Insulin FAQ by Acneman

[SHOT]

Insulin FAQ by Acneman ....thanks to Raybravo for the link;)

lots of questions that come up regularly and a pretty safe guide to use. this took a lot of research and time so be nice.

Acnemans Insulin FAQ

what is insulin?

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas that controls the metabolism and cellular uptake of sugars, proteins, and fats. As a drug, it is used principally to control diabetes. Insulin is not a steroid.

What type of insulin should I use for bodybuilding?

Humulin R and Humulog are the only insulins I recommend because they act fast and are out of the body fastest(this makes them the safest). I have never used Humalog but understand that aside from quicker onset and half-life it is essentially the same.

Why do I want to use insulin?

Insulin has been called "Anabolicus Maximus" by some gurus of the bodybuilding world. Insulin can give you greater gains than you have ever had using anabolics alone. Insulin, in combination with androgens and resistance exercise, may trigger maturation of satellite muscle cells (small, more or less useless cells that are held in reserve, which do not contribute to muscular strength) into mature muscle cells that do contribute to muscular size and strength. How freakin cool is that. Hyperinsulinemia has been shown to stimulate protein synthesis in isolated limb infusion experiments , these anabolic properties seem to be the result of insulin binding to IGF-1 receptors.

If insulin is so great why aren't all diabetics huge?

Diabetics have a disease and use insulin to replace endogenous insulin that they cannot produce. Bodybuilders use insulin in a totally different way. Some diabetic bodybuilders manipulate their insulin use to use insulin for muscle growth and get good results but changing dosages and times of injection of insulin for diabetics can be dangerous.

Isn't taking insulin dangerous?

ummm YES! Before deciding to take insulin here is what you have to do to be safe.

Insulin safety

1. Do not use slin alone have a training partner or girlfriend who's not using slin hang around with you from the time you take the slin to about 2.5/4 hrs after.

2. Tell you're partner to look for anything out of the norm for your personality and have a list of questions like your ssn or address etc that they can ask you. Don't joke around, and answer them without ****, because if you cant answer or refuse to answer it could be a sign of hypoglycemia(low blood sugar). Symptoms of hypoglycemia include disorientation, headache, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, fast heartbeat, sweating, tremor, and nausea.

3. If you cant/wont answer or are feeling the symptoms of hypoglycemia they should be prepared to feed you carbs like pancake syrup, coke, sugary stuff. I bought glucose tablets at walmart. kinda like candy but gets in the blood faster and dissolve quickly. these are for diabetics ask at the pharmacy.

4. Have your partner know that if they suspect low blood sugar and cant convince or force you to consume carbs until your better. CALL 911 and ask for an ambulance and tell the truth to the operator... that they suspect you are in insulin shock and explain when they get there(the ambulance guys not the cops) that you are not diabetic but using insulin for anabolic purposes. Have the type of slin, the dosage and carbs consumed recorded to give the paramedic. They will save your life. Then you refuse transport to the hospital and eat. It might be a good idea to make sure your house is "clean" before every workout just in case the bad thing happens and the cops ask a lot of questions.

5. Why so much preparation for the possible problem?? insulin can kill you in minutes if you go down!!

6. Take the carbs and protein together immediately after injecting the slin(dont take chances trying to time out 15 min after injection). Take the protein with the carbs because the protein is pushed into the muscles with the slin also(creatine too).

7. Before an hour passes you should eat a normal balanced meal(high protein low fat with carbs).

8. Consume another small high protein medium carb low fat meal at 2.5 hours after the injection. Congrats you lived.(keep some gatoraid on hand just to make sure because your not gonna have a lifeline)

9. YAWN... Don't go to sleep within 4/6 hours of using insulin since you can develop hypoglycemia while asleep and not have warning signs.

Ok I'm not scared I still want to use insulin...

Where do i get it?

Humulin R is over the counter (OTC) just about everywhere. Humulog is new and is still a prescription drug is some places. BUT... Insulin is NOT a controlled substance and will not be confiscated by customs or postal inspectors so order it online if you cant get it locally. Its legal.

Where do I keep it? (STORAGE)

The FDA requires that all preparations of insulin contain instructions to keep in a cold place and to avoid freezing. The refrigerator is a good spot. Unrefrigerated insulin can be kept of 28 days as long as it stays in a cool and dark place.

Where/how do I inject insulin?

The best sites for insulin injection are in the subcutaneous tissue of the abdomen(avoid the area close to bellybutton) .Usually, you should not inject within 1 inch of the same site within 1 month. The arms and legs can also be used, but insulin uptake from these sites is less uniform. Insulin should be injected subcutaneously only with a U-100 insulin syringe. "B-D ultra-fine" insulin syringes are good. Insulin syringes are available without a prescription in many states. If you cant purchase the syringes at a pharmacy, you can mail order them. Using a syringe other than a specific insulin syringe is dangerous since it will be difficult to measure out the correct dosage.

How much insulin should I take?

I recommend never using over 10IU. 10IU is enough to make you grow.
In general Dosages used are usually 1 IU per 20 pounds of lean bodyweight. So a 220lb bodybuilder with 9% body-fat would use 10iu of insulin(aprox200lb lean mass/20 = 10iu). But even experienced insulin users shouldn't use max dosage at the beginning of an insulin cycle. First-time users should start at a low dosage and gradually work up. For example, first begin with 2 IU and then increase the dosage by 1 IU every consecutive workout until you reach your calculated dose or determine a maximum personal dose(some people are more sensitive to insulin sides like hypoglycemia). This will allow the athlete to determine a dosage he can safely use. Insulin dosages can vary significantly among athletes and are dependent upon insulin sensitivity and the use of other drugs. Athletes using growth hormone and thyroid might have higher insulin requirements.


When do I take insulin?

It is my opinion that you should only take insulin after a work out, never before or when not working out, because before a work out you could crash and die during the workout and when your not working out it makes you fat. Some people disagree with this. IF you want, get some info from them and try it. But remember I told ya so.

When do i eat after using insulin?

Immediately!!! DO NOT TRY TO TIME YOUR CONSUMPTION OF CARBS!! You should immediately take a carbohydrate AND protein drink after taking you're insulin. I've stated this twice because it is very important. Even experienced insulin users can get a surprise now and then.
Eat a meal at about an hour after using insulin. Consume another small high protein medium carb low fat meal at 2.5 hours after the injection. keep some gatoraid on hand just to make sure. Remember that insulin can still work much later so be careful and eat if you feel hypoglycemia symptoms.


What do I eat after using insulin?

