Anabolic steroids are substances similar to the male
hormone testosterone. They are used to promote masculine features, increase
growth, build muscle tissue, and strengthen bones. Common anabolic steroid
medications include fluoxymesterone (such as Halotestin), methylprednisolone
(such as Medrol), and nandrolone (such as Durabolin). All anabolic steroids
available in the United States require a prescription and are used to treat
conditions that occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of
testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence.
Some people take legal dietary supplements that have certain steroid
hormones also made by the human body. One such drug is dehydroepiandrosterone
(DHEA). The body can turn DHEA into other steroid hormones, including
testosterone,
estrogen, and
cortisol. People use it to try to make their muscles
bigger. Whether such products actually work has not been proved. But if you
take them in large amounts, they can cause the same side effects as anabolic
steroids.
When anabolic steroids are taken without a medical
reason, it is usually to improve performance in sports or to increase muscle
size and reduce body fat. Some teens abuse steroids along with other
drugs.
When these medicines are taken to supplement physical
development, the dose is 10 to 100 times higher than when they are taken for
medical conditions. They may be taken as a pill, an injection into a muscle, or
a gel or cream rubbed on the skin. Often more than one of these drugs is used
at the same time (stacking), or the drug is taken in a cycle from no drug to a
high dose over a period of weeks to months (pyramiding).
Anabolic
steroid use can cause a wide range of side effects affecting many systems in
the body. Some of these effects can be permanent. Systems affected include
the:
- Hormonal system. In men, anabolic steroids reduce
sperm count, shrink testicles, cause male-pattern balding, and enlarge breasts.
In women, they cause masculine effects, such as decreased breast size and body
fat, enlarged clitoris, and a deeper voice.
- Musculoskeletal system
(muscles and bones). A teen who abuses anabolic steroids may not reach his or
her full adult height because these drugs can stop bone growth before it is
complete.
- Cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels). Some
anabolic steroids affect the level of fat (lipids) in the blood and may cause a
heart attack or stroke, even in a very young person. Anabolic steroids also
increase blood pressure.
- Liver. Anabolic steroids can cause liver
cancer.
- Skin. Anabolic steroids cause oily skin and acne. Skin
infections can develop if the person injects steroids, and these can become
severe if the drug was contaminated with a virus or bacteria during its
preparation.
- Brain. Anabolic steroids may cause irritability,
homicidal rage, uncontrollable activity level (mania), or false beliefs
(delusions).
Signs of use
- Possession of prescription anabolic steroid
medications without a medical reason
- Behavior changes, such as
spending a great deal of the day at the gym or in other forms of
exercise
- Mood changes, such as increased
aggressiveness
- Physical changes that can't be attributed to
expected patterns of growth and development
- Purple or red spots on
the body or unexplained darkness of skin
- Unpleasant breath
odor
- Evidence of injecting medicines when no injectable medicines
have been prescribed, such as possessing syringes or having redness at
injection sites
