Hairloss is the least of my concerns right now :-(

[vipergts]

Hey guys,

I have been battling hairloss for nearly 6 years now and have been steadily losing the war. I have also been an avid bodybuilder with nearly 14 years of experience. In the last 12 months hairloss had destroyed my life and sanity. All I would think about was how ugly I would look as a NW6 and how all the treatments were letting me down.

To compensate for the hairloss I started to concentrate more and more on further improving my physique. Going to the gym and hitting the weights was always the highlight of my day and actually made me snap out of my hairloss depression. Well over the last few months I felt that many of my old bodybuilding injuries were steadily getting worse and worse. My whole workouty routine would be based around which joint "hurt" the least. I had to end so many workouts prematurely, not because my muscles were tired but because my joints would crack and hurt like hell. If you are into bodybuilding you know what I am referring to - the BAD type of pain!
A few weeks ago I went to 2 different orthopedic surgeons and was dignosed with severe tendonitis and arthiritis in both elbows and knees (chondromalacia patellar) and hip bursitis in both my hips. They noted that a lot of my cartilage was gone and I needed arthroscopy to get this addressed. They also said that damaged cartilage can never be repaired/replaced and I would need to eventually quit lifting weights altogether! As you guys can imagine, I am devastated by this news. Here is yet another physical problem that modern medicine cannot fix. For crying out loud this is the 21st cenntury! The doctor's best advice was to take advil, ice all my joint and seriously consider surgery for my knees and elbows. I cannot express in words how demoralised I am right now. 14 years of hardwork in the gym, only to end up like a cripple. Now I am destined to go bald and have a shitty physique. I feel horrible! And by the way I am only 30 years old :dunno:

 

[antonio666]

feel for you man ,after all them years working out and all the effort youi might lose that as well ,plus hair loss,hope things get better

 

[Guest]

Hey guys,

I have been battling hairloss for nearly 6 years now and have been steadily losing the war. I have also been an avid bodybuilder with nearly 14 years of experience. In the last 12 months hairloss had destroyed my life and sanity. All I would think about was how ugly I would look as a NW6 and how all the treatments were letting me down.

To compensate for the hairloss I started to concentrate more and more on further improving my physique. Going to the gym and hitting the weights was always the highlight of my day and actually made me snap out of my hairloss depression. Well over the last few months I felt that many of my old bodybuilding injuries were steadily getting worse and worse. My whole workouty routine would be based around which joint "hurt" the least. I had to end so many workouts prematurely, not because my muscles were tired but because my joints would crack and hurt like hell. If you are into bodybuilding you know what I am referring to - the BAD type of pain!
A few weeks ago I went to 2 different orthopedic surgeons and was dignosed with severe tendonitis and arthiritis in both elbows and knees (chondromalacia patellar) and hip bursitis in both my hips. They noted that a lot of my cartilage was gone and I needed arthroscopy to get this addressed. They also said that damaged cartilage can never be repaired/replaced and I would need to eventually quit lifting weights altogether! As you guys can imagine, I am devastated by this news. Here is yet another physical problem that modern medicine cannot fix. For crying out loud this is the 21st cenntury! The doctor's best advice was to take advil, ice all my joint and seriously consider surgery for my knees and elbows. I cannot express in words how demoralised I am right now. 14 years of hardwork in the gym, only to end up like a cripple. Now I am destined to go bald and have a shitty physique. I feel horrible! And by the way I am only 30 years old :dunno:

It could be worse, you could be only almost 25 and pretty damn bald on top + short like me. And you could only have 4 fingers on your right hand like me... hair or no hair, I'll always be considered different because I have only 9 fingers. So consider yourself lucky in some sense.

 

[wendal]

That sux man. If I were you I'd still keep a fit bod. Swim, do some light cardio that's easy on the joints, eat right etc. Big muscles are over rated, just stay in good shape. If you have concluded that your hairloss battle is a lost cause, why don't you just get a transplant? I know they are pricey but no more so than all the money you spend every year on hairloss prevention products.