Some people recommend a zero fat intake for 4 hours after taking insulin. I do not disagree with this. But if your bulking you can be a little relaxed on this. But high fat intake after taking insulin can lead to high body fat.
The carb/protein drink taken after the insulin shot should contain AT LEAST 10 grams of carbs and 5 grams of quality protein per IU of insulin injected with little or no fat(creatine taken in this drink is optional but works great). Before an hour passes you should eat a normal balanced meal(high protein low fat with carbs). At 2.5 hours after the injection you should Consume a small meal. keep some gatoraid on hand just to make sure. Remember that insulin can still work much later so be careful and eat if you feel hypoglycemia symptoms. Once again i've stated this twice because it is important.

***Some insulin users recommend far less carbs than I have stated above. This is a personal decision you will have to make since it could be very dangerous...Even deadly! My opinion is to take the carbs and learn to diet after bulking if you gain too much fat.***

How long should/can I take insulin?

Short cycles please because you could have side effects. It is suspected that you could become an insulin dependant diabetic but I have never seen proof, but is it worth the risk? I would only use it a few times a week(maximum 4 on 3 off) for no more than 3/4 weeks.

What should I avoid while using insulin?

Do not use alcohol. It lowers blood sugar, and you may experience dangerously low blood sugar levels.

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Do not change your workout in the middle of a cycle of insulin. Changes in how much you exercise can change the amount of insulin you can tolerate and maintain blood sugar levels.

Do not take any recreational drugs at the same time as insulin since they could mask symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Do not change the brand of insulin or syringe that you are using without first talking to a doctor or pharmacist. Some brands of insulin and syringes are interchangeable, while others are not.

Do not use insulin if you are sick with a cold, flu, or fever. These illnesses may change your insulin requirements..

Do not use any insulin that is discolored, looks thick, has particles in it, or looks different from the way it looked when you bought it.

Do not use OTC drugs that will cause drowsiness within 6 hours of using insulin.

Do not go to sleep within 4/6 hours of using insulin since you can develop hypoglycemia while asleep and not have warning signs.


What are the possible side effects of insulin besides hypoglycemia?

Rarely, people have allergic reactions to insulin. Seek emergency medical attention if you experience an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives).

Hypothetically, one could become an insulin dependent diabetic if insulin is used too long.

references
http://www.meso-rx.com/steroid-profiles/insulin.htm

"Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary," Copyright © 2001 by F. A. Davis Co., Phil., PA

http://www.getbulky.com/Info/Steroid_Info/insulin.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/catinsulin.htm

Elisabeth R. Barton-Davis, Daria I. Shoturma, Antonio Musaro, Nadia Rosenthal, and H. Lee Sweeney. Viral mediated expression of insulin-like growth factor I blocks the aging-related loss of skeletal muscle function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 22;95(26):15603-7, 1998

http://www.subscriberx.com/.SRX?Ser...Dialect=English

http://www.rxlist.com/frame/display.cgi?drug=HUMULIN

http://www.lillydiabetes.com/Produc...ityProfiles.cfm

[raybravo]

here are some studies i found regarding protein synthesis :

INSULIN increases protein sythesis by %50 when infused in healthy peoplem (Biolo, et al, 1995).

RESISTANCE EXERCISE stimulate protein synthesis rates by %100 (Biolo, et al. 1995).

An infusion (not ingestion) of AMINO ACIDS- elevate protein synthesis by %150 (Biolo, et al. 1997).

Same mixture of AMINO ACIDS IFUSED AFTER EXERCISE increases synthesis rates by %200 (Tipton, et al. 1999).

Combination of RESISTANCE EXERCISE AND 6g ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS AND 35g SUCROSE consumed 1-3 hours after exercise increased rates by %400 (Rasmussen, et al. 2000)!!!

[raybravo]

taken from MUSCLE MONTHLY ........Sure, you say, GH packs on muscle. So do many steroids. Both true. But the really massive guys on the pro circuit will tell you the truth if you can ever get their confidence. None of them have ever gotten really, truly massive without adding insulin to their stacks. They’ll also tell you, however, that nothing else made them as FAT as using insulin. This is because insulin drives protein and carbohydrate into muscle but insulin also shunts tons of fat into adipose tissue storage if you give it the chance.

One night, Mike Zumpano and Dan Duchaine and I were sitting around having one of our philosophical discussions on the various idiosyncrasies of various anabolic pharmaceuticals. For some reason the talk turned to insulin. Horrified at the idea of having any fat on my body whatsoever (okay, maybe I’m small but I’m LEAN), I immediately said, no way! That stuff makes you FAT!

Mike was more philosophical. He suggested that the ideal way to use insulin would be to set up a bilateral IV drip of straight parenteral amino acids (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!!!) and after it had been running into your veins for a while, take a lethal injection of insulin…This, Mike said would get you huge. Dan suggested that if he were doing this, he’d give the guy the injection in a freckle so it wouldn’t show in case he died!

While I concurred that such might be the ideal strategy, I was hard pressed to agree that the risks were in alignment with the potential benefits. I tried to get the conversation to turn towards a less ludicrous topic. "Mike, I said, why does insulin make these guys so fat?"

His response was that it wasn’t insulin, it was fear. This made zero sense to me, so I pressed him on it. He explained that most of the fat gain is caused by excess carbohydrate consumption during insulin use. The common dictum is that to use insulin safely, one must concurrently consume a minimum of 10 grams of carbohydrate for each IU of insulin used. Thus, for a bodybuilder using 8 IU’s of insulin 2 times a day, in addition to his normal intake of fat and protein and carbs, he would need to consume a minimum of 160 grams of extra carbohydrate to keep him from going into a hypoglycemic coma. You’d hardly expect that 160 extra grams of carbs, or 640 extra calories per day would make a significant difference to someone already eating 5000 or more calories per day. In most cases it wouldn’t, but that’s not what Mike felt was happening in the real world.

The thing is, most bodybuilders have a high degree of fear about going into insulin shock. So they have a tendency to be somewhat reactive to any change in mental state following an injection. This leads to a much more substantial intake of carbs than simply the 10 grams per IU.

Though this amount of additional carbohydrate does not seem terribly excessive, I was certain that it was the primary reason why insulin users gained a lot of size but also a disproportionate amount of fat. In discussing this with Mike Zumpano, several things occurred to us. First, what was the rationale behind this dosage of carbohydrate? Second, did consuming this amount of carbohydrate have a basis in human biochemistry? And third, was there a more elegant solution that would enable bodybuilders to use insulin safely for anabolic effect but avoid the excessive fat gains that have so far plagued users?

