Yes, the cause is finasteride/dutasteride, but in a roundabout way.
I found this post on a forum dedicated to steroid use:
"Once your dose goes beyond about 200mg/week, the extra testosterone will weaken your tendons. You should look into physical therapy."
I thought "no freakin way this is true", but then I saw this post:
"While injecting test increases protein synthesis by roughly 50 times, depending on dose and time, most bodybuilders forget that it will reduce collagen synthesis by more than 50% -- more like 80%, giving you the collagen synthesis rate of a senior citizen. Since collagen makes up tendons, bros are very prone to injury if they continue to lift very heavy, unless they cycle off T and let their collagen synthesis get back to normal. It's like having the skeletal muscle of a gorilla with the tendons of a very old man."
I've concluded that the finasteride/dutasteride is reducing the conversion of test to DHT in my body by a significant amount (obviously), and in turn I ***probably*** have higher testosterone than I would without using these drugs. However, the extra testosterone is (to put it simply) making my joints/tendons extremely weak.
Now, this isn't to say I never had an injury before using finasteride/dutasteride, but after starting dutasteride in particular my joints have gone to complete sh!t and will NOT recover. Both knees, as well as my left rotator cuff and elbow are in pretty bad shape. The ironic thing is that I feel like I have more muscle, and even muscular strength, than ever. I'm actually stronger than before starting dutasteride, but I can't go heavy because my joints are shot.
This info should be stickied somewhere on this site. This is not a mere "side effect" this WILL happen to you if you are a hardcore natural lifter who lifts heavy and intensely very frequently.
TL;DR:
Dutasteride will increase test, which in turn will help you build muscle, but will give you the joints/tendons of a 70+ year old man.
I found this post on a forum dedicated to steroid use:
"Once your dose goes beyond about 200mg/week, the extra testosterone will weaken your tendons. You should look into physical therapy."
I thought "no freakin way this is true", but then I saw this post:
"While injecting test increases protein synthesis by roughly 50 times, depending on dose and time, most bodybuilders forget that it will reduce collagen synthesis by more than 50% -- more like 80%, giving you the collagen synthesis rate of a senior citizen. Since collagen makes up tendons, bros are very prone to injury if they continue to lift very heavy, unless they cycle off T and let their collagen synthesis get back to normal. It's like having the skeletal muscle of a gorilla with the tendons of a very old man."
I've concluded that the finasteride/dutasteride is reducing the conversion of test to DHT in my body by a significant amount (obviously), and in turn I ***probably*** have higher testosterone than I would without using these drugs. However, the extra testosterone is (to put it simply) making my joints/tendons extremely weak.
Now, this isn't to say I never had an injury before using finasteride/dutasteride, but after starting dutasteride in particular my joints have gone to complete sh!t and will NOT recover. Both knees, as well as my left rotator cuff and elbow are in pretty bad shape. The ironic thing is that I feel like I have more muscle, and even muscular strength, than ever. I'm actually stronger than before starting dutasteride, but I can't go heavy because my joints are shot.
This info should be stickied somewhere on this site. This is not a mere "side effect" this WILL happen to you if you are a hardcore natural lifter who lifts heavy and intensely very frequently.
TL;DR:
Dutasteride will increase test, which in turn will help you build muscle, but will give you the joints/tendons of a 70+ year old man.
