One Brazilian man’s quest to become a bodybuilder nearly cost him his arms. When Romario Dos Santos Alves used Synthol injections to pump up his biceps to model his body after the Incredible Hulk, it resulted in an imposing body. However, the fake muscles from the synthetic filler scared kids, turned his arms to rocks and led to suicidal thoughts, citing a Daily Mail report.
Alves, 25, a resident of Caldas Novas, spoke to reporters about his dangerous journey and obsession to sculpt his body into the look of a pro bodybuilder. The former bodyguard said it all began when he joined the gym to build muscle. There, he observed men who had hulking physiques.
Bodybuilder: synthetic filler synthol cost him his sanity and nearly his life http://t.co/8w3AqKeMCP
— AlchDrugService (@AlcoholDrugServ) May 5, 2015
He befriended them. In turn, they shared their secrets. It turned out that many were not receiving natural gains. Instead, they were using Synthol, a mixture of alcohol, Lidocane and other oils used to pump up muscles. As a site enhancement oil (SEO), users inject it into muscle tissues for cosmetic purposes. It didn’t take Alves long to jump on the bandwagon. But things went wrong — terribly wrong.
“I saw some really big guys in the gym with huge arms and I started to make friends with them. They introduced me to Synthol and I got excited about the results – I lost control.”
“My muscles started to solidify and I couldn’t even inject my arms – they were full of rocks. I decided the only thing I could do was buy specialist needles to inject. The kind of needles used on bulls – there are no stronger needles around – I know it seems stupid but I had to get my Synthol fix.”
When out in the public with his wife, Alves received mixed responses from the public: some gawked at his appearance while others gasped. But one of the pivotal moments was when kids — including his own — began to refer to him as a “beast” and were fearful of him. Next, news from a doctor hit him like a ton of bricks: injections into his arms turned his muscles to a rock-like consistency, and amputation was needed to save his life.
Luckily, a follow-up visit ahead of the procedure showed that the radical procedure wasn’t needed. But the news was a wake-up call.
The aspiring bodybuilder soon learned that injections of Synthol oil into his arms came at a cost. According to previous coverage from Inquisitr , studies show that serious side effects result in the use of this oil. A user can suffer from heart attacks, stroke, ulcers and oil embolisms. However, as the study pointed out, one of the most severe physical effects of injecting this artificial filler into ones’ arms is the development of cystic fatty lesions, which essentially leave the muscles looking like Swiss cheese. In the end, this product can kill.
[Photo by Victor Fraile/Getty Images]