We both felt that there had to be a better way. Human plasma only contains about 5 grams of carbohydrate at any one time. Diabetics that have taken too much insulin can usually get their blood sugar levels back into normal range by consuming as little a five grams (only 20 calories!) of dextrose. IF that was the case, then how did we arrive at the 10-gram per IU rule?

A New and Dangerous Method for "No Fat Gain" Insulin Use

Okay, so maybe it’s not terribly dangerous (provided you do it exactly like I say here), but it takes a hell of a lot of discipline to do it this way. The pay-off is a big muscle gain with a minimal fat gain. Is it worth it? You be the judge.

Here’s the trick; take your insulin, but only follow a LOW CARB DIET. That’s right, LOW. As in less then 50 grams of carbs per day low! Insanity? Let me explain the biochemical rationale and you can decide for yourself.

Here’s the theory. If you aren’t interested in anything except being huge, you can skip this and go right to the meat of the program. But before you do, MAKE SURE YOU READ THE WARNINGS! THIS PROGRAM CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF DONE INCORRECTLY! DON’T MONKEY AROUND WITH THIS. ALSO PLEASE NOTE THAT THE AUTHOR AND THE PUBLISHERS OF THIS E-ZINE WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DEATHS OR INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THEORETICAL APPROACH TO USING INSULIIN FOR MUSCLE GAIN!!! SIMPLY STATED, IF YOU TRY THIS THEORETICAL APPROACH TO INSULIN USE, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MAY SERIOUSLY HARM YOURSELF OR DIE, THUS FORFEITING YOUR RIGHTS TO HOLD ANYONE RESPONSIBLE BUT YOURSELF!

When I became convinced that insulin was preferentially repartitioning carbs into adipose tissue storage, I asked myself if there was some other way to maintain moderate blood sugar with a high degree of stability. My answer was gluconeogenesis. If you look on a biochemical pathways chart (Boehinger’s is my personal favorite), you can clearly see that when hepatic and muscle glycogen stores are depleted, but before the body drops into ketosis, the body begins to convert amino acids into glucose to maintain blood glucose levels. This process is known as gluconeogenesis.

By eating a very low carbohydrate diet, you set the stage for a depletion of hepatic and muscular glycogen stores. This up-regulates the enzymes necessary for rapid and efficient conversion of amino acids (read protein) into glucose. The word gluconeogenesis literally means "the birth of new glucose."

The second half of the equation of course, is protein. If you aren’t eating many carbs, the only way your body can produce glucose is to convert the building blocks of proteins (amino acids) into glucose. This happens to some degree whenever you eat protein, however, when you eat a huge amount of protein, even more glucose is created.

It is the glucose created from excess protein that keeps you off the floor when using insulin on a low carb diet. The thing is, we’re not talking ordinary protein consumption here, we’re talking about taking massive, I mean ludicrously huge, amounts of protein. In fact, any company that sells whey protein should be loving me after I finish this article, because there is no way that you’ll be able to eat the amount of protein that you require to do this correctly from normal food. As an example, you’d need to eat roughly 24 chicken breast a day to get the amount of protein that I found necessary to support the level of gluconeogenesis that you are going to need to use insulin with low carbs safely.

Working with a number of top athletes to refine this program, we discovered that the best strategy was to consume 600 grams of protein from a combination of whey protein and casein, plus one solid meal that contained another 50 to 100 grams of protein, plus some fiber from green leafy vegetables. The remainder of the calories need to come from fats that have no, or at least very little, carbohydrate. This means no nuts…nuts have carbs.

Another thing that you need to remember is that you need to consume a ton of water on this program - somewhere between 1 and a half and 2 gallons every day in addition to the water you get from your protein drinks. Rather then break it up into a drink every 30 minutes to an hour, mix up a 2-quart container with 100 grams of protein and keep a checklist of how many times you empty it each day.

Another thing I’ve heard from the athletes that have used this regimen (aside from how much muscle they gained) was that they started to hate any protein drink they used, no matter how good it tasted when they started. My suggestion is to find the absolute blandest protein that you can possibly find…trust me, it will taste terrible at first, but after a few weeks of slugging it down day in and day out, it will taste less terrible than the tasty drink you used to think you liked.

Another thing that I heard fairly frequently was that not only did people get bigger; they also reported getting significantly stronger. My suspicion is that there was some sort of up-regulation of glycogen storage associated with using insulin and low carbs.

Downsides: probably the worst thing about this is the discipline it requires to consume this much protein day in and day out. Remember though, on this protocol, the only thing keeping you off the floor is your intake of protein. If you use the insulin and don’t maintain adequate protein intake, either you’re going to pass out and get a trip to the hospital, or break down and chow on some carbs to maintain blood sugar. If you do this, you need to stop using the insulin and spend at least a few days carb depleting before you begin the program again.

Remember, this program isn’t for everybody. It is difficult and potentially dangerous and you will need to apply every ounce of discipline you possess to make it through it. However, if you have the will power, the results may be everything you’ve hoped for and more.

[raybravo]

SIDEBAR: Theoretical Approach to Low Carb Insulin Use, Step by Step.

Days one through three: Carb depletion. You need to cut your carbs down to below 100 grams per day. I suggest taking them as low as 50 grams of carbs on day 3. You should also be increasing protein intake from your normal daily protein intake to 450 grams of protein per day.

Days four through 30: Protein needs to be at or above 600 grams per day. Carbs need to be held to less than 100 grams (50 is better) and you should use fats to make up the balance of your daily caloric requirements. As I said, I strongly recommend use of protein powders of mixed composition (Whey and Casein), though you can use some whole foods, too, if you wish. (Just keep in mind that 600 grams of protein from chicken breasts is about 24 chicken breasts a day!)

I recommend 2 insulin injections per day, depending upon when you train. One should be done during your workout, roughly 30 minutes before you’re finished training. The other should be taken either several hours before your workout (for those that train in the afternoon) or several hours after (if you train in the morning).

I suggest starting with a very small dose of insulin (4 IU’s) and gradually increasing it. (By the end of my program I was using 12 IU’s 3 times a day, but by this point I’m convinced that I was becoming somewhat insulin resistant).

It goes without saying that insulin should be injected subcutaneously (which shouldn’t be an issue unless you are also using GH or some other drug with an IV administration protocol. In this case, label stuff so you don’t screw up!)

