Short summary - Can any of you suggest research or studies on the impact of HGH on recovery from opiates and/or opiate tolerance? I have formed a hypothesis that HGH reduces long term opiate tolerance. This is based on a personal anecdote that is a little scary - apologies for the length, but it's a potential PSA for anyone on opiate maintenance planning to add GH to a cycle.
In May of 2015, I started a methadone maintenance program for a 6 year opiate addiction - the ordinary story, began buying from the black market after my script ran out for a sports injury. Managed well for a long time with enough income to support the habit, after 5 years my career stagnated and my income couldn't support a $120/day habit that was growing. At that point went to the dark side, but managed to avoid the needle.
With lots of extra time in recovery, got serious about my health. Lost most of the weight I gained over those 6 years of drug assisted sedentary lifestyle. But could not add muscle. My methadone doc mentioned opiate induced hypogonadism and my primary prescribed TRT based on 2 sets of blood work (35 years old, testosterone < 250). Loved TRT - building lean bodymass and libido started to come back. ~5 weeks ago started a beginner blast 500 testE and 25 mg aromasin weekly (250 pharma testE and 12.5 UGL asin e3d).
I decided to add 3 IU of generic HGH 10 days ago in an attempt to recomp through my cycle (not recommended, I know). Almost immediately
1. Motivation tanked - something extremely uncharacteristic since I entered recovery. My position at work has a large component of self-starting at work, instead just said fark it, and did the bare minimum
2. Crazy cravings for sugar - which I gave into every other day (ex. a donut, bowl of cereal). Was able to stay within daily calories
3. Feeling like garbage and excessive lethargy - I was nodding off at my desk, again, just doesn't happen to me
Finally, this Thursday, I took a sick day. I trained (poorly) in the AM. Got home at 10am, slept from 10:30 - 4 pm; then went back to bed at 8 and slept until 5.
Still wasn't right this morning, still took my morning GH and got dosed at the clinic. Went to train right after, didn't have the strength for weights, so figured I'd wake up with some cardio. On an empty stomach (just coffee and water), I threw up after 15 minutes. Took another sick day and slept from 8 until 11.
After chatting with my wife and having the appearance of a strung out addict in the mirror, I finally made the connection. All the early symptoms were methadone intoxication and those coming later were near overdose!
This post is already too long, but based on how methadone tolerance works - I genuinely believe that the GH was 'reversing' my tolerance. And methadone is extremely dangerous to those without a high tolerance (like 10k+ people die from methadone OD each year). So if I'm correct, I'm also relived that I didn't accidentally have a serious OD.
If this or anything like it has been studied, please share - google search just had a few links on HGH for addiction recovery, and to be honest, you can find an advertisement for almost every medicine or supplement being the magic bullet for addiction recovery. Couldn't find anything in pub med on point.
Obvi I'm discontinuing the GH until I have reliable contradictory information OR I'm ready to detox off the methadone.
In May of 2015, I started a methadone maintenance program for a 6 year opiate addiction - the ordinary story, began buying from the black market after my script ran out for a sports injury. Managed well for a long time with enough income to support the habit, after 5 years my career stagnated and my income couldn't support a $120/day habit that was growing. At that point went to the dark side, but managed to avoid the needle.
With lots of extra time in recovery, got serious about my health. Lost most of the weight I gained over those 6 years of drug assisted sedentary lifestyle. But could not add muscle. My methadone doc mentioned opiate induced hypogonadism and my primary prescribed TRT based on 2 sets of blood work (35 years old, testosterone < 250). Loved TRT - building lean bodymass and libido started to come back. ~5 weeks ago started a beginner blast 500 testE and 25 mg aromasin weekly (250 pharma testE and 12.5 UGL asin e3d).
I decided to add 3 IU of generic HGH 10 days ago in an attempt to recomp through my cycle (not recommended, I know). Almost immediately
1. Motivation tanked - something extremely uncharacteristic since I entered recovery. My position at work has a large component of self-starting at work, instead just said fark it, and did the bare minimum
2. Crazy cravings for sugar - which I gave into every other day (ex. a donut, bowl of cereal). Was able to stay within daily calories
3. Feeling like garbage and excessive lethargy - I was nodding off at my desk, again, just doesn't happen to me
Finally, this Thursday, I took a sick day. I trained (poorly) in the AM. Got home at 10am, slept from 10:30 - 4 pm; then went back to bed at 8 and slept until 5.
Still wasn't right this morning, still took my morning GH and got dosed at the clinic. Went to train right after, didn't have the strength for weights, so figured I'd wake up with some cardio. On an empty stomach (just coffee and water), I threw up after 15 minutes. Took another sick day and slept from 8 until 11.
After chatting with my wife and having the appearance of a strung out addict in the mirror, I finally made the connection. All the early symptoms were methadone intoxication and those coming later were near overdose!
This post is already too long, but based on how methadone tolerance works - I genuinely believe that the GH was 'reversing' my tolerance. And methadone is extremely dangerous to those without a high tolerance (like 10k+ people die from methadone OD each year). So if I'm correct, I'm also relived that I didn't accidentally have a serious OD.
If this or anything like it has been studied, please share - google search just had a few links on HGH for addiction recovery, and to be honest, you can find an advertisement for almost every medicine or supplement being the magic bullet for addiction recovery. Couldn't find anything in pub med on point.
Obvi I'm discontinuing the GH until I have reliable contradictory information OR I'm ready to detox off the methadone.