Side effects of steroids

In the past, it was the wrestlers and bodybuilders who were the primary users of steroids, but this trend has taken off and now all kinds of people, including teenagers, are taking steroids. Many people know about some of the less serious side effects of steroids like acne, but there are some very dangerous side effects of steroids that need to be known, not just by the users, but also by those around them. Any kind of steroid use without a prescription from a licensed physician is known as steroid abuse.

To start with, the minor side effects of steroids, some common ones are acne, hair loss, deepening of the voice, and irritability. While these may occur naturally from hormones within the body already and are normal signs of puberty and hormonal changes, the additional hormones in the steroids make them more pronounced. Normal acne becomes severe and may cover the back and face, hair loss is speeded up, especially male pattern baldness, tempers can flare and voices can become deeper than normal in both men and women as side effects of steroids.

While these particular side effects of steroids may not seem so bad, many side effects of steroids are much worse, irreversible and life threatening. Some side effects of steroids are gender specific to either males or females, and other side effects of steroids reach anyone who is using. Many systems of the body can be affected by steroid use, and even years after the steroids have been stopped, the body suffers from these side effects of steroids.

Some examples of gender specific side effects of steroids are things like impotence, sterility, shrinking of testicles and even signs of femininity in men. Men may develop breasts and other female characteristics, like higher voices as side effects of steroids. For women users, the side effects of steroids can be a change in or lack of menstrual cycles, facial hair growth, deeper voices, and breasts becoming smaller. The unnatural levels of hormones in steroids cause people to develop characteristics of the opposite sex as another of the side effects of steroids. Sexual dysfunction, lack of sexual interest, impotence and fertility problems can also be side effects of steroids.

Anyone who uses steroids can also experience life-threatening side effects of steroids. High blood pressure is a significant issue with steroid use, as are coronary issues, clotting disorders, enlarged parts of the heart, and the lowering of good cholesterol; all of these side effects of steroids can lead to heart attacks. Strokes are another one of the side effects of steroids. Liver disease and toxicity are also common side effects of steroids, which can cause long-term serious issues.

When teenagers use, stunted growth is one of the side effects of steroids. Steroid use can fuse the growth plates, which causes the body to stop growing. Even though muscles may be forming, growth is stunted or slowed, and these kids will not reach their full height, another of the side effects of steroids. Teens are taking steroids without knowing, or paying attention to, the side effects of steroids. Because steroid use in this capacity is unregulated, teens who are using may be buying them from a dealer who is pushing them to take high doses, and the negative side effects of steroids are even more severe.

These are many of the physical side effects of steroids, but there are quite a few psychological side effects of steroids, which can be just as dangerous. Along with irritability during steroid use, aggression is another of the common side effects of steroids. Aggression, or roid rage, can lead to physical dangers including violent fighting and abuse. Depression and hallucinations can be side effects of steroids, along with panic disorders and mania. Though steroids are rarely physically addicting, users often become emotionally dependent on them, another of the side effects of steroids.

There are times when steroid use under the care of a licensed medical practitioner is beneficial to the health of certain individuals; for instance, it can help control asthma and benefit those with autoimmune disorders. However, for people trying to enhance physical performance and appearance, there are too many negative side effects of steroids. These side effects of steroids are irreversible and life threatening. Instead of steroids, a program of healthy eating, healthy exercise and working with personal strengths is the much safer plan.

Dangerous And Serious Side Effects Of Steroids

The use of steroids among athletes is common. Many famous athletes suffered from serious side effects of steroids. The steroid of choice is Anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids are synthetically produced hormones designed to mimic androgens. Androgens are the male sex hormones in the body. Many of the steroids are designed to mimic testosterone, which is the strongest androgen. The side effects of steroids is devastating, particularly in the use of testosterone.

Many over the counter steroidal supplements are now illegal without a prescription. Steroidal supplements were sold in many gyms and health food stores. DHEA is the only steroidal supplement sold over the counter. Steroidal supplements are less effective forms of androgens. The effectiveness of steroidal supplements is unknown, however many experience undesirable side effects. The belief is if taken in sufficient quantities, the steroidal supplements will have similar effects as Anabolic steroids. If taken in sufficient quantities, it may lead to serious side effects of steroids.

Anabolic steroids are used to treat certain medical conditions. Unfortunately, many athletes abuse Anabolic steroids and particularly those individuals who wish to develop muscle mass. There are several dangerous and serious side effects of steroids. Before considering the use of steroids, it is important to understand the dangers and side effects of steroids.

Sexual Side Effects of Steroids

The sexual side effects of steroids are the most common side effects. Some steroids are known to cause temporary impotence and reduction of libido. One of the major side effects of steroids is a decrease in sperm count, which inhibits fertility. In men and women, steroids cause the voice to deepen. In men, one of the most embarrassing side effects of steroids is the increase of mammary tissue that creates female-like breasts. In women, the side effects of steroids can cause irreversible increase in the size of the clitoris. In addition, women will experience irregular menstruation or the loss of the menstruation cycle as one of the side effects of steroids. One of the main side effects of steroids in men is the shrinking of the testicles. This occurs because the body stops its hormone production during the use of anabolic steroids. Many of the side effects of steroids may diminish once steroid use has ceased. However, many individuals do not recover from the side effects of steroids until many years later.