I suggest that you discontinue the insulin and protein regimen within 26 days making it an even 30 for the entire cycle. If you have results even remotely approximating mine, you should have added 10 or more pounds of serious muscle!

Notes: Especially the first few times you use insulin (and any time you increase your dosage) have a friend monitor you for any signs of impending hypoglycemic event. Have those diabetic glucose or dextrose tabs available (you can find them at any pharmacy). If you find that you are feeling sleepy and dopey after taking the insulin, that’s okay, but be good about self-monitoring. If you start to lose your ability to stay awake, take a glucose tablet.

If you find yourself feeling hungry and alert after taking the insulin, one of two things are happening - either you did not take enough, or especially if it’s later in the cycle, you might be getting insulin resistant. In this case, I strongly suggest that you go off the insulin altogether and even consider a drug to improve insulin sensitivity, such as Rezulin

Lastly, BE CAREFUL. Insulin use is widely recognized as one of the riskiest frontiers of drug aided physique enhancement, and for good reason. If you don’t have the discipline to keep the carbs low and consume the required amount of protein EVERY SINGLE DAY, I suggest you stick to safer and saner methods for growing muscle.

[raybravo]

the no fat gain use of slin above with carb depletion etc is prolly for someone whose toyed around with slin all their life i feel , i posted it just for people to see how diff the slin use techniques can be , make sure the facts are known right .

[raybravo]

http://www.pedsonline.org/tools/nat/Nat14.pdf
that above link shows how to shoot insulin subQ , its good , make sure u have acrobat reader on ur comp though .
the link below is helpful too , for normal general hypo situation . http://www.pedsonline.org/tools/nat/Nat6.pdf

[raybravo]

INSULIN AND THYROID HORMONES
With the huge increases in fat mass often accompanying insulin use, it seems like a simple solution to use thyroid hormone. Unfortunately, this doesn't work out very well. The reason is that thyroid hormone (specifically T3 and possibly T4) increases the amount of the "bad" IGF1-BP's mentioned earlier;IGFBP2 and IGFBP4. This may not seem like a big deal if one is not using drugs to stimulate IGF-1 synthesis, but IGF-1 levels are naturally stimulated through acts like stretching, and even natural testosterone/GH increases. All of these things normally accompany workouts (if you know what you're doing), which is the best time to take insulin. So by having all of the free IGF-1 bound by IGFBP3s' evil siblings, much of the anabolic effect of insulin is lost! Since T3 (triiodothyronine) is the main culprit, does that mean that T4 (tetraiodothyronine) can be used with no detrimental effect? NO, because T4 is mostly effective by converting to T3, which leaves you with the same problem. In fact, T4 could very well do the same thing. So if you want to maximize the anabolic effectiveness of insulin while minimizing bodyfat accumulation, use another fat burner and leave the thyroid alone.

[raybravo]

INSULIN AND CREATINE
These compounds may have an anti-synergistic effect on each other, meaning that the combined effect is less than the sum of the individual effects. This possibility exists due to both components' ability to store water in muscle cells. If only a certain amount of water can be stored in the cells through each mechanism of action, then the anti-synergistic condition would exist. Although this condition is unlikely, it is worth mentioning for future experimentation purposes (lab rats know where to contact me). One definite advantage of this combination is that creatine is best absorbed by the muscles when insulin serum levels are high, insuring maximum effectiveness. BTW-if one is not doing something as fundamental as using creatine, there is no way they should be using insulin (so basically insulin use requires creatine use).

[raybravo]

INSULIN AND FLAX SEED OIL
Short and sweet. Don't use flax seed oil with insulin, because it is fat and *will* be stored. The fat storage rules totally change when insulin is involved (I even avoid vitamin E capsules because mine are oil based).
INSULIN AND CLENBUTEROL UPDATE
This may look like an ideal combination at first, but research has shown why my muscle gains with this combo were minimal. Clen reduces insulin sensitivity, which means that insulin will have a much harder time doing its' anabolic job on muscle tissue. In addition to storing amino acids as muscle, insulin also stores carbs in muscle (which gives a very "full" look to the muscles), which reduced insulin sensitivity also hinders. This is also combined with the fact that clen reduces Glut-4 transporters (which allow glucose passage, and subsequent storage, into muscle) in skeletal muscle which probably accounts for clens' ability to reduce muscle glycogen concentration. On a lighter note, the fat burning effects of clen are potentiated by aspirin and caffeine (through personal experience) but still die off after a few weeks. Overall the only time I would recommend this combination occurs when coming off a cycle and every bit of anabolism is needed, otherwise the two drugs have a bad effect (from an anabolic standpoint) on each other.

[raybravo]

INSULIN AND CAPTOPRIL
Captopril is an angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE)inhibitor. Its' medical function is to reduce blood pressure. The reason it is included here is because it can have great effects with insulin and AS. I wouldn't reccomend captopril to anyone unless you are hypertensive or are using AS, because it can drop blood pressure to a sub-normal level. A reason captopril is so great is because it increases endogenous growth hormone levels, which you know can be amazing, assuming you've read last month's article. Another benefit to captopril is its' decrease in protein urea(protein loss in urine). No other drug I'm aware of, including AS, GH, or insulin, does this. This means that there will be more protein for those other anabolic drugs to assimilate! Another great use of captopril is the fat loss effect it has. For me it removes the necessity of HCA while using insulin (with AS). Although I still use one 250mgs of HCA/day just for good measure, I could probably get away witho!ut it despite the extreme carb intake after a workout. On a more esoteric note, long term captopril use actually prevents the formation of new Alpha2 adregenic receptors, which would further potentiate fat loss. Also, water retention is minimized through captopril use, which ties into the blood pressure effects. A potential risk while using captopril with insulin is that both drugs do a good job of making one tired/sleepy. Add in a late night, high intensity workout and you'rer ready for bedtime. One can NOT fall asleep while using insulin or you would experience all of the dangerous side effects associated with its' use. A final warning about captopril is that it increases the retention of potassium which makes hyperkalemia (too much potassium)a possibility. Unexcessive intake of this electrolyte should allow for avoidance of any problems in most people. This stack really doesn't have any problems associated with it, as long as common sense is used. It is merely a matter !of responsibility to point out every potential problem, sim!ply so it can be avoided. It should be noted that beta agonists and even working out increase proteinurea.