 

[vipergts]

Hi Wendal,

I can't get a hair transplant right now because I am a very diffuse thinner. I am diffusing all over my crown so I am not sure how a hair transplant would work. Once I have a rather big baldspot I will consider an hair transplant. The other problem with a hair transplant is that you are limited to the number of donar hair; I know that eventually I will end up being at least a NW5 so a hair transplant is only a temporary fix and not a permanent solution. I will continue waiting for HM to become a reality. Anyhow I am so consumed by my other physical problems right now that hair loss is not really bothering me that much.

Viper

That sux man. If I were you I'd still keep a fit bod. Swim, do some light cardio that's easy on the joints, eat right etc. Big muscles are over rated, just stay in good shape. If you have concluded that your hairloss battle is a lost cause, why don't you just get a transplant? I know they are pricey but no more so than all the money you spend every year on hairloss prevention products.

 

[s.a.f]

Viper how extreme were your workouts and how often? It sounds like you must have spent some serious time at the gym to get so badly burned out.
I have been working out since I was 19 (33 now) and find that 3 sessions a wk just 10 sets each time works pretty well for me.

 

[Renegade]

I feel deeply for you man. This is also one of my biggest fears. I also wonder what kind of lifting / injuries occurred.

So are you/Doctor saying that, even absent any injuries, joints will eventually just "wear out" one day from all the weighlifting. I am 28 right now and my joints feel great, even though I have also been lifting for 14 years. A couple of years ago, I did notice that my joints were starting to hurt a little more when I tried to lift heavy but since starting MSM 3000 mg, this has ceased. One of the most under-rated supplements out there in my opinion (even though most doctor's would scoff at it, I say fock em - most are under the heavy influence of big pharma).

Working out has been the single-most important activity in my life. It of course improves our appearance, but also has been invaluable in battling my depression/anxiety (no medication on the market to date can substitute for my "gym time.") I would also be devastated if I had to stop. Maybe see a PT or another specialist other than an orthropod. I bet If you were playing NFL or something, they'd find a way to get you operational! I sincerely hope you can get a better prognosis.

-Best wishes.

 

[vipergts]

Thanks for the suggestions Renegade! It's certainly very tought to deal with. To be honest it's a game of genetics; they simply dictate what you will be able to do in life (at least physically). Arthiristis and poor joint health runs on my mom's side of the family so I guess I inherited it from her. I am trying to stay positive thinking of all the other ailments that I could have suffered from, but it's still hard. The absolute worst part is telling others (especially women) that I have arthiritis in my elbows, knees and hips and watching their reaction. I have started hearing comments like "But how can that be you workout right, that's supposed to make you stronger" or "You are too young to have poor joints". Just a few years ago I was benching and squatting 100's of pounds and now I can barely stand 10 minutes in one spot (my knees just start hurting real bad). A word of advice to all bodybuilders (recreational or otherwise): please DO NOT overdo it! I know when the adrelenin is pumping and the music blasting and the creatine/caffeine/No2 masking all the pain we tend to push ourselves. But please remember that you need your joints for life. Take it easy with the weights.

Viper

I feel deeply for you man. This is also one of my biggest fears. I also wonder what kind of lifting / injuries occurred.

So are you/Doctor saying that, even absent any injuries, joints will eventually just "wear out" one day from all the weighlifting. I am 28 right now and my joints feel great, even though I have also been lifting for 14 years. A couple of years ago, I did notice that my joints were starting to hurt a little more when I tried to lift heavy but since starting MSM 3000 mg, this has ceased. One of the most under-rated supplements out there in my opinion (even though most doctor's would scoff at it, I say fock em - most are under the heavy influence of big pharma).

Working out has been the single-most important activity in my life. It of course improves our appearance, but also has been invaluable in battling my depression/anxiety (no medication on the market to date can substitute for my "gym time.") I would also be devastated if I had to stop. Maybe see a PT or another specialist other than an orthropod. I bet If you were playing NFL or something, they'd find a way to get you operational! I sincerely hope you can get a better prognosis.

-Best wishes.

 

[Itsonlyinmyhead]

Dude that sucks, maybe you should switch to cardio.
I fucked up my knee 10 years ago and both my shoulders 5 years ago, now it hurts to workout, I have slight tendonitis in my shoulders and to be quite honest I dont work out anymore, I play alot more sports, and I run which isnt good for my knee but it keeps me lean

 

[FabioM]

Vipergts feel sorry for you man, and i will take your advice sriously.