Physical Side Effects of Steroids

The side effects of steroids severely affect an individual's physical health. Many users will lose hair and suffer from edema. Edema is caused by excess water retention. The arms, legs, face and torso appear swollen. One of the most dangerous side effects of steroids is the increase in size of the left ventricle in the heart. This increase in size leads to serious coronary health issues. Steroids increase blood pressure and lower the HDL cholesterol, which leads to a higher risk of coronary disease. Steroid users risk heart attack and liver toxicity. Stroke is a common side effect of steroids and may often leave a user incapacitated. Many of these side effects of steroids are irreversible. Edema will subside once an individual discontinues his or her use of steroids. Most of the physical side effects of steroids will cause permanent damage.

Emotional Side Effects of Steroids

The most prominent emotional side effect of steroids is the rage an individual develops while using steroids. The rage is intense and is dangerous. In many documented cases, the intense rage resulted in the murder of another human being. Initially, many individuals experience gradual personality and emotional changes. The side effects of steroids can cause depression and suicidal tendencies. A steroid user will gradually become more emotionally unstable as the use of steroids continues. The user eventually loses the ability to control his or her emotions. Most of the emotional side effects of steroids will dissipate once an individual discontinues use. However, many of the emotional side effects of steroids may require a psychological treatment plan.

Many of the side effects of steroids will lead to permanent damage. Many steroid users do not experience severe illnesses related to the side effects of steroids until many years after the use of steroids. The desire to build muscle mass is so great, many individuals will disregard the warnings of the many side effects of steroids.

Many successful athletes and body builders do not use steroids. Steroids offer a quicker method of developing muscle; however, the side effects of steroid are devastating and can even result in death. The side effects of steroids are dangerous and individuals should choose healthier alternatives to steroid use. Numerous methods and supplements will achieve a strong and healthy body without the side effects of steroids.

Potential Side Effects Of Steroids

Although steroids seem to be commonly on the mass media radar these days, confusion about usage and side effects of steroids is pervasive. Of course, there are legitimate and effective medicinal applications for some applications; but no use comes without side effects of steroids. More importantly, adhering to a doctor's recommendations tends to minimize the potential for harmful side effects of steroids substantially. This is due to the regulation of dosages and incremental use.

Systemic steroids are indeed known to improve quality of life, and even prevent otherwise necessary organ transplants for some legitimate patients. Their action effectiveness is renowned for rapid-onset characteristics, and they are often combined with other prescriptions in order produce the necessary result. Even in these legal and regulated circumstances, side effects of steroids do occur. However, not all side effects of steroids arise in all patients.

For some, excessive growth of body hair, weight gain, high blood pressure, bone density problems and osteoporosis, bruising, mood swings, and even glucose intolerance can develop as side effects of steroids. Stretch marks, acne, and cataracts are also frequently found among the side effects of steroids for ongoing use. Weight gain is common, and happens with most steroid use. The most unpleasant aspect of this is resulting fatty deposits in the face, and other locations where substantial pockets had not previously developed. Steroid-induced diabetes or hypertension may self-resolve upon discontinuation of use.

Pneumonia, resurgence of herpes, and other related infections are also known side effects of steroids, particularly when systemic steroids are prescribed in combination with other auto-inflammatory suppressants. Bone loss and vulnerability to skin damage and lacerations happens in most every long-term systemic steroid user. Irritability may occur, followed by depression when prescriptions are discontinued. Cataracts can also develop, among the side effects of steroids, and require surgery for removal.

The side effects of steroids can have a dramatic impact on anyone, but seem to exhibit profound external manifestations in women and teens. Anabolic steroids contain androgens, which are less likely to be recognized in the female body as compared to its male counterpart. Women can start to appear more masculine, as evidenced in the deepening of the voice, reduction of breast tissue, male pattern baldness, and facial hair. While additional indications are more personal than they are public, changes or cessation of the menstrual cycle, and clitoral enlargement, certainly make the side effects of steroids list.

Initial symptoms of impending visible changes may be hidden or unnoticeable in women. Ongoing anabolic steroid use can cause these side effects of steroids to become permanent. In addition, women are cautioned more vehemently than men against taking anabolic steroids, and are encouraged to maintain even closer monitoring in the event that they proceed anyway.

Stunted growth in teens is among the highly publicized side effects of steroids. It is painfully ironic that a hormone taken to induce massive musculature can conversely and permanently impair structural skeletal development. Even those who support the sport and performance-based inclusion of steroids in a training regimen do advise strongly that an individual should wait until the natural physical development concludes. Mid 20s would be the earliest years when even the most radical trainers encourage such use.