[raybravo]

STATEMENT ABOUT PERMANENT INSULIN DEPENDANCE
This potential side effect has been WAY too hyped by the anti-insulin propogandists. The idea of your own pancreas shutting down insulin production due to exogenous use is silly, and requires massive irresponsible use over extended time periods. Using myself as an example, I've been using insulin for 7 months straight. "WHAT?! Why did my pancreas not explode long ago?" You ask. For a simple reason: responsible use. I think that peoples fear of becoming dependant on insulin stems from minor knowledge about the testosterone feedback loop and AS cycles. Another part of this moronic recipe is peoples'ignorance about their own body and that brilliant bull**** anti-insulin propaganda. Quick lesson. Your body(beta cells of the pancreas)produces insulin in response to increased serum glucose levels, specific amino acids etc. As long as you don't shut this mechanism down from exogenous insulin use for long periods of time there should be no pr!oblems(unless you're ****ed to begin with). This means that you'd have to use insulin for 12 hours a day(3 perfectly spaced out shots)for over three months while insuring that you are not stimulating endogenous insulin production. Only a moron could do this which makes me wonder why it doesn't happen all the time). Another problem could arise if one uses an insulin shot every day at the same time for months on end. For example if one did a shot upon arising for many months, prior to eating. After a while the body would become conditioned(due to external/internal cues) to not produce insulin at that time. [note:I used morning insulin shots for 4 months without adverse effects] This situation could be easily remedied by tapering down the dosage of insulin over a period of weeks (although I hesitate to make the connection with AS). The bottom line is that using insulin before/after workouts for any length of time will not shut down the beta cells for long enough to cause this !problem. Remember that the beta cells are normally shut do!wn for at least 8 hours a day, while
sleeping, and this happens for 80 years without adverse effect.

[raybravo]

there is an article on "ar" is where i got most stuff from which is posted above . i strongly suggest u look for it in the educational threads there .

[raybravo]

Originally posted by raybravo
STATEMENT ABOUT PERMANENT INSULIN DEPENDANCE
. The bottom line is that using insulin before/after workouts for any length of time will not shut down the beta cells for long enough to cause this !problem. Remember that the beta cells are normally shut do!wn for at least 8 hours a day, while
sleeping, and this happens for 80 years without adverse effect.
i wish someone who's experienced comments on this . i'm gonna pm the writer of this article and ask him for more details too .

[raybravo]

graph showing peaking times of diff slin types .

[SHOT]

Nice Insulin Read (post #1)

(Retrieved from Flex 101)

here some good info I jacked!lol have fun

A number of researchers have declared Insulin to be “the greatest anabolic hormone,” which makes the control of Insulin secretion a matter of great interest to bodybuilders who train drug-free. We don’t want to insult your intelligence, but before we discuss this hormone’s anabolic properties, it must be said here and now that if you are not an Insulin-dependent diabetic, Insulin injections can kill you. Some athletes have tried injections and almost died. Insulin can make you weak, or it can make you strong. It can make you fat, or it can make you lean. The key to making it work for you is to learn to control your body’s secretion of it.

Form & Function

This vital and powerful element’s role is to make nutrients in the bloodstream available to body tissues. Even in healthy individuals, abnormality in Insulin secretions brought on by poor eating habits and lack of exercise may cause serious metabolic disorders. For example, prolonged poor eating habits can result in type II diabetes accompanied by obesity or, on the other end of the continuum, hypoglycemia. In understanding the roll Insulin plays in health & weight management, it would be a good idea to have a six-hour-fasted blood sugar test performed to ensure that your Insulin secretions are healthy (The normal range for fasted blood sugar is between 70 and 110 mg/dcl.).

To help you further understand how Insulin functions, here is a simplified explanation of a process that is otherwise quite complicated. Your body breaks down all ingested carbohydrates into simple sugars in your small intestine. These simple sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream and enter the liver. The liver converts them into glucose, the body’s only usable form of simple sugar. This glucose is then introduced back into the bloodstream.

The bloodstream’s capacity for glucose is about 80 calories. When the newly ingested glucose raises the blood sugar level in excess of this capacity, the pancreas releases Insulin into the bloodstream to transport the excess glucose to body tissues. This excess glucose is said to be “Insulin-carried.” Insulin must be present for the uptake of glucose in all body tissues except the brain.

The first stop for this Insulin-carried glucose is the liver, where it is stored as glycogen. The liver has the potential to store about 300 to 400 calories of glycogen. When the liver stores are filled and there is still excess Insulin-carried glucose present in the blood, the next stop, if there is recovery taking place due to resistance exercise, is the muscle tissue.

If there is still more Insulin-carried blood glucose after the liver and muscle tissue have taken in all they can handle, the excess will be rapidly stored in extramuscular fat cells. *It is worth mentioning at this point that the liver and muscle tissues take up Insulin-carried glucose quite gradually as opposed to the way it is rapidly taken up into fat cells.

Insulin & Amino Acids

Another of Insulin’s less understood functions is that it must be present to open “Insulin receptor sites” in muscle. This allows amino acids to move into the tissue fibers and serve as building blocks for repair and growth. Insulin release into the blood is not stimulated by eating proteins, however. You can ensure that Insulin will be present for amino acid uptake which is essential for protein synthesis, by taking in sufficient amounts of carbohydrates along with your complete proteins.

If you do not eat often enough - that is to say, if your meals are more than about four hours apart your Insulin, amino acid, and blood sugar levels will gradually drop off. Since there won’t be any Insulin present, anabolism or growth, will cease until such a time as you take in adequate complex carbohydrates and complete proteins to again cause an appropriate amount of Insulin release to open muscle receptor sites.

Anabolism is most effective when Insulin is continually present, which allows for the continual uptake of glucose and amino acids by the recovering muscle tissue. The most effective way to make this happen is by ingesting complete proteins and sufficient amounts of complex carbohydrates frequently throughout the day. This will cause the body to release moderate amounts of Insulin. Since amino acids remain available in the blood for protein synthesis for only three to four hours, you should take in complete proteins and complex carbs every three to four hours. Thus, when you’re working to build muscle, it is essential to time your meals in order for Insulin to be present and anabolism to steadily continue.

If you don’t eat enough complex carbs in each meal, your blood sugar levels may not be high enough to stimulate Insulin release and anabolism cannot occur even in the presence of abundant amounts of complete proteins.

On the other hand, if you take in too many carbohydrates in your meals, you’ll release too much Insulin, and the muscles will be provided with more Insulin-carried glucose than they can handle. This surplus of over-ingested glucose will be rapidly stored in fat cells.