I bodybuild too, but i feel well, no problems with my joints and i´ve been weighlifting since 17 (i am almost 25). I always use "progressive adaptation", i increase the weight when i´m confident i can handle it.

For example i pay alot of attention when doing squats, i increase the weight by 5kgs each set and try to adapt to that weight no matter if it takes a month to adapt.

 

[Maxpwr]

Man, that's f*cked! Tendonitis and arthritis is probably the worst news you could receive as a bodybuilder, especially both knees and elbows... I suppose that is the end of your mass building then? That's a harsh blow, I know how tendonitis feels - not good at all!

Assuming you've been bodybuilding for 14 years, you'd be fairly muscular and lean right now, yeah? Is there a possibility you can just train enough to maintain what you do have? Of course it wouldn't be much of a consolation, but at least you wouldn't lose the physique you've already worked so hard to create.

Would swimming and cycling still be an option? Can you even train at all still?

Hope you can find a way to work through this

 

[vipergts]

Yes, I am going to try and switch to swimming as my cardio workout...stairclimber and running are a no go. You mentioned that your knee got injured a while back, did it ever recover?

Dude that sucks, maybe you should switch to cardio.
I f***** up my knee 10 years ago and both my shoulders 5 years ago, now it hurts to workout, I have slight tendonitis in my shoulders and to be quite honest I dont work out anymore, I play alot more sports, and I run which isnt good for my knee but it keeps me lean

 

[vipergts]

FabioM, that's good to know that your joints are in great shape. I feel that as long as you stay between the 8-12 rep range, use PERFECT form (no swaying, leaning, etc) and maintain a perfect diet you'll be fine . Ironically squats were my all time favorites simply because of the number of muscles it employs, unfortunately I doubt i will be doing them until my knees improve.

Viper

Vipergts feel sorry for you man, and i will take your advice sriously.

I bodybuild too, but i feel well, no problems with my joints and i´ve been weighlifting since 17 (i am almost 25). I always use "progressive adaptation", i increase the weight when i´m confident i can handle it.

For example i pay alot of attention when doing squats, i increase the weight by 5kgs each set and try to adapt to that weight no matter if it takes a month to adapt.

 

[FabioM]

Yeah,squats seems to be very hard on the body.

Maybe it´s the heaviest exercise for your spine and joints but i think if doing it with perfect form then there wont be problems, at least i want to believe so.

I hope you recover. Perhaps a little bit of phisioteraphy or swimming or even flexibility exercices might help you no?

 

[vipergts]

Max,

Right you are. Tendonitis results in this stabbing feeling in the joint while arthiritis causes a dull and consistent pain that gets worse with exertion. Like you said I am just focusing on maintaining what I have right now. Traditionally I used to bulk in the winter and cut in the summer. But right now I am about 6'1, 195 pounds with about 9 percent bf so I am pretty lean. They have a great injury support group on bodybuilding.com that's really keping me going right now. You would be suprised at how many young guys are injuring themselves these days. This battle is not too different from hairloss, i.e there are no easy fixes and you need to try a few options before opting for surgery (which could give varying results). The big difference is that if you REALLY wanted to cover up your hairloss you could use a good hair system and forget about it. With joint damage there is no "cosmetic coverup" or magic pill, you just use the RICE method combined with PT and if that does not work you need to get surgery done.

I know hairloss can be a b**ch to deal with but trust me guys there are WORSE things out there that could happen to you. Be healthy and don't let hairloss or anything else bring you down.

Man, that's f*cked! Tendonitis and arthritis is probably the worst news you could receive as a bodybuilder, especially both knees and elbows... I suppose that is the end of your mass building then? That's a harsh blow, I know how tendonitis feels - not good at all!

Assuming you've been bodybuilding for 14 years, you'd be fairly muscular and lean right now, yeah? Is there a possibility you can just train enough to maintain what you do have? Of course it wouldn't be much of a consolation, but at least you wouldn't lose the physique you've already worked so hard to create.

Would swimming and cycling still be an option? Can you even train at all still?

