Photo Credit: morguefile.com

Romario Dos Santos Alves went to extreme measures in order to build his muscles, nearly losing both of his arms in the process.

Why? He wanted to emulate The Incredible Hulk.

Seriously.

The Caldas Novas, Brazil native began injecting synthol, a combination of oil and alcohol, into his muscles a few years ago. His biceps grew to 25 inches as a result.

However, there were vicious side effects as well. The oil’s toxins left the 25-year-old bodybuilder in constant pain and contributed to health issues. Even his mental health was affected, all of which began to put a strain on his marriage.

“I remember the doctor told me that they would need to amputate both arms. They said everything in there, all my muscles, were rock,” Alves said, according to WGNTV.

Alves was lucky enough that doctors were able to remove some of the harmful growths in his arms instead of amputating his limbs.

Although he regrets his synthol use, he admits that he still has cravings after two years without injections.