If you take in simple sugars, your blood sugar will rise too fast, causing an over-release of Insulin. This overabundance of Insulin will quickly remove almost all glucose from the blood stream. Since liver and muscle tissue takes up glucose gradually, and fat deposits are stored more rapidly, most of this Insulin-carried glucose will end up in fat cells. Your blood sugar level and subsequently, your Insulin level will drop, and anabolism will stop until you once again ingest adequate complex carbohydrates and complete proteins.

Optimal Insulin Secretions

Consulting a glycemic index chart may help you achieve optimal Insulin secretions. The index classifies carbohydrates based on their absorption rate into the bloodstream. You need to keep this absorption rate as low as possible to avoid the aforementioned over-release of Insulin. Even though certain natural healthy food such as potatoes and carrots are simple sugars and rate somewhat high on this index, you can still eat them as long as you combine them with other low-glycemic-index carbs. This will act to offset or 'compromise' their combined rate of absorption.

The index rates foods on a scale of 0 to 110 - the higher the number, the faster the absorption rate. Ingesting soluble fiber will also act to slow absorption. Soluble fiber is present in almost all natural complex carbohydrates. It is also important to note that intense training opens muscle tissue Insulin receptor sites, which makes it unnecessary to ingest large amounts of carbohydrates for Insulin presence prior to and during resistance training.

Energy Crash Course

The prolonged absence of resistance exercise causes muscle tissue to become relatively inactive, especially the mitochondrial components. This simply means that, in time, the mitochondria may no longer know how to efficiently use glucose energy after a workout. Even in the presence of Insulin, untrained muscle receptor sites may fail to take up glucose efficiently. This is generally the case in the beginning weight trainer.

During the first week of training you must immediately provide these mitochondria with what they need the most for energy replenishment after an exercise session-glucose. After you finish working out, perform some sort of activity at about 50 percent of your maximum heart rate for 10 to 15 minutes while you ingest from 80 to 200 calories of simple sugar. This may seem a little unorthodox, but it is physiologically sound. Your blood glucose levels will dramatically increase within five to seven minutes stimulating the release of Insulin and opening muscle tissue receptor sites. Since it is a physiological fact that *1) fat from adipose tissue (extramuscular fat) cannot be stored and released at the same time, and *2) fatty acids and glycerol from adipose tissue must be released from fat cells during the performance of exercises, the new Insulin-carried glucose you've ingested cannot be taken up by fat cells as long as you perform the activity.

In light of these facts, this new Insulin-carried glucose has no other choice but to be driven directly into the post-workout depleted muscle tissues, where it is forced-fed to the mitochondria. After a few workouts you can stop ingesting simple sugar during the post-workout activity. Insulin will have provided the once sedentary muscle tissue with a crash course in energy uptake.

As you can see, intense training and three square meals a day just aren’t enough if you’re after rapid gains in muscle mass. Insulin control is paramount.

[SHOT]

I got this from a good bro from bolex SFZILLA he was kind enough to e-mail this to me....so all props to him...and to Flex from bolex who sent me to him...and to JP who sent me to Flex...so im kiss all kinda ass in this post lol

I'll give you two ways and you can choose or HELL--- miss the
two. But let me state, some will disagree with my ways--- but
trust me--- even Chad Nicholls and Milos advise their clients of
something VERY similar.

1. doing insulin daily will make you insensitive to it's effects
2. insulin is best when used after workout
3. second best time is morning
4. to stave off hypo-- take in minimum 10grams of carbs per iu
of slin.
5. I prefer Humulin R (out in 4 hours or less)-- rapid peak
6. When you do a shot of slin--- get your initial carbs within
5-10 minutes later (prefer liquid or fruit) and then a meal with
SLOWER releasing carbs an hour later.
7. I would start with 5iu and work up to 12-15iu if you want.

Here's PLAN #1
eat normal prior to w/out
after w/out--- take 5iu of Humulin R
5 minutes later-- take in 50grams of liquid carbs and 50grams
protein--> NO FAT (as little as possible)
45 minutes later-- take in another 100grams of carbs from
rice/yams/potato etc... and another 50grams of protein (2 chix
breasts)--> NO FAT (as little as possible)
continue to eat every 2.5 hours....

Here's PLAN #2
do the above PLAN #1 EVERYTIME you workout
pick 2 days (I prefer the days following my more TROUBLESOME
bodyparts) to use Humulin R in the morning
SAME DEAL with food timing as above....
take slin first thing with liquid carbs and protein
EAT 45 minutes later... etc.....

IF at anytime during the day you feel lightheaded, sweaty, cold
flashes WHILE HOT, blurry eyed--- drink some juice or soda (not
diet)--- you may have symptoms of going into hypo. With the
level of insulin you'll be using--- this will prolly NEVER
HAPPEN. But if it does--- it will pass in 4-5 minutes of
injesting some liquid carbs.

You will be pleased with the results.
Good luck: zilla

[SHOT]

We have to be carefull takin ALA with slin as well... since r-ALA's JOB is to reduce
blood sugar... insulin DOES THE SAME.... so WHO KNOWS what kinda
reaction you may have (could be ZERO--- could be a SEVERE blood
sugar crash!!!!!)

I say drop the r-ALA and try insulin 3-4 days later.
MUCH more effective for growth.
If you're taking ALA to cut-up----- then different story.

[raybravo]