Hope you can find a way to work through this

 

[Itsonlyinmyhead]

You mentioned that your knee got injured a while back, did it ever recover?

Nope not ever fully, I need to work on it, as in go to the gym and build the muscles up but I cant stand gyms.
I dislocated it when playing football/soccer and it popped back in and slightly tore the ligaments. The only time its ever felt good was when I was working the muscle groups at the gym a couple of years ago. When it goes it makes me limp like Im 70 and it feels so weak like almost no blood is getting to it or too much blood is. Its probably psychological just like everything else though.

My shoulders are bad though, I cant even begin to rotate them without crunching and clicking. I had MRI(think thats what they are called) and Xrays on them and they said I had the beginnings of tendonitis. Apparently I needed to balance my muscle groups out as my chest was too big compared to my back and my left side was bigger because I worked on it more because its my weak coordinated side. Also my postier was an issue as well.

Since then Ive stopped working out and I dont get as much pain in my shoulders. I was never that into gym like you are. I just use dumbells, go running, go climbing throughout the week

 

[mogadon]

Hey guys,

I have been battling hairloss for nearly 6 years now and have been steadily losing the war. I have also been an avid bodybuilder with nearly 14 years of experience. In the last 12 months hairloss had destroyed my life and sanity. All I would think about was how ugly I would look as a NW6 and how all the treatments were letting me down.

To compensate for the hairloss I started to concentrate more and more on further improving my physique. Going to the gym and hitting the weights was always the highlight of my day and actually made me snap out of my hairloss depression. Well over the last few months I felt that many of my old bodybuilding injuries were steadily getting worse and worse. My whole workouty routine would be based around which joint "hurt" the least. I had to end so many workouts prematurely, not because my muscles were tired but because my joints would crack and hurt like hell. If you are into bodybuilding you know what I am referring to - the BAD type of pain!
A few weeks ago I went to 2 different orthopedic surgeons and was dignosed with severe tendonitis and arthiritis in both elbows and knees (chondromalacia patellar) and hip bursitis in both my hips. They noted that a lot of my cartilage was gone and I needed arthroscopy to get this addressed. They also said that damaged cartilage can never be repaired/replaced and I would need to eventually quit lifting weights altogether! As you guys can imagine, I am devastated by this news. Here is yet another physical problem that modern medicine cannot fix. For crying out loud this is the 21st cenntury! The doctor's best advice was to take advil, ice all my joint and seriously consider surgery for my knees and elbows. I cannot express in words how demoralised I am right now. 14 years of hardwork in the gym, only to end up like a cripple. Now I am destined to go bald and have a shitty physique. I feel horrible! And by the way I am only 30 years old :dunno:

your situation is similar to mine, apart from losing my hair, iv also got osteoarthritis and im only 31 , i was doing brazilian jiu-jitsu last year, and i dislocated my shoulder, and about a year later, arthritis set in(post traumatic arthritis)im still in shock its happening to me at such a young age, my only escape from my shitty hairloss, was doing bjj, weightraining ect,which i loved, now my shoulder is f.ucked, and iv had to give up bjj and weightraining is nearly impossible as im getting more and more compromised every month, im now told the only thing that will help me is a shoulder replacement, which im told if i have done, even though it would relieve my pain,i wont be able to return to bjj and weighttraining,as its not designed for vigorous activity. My physique is going to s.hit

im basically f.ucked ever way, i agree mordern medicine is a joke, there should be a cure for arthritis by now, i think i needed to be born 20 years later with my shitty genetics, by then they would have have cured many more diseases

good luck

ps. GSP is also my favourite fighter, WAR GSP !!!!

 

[Guest]

Hey guys,

I have been battling hairloss for nearly 6 years now and have been steadily losing the war. I have also been an avid bodybuilder with nearly 14 years of experience. In the last 12 months hairloss had destroyed my life and sanity. All I would think about was how ugly I would look as a NW6 and how all the treatments were letting me down.

