Anabolic Steroid Side Effects

If you’re thinking of using anabolic steroids you need to understand there are possible anabolic steroid side effects you may have to deal with. As with all side-effects pertaining to all drugs, many of the side-effects of steroids are largely individually based, as well as based on your own education and understanding. Many of the possible steroid side-effects can be prevented, many can be reversed once use is discontinued but you need to have a grasp of not only the possible steroid side-effects but how anabolic steroids work as well. If this isn’t a topic you’re familiar with, referring to anabolic steroids in general, be sure to brush up and do a little digging once you’re through here and then come back and read it again. If you don’t understand how anabolic steroids work the side-effects of steroids are not going to make a lot of sense.

Frequent Anabolic Steroid Side-Effects

Many anabolic steroids aromatize and this can lead to a few unwelcome steroid side-effects; most notably Gynecomastia but it is within this aromatizing effect many experience unwanted water retention as well. Your best bet for combating this nasty steroid side-effect is through the use of an aromatase inhibitor during your cycle, as well as performing a proper post cycle therapy. Many anabolic steroid users escape the “Gyno” monster during their cycle only to have it knock down the wall after the cycle due to excess estrogen buildup. Make sure you use adequate medications such as Clomid or Nolva after your cycle to not only prevent these types of steroid side-effects but to implore proper recovery as well.

Other common steroid side-effects revolve around cholesterol and blood pressure. However, many times and by “Many” we mean most of the time these issues can be avoided by eating properly, as well as supplementing your diet with the necessary means of proper function. Almost all anabolic steroid users will experience a drop in their HDL cholesterol (Good Cholesterol) and like Gynecomastia this is avoidable or easily remedied. Many anabolic steroid users will find supplementing with fatty-acids to be their saving grace.

As it pertains to the side-effects of steroids and high blood pressure, more times than not this is due to oral anabolic steroid use; not always but more times than not. If you fall prey to this effect the solution is simple; stop using oral anabolics. If you have blood pressure issues without oral anabolic use then unfortunately anabolic steroid use may not be for you. It should also go without saying; if you suffer from high blood pressure before anabolic steroid use you should forgo use until the issue is under-control.

Testicular shrinkage is one of the steroid side-effects most are familiar with. When we take anabolic steroids our natural testosterone productions comes to a stop. Due to this shortage in production our testicles shrink; they have no reason not to. If this is a concern there isn’t a lot you can do about it if you choose to use anabolic steroids; it is one of the side-effects of steroids largely accepted as inevitable for the male user. That said, once use is discontinued and your natural testosterone production begins again, your testicles will return to their normal size.

Irreversible Steroid Side-Effects

With the possible side-effects of steroids we’ve discussed so far, all are avoidable or reversible but there are those that once they’re there, they’re there to stay. Perhaps the most common is that of hair-loss; if you are someone who was going to go bald anabolic steroid use can speed up the process and once you lose your hair, short of a transplant there’s no getting it back. However, if you are not susceptible to baldness, generally you are in the clear. The most prevalent irreversible side-effects of steroids fall within usage of female anabolic steroid users. While females are susceptible to many of the same steroid side-effects as men, they are also prone to some unique unto their own; such as dreaded masculine effects. These steroid side-effects are reversible if caught early on and if abuse is not implored but once they are allowed to set in, often there is not a lot that can be done.

When speaking of irreversible steroid side-effects we would be remised if we did not bring up Gynecomastia yet again. Although it is easily preventable, if it is allowed to set up shop and not dealt with then it is there to stay. If you reach this point the only way you can have it removed is to physically have it surgically removed.

The Side-Effects of Anabolic Steroids and Responsibility

When it comes down to the side-effects of steroids the end results will be up to you. Use, not abuse is the key. More often than not, horrific anabolic steroid side-effects are due to irresponsible individuals who not only abuse outright but further have no understanding or education behind anabolic steroid use. Understand one thing, although many of the steroid side-effects you hear of are blown out of proportion or are for a better word an outright lie, side-effects of steroids are real but they are also manageable and avoidable.

Steroids and HIV Infection

The connection between injection drug use and HIV infection is well known. Sharing injection equipment such as needles and syringes presents a real risk of transmitting HIV as well as Hepatitis C. However, the injection of steroids is often overlooked as a risk behaviour.

Unlike mood-altering drugs, steroids are not perceived as having any health risks and, therefore, the user does not think he/she is in any danger.
Who Uses Steroids?

The majority of users are high school students. Other users may include strip dancers, wrestlers, weight lifters, military personnel and prisoners. The use of anabolic steroids for cosmetic purposes far exceeds their use by athletes for competition. The preferred method of use is by injection rather than by mouth.

Steroid use is a short cut to self-esteem. It needs little investment in energy and its reinforcing results are almost immediate. In a society that places so much value on body image, steroids are seen as a quick and easy response to that pressure.
What Are The Risks?

