Anabolic Steroids and Weight Gain in HIV Patients

People with HIV suffer from a condition referred to as HIV wasting. This condition is characterized by involuntary loss of about 10% of the total body weight, often coupled with prolonged diarrhea, fever, or weakness. In HIV wasting, the weight loss is attributed to the loss of lean body mass or muscle mass.anabolic steroids

HIV wasting is caused by several factors, one of which is reduced food intake. HIV patients usually consume less food because they have low appetite. Furthermore, the medicines they take also have side effects that make them eat less.

Another factor that causes wasting in HIV patients is that their small intestine, affected by infections brought about by the disease, does not absorb nutrients effectively anymore. Finally, HIV patients experience wasting because their body's metabolism is altered. The disease affects the way their body processes food and builds up protein.

A study conducted in 2005 showed that HIV patients have a chance to gain the weight they lost to wasting. This can be made possible by treating them with anabolic steroids.
The study involved HIV patients with ages ranging from 24 to 42. A total of 294 individuals were given anabolic steroids, which they took for 6 weeks, while 238 individuals were given the placebo. At the end of the study, those who took the anabolic steroids showed weight gain of almost three pounds.

According to medical experts, this amount of weight gained because of steroid intake is clinically relevant. This positive result has birthed the hope that more of the weight lost because of wasting can be regained by longer treatment of anabolic steroids.

Although more research is needed to establish this principle, the result of the study definitely brings good news to HIV patients. Scientists and medical experts have been trying for a long time to reverse the effect of HIV wasting, which can lead to extreme muscle loss and weakness. Wasting can even cause organs to fail and make the patient die more quickly. People with HIV or AIDS suffer from reduced testosterone levels, and their bodies are unable to build muscle mass.

So what are anabolic steroids? These are synthetic steroids that have the same characteristics as testosterone, which is the male sex hormone. They help the body to grow skeletal muscles.

Anabolic steroids have been made largely unpopular primarily because athletes misuse and abuse these products. However, they do have important medical applications and are being used to treat certain medical conditions like low testosterone level for men and anemia. Now this study involving the use of anabolic steroids for the treatment of HIV wasting proves once again that these substances have a significant role in the field of medicine.

In this study, the patients either took the anabolic steroids orally or through an injection. The side effects reported include acne, mood swings, slight increase in growth of body hair, aggressiveness, abnormal liver function tests, and irritability, which are all common manifestations of using anabolic steroids.

More study is needed to confirm if the weight gain caused by anabolic steroid intake will bring about an improvement in the patient's quality of life. Experts also still need to determine how much gain weight translates to a successful result of treatment with anabolic steroids.

Anabolic Steroid Treatment In People With HIV

Anabolic steroids are artificial (synthetic) versions of the male hormone testosterone that help build muscle. They also enhance masculine characteristics.

Because they can help the body to form lean muscle, they are sometimes used to treat wasting and weight loss caused by HIV, and doctors sometimes prescribe anabolic steroids to people experiencing fat loss from the limbs because of lipodystrophy. Testosterone supplements are also used to treat low testosterone levels which can develop in people with HIV due to HIV infection, some other infections, anti-HIV drugs and other medicines.
Anabolic steroids are also widely used by body builders and by many people who weight-train at the gym.

Anabolic steroids treatment in people with HIV

The anabolic steroids have been studied as a treatment for wasting caused by HIV, and have been shown to be safe and effective, helping the formation of lean muscle mass. To be most effective, anabolic steroid treatment should be combined with an exercise programme of resistance (weight) training.

Studies have mostly been restricted to men because of concerns about the side-effects of steroid treatment for women.

Anabolic steroids can increase levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and other side-effects, so their use should be closely monitored particularly if you are taking a protease inhibitor or have any risk factors for heart disease.
Testosterone replacement therapy in people with HIV

It is estimated that as many as 40% of HIV-positive men who are ill because of HIV have low levels of testosterone (hypogonadism). Low testosterone can result in decreased appetite, depression, poor metabolism of food, and sexual problems, including the inability to obtain and maintain an erection.

