What are anabolic steroids?
The human-made variations or the synthetic variation of the male hormone testosterone is known as Anabolic steroid. The scientific name of the steroid is anabolic androgenic steroids. Health care providers normally prescribe anabolic steroids in low doses for treating hormonal issues like delayed puberty or muscle loss issues in some diseases like AIDS or cancer. But it is also observed that some weightlifters, bodybuilders, and athletes misuse steroids for improving physical appearance and boosting performance.
How do people misuse anabolic steroids?
When the doses of anabolic steroids are increased 10 to 100 times higher than actually prescribed doses, then it can be categorized as misuse of the steroid. Such people use the steroid orally, apply it in the form of cream and gel to the skin, or inject it into the muscles.
The common ways of the misuse of anabolic steroids are mentioned below:
- Cycling
In this case, people, take high doses for some time then abruptly stop taking it and restart again after a certain period.
- Stacking
In this form of misuse, the consumption of two or more types of steroids is combined. Or sometimes the forms of steroids such as injectable and oral are combined.
- Pyramiding
The person slowly and gradually increases the doses of consumption and reaches a particular peak point. Then eventually tapers down and stops the absolute consumption.
- Plateauing
To avoid the development of tolerance level of the steroid, the person substitutes, overlaps, and alternates another steroid.
Though these methods are commonly followed to avoid the side effects of the steroid, however, this process is not backed by any scientific research or evidence.
How to use Anabolic steroids properly?
It is said that not to use steroids unless there is no alternative left. Or even if you use, limit the same to the prescribed doses and don’t let it be addictive to your body. There are some ways of consuming steroids that may lesser or no impact on your body. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Use very low doses of steroids and as prescribed by the healthcare professionals.
- Try not to share syringes and needles with other people when using the steroid.
- When consuming anabolic steroids through injectables ensure the injection site is sterile. Also, with every injection, the needle should be clean and used from an unopened pack.
- It is recommended that diuretics should not be used with anabolic steroids.
- In case any of the side effects occur with the use of steroids do not treat it with other drugs. In such cases, it is better to stop consuming anabolic steroids.
- It is always recommended that anabolic steroids are consumed with the prescription of doctors. If not so, discuss this with your doctors when you visit them to treat some other diseases to avoid unnecessary complications.
- Before starting to consume anabolic steroids ensure the name and genre of the tablets, injections, gel, or cream. Also, check if these items have not been tampered with in any way. This is vital for any kind of safety reasons.
How do anabolic steroids affect the human body?
Anabolic steroids are a different kind of drug. It does not have short-term effects on the body if consumed in limits and as per the prescription. Steroids such as Winstrol 10 mg are prescribed by healthcare providers for the treatment of some diseases such as cancer, AIDS, or some other which loses muscles.
Some of the side effects that may occur due to anabolic steroids are mentioned below:
- Negative mental effects such as mania, impaired judgment, delusions, aggression, irritability, paranoid jealousy, etc may occur due to steroids.
- Kidney failure or other problems.
- Liver tumor and damage.
- Changes in blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, enlarged heart, or increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Blood clotting.
- Shrinking testicles and decreased sperm count.
- Baldness.
- Risk of prostate cancer.
- Impact on the menstrual cycle.
- Enlarged clitoris.
Final words
Anabolic steroids are not much addictive as the other drugs but may only leave substance disorders. It can be a problem when they are misused and consumed in a quantity higher than required. Some people get into other drugs to treat the symptoms such as irritability, sleeplessness, etc caused due to anabolic steroids.