Most of the negative effects of steroids are due to overuse or misuse. The side effects may include: liver damage, sexual difficulties, aggressive behaviour, depression, acne, muscle spasms and interference with normal growth. Some of the effects are reversible after discontinuing the steroid use. However, the very real health risks are from:

    sharing needles, syringes and vials
    improper injection site
    failure to clean injection site
    failure to ensure the needle is not in a vein or artery

Steroid users must be given the opportunity to decide for themselves the negative aspects of steroid use. Until they are ready to quit, it is essential to help our young people stay alive. Any discussion of HIV/AIDS should ensure that use of steroids is included as a risk behaviour. In addition, information on the proper use of injection equipment must be readily available.

The Shingles Care Plan: Treating the Virus and Its Symptoms

A shingles care plan involves treating the causes as well as the rash, itching, pain, and other symptoms.


Shingles causes a blistering rash that runs along one half of the body in a belt-like fashion. The rash is caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, varicella zoster, which can lie dormant for years in the nerve tissue of a person who has had chickenpox. Once the virus reawakens, it spreads up the nerve fibers to the skin and produces the telltale rash of shingles.

An appropriate shingles care plan will employ multiple strategies to help you overcome the varicella zoster virus and cope with the symptoms. You can take medications to help boost your immune system, and relieve the pain and itching associated with the rash, and topical treatments for shingles will soothe the rash directly. Your shingles doctor will most likely be your primary care physician. It is important that you see your doctor as soon as possible after possible shingles symptoms appear so you can get treatment that will effectively reduce the duration of your shingles rash. More severe cases may require shingles treatment from a dermatologist, who can help treat the rash and skin infections, or a neurologist, who can deal with severe or chronic nerve pain.

What to Expect at the Doctor’s Office

There is no immediate cure for shingles. The disease will have to run its course. However, there are a number of medical treatments proven to relieve symptoms and fight the varicella zoster virus:

    Antiviral medications. If you get to your doctor within 72 hours of first developing a shingles rash, he or she can reduce the length of your shingles infection by days through the use of antiviral medications. Antivirals are the first line of shingles treatment.
    Tricyclic antidepressants. These prescription drugs have been proven effective in dulling the pain associated with shingles. They also reduce your chances of developing postherpetic neuralgia, a shingles complication that causes continued pain even after the rash has cleared.
    Opioids. Drugs like oxycodone, morphine, and codeine can relieve shingles pain.
    Steroids. Anti-inflammatory medications like corticosteroids can reduce the swelling of the shingles rash and lower the intensity and duration of your pain symptoms.

Your doctor will create a shingles care plan for you and prescribe medications based on a number of factors, including:

    Your age and overall health
    How advanced your shingles infection is
    Your medical history and proven tolerance for different medications and therapies
    How your shingles is likely to evolve over time
    What you are willing to do to treat your shingles

At-Home Shingles Care

In addition to the medication that your doctor probably prescribed, much of shingles treatment involves home health care you can do for yourself to relieve your symptoms and prevent complications:

    Get plenty of rest. The shingles virus is opportunistic and flourishes when your immune system is compromised. Rest is critical to strengthen your immune response to the disease.
    Drink plenty of fluids. Dry skin can cause your shingles rash to become more irritated. Staying hydrated helps keep your skin from drying out.
    Use soothing skin care. Calamine lotion or other soothing lotions can help treat some of the itching and burning from your rash.
    Take over-the-counter pain relievers. Medications like aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen are recommended for relieving itching, burning, and pain.
    Apply cold compresses. A clean cloth soaked in cold water or an astringent cooling agent can soothe your rash.
    Practice good hygiene. Bathe yourself daily to reduce your chance of bacterial infection.
    Clip your fingernails. Keeping your nails clean and trimmed will reduce scratching, which can cause scarring and infection.

Call your doctor if there is any change in your condition — for example, if your rash continues to spread or if your pain increases. The physician will be able to adjust your shingles care plan accordingly and keep you on the road to recovery.

Changes In Immune System

Administration of anabolic-androgenic steroids leads to body changes including changes in immune system. For an athlete those changes may have positive effects but sometimes may occur negative ones. During steroid therapy most athletes are resistant to viral infections. Latest studies on the effectiveness of steroids in people with HIV showed that such drugs as Deca Durabolin and Oxandrolone have positive effects over immune system. Due to this, many doctors prescribe anabolic steroids mentioned above to their patients.

However, if patient not observes any diseases during steroid therapy, the break in steroid administration may cause inverted effects for immune system. The immunity fights pathogenic microbes not as actively. Often those problems are connected with inverted effects of cortisone action – the hormone which is released during the apolexis in the body and also this hormone suppresses active action of immune system.

When the athlete stops to administrate steroids, his body experiences great androgens deficiency until his body supplies hormones production. Though action of testosterone and cortisone coincides in many ways, the lack of balanced androgens level leads to increase of cortisone action. Disbalance not only makes cortisone destroy muscle mass but also makes a man more vulnerable to virus diseases. Timely intake of necessary supplemental drugs (antiestrogens which stimulate testosterone action) is the best decision in such situations because it would restore balance of hormones in the period when athlete stops taking steroids.

Do not forget that during steroid therapy there may increase level of cortisone in the body. This phenomenon is called hypercortisolemia and it is quite common during steroid therapy. It is connected with anabolic-androgenic steroids, possibly, prevent body from elimination of cortocosteroids from the blood because these hormones do activate particular enzymes during their breakup.