A blood test can show if you have low levels of testosterone and your doctor may prescribe either a short course of oral testosterone replacement therapy, testosterone patches, or testosterone gel.

Although testosterone is usually considered to be the male sexual hormone, it also occurs naturally in women. Testosterone patches have been examined as a treatment for wasting caused by HIV in women. It was found that weight and quality of life improved for some of the women, and the development of male characteristics was not reported.

Side-effects from testosterone replacement therapy are rare, but can include the shutting down of natural testosterone production, shrinking of the testicles, hair loss, increased sexual desire, and aggression. In women, male characteristics, such as the deepening of the voice, and facial hair may develop.

HIV and Weight Loss Treatment

Weight loss in people with HIV has many possible causes. If you lose weight fast, it may be because you have another infection along with HIV. This type of illness is called an opportunistic infection.

Gradual weight loss may be due to problems with nutrition. You may lose weight if you cannot eat enough food or if your body cannot absorb all the nutrients from the food you eat.

HIV Viral Load Testing

The HIV viral load is the number of copies of the human immunodeficiency virus in your blood and other parts of your body. The HIV viral load test involves taking a blood sample from a vein in your arm. The amount of HIV in your blood is then measured. Along with other tests, the HIV viral load test helps monitor your disease, guide HIV therapy, and predict how your disease may progress. Keeping your viral load low can reduce complications of HIV disease and extend your life. Two common test numbers...


Pain in your mouth, from sores or a yeast infection called thrush, can make it hard to eat.

You may not feel like eating because you are sick to your stomach or food just doesn't appeal to you. HIV itself or HIV medicines can cause you to feel this way.

You may not feel like eating because you are depressed. Depression can make you lose your appetite. If you have lost interest in activities you used to enjoy or have other depression symptoms, tell your doctor.

If you have diarrhea, your body may not be able to absorb all of the nutrition from your food.

If you are a man and you have a low level of the hormone testosterone, your body may not be able to turn your food into muscle tissue.

When you lose weight, you lose muscle, fat, or both. Exercising to build muscle and eating healthy foods are part of treatment. Your doctor also may change your medicines or add new ones.

Marijuana has been shown to stimulate the appetite. Talk to your doctor if you're interested in trying it.
Eating healthy

Eating a healthy, balanced diet with enough protein and calories may help you keep weight on. It also can help your immune system stay strong to fight infection.

Your doctor or a registered dietitian can help you make a plan that works for you.

Here are a few tips:

    If you are sick to your stomach or don't feel like eating, discuss your medicines with your doctor. It may be possible to change medicines. Do not change medicines on your own. Always discuss changes in medicines with your doctor, and make those decisions together.
    If you don't feel like eating, eat your favorite foods. Eat smaller meals several times a day instead of a few large ones.
    Drink high-calorie protein shakes between meals. Try nutritious drinks, such as Ensure. Protein or energy bars are another good way to get extra calories between meals.
    If you have diarrhea, eat bland foods like rice, bananas, or bread. Avoid high-fiber foods. Milk products can cause diarrhea for some people who react to the sugar or lactose in the milk. If you have this problem, try lactose-free or soy-based products.
    If you have mouth sores, avoid spicy foods, hot or cold foods, oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits. Stay away from hard or crunchy foods. Use a straw when you drink.
    If you are sick to your stomach, try drinking peppermint or ginger tea.

Exercise may help you feel better and strengthen your muscles. It also may improve your immune system, which can help you fight infection.

Make sure to talk with your doctor before you start your exercise program, especially if you haven't been active for a long time.

Exercise:

    Is safe.
    Improves strength and endurance.
    Improves heart and lung fitness.
    May help you feel less tired.
    Enhances your sense of well-being.

Walking is a good way to get aerobic exercise. Start slowly if you haven't been active. Try 20 minutes a day or two 10-minute walks. Slowly increase your time. Try to walk as often as you can.