Why Insulin works:
Androgen/Insulin Synergy
By Michalovich Greutstein
Should anabolics be used with insulin or is it best to use insulin while off steroids in order to hold onto muscle mass?
We are going to demonstrate that they have to be used together. We will also try to provide some clues about their respective contribution to the synergy both hormones create. This will help us to handle both drugs better.
Here are some general observations:
It is safe to conclude something else is needed to uncover the full anabolic effect of steriods.The hormone which is the most affected by a high calorie or by a low calorie diet is insulin.Also, heavy anabolics users know that past a certain amount of anabolics adding insulin will make a big difference as far as muscle gains are concerned.Insulin is thus a strong candidate as a potentiator of anabolic steroids (which we will indiscriminately refer to as androgens, steroids or anabolics).Furthermore, studies performed in trained dogs have shown a lack of insulin completely negates the anabolic effects of anabolics on protein synthesis.There are some easy hypotheses such as a possible androgen receptor upregulation, a stimulation of androgen secretion, an antiaromatase effect arising from insulin. But, there is still something missing.
Using anabolics plus insulin will not make you much bigger unless you weight train. The synergy can only be realized if insulin + steroids + training are present. What is the link between those three factors?
A very likely candidate is an enzyme called insulinase. As its name implies, it is an enzyme responsible for the destruction of insulin. But we are going to see it does much more than that.
It is found inside many tissues of the body, particularly in muscle. What science is telling us is that insulinase is essential for insulin to provide its anti-catabolic effect on our muscles. It is also likely that insulinase is able to multiply the anabolic effects of androgens. It's worth repeating: insulin cannot stop protein catabolism without insulinase and the effects of steroids are potentiated by insulinase. It sure looks good.
Androgens are very powerful stimulators of the muscle protein synthesis rate. On the other hand, the muscle gains provided by androgens do not match this elevation in synthesis. steroids promote anabolism to a much higher rate than they make our muscles grow.
The reason for this discrepancy is that they also stimulate protein degradation. I know many people think they are anti-catabolic, but it is not the case. Anabolics stimulate protein turnover. This means they increase both synthesis and degradation of proteins. They are simply more effective at stimulating synthesis than degradation, which is why they make our muscles grow but not at a super fast rate. Look at how long it takes to grow huge muscles. If androgens were stimulating synthesis while inhibiting degradation, one would grow very, very quickly.
This is where insulin comes in. As we said, it mostly reduces protein degradation rate. It might stimulate protein synthesis right after training, but this effect is very limited in duration. Ideally, using insulin along with steroids would allow us to accelerate synthesis (thanks to anabolics) and reduce degradation (thanks to insulin). This is the best way to grow muscle fast.
Unfortunately, as both insulin and anabolics need insulinase to work better, they will compete against each other for this enzyme. For natural athletes, the supply of muscle insulinase should roughly meet the demand. Now if you add anabolics, there will be less insulinase for insulin. If you do not take too high a dose of steroids, the level of insulinase should still be sufficient to allow a fair insulin-induced anti-catabolism.
But as you take more steroids, the insulinase available for insulin will be lower and lower.
Insulin will lose its anti-catabolic effect. As it will still bind some insulinase, the enzyme availability for steroids will not be optimal either. Anabolics will lose some of their potency.
What is important to understand is that past a certain dose, anabolics will provide their own antidote against muscle growth. The only solution (beside using less steroids) is to increase insulinase level.
At least two factors can accomplish this feat:
The first one is insulin itself. The higher the insulin level is in a target organ (muscle for example) the higher the insulinase level will be. You would expect that the body would detect the shortage of insulinase for insulin and so produce more insulin (or more insulinase).
Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case. While insulinase is crucial for the anti-catabolic effect of insulin, it does not seem as important for glucose disposal.
Insulin's main function is not to assist in muscle growth but to control glucose homeostasis. As a result, it is likely our body does not really care about a relative shortage of insulinase. In any case, we are left with a less than optimal equilibrium. It is up to the bodybuilder to react to this imbalance.
One way of increasing insulin secretion is to eat more, but you can only do so up to a point. You cannot increase your carb intake in parallel with the amount of *******s without getting too fat. Another solution is to use drugs to add or to stimulate insulin secretion. This way you get the insulin without the excess of calories.
In any case you now understand why steroids work better while on a high calorie diet while they lose their potency during a diet or a shortage of insulin.
Here is a way of "artificially increasing insulin level": One dose of long acting insulin first thing in the morning (this is the only injection). Before each meal (except the pre-workout one), take a sulfonylurea (an oral anti-diabetic drug which will boost food induced insulin secretion ). I like Glipizide because of its short half-life. In case you experience hypoglycemia, you know it will not last. This is the main problem with the long acting sulfonylureas. When you are hypoglycemic, you try to compensate by absorbing carbs. But the drug will make your pancreas secrete even more insulin before the carbs can hit the blood. It makes the hypoglycemia worse - not better.
In case of problems, make sure you get some ready-to-inject Glucagon (sold as "insulin emergency kits" in drugstores). An additional benefit of the Glipizide is that it induces the release of GH on top of insulin which is beneficial for non diabetics.
This is a nice way to fix the reduced anticatabolic property of insulin. Unfortunately, this will not yet provide the optimal amount of insulinase to have steroids work better.
We said that training was the third key ingredient in this synergy. This is because training can stimulate insulinase activity. Not any exercise will do. The traumatic ones inducing muscle soreness are the most effective. It is the factors inducing soreness which will trigger this increase in insulinase.
On the other hand, you do not want to create too much soreness as it will temporarily reduce the effects of insulin and androgens by impairing their effects at the level of their respective receptors. What you want is mild but frequent soreness along with some very frequent pumping sessions.
Do not forget both androgens and insulin circulate in the blood. The more blood you get into the muscles (and the longer it stays), the more your muscles will be "drenched" in those two hormones. Please note that insulinase is produced locally in the trained muscles only. It does not circulate into the blood.

[raybravo]

Originally posted by SHOT
We have to be carefull takin ALA with slin as well... since r-ALA's JOB is to reduce
blood sugar... insulin DOES THE SAME.... so WHO KNOWS what kinda
reaction you may have (could be ZERO--- could be a SEVERE blood
sugar crash!!!!!)

I say drop the r-ALA and try insulin 3-4 days later.
MUCH more effective for growth.
If you're taking ALA to cut-up----- then different story.
if ure taking ala to cut up thats another story ? he means what by this ?
also , who knows what kinda reaction u will have by using both together is a lil vague bro , cos we are using ala in moderate levels here ,and since the newbie is starting out at low levels , quite unlikely he'll have an adverse reaction .

[raybravo]

ok ,now we all know how chad talks of using fructose over dextrose , i asked jguns ,the mod from cutting edge muscle , one of the most knowledgable bros i know about this , he replied excellently with these studies . this is what he wrote
"From what I can tell, fructose is better for liver glycogen repletion rather than skeletal muscle glycogen repletion, which is what we are going for when using slin.

Regulation of glycogen resynthesis following exercise. Dietary considerations.

Friedman JE, Neufer PD, Dohm GL.

Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina.

