EPO has had a long history of doping. It is widely believed that the first doping scandal occurred in the 70s. Over the past few decades almost every sport has had an athlete who has been caught doping with EPO. EPO doping has occurred in endurance sports, long distance running, cross country skinning and even billiards.
Since EPO can increase the hemoglobin and oxygen carrying capacity, it has been a favorite drug of abuse among individuals who participate in endurance events. The EPO is injected for a few weeks and the results are obvious in less than a month.
Most athletes inject the EPO a few months prior to a sporting event. The injections are then stopped at least a few weeks prior to the actual meeting to avoid detection. There have also been isolated cases of complications in athletes who have abused EPO for prolonged periods. The reason for the complication is use of excessively high doses of EPO. The EPO continues to stimulate the red blood cells which than clog up blood vessels in the brain and heart. This can lead to a stroke or a heart attack. Most of the EPO available today for illegal use is either stolen from pharmacies or obtained from Mexico or Europe. In some cases, it is illegally prescribed by physicians over the internet.
In the 1990s, EPO was finally banned by all sporting organizations. Newer and more sensitive tests have been developed to identify EPO in the urine and blood. In any sports, the urine is first checked for EPO. If there is a hint that EPO is present in the urine, the blood is tested for confirmation.
The tests for EPO today are extremely sensitive and widely accepted by the scientific community. There is absolutely no risk of getting a falsely positive test.
For more information on EPO, visit www.steroidsrx.com
Showing posts with label Epogen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Epogen. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Dosing and Indications for Epogen
Dosing
EPO is only given 1-2 times a week. The drug can only be given by an injection- preferably subcutaneously. Most patients receive their Epogen injection from a nurse/physician but in some rare cases, the individual can be taught to inject him/her self. It should never be injected intravenously or taken orally. The drug comes as a liquid and should be handled with care.
EPO is a very fragile molecule and can be easily destroyed if it is not stored properly. It should never be exposed to excess heat or frozen. It should always be kept in the refrigerator and away from sunlight. EPO is available in single use vials and in multi use vials. Once the multi use vial has been opened up, the EPO will last for about 3 weeks. The dose of EPO is generally about 100 units/kg.
Once the EPO is administered, one can monitor the hematocrit over the next several weeks to see if it is working. Most doctors also recommend supplementing the body with iron tablets to compliment Epogen. A single vial of Epogen containing 1-2,000 units can cost anywhere from $100-$200, depending on where you buy and from whom you buy it from. And the purity of the product is never guaranteed if it is bought over the internet.
For more information on EPO, visit www.steroidsrx.com
EPO is only given 1-2 times a week. The drug can only be given by an injection- preferably subcutaneously. Most patients receive their Epogen injection from a nurse/physician but in some rare cases, the individual can be taught to inject him/her self. It should never be injected intravenously or taken orally. The drug comes as a liquid and should be handled with care.
EPO is a very fragile molecule and can be easily destroyed if it is not stored properly. It should never be exposed to excess heat or frozen. It should always be kept in the refrigerator and away from sunlight. EPO is available in single use vials and in multi use vials. Once the multi use vial has been opened up, the EPO will last for about 3 weeks. The dose of EPO is generally about 100 units/kg.
Once the EPO is administered, one can monitor the hematocrit over the next several weeks to see if it is working. Most doctors also recommend supplementing the body with iron tablets to compliment Epogen. A single vial of Epogen containing 1-2,000 units can cost anywhere from $100-$200, depending on where you buy and from whom you buy it from. And the purity of the product is never guaranteed if it is bought over the internet.
For more information on EPO, visit www.steroidsrx.com
Epogen (erythropoietin EPO)
Physiology
EPO is a glycoprotein (protein-sugar conjugate) that has been shown to regulate synthesis of red blood cells in the bone marrow. When released from the kidneys it directs it activity in the bone marrow and helps stimulate the differentiation of stem cells into red blood cells. It is a normal body chemical which control hemoglobin synthesis and red blood cell concentration. Human EPO is a medium sized molecule (30,400-dalton) and contains 165 amino acids which are coupled to a few carbohydrate and sialic acid residues. There are several sub classes of EPO in the body- they only differ in the carbohydrate content.
At birth, EPO is manufactured in the liver but shortly afterwards the kidneys become the primary source of EPO. The regulation of EPO is based on concentration of oxygen in the blood crossing the kidneys. When the kidneys sense a low oxygen concentration in blood, EPO synthesis is increased. Human Epogen was isolated from urine nearly 40 years ago. Since then we have developed recombinant DNA methods to produce EPO in the laboratory. The drug is made by Amgen and widely available globally
For more information on EPO, visit www.steroidsrx.com
EPO is a glycoprotein (protein-sugar conjugate) that has been shown to regulate synthesis of red blood cells in the bone marrow. When released from the kidneys it directs it activity in the bone marrow and helps stimulate the differentiation of stem cells into red blood cells. It is a normal body chemical which control hemoglobin synthesis and red blood cell concentration. Human EPO is a medium sized molecule (30,400-dalton) and contains 165 amino acids which are coupled to a few carbohydrate and sialic acid residues. There are several sub classes of EPO in the body- they only differ in the carbohydrate content.
At birth, EPO is manufactured in the liver but shortly afterwards the kidneys become the primary source of EPO. The regulation of EPO is based on concentration of oxygen in the blood crossing the kidneys. When the kidneys sense a low oxygen concentration in blood, EPO synthesis is increased. Human Epogen was isolated from urine nearly 40 years ago. Since then we have developed recombinant DNA methods to produce EPO in the laboratory. The drug is made by Amgen and widely available globally
For more information on EPO, visit www.steroidsrx.com
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