Weight lifting also can build your strength. Again, talk to your doctor first, and ask how to start a program that works for you. If you can't get to a gym, you can use soup cans or other things around the house as weights.

Competitive sports do not pose a risk of spreading HIV to other athletes or coaches. In sports in which exposure to blood can occur, the risk of spreading HIV is very small. But if a person, HIV-infected or not, starts to bleed, he or she should leave the game, and the wounds should be covered before the person returns.

Medicines

If you are not already taking antiretroviral medicines, your doctor may want you to start. You may need medicines that increase your appetite or help with nausea.

Hormones, such as testosterone, and anabolic steroids, such as nandrolone, may be used to help build muscle. Growth hormone also may be used.

Anabolic steroids help people with HIV put on weight and muscle mass

People with HIV who are treated with anabolic steroids to prevent AIDS wasting may realize modest gains in weight and muscle mass, a new review shows.

The review covered 13 studies of adults age 24 to 42 with HIV, 294 of whom received anabolic steroids for at least six weeks and 238 of whom received placebo. The average weight increase in those taking anabolic steroids was nearly three pounds.

“The magnitude of weight gain observed may be considered clinically relevant,” said lead author Karen Johns, a medical assessment officer from the agency Health Canada. “One hopes there would be greater weight gain with the long-term use of anabolic steroids; however, this has not been proven to date in clinical trials.”

The review appears in the most recent issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic.

AIDS wasting, which leads to significant weight loss in people with HIV, causes severe loss of weight and muscle and can lead to muscle weakness, organ failure and shortened lifespan. Researchers have long sought to reverse this common, destructive effect of HIV with mixed success.

The wasting stems from loss of the body’s ability to grow muscle and from low levels of testosterone.

Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances similar to the male sex hormone testosterone that promote growth of skeletal muscle and the development of male sexual characteristics.

Although most recently in the news for their misuse by professional athletes, anabolic steroids have legitimate medical application for men with low testosterone and people with certain types of anemia. Two anabolic steroids available in the United States, nandrolone decanoate and oxandrolone, have been used to help increase weight and muscle mass in small studies of people with wasting.

Conversely, anabolic steroid use has been associated with increased rates of HIV in those who share needles or use nonsterile needles when they inject steroids.

In the review studies, anabolic steroids were administered to patients either orally or by injection. The main side effects were mild and included abnormal liver function tests; acne; mild increase in body hair; breast tenderness; increased libido, aggressiveness and irritability; and mood swings — all common side effect of anabolic steroid use.

“The risks and side effects of taking anabolic steroids long-term are certainly of concern,” Johns said. “We were unable to assess these risks in our review due to the short duration of treatment in the studies.”

Wayne Dodge, M.D., the HIV/AIDS program director at the Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, suggests that clinicians should obtain blood testosterone levels, “if an HIV-infected individual has had significant weight loss, significant fatigue or muscle wasting, and particularly if associated with a significant decrease in libido and erections. If [testosterone] is in the low or low-normal range then a trial of [steroids] could be tried. The individual and the clinician should decide what result would constitute a successful trial: weight gain of 15 pounds, a 30 percent improvement in sense of well-being [or] a successful erection once a week.”

The reviews authors conclude that further studies are needed to determine if increase in weight leads to improved physical functioning and quality of life, and ultimately increased survival, as well as the potential for serious side effects, especially with prolonged use. 

HIV and Weight Loss Causes, Symptoms and Steroid Treatment

Weight loss in people with HIV has many possible causes. If you lose weight fast, it may be because you have another infection along with HIV. This type of illness is called an opportunistic infection.

Gradual weight loss may be due to problems with nutrition. You may lose weight if you can't eat enough food or if your body can't absorb all the nutrients from the food you eat.

Pain in your mouth, from sores or a yeast infection called thrush, can make it hard to eat.

You may not feel like eating because you are sick to your stomach or food just doesn't appeal to you. HIV itself or HIV medicines can cause you to feel this way.

You may not feel like eating because you are depressed. Depression can make you lose your appetite. If you have lost interest in activities you used to enjoy or have other depression symptoms, tell your doctor.