To compensate for the hairloss I started to concentrate more and more on further improving my physique. Going to the gym and hitting the weights was always the highlight of my day and actually made me snap out of my hairloss depression. Well over the last few months I felt that many of my old bodybuilding injuries were steadily getting worse and worse. My whole workouty routine would be based around which joint "hurt" the least. I had to end so many workouts prematurely, not because my muscles were tired but because my joints would crack and hurt like hell. If you are into bodybuilding you know what I am referring to - the BAD type of pain!
A few weeks ago I went to 2 different orthopedic surgeons and was dignosed with severe tendonitis and arthiritis in both elbows and knees (chondromalacia patellar) and hip bursitis in both my hips. They noted that a lot of my cartilage was gone and I needed arthroscopy to get this addressed. They also said that damaged cartilage can never be repaired/replaced and I would need to eventually quit lifting weights altogether! As you guys can imagine, I am devastated by this news. Here is yet another physical problem that modern medicine cannot fix. For crying out loud this is the 21st cenntury! The doctor's best advice was to take advil, ice all my joint and seriously consider surgery for my knees and elbows. I cannot express in words how demoralised I am right now. 14 years of hardwork in the gym, only to end up like a cripple. Now I am destined to go bald and have a shitty physique. I feel horrible! And by the way I am only 30 years old :dunno:

Viper,

I went through the same thing with my back.

You can come out of this healthier. Here's how:

1) Quit taking advil... all NSAIDS are known to interfere with the cartilage/joint rebuilding process.

2) Quit lifting for now, and pick up yoga, biking, swimming, stretching, and cardio.

3) Start taking all the best joint/cartilage/arthritis/inflammation supplements: MSM, Fish Oil, Bromelain, Flax Oil, GLA, Glucosamine/Chondroitin, Hyaluronic Acid, DSM, Vitamin C, and others.

4) Get the book "Prescription For Nutritional Healing" by Balch and Balch. $20 at Whole Foods. Best money you'll ever spend.

5) For pain, use DLPA (D,L-Phenylalanine), 500-1000 mg on an empty stomach, 3x/day, and Bromelain.

6) Google your conditions and find out how to repair it. Most cutting edge bodybuilders now take joint/arthritis/cartilage supplements, because what happened to you is very common.

7) Massively alkalize your diet, to counteract acid body and blood conditions, which can corrode and eat away joints and other connective tissue.

If you do those things, you will have a pretty good chance of avoiding sugery, and possibly even making a full recovery.

 

[vipergts]

Mogadon,
I know what you mean buddy. People workout to feel stronger not to feel weaker. I am sad to hear about your bjj injury and hope it gets better with time. I do hate my genetics but feel that I have them for a reason. I have started to see life as a big test... I am no longer the super athlete I used to be, and I no longer have the awesome thick mane I once sported, but all of this has taught me humility and made me start to hate shallow people.

Speaking of MMA, I will be going to NJ for the next UFC event. I met Georges last year when he was promoting Spike. He's a great guy and is very humble and talked very casually to me. I find it amazing how MMA / WWE fighters are able to carry on after repeated injuries and damage.

Hey guys,

I have been battling hairloss for nearly 6 years now and have been steadily losing the war. I have also been an avid bodybuilder with nearly 14 years of experience. In the last 12 months hairloss had destroyed my life and sanity. All I would think about was how ugly I would look as a NW6 and how all the treatments were letting me down.

To compensate for the hairloss I started to concentrate more and more on further improving my physique. Going to the gym and hitting the weights was always the highlight of my day and actually made me snap out of my hairloss depression. Well over the last few months I felt that many of my old bodybuilding injuries were steadily getting worse and worse. My whole workouty routine would be based around which joint "hurt" the least. I had to end so many workouts prematurely, not because my muscles were tired but because my joints would crack and hurt like hell. If you are into bodybuilding you know what I am referring to - the BAD type of pain!
A few weeks ago I went to 2 different orthopedic surgeons and was dignosed with severe tendonitis and arthiritis in both elbows and knees (chondromalacia patellar) and hip bursitis in both my hips. They noted that a lot of my cartilage was gone and I needed arthroscopy to get this addressed. They also said that damaged cartilage can never be repaired/replaced and I would need to eventually quit lifting weights altogether! As you guys can imagine, I am devastated by this news. Here is yet another physical problem that modern medicine cannot fix. For crying out loud this is the 21st cenntury! The doctor's best advice was to take advil, ice all my joint and seriously consider surgery for my knees and elbows. I cannot express in words how demoralised I am right now. 14 years of hardwork in the gym, only to end up like a cripple. Now I am destined to go bald and have a shitty physique. I feel horrible! And by the way I am only 30 years old :dunno:

