When steroids begin to be dangerous for your health

Anabolic steroids, like many other drugs, can damage your health if abused. When staying right with their usage you get only benefits. That’s why we will talk not about how bad are steroids in general, but will try to bottom the line where their usage is dangerous for your health and you have to revise your further actions.

I always try to stay realistic and analyze situations with cold eyes. Going through dozens of articles and opinions about steroids help me to get a whole portrait about anabolics and their use.The big number of stereotypes associated with steroids consumption is not totally true. These are very powerful drugs, thus the side effects as well, but when used properly deliver great results and you can enjoy long life free health issues. The example of what i’m saying are numerous bodybuilders like Schwarzenegger who continue to enjoy happy life at his 66 years old.

I wiil not make a introduction to anabolic steroids as you all know what are they about. Being synthetic hormones of male hormone testosterone, steroids are able to make you look crazy in just few weeks. The main reason people resort to them is the aim to get a muscular physique. Professional sportives are also using them for increasing body strength and endurance. The consumption of steroids is prohibited in many countries, which have strict laws. Having, manufacturing or the attempt to sell steroids may send your in prison for several years. So, be careful with the countries you’re staying in and their law regarding steroids use ( what is legal in country may come illegal in the other one once you try to enter it).

Steroids have been created for treating many serious diseases. But came times when their use by professional athletes made any competition irrelevant. How can people who never used these drugs compete with another one who take them and have a greater performance?! It is unfair and also dangerous for people whose limits in their use are hard to fix. That’s why authorities decided to prohibit their use and make them available only in pharmacies. Steroids can be bought legally but you need a doctor prescription, and usually these are mild steroids with  modest effects in muscle growth.

Instead, on the black market the variety of steroids to choose from is quite wide. Powerful steroids can be purchased with decent amount of money and get to you in few days or a week. But are all those who purchase them educated about safe use of steroids and are they able to to know when to stop? My answer is not. Most of them are just running for the results that can be achieved with steroids, forgetting that you have also to work hard in the gym too. If they get informed before making any purchase about steroids usage and side effects, the number of those who complain about the dangerous of anabolics would be lessen.

Factors to consider for staying safe with steroids use:

1. Asses your experience as a bodybuilder and a steroid user. If you are younger than 20 years old and have less than one year of gym experience than steroids are not for you yet. Steroids usage in young people may confine their psychological and physical development. Also, steroids do not build muscle alone. You have to follow a special training program where lifting weights is a must.
If you are out of this category, than you can try steroids for bulking or cutting purpose. Testosterone is the everyone steroid to begin your cycle steroid. It works great and has no side effects.
2. Make sure you are well educated about stacking and cycling. If you know how to mix steroids and for how long time to take them, than most probably you use them safely. The most errors with steroids consumption come from user ignorance. If you take any other drug and use them blindly, then surely you get some underinsured side effects. So, be careful with steroids consumption as you are with any other drug.
3. Pay attention to your body signs. Steroids do cause a series of side effects, but the good news is that they disappear once you discontinue steroids use. Thus if there are signs that worry, just cease steroids use and let your body get to normal stage. Such side effect as gynecomastia is the most feared by men. It worsens when user continue to take steroids in spite of visible signs. Another reasons for this may be missing the antiestrogens or aromatase inhibitors use. They help the body to keep the estrogen level in normal limits. Estrogens are female hormones present in men muscle too. When estrogen level goes too low occurs the risk of developing those bitch tits (gynecomastia).
4. Check you predisposition to some diseases. Oral steroids are toxic for liver, since they contain a substance which block the excretory function of the liver. By doing so, oral steroids are able to get into bloodstream, otherwise they would be destroyed by liver enzymes. Therefore, if you have live issues is better to leave the idea of taking any oral. Mild injectable steroids can be a good alternative, if you do not fear needless.

Most common errors of steroids therapy

It is true that bodybuilders who use steroids often make lots of mistakes, which, whether they were armed with basic knowledge could have been avoided. But where they can get this knowledge? The main and most common resources are specialized publications, and of course more experienced bodybuilders.
Also, nowadays, the internet offers a variety of information about steroids: beginning with articles signed by professional bodybuilders or amateurs who get great results and ending with communication platforms where people are able to share their opinion/experience on building muscle.

So, in this article we would like to talk about the most common mistakes that chemical bodybuilder often made.
Even it is unpleasant to hear, the first error occurs when an athlete decide to resort to steroids. This assertion is based on fact that steroids should either not use, or use them regularly and systematically.
Steroid cycles that are conducted from time to time with long intervals between them are unlikely to give you great results in adding weight.