If you have diarrhea, your body may not be able to absorb all of the nutrition from your food.

If you are a man and you have a low level of the hormone testosterone, your body may not be able to turn your food into muscle tissue.

When you lose weight, you lose muscle, fat, or both. Exercising to build muscle and eating healthy foods are part of treatment. Your doctor also may change your medicines or add new ones.

Marijuana has been shown to stimulate the appetite. Talk to your doctor if you're interested in trying it.
Eating healthy

Eating a healthy, balanced diet with enough protein and calories may help you keep weight on. It also can help your immune system stay strong to fight infection.

Your doctor or a registered dietitian can help you make a plan that works for you.

Here are a few tips:

    If you are sick to your stomach or don't feel like eating, discuss your medicines with your doctor. It may be possible to change medicines. Do not change medicines on your own. Always discuss changes in medicines with your doctor, and make those decisions together.
    If you don't feel like eating, eat your favorite foods. Eat smaller meals several times a day instead of a few large ones.
    Drink high-calorie protein shakes between meals. Try nutritious drinks, such as Ensure. Protein or energy bars are another good way to get extra calories between meals.
    If you have diarrhea, eat bland foods like rice, bananas, or bread. Avoid high-fiber foods. Milk products can cause diarrhea for some people who react to the sugar or lactose in the milk. If you have this problem, try lactose-free or soy-based products.
    If you have mouth sores, avoid spicy foods, hot or cold foods, oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits. Stay away from hard or crunchy foods. Use a straw when you drink.
    If you are sick to your stomach, try drinking peppermint or ginger tea.

Exercise

Exercise may help you feel better and strengthen your muscles. It also may improve your immune system, which can help you fight infection.

Make sure to talk with your doctor before you start your exercise program, especially if you haven't been active for a long time.

Exercise:

    Is safe.
    Improves strength and endurance.
    Improves heart and lung fitness.
    May help you feel less tired.
    Enhances your sense of well-being.

Walking is a good way to get aerobic exercise. Start slowly if you haven't been active. Try 20 minutes a day or two 10-minute walks. Slowly increase your time. Try to walk as often as you can.

Weight lifting also can build your strength. Again, talk to your doctor first, and ask how to start a program that works for you. If you can't get to a gym, you can use soup cans or other things around the house as weights.

Competitive sports do not pose a risk of spreading HIV to other athletes or coaches. In sports in which exposure to blood can occur, the risk of spreading HIV is very small. But if a person, HIV-infected or not, starts to bleed, he or she should leave the game, and the wounds should be covered before the person returns.
Medicines

If you are not already taking antiretroviral medicines, your doctor may want you to start. You may need medicines that increase your appetite or help with nausea.

For men, hormones, such as testosterone, and anabolic steroids, such as nandrolone or trenbolone enanthate, may be used to help build muscle. For both men and women, growth hormone may be used.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection - What Increases Your Risk

Most people get HIV by having unprotected sex with someone who has HIV. Another common way of getting the virus is by sharing needles with someone who is infected with HIV when injecting drugs.

You have an increased risk of becoming infected with HIV through sexual contact if you:

    Have unprotected sex (do not use condoms).
    Have multiple sex partners.
    Are a man who has sex with other men.
    Have high-risk partner(s) (partner has multiple sex partners, is a man who has sex with other men, or injects drugs).
    Have or have recently had a sexually transmitted infection, such as syphilis or active herpes.

People who inject drugs or steroids, especially if they share needles, syringes, cookers, or other equipment used to inject drugs, are at risk of being infected with HIV.

Babies who are born to mothers who are infected with HIV are also at risk of infection. 

What to think about

HIV may be spread more easily in the early stage of infection, and again later, when symptoms of HIV-related illness develop.

The risk of getting HIV from a blood transfusion or organ transplant is extremely low because all donated blood and organs in the United States are screened for HIV.

