Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic) Facts
Anabolic-androgenic steroids are man-made substances related to male sex
hormones. "Anabolic" refers to muscle-building, and "androgenic" refers to
increased masculine characteristics. "Steroids" refers to the class of drugs.
These drugs are available legally only by prescription, to treat conditions that
occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as
delayed puberty and some types of
impotence. They are also prescribed to treat
body wasting in patients with AIDS and other diseases that result in loss of
lean muscle mass. Abuse of anabolic steroids, however, can lead to serious
health problems, some irreversible.
Today, athletes and others abuse anabolic steroids to enhance performance and
also to improve physical appearance. Anabolic steroids are taken orally or
injected, typically in cycles of weeks or months (referred to as "cycling"),
rather than continuously. Cycling involves taking multiple doses of steroids
over a specific period of time, stopping for a period, and starting again. In
addition, users often combine several different types of steroids to maximize
their effectiveness while minimizing negative effects (referred to as
"stacking").
Health Hazards
The major side effects from abusing anabolic steroids can
include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice (yellowish pigmentation of skin,
tissues, and body fluids), fluid retention, high blood pressure, increases in
LDL (bad cholesterol), and decreases in HDL (good cholesterol). Other side
effects include kidney tumors, severe acne, and trembling. In addition, there
are some gender-specific side effects:
- For men - shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility,
baldness, development of breasts, increased risk for prostate cancer.
- For women
- growth of facial hair, male-pattern baldness, changes in or cessation of the
menstrual cycle, enlargement of the clitoris, deepened voice.
- For adolescents -
growth halted prematurely through premature skeletal maturation and accelerated
puberty changes. This means that adolescents risk remaining short for the
remainder of their lives if they take anabolic steroids before the typical
adolescent growth spurt.
In addition, people who inject anabolic steroids run the added risk of
contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS or
hepatitis, which causes serious damage
to the liver.
Scientific research also shows that aggression and other psychiatric side
effects may result from abuse of anabolic steroids. Many users report feeling
good about themselves while on anabolic steroids, but researchers report that
extreme mood swings also can occur, including manic-like symptoms leading to
violence. Depression often is seen when the drugs are stopped and may contribute
to dependence on anabolic steroids. Researchers report also that users may
suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired
judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.1
Research also indicates that some users might turn to other drugs to
alleviate some of the negative effects of anabolic steroids. For example, a
study of 227 men admitted in 1999 to a private treatment center for dependence
on heroin or other opioids found that 9.3 percent had abused anabolic steroids
before trying any other illicit drug. Of these 9.3 percent, 86 percent first
used opioids to counteract insomnia and irritability resulting from the anabolic
steroids.2
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