Yes, there are many people saying they manage to get by one or two courses of steroids about 10 kg of muscle, and to keep this increase after ending steroid cycle.  And such impressions are not a rarity on bodybuilding forums. But as a rule, these people get the wishful as a reality, and usually those 10 kg are basically not muscle, but something else. Usually, the earned during a cycle weight immediately begin to lower after it.
The same can be said about the power rates: if you just a couple of weeks ago you was able to do dozens of tractions, suddenly it becomes impossible to perform the same number.

The most interesting is the fact that almost no tricks which builders try in order to keep up the mass and strength, do not help. Some of these tricks are about slowly and gradually decreasing the dose of steroids in the end of the cycle, intake in the final stage of course of HGG, anti-estrogens (Nolvadex, Proviron) and anti-catabolic (like clenbuterol) massive load amino acids, etc.

It is possible that all these measures somehow slow down a bit the collapse of strength and mass, which expects the majority of athletes at the end of the course (although, certainly, there are exceptions to the rule), but, unfortunately, too less.
And the longer you refrain from steroids, the more you fray. As a result, two to four months of abstinence from steroids are quite enough to lose all that you achieved during the 6-12-weeks of steroid therapy.

The conclusion is that the intervals between cycles should be minimal: only following this rule is possible steady forward movement. Ambitious athletes, who understand all this, do this way. However, optimal are considered short 4-6-week cycles followed by 2 – 4 weeks intervals between them. The main explanation is that short rest periods do not give the weight to flake, but at the same time allow you to freshen up the muscle cell receptors, responsive to steroids.

In any case, it turns out that for the stable growth of the results the user has at least 8 months of the year get steroids, periodically increasing the dosage of the drugs and replacing it with some other drug, avoiding this way the body’s addictive to one drug.

Also, it is very important to mention that along with steroids athletes takes various supplements, whereas without them the effect of steroids is not as high. The conclusion is that building muscle without a solid financial base – is useless and hopeless. However, there are many athletes who periodically resort to cheap steroids hoping that one day they will look the way they want. But this, of course, is extremely rare.
So if you’re a bodybuilder just for enhancing your health, and to maintain muscle tone, then do not take steroids.

One of the biggest mistake of chemical bodybuilders is the use of excessive dosages. Many bodybuilders are, in essence, maximalists and think like this: if taking 300 mg a week, help them grow well, then  600 mg will help to grow even better. In fact, it is not. Different users require different dosages of steroids to build up their muscles. Moreover, the same athletes may be at the same level of development, have a comparable body weight, etc. Here appears the confusion: which is the cause of such differences? It is obvious that the receptors of muscle cells of each person perceive those or other drugs in a special way. It’s no secret that some individuals do not respond to steroids; while others get muscle grow using minimum dosage.

So, what kind of tactic makes sense to stick to a specific user?
A good option could be to begin the cycle using small doses and gradually increase them until you understand after how long time happens the clogging of receptors of muscle cells. As a rule, this occurs after 3-6 weeks after the start of a steroid cycle, but it is obvious that in your case it could be any more specific number. It can be supposed that after the receptors of muscle cells no longer respond to a particular drug, further increase in dosage did not give positive results. While the side effects may appear quite brighter(acne, gynecomastia, increased fat accumulation, and excessive water retention). There are two options in case you notice that your receptors no longer react to a particular drug:
-break the cycle, and take a break for two weeks, using the anti-estrogens and HCG, and then continue the cycle with other drugs;
-reduce the dosage very slowly, to save as much as possible recruited strength and muscle mass while abandon cycle.

As you see being informed about steroids use can keep you away from any dangerous. And yes, doses and cycles are very important.

Liver damage while on oral steroids

Steroids consumption is associated with a range of side effects, but when it comes to oral steroids liver damaging is the most common. For this main reason, most of steroid users advice to use injectables instead of orals which bedevil the good activity of liver.

In spite of this, oral steroids continue to be largely used by people worldwide. How this can be explained? First of all, injectable steroids can be detected in the blood long time after ending a steroid cycle. In case of orals, traces can be found few weeks after the last ingested pill. It may seem a long time too, but in compare with injectables this frame of time is quite shorter.

On the other hand, there are individuals who fear needles and will do all to avoid dealing with them. In this case, oral injectable is going to be used to replace the gains injectable can cause in human body. Oral steroids are more convenient to use, but are while less effective than injectable.