Anabolic Steroids for Weight Gain of HIV Patients

People with HIV suffer from a condition referred to as HIV wasting. This condition is characterized by involuntary loss of about 10% of the total body weight, often coupled with prolonged diarrhea, fever, or weakness. In HIV wasting, the weight loss is attributed to the loss of lean body mass or muscle mass.anabolic steroids

HIV wasting is caused by several factors, one of which is reduced food intake. HIV patients usually consume less food because they have low appetite. Furthermore, the medicines they take also have side effects that make them eat less.

Another factor that causes wasting in HIV patients is that their small intestine, affected by infections brought about by the disease, does not absorb nutrients effectively anymore. Finally, HIV patients experience wasting because their body's metabolism is altered. The disease affects the way their body processes food and builds up protein.

A study conducted in 2005 showed that HIV patients have a chance to gain the weight they lost to wasting. This can be made possible by treating them with anabolic steroids.
The study involved HIV patients with ages ranging from 24 to 42. A total of 294 individuals were given anabolic steroids, which they took for 6 weeks, while 238 individuals were given the placebo. At the end of the study, those who took the anabolic steroids showed weight gain of almost three pounds.

According to medical experts, this amount of weight gained because of steroid intake is clinically relevant. This positive result has birthed the hope that more of the weight lost because of wasting can be regained by longer treatment of anabolic steroids.

Although more research is needed to establish this principle, the result of the study definitely brings good news to HIV patients. Scientists and medical experts have been trying for a long time to reverse the effect of HIV wasting, which can lead to extreme muscle loss and weakness. Wasting can even cause organs to fail and make the patient die more quickly. People with HIV or AIDS suffer from reduced testosterone levels, and their bodies are unable to build muscle mass.

So what are anabolic steroids? These are synthetic steroids that have the same characteristics as testosterone, which is the male sex hormone. They help the body to grow skeletal muscles.

Anabolic steroids have been made largely unpopular primarily because athletes misuse and abuse these products. However, they do have important medical applications and are being used to treat certain medical conditions like low testosterone level for men and anemia. Now this study involving the use of anabolic steroids for the treatment of HIV wasting proves once again that these substances have a significant role in the field of medicine.

In this study, the patients either took the anabolic steroids orally or through an injection. The side effects reported include acne, mood swings, slight increase in growth of body hair, aggressiveness, abnormal liver function tests, and irritability, which are all common manifestations of using anabolic steroids.

More study is needed to confirm if the weight gain caused by anabolic steroid intake will bring about an improvement in the patient's quality of life. Experts also still need to determine how much gain weight translates to a successful result of treatment with anabolic steroids.

Anabolic Steroids Treatment in People with HIV

The anabolic steroids have been studied as a treatment for wasting caused by HIV, and have been shown to be safe and effective, helping the formation of lean muscle mass. To be most effective, anabolic steroid treatment should be combined with an exercise program of resistance (weight) training.

Studies have mostly been restricted to men because of concerns about the side-effects of steroid treatment for women.

Anabolic steroids can increase levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and other side-effects, so their use should be closely monitored particularly if you are taking a protease inhibitor or have any risk factors for heart disease.

Testosterone replacement therapy in people with HIV

It is estimated that as many as 40% of HIV-positive men who are ill because of HIV have low levels of testosterone (hypogonadism). Low testosterone can result in decreased appetite, depression, poor metabolism of food, and sexual problems, including the inability to obtain and maintain an erection.

A blood test can show if you have low levels of testosterone and your doctor may prescribe either a short course of oral testosterone replacement therapy, testosterone patches, or testosterone gel.

Although testosterone is usually considered to be the male sexual hormone, it also occurs naturally in women. Testosterone patches have been examined as a treatment for wasting caused by HIV in women. It was found that weight and quality of life improved for some of the women, and the development of male characteristics was not reported.

Side-effects from testosterone replacement therapy are rare, but can include the shutting down of natural testosterone production, shrinking of the testicles, hair loss, increased sexual desire, and aggression. In women, male characteristics, such as the deepening of the voice, and facial hair may develop.