your situation is similar to mine, apart from losing my hair, iv also got osteoarthritis and im only 31 , i was doing brazilian jiu-jitsu last year, and i dislocated my shoulder, and about a year later, arthritis set in(post traumatic arthritis)im still in shock its happening to me at such a young age, my only escape from my shitty hairloss, was doing bjj, weightraining ect,which i loved, now my shoulder is f.ucked, and iv had to give up bjj and weightraining is nearly impossible as im getting more and more compromised every month, im now told the only thing that will help me is a shoulder replacement, which im told if i have done, even though it would relieve my pain,i wont be able to return to bjj and weighttraining,as its not designed for vigorous activity. My physique is going to s.hit

im basically f.ucked ever way, i agree mordern medicine is a joke, there should be a cure for arthritis by now, i think i needed to be born 20 years later with my shitty genetics, by then they would have have cured many more diseases

good luck

ps. GSP is also my favourite fighter, WAR GSP !!!!

 

[vipergts]

Hey Eric,

Thanks for the advice. I live next to a whole foods so I'll certainly grab "Prescription For Nutritional Healing" the next time I'm there. Also is there a specific joint supplement that you would recommend?

Thanks!

Viper

Hey guys,

I have been battling hairloss for nearly 6 years now and have been steadily losing the war. I have also been an avid bodybuilder with nearly 14 years of experience. In the last 12 months hairloss had destroyed my life and sanity. All I would think about was how ugly I would look as a NW6 and how all the treatments were letting me down.

To compensate for the hairloss I started to concentrate more and more on further improving my physique. Going to the gym and hitting the weights was always the highlight of my day and actually made me snap out of my hairloss depression. Well over the last few months I felt that many of my old bodybuilding injuries were steadily getting worse and worse. My whole workouty routine would be based around which joint "hurt" the least. I had to end so many workouts prematurely, not because my muscles were tired but because my joints would crack and hurt like hell. If you are into bodybuilding you know what I am referring to - the BAD type of pain!
A few weeks ago I went to 2 different orthopedic surgeons and was dignosed with severe tendonitis and arthiritis in both elbows and knees (chondromalacia patellar) and hip bursitis in both my hips. They noted that a lot of my cartilage was gone and I needed arthroscopy to get this addressed. They also said that damaged cartilage can never be repaired/replaced and I would need to eventually quit lifting weights altogether! As you guys can imagine, I am devastated by this news. Here is yet another physical problem that modern medicine cannot fix. For crying out loud this is the 21st cenntury! The doctor's best advice was to take advil, ice all my joint and seriously consider surgery for my knees and elbows. I cannot express in words how demoralised I am right now. 14 years of hardwork in the gym, only to end up like a cripple. Now I am destined to go bald and have a shitty physique. I feel horrible! And by the way I am only 30 years old :dunno:

Viper,

I went through the same thing with my back.

You can come out of this healthier. Here's how:

1) Quit taking advil... all NSAIDS are known to interfere with the cartilage/joint rebuilding process.

2) Quit lifting for now, and pick up yoga, biking, swimming, stretching, and cardio.

3) Start taking all the best joint/cartilage/arthritis/inflammation supplements: MSM, Fish Oil, Bromelain, Flax Oil, GLA, Glucosamine/Chondroitin, Hyaluronic Acid, DSM, Vitamin C, and others.

4) Get the book "Prescription For Nutritional Healing" by Balch and Balch. $20 at Whole Foods. Best money you'll ever spend.

5) For pain, use DLPA (D,L-Phenylalanine), 500-1000 mg on an empty stomach, 3x/day, and Bromelain.

6) Google your conditions and find out how to repair it. Most cutting edge bodybuilders now take joint/arthritis/cartilage supplements, because what happened to you is very common.

7) Massively alkalize your diet, to counteract acid body and blood conditions, which can corrode and eat away joints and other connective tissue.

If you do those things, you will have a pretty good chance of avoiding sugery, and possibly even making a full recovery.