How is liver damaged while running oral steroid cycle?

Liver is one of the most important organ in human as that if it shuts down we have only 2-3 days to live.  It’s the “cleanser” of  the body, helping to get rid of toxins. Fortunately for us, liver has the capacity to regenerate and be functional even when 75% of it is damaged.

All 17A oral steroids are modified in a way to avoid degradation in the liver and be able to get in the blood. These kinds of steroids are toxic to liver because they inhibit the excretory function of the liver. Likewise, liver can get rid of toxic and they accumulate in the body. Known as cholestasis this is the most common disease caused by 7aa oral steroids are blamed for.

If no action is taken then after a while this disease worsens and may turn into cirrhosis, a stage where the activity begins to slow down. Worth to be mentioned cholestasis is not a lethal disease and is reversible if needed measures are taken on time. The best is to avoid getting to this stage at all, as ideal is to keep your liver safe instead of trying to treat.

The things get worse when two 17A oral steroids are taken concomitantly. Never admit this mistake. Always try to cycle an oral steroid along with an injectable one, this being the smart way of using steroids.

What are the most liver toxic oral steroids?

Don’t put all oral steroids in the same light as not all of them are liver toxic. Some of them are more toxic than others, while a minority has no bad influence on liver at all.

Top most liver toxic oral steroids are:

Superdrol

Dymethazine

Halodrol

Epistane

DHEA

Epiandrosterone

The more potent is the steroid, the higher is the toxicity level it carries on. Therefore, avoid using a powerful oral steroid when looking for fast and impressive muscle gains.

Top of less liver toxic oral steroids:

Winstrol,

Dianabol,

Anadrol.

So, only 17-aa steroids are liver toxic, while all other steroid have minor to no influence at all. A good idea is to stack a 17aa steroid with a non one in order to keep your liver functional while enjoying noticeable gains in muscle mass.

Symptoms of a damaged liver

When your liver function is perturbed because of oral steroid use there are series of signs that you have to worry about. Pay a close attention to your overall feeling when running a steroid cycle to be able to prevent any disease before it will to late.

Here are some of signs that should alarm you when taking orals:

-Lowered appetite;

-Fever associated with nausea (many take it as a cold , but it is not);

-Itchiness;

-Yellowish skin or eyes;

Whenever one of these signs occurs is time to take a break and revise what you are doing wrong. The earlier you acknowledge what happens in your body and give a hand of help, the higher chances to pass through a cycle with your liver function untouched.

The best would be not to wait for these signs, but simply take enzymes before and after steroid cycle. Few weeks later after the cycle is finished repeat the tests and see how it shows. This way you will have a closer look on your liver situation.

Products that help keep liver health while on steroids

As we said is better to prevent than to treat. A range of supplements available online are able to ensure a proper function of liver while taking 17aa steroids. LIV 52 and Milk Thistle, Essentiale and there  are just few of them. Whatever you choose, make sure you have one of these supplements in your cycle.

If you already have liver problems than taking 17aa steroid is a bad idea. Thier use will worsen your condition so that it can turn into something irreversible. Go with injectable in this case or use non-17 aa anabolics.

Protect your liver before it is too late. Make sure your liver is 100% health before getting involves in a 17aa steroid cycle and make sure you add in some supplements able to help you liver cope with bad effects of steroids. Do you tests and keep an eye on signs which talks about a liver problem.

What can be done about Prolactin-induced gynecomastia

Gynecomastia, known as “gyno”, is abnormal growth of breast tissue in males due to high estrogen levels. As men get into steroids, the occurrence of gyno is something they all wish to avoid. While there are a few reasons this phenomenon occurs, steroid use is a known culprit as there is heightened Estrogenic activity.

This causes the conversion of androgens to Estrogen during a steroid cycle. While it is seen as a common side effect, it is not widely known that it is one of the most avoidable side effects. There are many preventative measures that can be taken to avoid a prolactin induced Gynocomastia.

Can I know if I’m More Susceptible to contracting Gyno?

Because of the range of individual factors that go into being susceptible to gyno, there is no absolute way to know if you are at risk. Most people are not highly susceptible to gyno. The majority of the male population falls under average or below average susceptibility.

Some may never get gyno, but are constantly just a hairs length away from developing it. Others have it, and may not even know it. For this population, it will usually have developed during puberty. The slightest change in hormones can set off the effects of gyno in this population; though unless provoked, it usually remains dormant.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to figure out where on the spectrum you are. So if you want preventative measures, there are options available to you.

