Steroids

Anabolic Steroids are any drugs chemically related to testosterone, a male hormone that promotes muscle growth. There are more than 100 varieties of anabolic steroids but only a limited number have been approved for human use. Anabolic Steroids are Schedule III substances and require a prescription in order to be used medically in the United States.

Illicit steroid use is linked to athletic competitions and/or an athlete trying to gain a competitive edge. Some individuals may use steroids to alter their to increase their muscle mass.

• It has been estimated that 2.9 million to 4.0 million individuals in the United States, nearly all of whom are male, have used steroids at some time in their lives.
• The same study estimated that about 1 million men in the United States have experienced steroid dependence.

• Anabolic effects that include increases in muscle mass, the size of some internal organs, and calcium in the bones.
• Androgenic effects, which include masculinizing effects like deepening of the voice, increased facial hair, and initial enlargement of some male sex glands.

Short-term health effects: 

• Acne
• Fluid retention
• Rapid weight gain
• Increased blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• Insomnia (inability to sleep)
• Headaches
• Reduced sexual functioning
• Increase in muscle size
• Swelling of feet and ankles
• Improved healing
• Improved appetite
• Reduced sperm count
• Damage to the heart
• Impotence
• Difficulty or pain while urinating
• Breast reduction in women
• Excessive hair growth

Long-term health effects:

• Liver disease or liver cancer
• Development of breasts
• Shrinking of the testicles
• Enlarged clitoris in women
• Abnormal menstrual cycles in women
• Blood clotting difficulties
• Development of cholesterol patterns associated with coronary heart disease, obstructed blood vessels, or stroke
• Heart attacks
• Clotting disorders
• Cardiovascular, liver, and reproductive organ damage
• Premature heart attacks and strokes
• Reduced sexual functioning
• Stunted growth in adolescents
• Increased chance of injuring ligaments, tendons and muscles
• When injecting: bacterial infections, abscesses, cellulitis, and HIV/AIDS
• Increase in muscle size

 Psychological Effects

• Increase aggressiveness or lead them to become more violent
• Extreme mood swings can also occur.
• Depression is often seen when the drugs are stopped and may contribute to a dependence on anabolic steroids.
• Paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.
• Steroid addiction and dependence

• Very low body fat, extreme muscularity, disproportionately large upper torso
• Acne on face, shoulders, back
• Pigmented striae on skin
• Excessive facial or body hair
• Superficial confidence; feelings of invincibility or grandiosity
• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Frustration or excessive argumentativeness to the point of rage
• Obsession with weight training, conditioning, body image, appearance
• Dissatisfaction with appearance despite what others perceive
• Extremely baggy or loose clothing

• Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S., and Wilson, W. (1998). Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy. New York: W.W. and Norton Company.
• Kanayama, G., Cohane, B.A., Weiss, R.D., and Pope, H.G., Jr. Past anabolic-androgenic steroid use among men admitted for substance abuse treatment: An underrecognized problem? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 64(2):156–160, 2003.
• Grassley, C. The Abuse of Anabolic Steroids and Their Precursors by Adolescent and Amateur Athletes. Opening remarks to a hearing before the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, July 13, 2004. drugcaucus.senate.gov/steroids04grassley.html
• Volkow, N.D. Consequences of the Abuse of Anabolic Steroids—Before the Committee on Government Reform—United States House of Representatives: Statement for the Record, May 17, 2005. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse. www.drugabuse.gov/testimony/3-17-05testimony.html
• Johnston, L.D., O’Malley, P.M., Bachman, J.G., and Schulenberg, J.E. Monitoring the Future: National Results on Adolescent Drug Use—Overview of Key Findings, 2004. NIH Publication No. 05-5726. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2005, p. 4.
• Brower, K.J. Anabolic steroid abuse and dependence. Current Psychiatry Report 4(5):377–387, 2002.
• Pope, H.G., Jr., and Brower, K.J. Anabolic-androgenic steroids. In: Galanter, M., and Kleber, H.D., eds. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment, 3d ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.,2004, pp. 301–309.
• Thiblin  I, Garmo  H, Garle  M,  et al.  Anabolic steroids and cardiovascular risk: a national population-based cohort study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015;152:87-92.
• Pope  HG  Jr, Wood  RI, Rogol  A, Nyberg  F, Bowers  L, Bhasin  S.  Adverse health consequences of performance-enhancing drugs: an Endocrine Society Scientific Statement. Endocr Rev. 2014;35(3):341-375.