With the cessation of exercise, glycogen repletion begins to take place rapidly in skeletal muscle and can result in glycogen levels higher than those present before exercise. Understanding the rate-limiting steps that regulate glycogen synthesis will provide us with strategies to increase the resynthesis of glycogen during recovery from exercise, and thus improve performance. Given the importance of muscle glycogen to endurance performance, various factors which may optimise glycogen resynthesis rate and insure complete restoration have been of interest to both the scientist and athlete. The time required for complete muscle glycogen resynthesis after prolonged moderate intensity exercise is generally considered to be 24 hours provided approximately 500 to 700g of carbohydrate is ingested. Muscle glycogen synthesis rate is highest during the first 2 hours after exercise. Ingestion of 0.70g glucose/kg bodyweight every 2 hours appears to maximise glycogen resynthesis rate at approximately 5 to 6 mumol/g wet weight/h during the first 4 to 6 hours after exhaustive exercise. Further enhancement of glycogen resynthesis rate with ingestion of greater than 0.70g glucose/kg bodyweight appears to be limited by the constraints imposed by gastric emptying. Ingestion of glucose or sucrose results in similar muscle glycogen resynthesis rates while glycogen synthesis in liver is better served with the ingestion of fructose. Also, increases in muscle glycogen content during the first 4 to 6 hours after exercise are greater with ingestion of simple as compared with complex carbohydrate. Glycogen synthase activity is a key component in the regulation of glycogen resynthesis. Glycogen synthase enzyme exists in 2 states: the less active, more phosphorylated (D) form which is under allosteric control of glucose-6-phosphate, and the more active, less phosphorylated (I) form which is independent of glucose-6-phosphate. There is generally an inverse relationship between glycogen content in muscle and the percentage synthase in the activated (I) form. Exercise and insulin by themselves activate glycogen synthase by conversion to glycogen synthase I. Although small changes in the activity ratio (% I form) can lead to large changes in the rate of glycogen synthesis, glycogen synthase I appears to increase very little (approximately 25%) in response to glycogen depletion and returns to pre-exercise levels as glycogen levels return to normal. Thus glycogen resynthesis, which may increase 3- to 5-fold, may also be influenced by glucose-6-phosphate, which can activate glycogen synthase in the D form.(



Also:

Effects of glucose or fructose feeding on glycogen repletion in muscle and liver after exercise or fasting.

Conlee RK, Lawler RM, Ross PE.

In athletics, muscle and liver glycogen content is critical to endurance. This study compared the effectiveness of glucose and fructose feeding on restoring glycogen content after glycogen was decreased by exercise (90-min swim) or fasting (24 h). After 2 h of recovery from either exercise or fasting there was no measurable glycogen repletion in red vastus lateralis muscle in response to fructose. In contrast, glucose feeding induced a similar and significant carbohydrate storage after both depletion treatments (8.44 mumol X g-1 X 2 h-1). In the liver, following 2 h of recovery, the rates of glycogen storage were similar after either glucose or fructose ingestion, but fasting caused a greater rate of repletion (83 mumol X g-1 X 2 h-1) than exercise (50 mumol X g-1 X 2 h-1). After 4 h of recovery fructose-fed exercised animals had the highest glycogen concentration (165 mumol X g-1) followed by the glucose-fed exercised group (119 mumol X g-1). These values were 50 and 36%, respectively, of that measured in the normal-fed liver (327 mumol X g-1). In contrast, liver glycogen values in the fasted group decreased between the 2nd and 4th hour of recovery in response to both feeding regimens.

From these results we conclude that fructose is a poor nutritional precursor for rapid glycogen restoration in muscle after exercise, but that both glucose and fructose promote rapid accumulation of glycogen in the liver."

[raybravo]

The Crucial Role of the Friend or Peer Observer: If you are going to use insulin, it is essential that you have a friend or peer observer remain with you in case you experience problems. This person really needs to be with you for the whole time while the insulin preparation used is working.
Be aware that the risk of hypoglycemia occurs not at the time of insulin injection but rather, when the insulin starts to take effect. The risk will be greatest when your insulin blood level nears or reaches its highest level, usually 30-60 minutes afterwards if a short acting insulin preparation is used (by subcutaneous injection) and up to 20 hours later if a long acting insulin is used.
Consider giving this paper to the person who is going to be with you when you use insulin, so they are aware of the things to look out for and what to do if you should experience a hypoglycemic reaction. The following instructions are for a peer observer or other person who may find you experiencing difficulty as a result of overdosing on insulin or any other drug or combination of drugs:
Instructions for the Peer Observer Assisting an Insulin User: If the person who has used insulin states that they are beginning to feel any of the following symptoms: faintness, dizziness, thirst, hunger, nausea, weakness, sweating, or if you observe that they have become: confused, disorientated, sweaty, drowsy, you should immediately give them glucose or a sugar containing drink or food as mentioned above. However, you should not try to give a person food or fluids if they are so drowsy that they are unable to swallow it, since they will be at risk of accidentally breathing in (aspirating) this food or fluid. If they cannot readily respond to your questions or your commands, you should assume they are unable to swallow anything safely.
If the person loses consciousness, you should place them in either a "lateral" or "coma" position, tilting the head fully back and jaw forward, in order to ensure an open airway and protect them from possible aspiration. Keep them in this position while medical assistance is being sought.
You should then immediately call an ambulance by dialing "911", to get them to a hospital without any delay whatsoever. When the ambulance arrives, you should tell the ambulance officers exactly what the person has taken and what you have observed so the correct treatment can be provided promptly. This is essential as the person's life may be at stake.
Severe hypoglycemia or a combination of alcohol and other drugs, particularly drugs which suppress the central nervous system, can cause a person to stop breathing and their heart to stop beating. Remember, it only takes a few minutes for someone to suffer permanent brain damage or to die, once they stop breathing.
There are several common signs which may be apparent in someone who has overdosed from one or a combination of drugs. These include: very slow or shallow breathing or no breathing at all (listen close to the person's mouth and nose for breath sounds and look for movement of their chest wall); snoring or gurgling breathing in someone who is asleep; blue lips and fingernails (caused by lack of oxygen); no response to shaking, calling their name or pain (try pinching their earlobe and pressing down hard on one of their fingernails with a pen); very slow, faint pulse or no pulse at all.
What To Do in the Event of an Overdose: stay calm; squeeze earlobe/ press on fingernail of person in an effort to arouse them; if person responds, try to walk them around; if no response, check person's breathing and pulse; if unconscious but breathing, place in lateral or coma position; call an ambulance by dialing 911, they will give you advice on what to do, which might include: if there is a pulse but the person is not breathing, start artificial respiration, otherwise known as Expired Airways Resuscitation (EAR), without delay; if no pulse, start cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR); stay with the person, continuing to administer artificial respiration or CPR until the ambulance arrives. Keep them in the lateral or coma position if they are breathing on their own; tell the ambulance officers exactly what they may have taken and what you have observed.
The writer would like to emphasize once more that this paper should in no way be construed as an encouragement to people to use insulin in an effort to increase muscle mass, sports performance or appearance. Rather, it represents a pragmatic attempt at providing harm reduction advice to people who choose to take the risk of using insulin in this way, despite their knowledge of those risks.

[SHOT]

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