What Causes Elevated Prolactin?

Prolactin is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. It is secreted in high dosage usually only by women who are breast feeding. It is abnormal for any man or woman not in that situation to have high levels of Prolactin. Prolactin becomes elevated by the elevation of Estradiol.

A way to avoid the elevation of Estradiol without other medications is to be aware of the amount of aromatizing steroids that are used in a cycle. By limiting use at the source you will keep from triggering the higher levels of Estradiol as well as Prolactin, thus using your own steroid regimen to your benefit.

Top 4 most aromatizing steroids are:

-Dianabol;

-Anadrol;

-Testostosterone;

-Deca

Take a look on “What is steroid aromatization” to find more about steroids you are better to stay away.

Can my Thyroid Affect Prolactin levels?

Low thyroid levels can also have an effect on higher levels of Prolactin. A lower thyroid level causes an increased level of THC to be secreted, stimulating the pituitary gland. This in turn secretes more Prolactin. Before you start a drug regimen of any kind concerning levels of high Prolactin, you should look into getting a thyroid test.

Not only will it potentially solve your Prolactin increase without unnecessary drugs, but low thyroid levels can bring a mess of symptoms to the body, such as depression, weakness, constipation, dry skin, or memory problems. If the thyroid is the issue, Prolactin levels are just one of many side effects that need attention.

If I just want to be safe, what should I take?

Many sources caution against taking anything for Prolactin unless you know you have an issue with your levels. If you know you are at risk, a dopaminergic drug can help lessen Prolactin secretion. Two of the more popular choices are Selegiline (Deprenyl) and Pramipexole (Mirapex).

The safer of the two choices is Deprenyl, with less of an effect on prolactin, at as dosage of 2.5 mg per day. Mirapex is recommended at a careful dosage of .25 to .5, right before bed. Pramipexole is more aggressive, but also more dangerous. Dosage should be monitored carefully, and it should not be taken without a blood test to ensure an actual Prolactin issue.

Right workout gonna help you a lot in getting rid of man boobs. Watch this video to find out best exercises for reducing gynocomastia  appearance.

Gyno is health condition that every bodybuilder should be aware of. That’s why we do not get tired or bored of this subject and try to come with fresh  and useful info about it.

To read even more about gyno click on this article “Gynecomastia and bodybuilding“- one of the most detailed post about breast enlargement.

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.

Low Testosterone Symptoms

If you’re a human being, and if you’re reading this it is assumed you are, then low testosterone may be a concern for you. In the U.S. alone more than 20million men suffer from low testosterone, and while women can suffer too it is men who most commonly fall prey to the problem. The low testosterone symptoms can be very easy to spot; however, as the often gradually occur many men become accustomed before they realize they have a problem. Fortunately, while this is a condition that is beyond bothersome there is a remedy for the problem, and it is quite simple. Such a remedy will not alter your life, it will not be inconvenient, and regardless of anything else it will greatly improve your overall quality of life.

The Low Testosterone Symptoms
There are several low testosterone symptoms that may point to you having a problem. In most cases, you will display at least two symptoms, and in most cases one of the sexually related will occur. As the problem is left ignored, other symptoms will begin to show, and each one will get worse the longer the problem is left unattended to. It is true, low testosterone symptoms are not life-threatening, but not only are they very problematic they can be an open door to many far more serious complications. The following chart displays the low testosterone symptoms, the gateway effects that can occur if the condition is ignored, as well as the possible severity of the initial low testosterone symptoms:

Low Testosterone Symptoms	Possible Severity	Gateway Effects
Loss of Libido	Severe	Diabetes
Erectile Dysfunction	Moderate to Severe	Osteoporosis
Loss of Muscle Mass	High Moderate	Alzheimer’s
Loss of Strength	Moderate to Severe	Anxiety
Increased Body-Fat	Moderate to Sever	High Cholesterol
Inability to lose Fat	Severe	Infertility
Loss of Energy	Severe	Polyuria
Loss of Concentration	Moderate	Constant Soreness & Aches
Depression	Moderate to Severe
Insomnia	Low to Moderate
Decreased Sense of Well-Being	Severe

