What is crystallized (crashed) gear? How can I fix it?
Crashed gear is a term that might not be familiar to everyone, especially those outside the bodybuilding community or other communities where steroids use is common. Crashed gear refers to a situation where the hormone within a solution becomes unsolubilized, causing separation between the constituents of the mixture. This process typically results in the formation of crystals, giving the vial a waxy appearance, which can range in color from white to a sticky-looking translucent hue. This phenomenon is an issue of solubility and can be influenced by several factors that we will discuss in detail (Vallée, 2020).
To understand why gear might crash, it is crucial to identify the elements that contribute to this process:
Length of the ester: Ester chains are parts of the hormone that control how quickly it's released into the body. The shorter the ester (like propionate, acetate, or phenylpropionate), the harder and stronger the crystals they form, with a melting point near 100ºC. Longer esters usually have a melting point closer to a human's body temperature, around 30 to 40ºC. An exception is cypionate, a long ester that has a higher melting point. This characteristic of shorter esters to form harder crystals helps explain why they tend to separate from the mixture as the ambient temperature decreases (Potts, 2010).
Concentration of hormone: It's intuitive to think that the higher the hormone concentration, the higher the propensity for the gear to crash. Manufacturers may attempt to counter this by using stronger, more concentrated solvents. However, there's a limit to this solution while still maintaining the gear's usability. Therefore, vials with lower hormone concentration and no blends are less likely to crash than their high-concentration counterparts.
Types of solvents used: Certain solvents are more capable than others at maintaining a stable mixture through lower temperatures. However, these are typically more expensive and thus not commonly used.
Mechanical Agitation: If gear is stored undisturbed for an extended period, crystals may begin to form at the bottom of the vial. Once a single crystal forms, it becomes a nucleation site, making it easier for additional crystals to appear (Berg, Tymoczko, & Gatto, 2015).
Storage temperature: As previously mentioned, temperature plays a significant role in hormone solubility in oil, with higher temperatures making the gear less likely to crash.
Presence of impurities: Any impurities introduced into the vial may contribute to crystal formation. If your gear is on the brink of crashing, the introduction of an impurity (from a dirty needle or rubber cap, for instance) might push it into a crashed state.
Given these factors, it's clear that the incidence of gear crashing tends to increase in the colder months, especially in environments without consistent heating. Despite the common panic reaction when gear crashes, there are several methods to restore the gear to its original state, which include:
Maintaining appropriate storage temperature: Keeping your gear within a range of 20ºC±10ºC (or 50 to 86 ºF) will likely prevent crashing, provided the gear is properly formulated and hasn't already crashed.
Warming the gear: Try placing your vials under hot running water for a few minutes. If this doesn't resolve the issue, you can immerse the vials in a pan of boiling water, ensuring the water level remains below the rubber caps to prevent water ingress into the vial.
Adding more solvent: If you're determined to salvage your gear and the previous steps haven't resolved the issue, consider purchasing solvent online and a microfilter suitable for syringes or needles. Add a small amount of solvent (roughly 1% of the total mixture volume) while applying heat and stirring thoroughly. Before attempting this, however, be sure to research the type of solvent used in your particular gear and order the same. Be aware that this method will slightly alter the gear's concentration. Changing the solvent concentration also impacts post-injection pain, a topic covered more extensively in the Post Injection Pain (PIP) article (Kohan, 2001).
Dilute the mixture by adding sterile oil: Another option is to purchase sterile oil and add a certain percentage to your gear. This will naturally require some basic arithmetic to calculate the final concentration. It's also advisable to add approximately 1% of the total volume of benzyl alcohol to maintain sterility in your mixture. (The total concentration of benzyl alcohol should ideally be over 0.9% to be effective.) After completing these steps, a bit of heat should help everything dissolve back into solution (Sweetman, 2009).
A common misconception is that crashed gear is useless or indicative of a scam from the seller. However, the very presence of a substance to crash out of the mixture suggests that there are indeed actual hormones present in the gear. The phenomenon of gear crashing is simply a physical response to certain conditions and is, more often than not, a reversible process.
Therefore, it's important not to panic if your gear crashes. With some knowledge and understanding of the underlying principles, it's possible to restore crashed gear to its original state. However, it's always recommended to consult with a professional or engage in thorough research before attempting to manipulate or use crashed gear.
References:
Berg, J.M., Tymoczko, J.L., & Gatto, G.J. (2015). Stryer's Biochemistry. W.H. Freeman and Company.
Potts, R.O. (2010). Ester and amide prodrugs. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 98(9), 2545-2558.
Sweetman, S.C. (2009). Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference. Pharmaceutical Press.