I feel similar as you, especially with the labor intensive career choice (industrial welder). I am ok for warmup but sore as hell 2 days later. I dont cycle anymore due to health issues mostly. But I really miss a small dose of Deca every couple weeks.

 

[4Drago]

Thanks for the input 4Drago..I feel similar as you, especially with the labor intensive career choice (industrial welder). I am ok for warmup but sore as hell 2 days later. I dont cycle anymore due to health issues mostly. But I really miss a small dose of Deca every couple weeks.

Ya , I'd image it would be better to only train every other day max. I only train 3 days a week anymore. I'm only concerned with maintaining mass at this point.

 

[bigead]

Yes, I'm 53 and as stated above I always feel better on cycle. When I drop to trt is when I feel it. In fact my blast ended today as I have bloods been drawn by my urologist in 30 days.

 

[Björn2023]

Yes, I'm 53 and as stated above I always feel better on cycle. When I drop to trt is when I feel it. In fact my blast ended today as I have bloods been drawn by my urologist in 30 days.

What was your cycle, if you dont mind me asking?
I ran deca/ test most of the time, tren /test when i was competing among other PEDs.
I will add that my hair has grown back very healthy since I have stopped too...but damn my joints hurt most days‍

 

[OldGHGuy]

Not a doctor but I think the answer here relates to the greater-than-natural strength that is gained running AAS and the effect that has on the tendons, which get less flexible as we get older. The tendon fibers are over stretched and over manipulated and dont quite come back together like they're supposed to (this is one of the current theories on tendonitis vs the old inflammation theory). The older the person, the worse this process. It takes a very long time for those fibers to get back in place. In PT these days for tendonitis the use massage and ultrasound + very light exercise (plus other techniques such as dry needling) to attempt to put the fibers back in place.

 

[benfrankparkway]

I feel this. I am 41 and just completed my 1st cycle in december and a successful pct as my Total came back higher that pre cycle bloodwork.
However my body just aches, knees mainly. Just feel old right now, hoping I balance out.

 

[buck]

Pushing the body hard for years accrues damage whether it is working out or just being very fat. I have had a few surgeries. In my 50's i started no notice more wear and tear. That is life. After 50 years of working out with most of those pushing things the best i could i have aches. I train and eat the best i can to keep things in check. Most guys i know have aches that don't work out once they get older.

 

[Björn2023]

Not a doctor but I think the answer here relates to the greater-than-natural strength that is gained running AAS and the effect that has on the tendons, which get less flexible as we get older. The tendon fibers are over stretched and over manipulated and dont quite come back together like they're supposed to (this is one of the current theories on tendonitis vs the old inflammation theory). The older the person, the worse this process. It takes a very long time for those fibers to get back in place. In PT these days for tendonitis the use massage and ultrasound + very light exercise (plus other techniques such as dry needling) to attempt to put the fibers back in place.

I agree on this explanation and information. I especially agree on dry needling. This has worked miracles on my elbows and forearms as well as my shoulder and my back. I was fortunate to find a very good therapist while I was living in NC.

 

[Björn2023]

I feel this. I am 41 and just completed my 1st cycle in december and a successful pct as my Total came back higher that pre cycle bloodwork.
However my body just aches, knees mainly. Just feel old right now, hoping I balance out.

From my personal experience, I would take more time in between cycles and try and maintain the tissue you gained while on cycle. I was on off on off way to much and I believe this also contributed to so many repition injuries.

 

[Björn2023]

Pushing the body hard for years accrues damage whether it is working out or just being very fat. I have had a few surgeries. In my 50's i started no notice more wear and tear. That is life. After 50 years of working out with most of those pushing things the best i could i have aches. I train and eat the best i can to keep things in check. Most guys i know have aches that don't work out once they get older.

Very true...even taking time to warm up and lift with care and form that conforms to you own body, some of it is just getting old..lol..it sucks but it is what it is.

 

[jJjburton]

I have searched a bit on here and havent found anything related.
My question is how many people here over 40 have stopped using AAS completely, gone through the withdrawals, leveled off and then started TRT and still feel sore everyday?
Now I do have a background of injuries, lifting related and non lifting related, ive worked my ass off as an industrial welder working 74-84 hrs a week for nearly 7 years out of 25 in the business, im 50 years old and used PEDs for over 10 years.
I have been off of all PEDs for about a year, started TRT and have a much lower work load.
I work out 2-3 x per week to stay fit, some cardio, and eat fairly well.
I am not getting on stage again, not a hugely competative person and I just want to stay healthy.
Does anyone else have day to day joint soreness?
My main cycle was 500 Test 300 Deca 25mg Var/day. Did cutting cycles of everything for stage and in between.
Please keep dumbass remarks to yourselves. I am asking for serious responses of likeness.
Thanks

Are or do you ever do light stretching? Foam rolling? This will help tremendously if done 2-3 times a week, you cant expect to grow and lift and work hard and then feel great.

