A bodybuilder was left to fight for his life after abuse a medicine that experts warn that more young men will turn to, not aware of his devastating side effects.
Zak Wilkinson, 32, spent more than two years with the help of steroids, £ 35,000 splashed on performance -improving drugs and injected himself to three times a day.
The avid gym visitor turned, just like a growing number of young men, to anabolic steroids, a kind of image and performance drug to increase his muscle growth.
The drugs simulate testosterone after – one of the hormones that are responsible for stimulating muscle mass – but can have devastating side effects, including an increased risk of a heart attack.
And experts warn that a relevant increase in their use has been fed by social media that cause problems with the body image.
Now Mr. Wilkinson hopes to contribute to generating the alarm about the potentially life -changing effects of the medicine.
On March 23, 2022, the father of someone’s debilitating steroid regime finally caught up with him when he started to get epileptic seizures, broke and sweat abundantly.
Mr. Wilkinson was placed in a medically induced coma after the side effects of years of steroid use
Someone’s father said he had used the medication since the age of 16
He was rushed to the Intensive Care in the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, after his sister, Chelsea Wilkinson, 37, called an ambulance.
In the beginning, doctors thought he could suffer from meningitis, but soon realized that the attacks were caused by his steroid use.
Doctors said Mr Wilkinson was lucky to prevent him from suffering for prolonged neurological damage after he had remained non-verbally for days.
He was placed in a medically induced coma for a week, with his medical team said it was a ‘miracle’ that he survived.
Wilkinson, a jetty, said: ‘I thought I could never play with my son again that I would never see him again.
“After the coma was over, a doctor said that he couldn’t believe I was talking to him because he thought I had brain complications for the rest of my life.
“I was so afraid that could be the end of me.”
Mr. Wilkinson said that steroids “had just held him” and warned that gym visitors should be aware of the risks.
The Bodybuilder says that his Body Diesmorphia led him to turn to the drugs
‘It was an all or nothing approaching – it is frightening. It will just be grabbed. I thought I was the strongest, strongest, healthiest person, but I wasn’t inside.
‘It’s sad because I see many young boys who are affected by it. And that is why many of the bodybuilders die prematurely because it is not healthy. ‘
Doctors have warned Mr. Wilkinson that he will probably have medical problems for the rest of his life.
He has a meeting with his treatment team twice a week and must also take anxiety, sleeping and epilepsy medication and attend frequent appointments for brain scans and blood tests.
“It can still influence me later, and I will probably use medicines for the rest of my life,” says Mr. Wilkinson.
‘I now have PTSD, Body Diesmorphia, a diagnosed eating disorder, regular flashbacks and I have rehabilitation for trauma. I have now also become epileptic because of the coma. ‘
Anabolic-androgenic steroids are the most common type of ‘image and performance-improving medicine’.
They are usually injected directly into the muscle, but can also be taken orally in tablet form or even as a cream.
Doctors have said that he will probably undergo lifelong health implications by steroid use
Anabolic-androgenic steroids work by simulating the effects of the male sex hormone testosterone, misleading the body to produce more muscular tissue.
But this entails costs. Common side effects include: severe acne, kidney failure, high cholesterol and even stroke.
A historical study published by Danish researchers last year discovered that steroid users Almost 300 percent increased the risk of death within two decades.
Professor Adam Taylor, an expert in anatomy at Lancaster University, said: ‘The growth in people who prescribe for performance reasons themselves is important.
“There is a danger to the suffering of serious side effects if you use these medicines, from heart attacks and brain damage to long -term mobility problems.”
“Such cases show the danger of anabolic steroids, and people must be aware of the consequences when they see people promoting drugs on their social media feeds.”
Wilkinson said that at the age of 16 he started to take steroids with Body Diesmorphia – a mental health status in which a person spends a lot of time making observed mistakes in his appearance.
He said: ‘The medicines were very accessible and I weighed everything – even until the sugar -free syrups in my coffee.
‘It started as a hobby and then it became Body Diesmorphia. I could hardly look in the mirror, and I would turn on jumpers and hoodies to prevent me from showing my body.
“And that explains the tattoos. I am so body conscious. I tried every diet, I have tried a protein diet, meat and eggs diet, diets of weight loss, the party.
‘It’s because social media creates competition and you constantly compare yourself with others and look at others who try to strive. It is a vicious circle. ‘
Experts warn that the use of steroids is increasing in young men fed by social media. Stock image
He said: “The steroids were selfish, I didn’t care about my son or my friends or my family.
‘But it happens so slowly, you start taking steroids, and the benefits that you see on the outside ensure that you want to take more, but it isolation of your friendships and ties with people.
‘I didn’t want to socialize and spend time with my partner. I just strived for perfection in the bodybuilding game when everything fell apart.
‘My family almost lost someone who was important in their lives – it was a difficult time for them.
“There is a real taboo around men and steroid use. There is AA for alcoholics, go for gamblers, but not really much about steroid use and the gym.
“I want to show people who struggle what I have experienced, that these muscles, attacks, constant brain scans, tubes from your mouth are not worth losing a member of your family – all because you want to look good and compare yourself on social media.”
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