       
Combating Low Testosterone Symptoms

There is only one thing on this earth that will combat the low testosterone symptoms, and that is testosterone. For some reason, by the manner in-which testosterone has been demonized in popular culture due to it being an anabolic steroid this surprises many people. This should not be a surprise; for example, if you’re hungry you need food, if you’re lacking in food the only thing that will fix it is more food. The same can be said of testosterone, if you’re lacking in testosterone the only thing you can do is provide your body more of the hormone. This isn’t brain surgery, although it’s often treated as such. In the U.S. to combat low testosterone symptoms there are many options regarding the type of testosterone therapy you receive. There is the most efficient injectable testosterone, topical solutions, implant pellets and even somewhat indirect measures through Aromatase Inhibitors (AI’s) and Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERM’s). AI’s and SERM’s work by stimulating the release of LH and FSH into the body, thereby stimulating natural testosterone production; they can work, but often they are not enough. There is also a peptide hormone, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) that is sometimes used for early initial stimulation. In any case, to combat the low testosterone symptoms, we have listed all possible common measures, the type of measure or form, and its ability to remedy on a 1-10 scale:

Treatment	Form	Recovery Rating
Androderm	Topical Testosterone Patch	5
AndroGel	Topical Testosterone Gel	6
Arimidex	AI	4
Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid)	SERM	3
hCG	Peptide	5
Letrozole	AI	4
Tamoxifen Citrate (Nolvadex)	SERM	3
Testopel	Subcutaneous Implant Pellet	8-10
Sustanon-250	Injectable Testosterone	10
Testosterone-Cypionate	Injectable Testosterone	10
Testosterone-Enanthate	Injectable Testosterone	10
Testosterone-Propionate	Injectable Testosterone	10

Steroids in Cancer Treatment

Steroids are chemicals that are produced by glands in our bodies. They regulate many of our natural functions, from our body temperature and blood pressure to our emotions.

Pharmaceutically produced, synthetic steroids are used for a number of reasons in medicine. Steroids are a key component in the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

What Steroids are Used in Cancer Therapy?:

When we think of someone “taking steroids,” we often think of muscle-bound pro athletes or weight lifters in skimpy garments, flexing for the camera. These types of steroids are called anabolic-androgenic steroids, and are not typically used in cancer care.

Why Do I Need Steroids?:

In the treatment of blood and marrow cancers, steroids can serve a number of functions. Some examples include:

    To help prevent an allergic reaction to a blood product transfusion or medication
    Treatment of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following stem cell transplant
    As part of your chemotherapy regimen
    To reduce swelling in spinal cord compression of myeloma
    To decrease inflammation
    To help control nausea and vomiting
    To help increase your appetite
    To treat pain
    To treat skin reactions

Side Effects of Steroid Use:

The side effects of steroids tend to be worse when they are taken at higher doses and over long periods of time. Long-term side effects of steroids include:

    Immune suppression and infections
    Weight gain
    Weakness
    Psychosis or mood swings
    Stomach ulcers
    Elevated blood pressure
    Problems sleeping
    Elevated blood sugar (especially important if you are a diabetic)
    Osteoporosis (brittle bones)
    Swollen hands or feet

Taking your medication with food can help with some of the problems that steroids can cause to your digestive tract. You may also choose to take these types of medications early on in the day so that they are less likely to impact your sleep at night.

As with many medication side effects, your specialist, nurse, or pharmacist can often provide you with strategies to help control or minimize them. Keep them informed of any concerns you experience.

Impact of Steroids on Mood:

Many of us have heard the expression "'roid rage". It is often used to describe angry behaviors and outbursts of individuals who take anabolic steroids, but corticosteroids can also have serious effects on mood as well.

These reactions can range from irritability, restlessness, and anger all the way to paranoia, confusion, and mania. Conversely, it is not uncommon to have a low mood or even depression after you stop taking them.

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine the source of these feelings. Yes, you are on steroids, but you are also getting treated for cancer and trying to carry on a somewhat normal life -- no kidding you are more emotional than usual! Cut yourself a little slack.

But if your mood changes are impacting your quality of life or relationships, speak to your healthcare team about it. If these feelings are severe, you may need to seek immediate assistance.

Important Points About Taking Steroids:

As with most cancer treatment medications, it is very important to take steroids exactly as your doctor describes. Here are some good questions to ask your healthcare team about your steroids before you start:

    How long will I be expected to take this medication?
    Who can I contact if I have a serious reaction to this medication?
    What if I miss a dose?
    What if I vomit up my medication?

Taking steroid medications has an impact on how much natural steroid your body produces. For this reason, when your steroids are no longer needed as part of your therapy, your doctor will often taper the dose off instead of stopping them abruptly. It is extremely important that you do not stop taking this medication unless you are told to by your doctor. Stopping these drugs suddenly can have very serious consequences.