The drugs can impact the heart, elevate blood pressure, and place additional strain on muscles and nerves. Prolonged use may lead to complications such as irregular heartbeat, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, and even organ damage.
Published Jul 19, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 19, 2025 | 7:00 AM
On long-term effects, muscle power gained through these drugs does not last.
Synopsis: Telangana Police on Sunday seized 400 vials of illegal muscle-enhancing injections in Hyderabad, spotlighting the growing and unregulated use of substances such as mephentermine sulphate among fitness-conscious youth. The allure of rapid physical transformation, driven by pressure to meet unrealistic body standards, continues to drive young people towards these drugs, which health experts warn can cause severe physical and psychological harm, including heart complications, addiction, and mental instability.
On Sunday, 13 July, Telangana police seized 400 vials of illegal muscle-enhancing injections from a courier service office in Hyderabad’s Afzalgunj area.
The drugs, suspected to include mephentermine sulphate, were being transported without a doctor’s prescription and are believed to have been intended for young gym-goers seeking rapid muscle growth.
The raid has once again drawn attention to the growing illegal sale of such substances and raised concerns over why so many continue to risk their health in pursuit of quick physical transformation.
Muscle-enhancing injections like mephentermine may offer fast results, but they can seriously damage the body.
These substances can impact the heart, elevate blood pressure, and place additional strain on muscles and nerves. Prolonged use may lead to complications such as irregular heartbeat, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, and even organ damage.
Doctors caution that repeated use without medical supervision can also weaken bones and joints, increasing the risk of injury rather than building strength.
To understand how muscle-enhancing injections affect the body, one must first understand how the nervous system works, says Dr Saravanan Manoharan, Senior Consultant at the Department of Orthopaedics, MGM Healthcare.
“There are two systems in our body, the sympathetic system and the parasympathetic system. The sympathetic system prepares us for action, and the parasympathetic system brings us back to calm. Both must be in balance,” he said.
Speaking to South First, he noted that these injections stimulate the sympathetic system, which increases heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle activity – responses typically meant for emergencies. “They create a false adrenaline rush,” he said.
Dr Saravanan explained that the drugs were originally intended for patients with dangerously low blood pressure or heart rate.
“If someone takes it without medical need, the heart rate and blood pressure will shoot up. That’s why people who go to the gym use it. It makes them lift more and feel less tired.”
He added that some users are able to lift double the weight they normally could – but this temporary boost comes with serious long-term risks.
Dr Saravanan further noted that addiction is one of the biggest dangers.
“People develop addiction. They become irritable, they have insomnia, emotional instability, restlessness. They shout, they get angry, and then immediately they feel sorry for it,” he said.
He recalled a published case of a 25-year-old bank employee and part-time gym instructor who became addicted to these injections.
“He started with 30 mg. After some time, that didn’t work. He went up to 900 mg per day. He became so aggressive that he beat up a friend and had to be taken to a psychiatrist. This was published in the Journal of Psychiatry.”
On long-term effects, Dr Saravanan said the muscle power gained through these drugs does not last.
“Eventually, it goes down. Muscle weakness, fatigue, and tiredness come back once the injection effect wears off. The body starts depending on it even for regular activity,” he said, adding that ligaments may not be directly affected, but muscular fatigue and mental instability worsen over time.
“The mind controls the body. If the mind becomes unstable, the whole system goes out of control,” he noted.
While societal pressure and beauty standards do play a role, Dr Saravanan believes the bigger issue is personal discipline.
“I go to the gym and I see posters warning people not to take these injections. Even then, people take them secretly. They know it’s bad. They Google everything. They even ask about the side effects of paracetamol,” he said, stressing that awareness is already high.
“What is missing is self-discipline. Society can only do so much. In the end, the person must decide not to go down this path,” he added.
Those who use these injections may feel stronger at first, but the effect is only temporary. Once the drug wears off, weakness, emotional instability, and mental dependence take over.
No matter the intention, the body and mind eventually pay the price.
Dr Alok Kulkarni, Senior Consultant and Interventional Psychiatrist at Manas Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Hubballi, told South First that social media plays a key role in pushing young people towards risky body-enhancement choices.
“Social media intensifies pressure to meet idealised body standards, often overshadowing health risks,” he said.
According to him, platforms like Instagram – where unattainable physiques are promoted – are driving 60 to 70 percent of young people to adopt shortcuts such as crash diets or steroids, as shown by recent surveys.
These choices, he explained, are often rooted more in self-worth than fitness.
“Many young people chase external validation or self-acceptance through appearance, fuelled by social comparison, rather than prioritising health,” he said. The pressure to “look a certain way” becomes so strong that young people begin to overlook the risks entirely.
Dr Kulkarni also pointed out that fitness spaces can either help or harm, depending on their environment.
“Gyms can worsen body image anxiety in competitive or appearance-focused settings, with mirrors and social media amplifying self-scrutiny,” he said. However, he added that supportive and inclusive gym cultures can still help boost confidence.
On why people opt for immediate physical transformation over long-term well-being, he offered a simple explanation: insecurity.
“Prioritising instant results over long-term well-being often stems from insecurity and societal pressure for quick fixes,” he said.
He clarified that this mindset is “less about addiction and more about seeking validation in a culture that glorifies rapid transformations.”
While the physical damage from muscle-enhancing injections is serious, the deeper issue lies in what drives people to use them.
As both experts pointed out, even with full awareness of the risks, many are still willing to gamble with their health to meet unrealistic body standards.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