Try a quick 3-4 day 15 minute routines of rotation stuff and slight stretching. You will feel in less joint soreness too.

 

[Björn2023]

Are or do you ever do light stretching? Foam rolling? This will help tremendously if done 2-3 times a week, you cant expect to grow and lift and work hard and then feel great.

Try a quick 3-4 day 15 minute routines of rotation stuff and slight stretching. You will feel in less joint soreness too.

Yes, I stretch, foam roll, perform functional movement exercise, go to a great chiropractor and a PT and a massage therapist..lol..i do it all!
And it does help, i just have ALOT of injuries from not only weight lifting but also horse shoeing, welding for a living and fighting so much when I was younger‍.
Thank you for your suggestions

 

[Country Club Hero]

I think it’s the combo of actual working hard physically for many years now and lack of the hormones masking much of the daily pains of being physically productive.

I’m in a similar boat. Worked manual labor much of my life and even own a business that still taxes my body hard. Mostly while carrying too much weight for my frame. I downsized recently. If I’m just microdosing TRT then I feel pretty beat up too. 3-4iu GH would probably make you feel significantly better though.

 

[UncleBuns]

I'm a bit younger than you but experience something similar. Mostly it's just wear and tear. On a cycle I try and take advantage of it so my intensity and volume is much higher. After a solid training block I generally have aches and pains for a bit whether blasting or not.

Non AAS that does wonders for me is prioritizing quality sleep, and mobility/stretching. These are make or break for me now.

Some compounds that help me are GH at 2 - 2.5iu daily. And periodically doing a run of BPC 157 and TB 500. This doesn't solve all my problems, but it makes a significant difference for me. Especially the GH. Night and day.

I'm planning to go hard for a long time still but you can't beat father time. Age changes our bodies whether you use AAS or not. We have to be smarter about our training, get more recovery, avoid injury at all times, and know when to dial it back. I'm planning to be the silver haired dude that can athletically one up 20 year olds. Looking forward to it actually.

 

[Björn2023]

I think it’s the combo of actual working hard physically for many years now and lack of the hormones masking much of the daily pains of being physically productive.

I’m in a similar boat. Worked manual labor much of my life and even own a business that still taxes my body hard. Mostly while carrying too much weight for my frame. I downsized recently. If I’m just microdosing TRT then I feel pretty beat up too. 3-4iu GH would probably make you feel significantly better though.

I thought of this too, but I took GH when i was competing and all it did was make my guts grow, so now I have a wider waist and wider looking obliques..lol..very difficult to get rid of this. It does work for some people, but even small doses for me seem to bloat me in the midsection‍

 

[buck]

I have spent years stretching and got injured and years not stretching ands have got injured. At least half of the studies i have over the last 35+ years at best show it does not reduce injuries. Most injuries happen in the normal range of motion so having a greater range of motion does not seem that it would do much to reduce injury. And could even add to injuries i would think if people go for something in the extended range. And most sturdies i have seen show more intense stretching before and during a workout decreases performance.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1356689X03000109

 

[jJjburton]

I have spent years stretching and got injured and years not stretching ands have got injured. At least half of the studies i have over the last 35+ years at best show it does not reduce injuries. Most injuries happen in the normal range of motion so having a greater range of motion does not seem that it would do much to reduce injury. And could even add to injuries i would think if people go for something in the extended range. And most sturdies i have seen show more intense stretching before and during a workout decreases performance.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1356689X03000109

I agree…. It does decrease performance….

But foam rolling/stretching at a different time slot hours later is best. Working out at 8 am, and stretching/foam rolling at 6 pm.
To decrease pain and discomfort from the intense exercise at hand.

Or one could use Foam Rolling to get to further ranges of motion that wouldnt otherwise to hit deeper muscle fibers. But the muscle would be “weaker”.

In my case the bigger i get, the more pain i get in my upper back, this is do to postural issues, and stretching and foam rolling later at a seperate time slot, is not for the muscle growth, but for a seperate issue in itself.