Anabolic Steroid Use

The number of professional athletes under investigation for illegal use of anabolic steroids is rather long. World-class cyclists, baseball stars, football players and swimmers have all been accused of using the drugs in order to boost their performance and win recognition. There is hardly a sport where their presence has not been intimated. Because the drugs seem ubiquitous on the national and international sports scene, teens may not be aware of just how dangerous the drugs truly are.

Anabolic steroids or, more properly, anabolic-androgenic steroids, are synthetic drugs which doctors may prescribe to give patients benefits which resemble those derived from naturally-occurring testosterone. Used properly, doctors may recommend these drugs to treat any of a number of conditions where low testosterone production is present. Such conditions would include:

• Anemia
• delayed puberty
• low testosterone
• breast cancer
• abnormally low count of red blood cells
• symptoms associated with AIDS

These drugs are fast-acting and produce several desirable effects. They are most often misused in order to decrease body fat and increase strength. Steroids accomplish this by strengthening bones and enhancing muscle mass. The general result is a more fit appearance and improved athletic performance. Anabolic steroids may be injected, taken as liquid drops, worn in patches, used in tablet form or rubbed into the skin with a gel or cream. They are referred to in non-medical circles as roids, juice, pumpers, gym candy or stackers.

Those who misuse the drugs usually use more than one and use them at somewhere between 10-100 times the normal prescription dose. Some cycle their use of several steroids in a practice called stacking, while others go from periods of low or zero dosing to high dosing which is referred to as pyramiding. Users falsely believe that these sorts of practices somehow mitigate the dangers of steroid abuse.

Since the drugs are schedule III, controlled substances, they should only be obtained through a physician for treatment of an appropriate health matter. Using the drugs without a prescription and for a non-health related reason is illegal. Using steroids to improve appearance or athleticism puts the user at risk in the following ways:

• For men the risks include shrinking of testicles, lower sperm count, sterility, and breast growth.
• For women the risks include rough skin, deepened voice, more body hair, and reduced breast size.

Both men and women who abuse steroids run the risk of increased blood pressure, stunting of normal bone growth, stroke and/or heart attack, anger problems, skin blemishes, and liver disease, perhaps even liver cancer (this risk is heightened when the drug is taken in pill form).

Apart from the other serious health risks involved in the misuse of anabolic steroids is the real danger of addiction. Alert physicians should recognize misuse rather easily, with treatment for addiction being the normal response. Withdrawal from steroid use can be unpleasant and should always be done under a physician’s care. Lastly, addiction counseling will help the user and his/her family to understand the issues behind addiction and how to prevent relapse in the future.