Any use of steroids without a prescription is classified as a felony, even for simple possession. This takes the side effects of steroids to an entirely different level. Considered a controlled substance, selling steroids is criminally equivalent to dealing crack cocaine.

Demand for street use of steroids has created an avenue for production and sales of counterfeit products. When the known side effects of steroids are authentically so severe, imagine the damage that ingesting an unregulated substitute can do to the body. Authorities estimate that more than half of the underground supply of steroids is counterfeit, and theses are virtually impossible to differentiate from the real thing.

Steroid advocates will say that the risks are limited. They contend that drug research, testing, trial and error, and ever-evolving design of bodybuilding steroids today make them safer than they originally were. They recommend cycling and stacking in order to compound the results and minimize the side effects of steroids.

The fact remains that the side effects of steroids are unavoidable. While some negative effects can be reduced through physician guidance and low dosage, some will still inevitably occur. Moreover, as with any drug, the results will vary. Exercising extreme caution is the recommended message.

Understanding The Side Effects Of Steroids

The side effects of steroids can be short-term or long-term. Bear in mind that performance enhancing steroids are generally given at 10 to 100 times higher than doses prescribed for various medical conditions. Often it will be obvious that people are using anabolic steroids due to surface physical changes. Many problems with steroids lie underneath the skin, however. The reason there are so many side effects of steroids is that they mimic the hormone testosterone. Some of these adverse side effects of steroids are specific to each gender while others affect both genders. Some side effects of steroids that are common to both sexes are oily skin/acne, increased risk of HIV, and liver damage. These are only a few of the side effects of steroids. Males may find they develop breasts and have decreased testicle size. Women, on the other hand, may find they do not develop breasts and they begin to experience male pattern baldness.

In terms of surface side effects of steroids people might experience are oily skin, acne, jaundice, baldness and the shrinking of the testicles. Other possible adverse surface physical side effects of steroids are the development of breasts, accelerated puberty and deepened voice for females. Anabolic steroids can also inhibit growth. Behavioral changes like aggression and depression are common side effects of steroids. Fluid retention is one obvious way to note the side effects of steroids.

Inside a steroid abusers body one might find liver tumors, low sperm count and cardiovascular conditions. Liver failure is one of the side effects of steroids after prolonged use. Steroid use is involved in the formation of cysts and tumors in the liver. Low sperm count is one of the many possible side effects of steroids. This is not the same for all types of steroids or for all periods of use. Low sperm count is one of the side effects of steroids that can also contribute to infertility in men. Cardiovascular conditions found as some of the side effects of steroids are increased LDL or bad cholesterol and decreased HDL or good cholesterol. These lead to the side effects of steroids like high blood pressure and the increased risk of blood clots. Since one of the side effects of steroids is fluid retention, blood flow is impinged upon. In addition, since there is more muscle development, the blood must be focused on those areas of the body, which means blood is not flowing to the heart properly.

Other side effects of steroids can include behavioral changes that can be either short-term or long-term. One example is depression. It has been found that people who abuse steroids during their teenage years are more susceptible to depression during both the time they abuse the drugs and later on as adults. It seems that one of the side effects of steroids is damage to the neurological pathways. One of the ways this aspect of the side effects of steroids exhibits is that serotonin is not produced efficiently. Serotonin is the chemical in the brain that affects a person's sense of well-being. This means that roid rage and depression, side effects of steroids, can occur long after steroid abuse has ceased.

Other diseases are indirect side effects of steroids. One of these is HIV, which can lead to AIDS. This is because people often inject anabolic steroids. Many times needles are shared without any effort toward sterilization. Another one of the side effects of steroids as a result of sharing needles is the contraction of hepatitis. Infections are also common side effects of steroids. These are not necessarily due to injecting steroids. Drug abuse lowers the immune system's defenses. This means that besides dangerous infections like HIV and hepatitis, side effects of steroids could be an increase in the occurrence of cold and flu among people who take these drugs.

Anabolic steroid abuse is often a method toward performance enhancement. Although steroids can be used to treat a variety of medical conditions, the doses are typically up to 100 times lower than those doses used in increased performance. There are many side effects of steroids. Some of the side effects of steroids are short-term while other side effects of steroids are long-term. There are visible ones and ones that happen beneath the skin. Psychological side effects of steroids are also prevalent. Two well-known psychological adverse issues are aggression and depression.

Side effects of steroids kept to minimum

Possible side effects are kept to minimum by doing following:

• Nolvadex or Tamoxifen should be used during a cycle (essential when stacking or cycling)
• Salt (sodium) in the diet should be kept to minimum
• Find out the correct dosage and then keep slightly under that to play it safe
• A full rich diet with all supplements MUST be taken (proper protein/carb/fats depending on program with all vitamin and mineral additions)
• When using more steroids, a liver de-toxifier can be used (such as LIV-25)

If you really want to use steroids safely without side effects, it is essential that you get knowledge from professional steroid users.