Anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids
What are anabolic steroids?
Anabolic steroids are synthetic
hormones
that help with the growth and repair of
muscle
tissue. They imitate the male sex hormone, testosterone.
There are legitimate medical uses for anabolic steroids.
Doctors prescribe them to treat hormonal problems
(such as delayed puberty in males or loss of muscle caused by diseases like
cancer
External Link
or
HIV
).
Anabolic steroids are also misused. People who illegally use anabolic steroids often do so to increase lean muscle mass, reduce fat and speed up recovery from injury.
Anabolic steroids can take the form of tablets, capsules or injectable liquids, depending on the type of steroid.
Common slang terms for steroids include ‘roids’, ‘gear’ and ‘juice’.
Anabolic steroids are classed as
performance and image-enhancing drugs
(PIEDs)
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.
Who uses anabolic steroids?
According to research, anabolic steroiduse for non-medical purposes is more common in men in their 30s. Other groups who typically use them include:
Professional athletes and bodybuilders who are involved in competitive sport or who have a strong desire to succeed.
People who work in industries where muscle strength is important – such as security workers, police, construction workers and defence force staff.
Young people and adults who are concerned about their body image and want to look muscular to feel good. This may include people who work in the fashion and entertainment industries.
How anabolic steroids work
Anabolic steroids work by imitating the properties of naturally occurring hormones, Their chemical composition is similar to testosterone and can activate the body’s testosterone receptors.
Once the receptors are stimulated, a domino effect of metabolic reactions takes place as the drug instructs the body to increase muscle tissue production.
Testosterone has two effects on your body:
anabolic
– maintains bone density, supports muscle growth and speeds up recovery from injury
androgenic (also known as masculinising)
– develops and maintains male characteristics (such as the penis, testicles, muscle mass, deep voice and facial hair).
Although testosterone is called a male sex hormone, it also occurs naturally in women, but in much smaller amounts.
How anabolic steroids affect the body
People who use anabolic steroids generally experience an increase in
muscle strength
very quickly.
This generally means that people are able to train more often and for longer periods of time, with improved recovery.
This can often lead to rapid increases in lean muscle tissue.
Fluid retention is also common and can lead to muscles looking soft or bloated.
Side effects of anabolic steroids
The effects of anabolic steroid use can differ from person to person. Some people may experience:
fluid retention (also called water retention or oedema)
difficulty
sleeping
damage to
nerves
from injecting steroids
irritability, mood swings, aggression or
depression
increased
sex drive (libido)
skin changes –
acne
that results in scarring
more
colds
.
Men may experience:
testicle and penis shrinkage
reduced sperm
count
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erectile dysfunction (or
impotence)
External Link
prostate problems
gynaecomastia (breast development)
baldness (patterned hair loss)
involuntary and long-lasting erection.
Women may experience:
irregular
menstrual cycle
or
loss of periods (amenorrhoea)
shrunken breasts
deepened voice
facial and body hair growth (
such as hirsutism
)
abnormal growth of the clitoris.
Young people may experience:
stunted growth
premature balding
acne scarring
injury caused by excessive, intense workouts
stretch
marks
External Link
on the chest and arms
prematurely aged (or ‘leathery’)
skin
.
Long-term effects of anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids can produce many unpleasant and often permanent side effects, including:
damage to the gonads (testicles or ovaries)
liver disease
malfunctions of the
kidneys
,
liver
or
heart
‘roid rage’, which is characterised by uncontrollable outbursts of psychotic aggression
paranoia
and mood swings, including deep
depression
severe acne
, which can cause scarring
high blood cholesterol levels
high blood pressure (hypertension)
injuries to tendons that can’t keep up with the increased muscle strength
delusional feelings of being superhuman or invincible.
trembling and muscle tremors.
nerve damage from needle use – this may lead to conditions such as
sciatica
unsafe needle use can increased the risk of contracting infactions such as
hepatitis B
and
C
,
HIV
and
tetanus
.
Mixing anabolic steroids with other drugs
A person who is using anabolic steroids may turn to other supplementary drugs.
They may do this to either speed up their physical transformation or counter the side effects of the steroids.
The dangers of mixing these drugs aren’t fully known.
Some of these other drugs may include:
amphetamines
– to counteract feelings of deep depression and aid in fat loss
beta blockers
– to counteract trembling
diuretics
– to counteract fluid retention
human growth hormone
– such as human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) to stimulate the body’s natural production of testosterone and counteract testicle shrinkage.
Dependence on anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids do not cause physical dependence. However, if a person relies on them for their self-esteem and confidence, then giving up can be extremely difficult. The pressure to keep using steroids may result in feelings of anger or depression if their access to steroids is denied, even temporarily.
Withdrawal from anabolic steroids
It can take up to 4 months to restore natural testosterone levels after being on anabolic steroids for a long time. Withdrawal symptoms from steroids can include:
fatigue
weight loss due to lowered appetite
decreased strength
depression
.
Treatment for anabolic steroid addiction
Treatment options for drug
dependence or addiction
may include:
detoxification
individual counselling
group therapy.
Peer support – or talking to someone who has been in the same situation – can also be helpful.
See your doctor for information and referral, or contact an alcohol and other drug service in your area.
Anabolic steroid use and the law
In Australia, laws and penalties vary on anabolic steroid use among states and territories.
Steriods are only permitted for people with certain medical conditions on prescription by their medical practitioner.
Generally, anabolic steroids cannot be:
manufactured, imported, used, supplied or held in someone’s possession without a prescription or medical practitioner licence
injected by another person or self-administered without a prescription
used in competitive sport. Positive tests can result in fines, suspensions or permanent bans.
Where to get help
In an emergency, call triple zero (000)
Your
GP (doctor)
Sports
psychologist
DrugInfo
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Tel.
1300 85 85 84
– information and referral services for anyone seeking help for alcohol or drug use
DirectLine
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Tel.
1800 888 236
– for 24-hour confidential drug and alcohol telephone counselling, information and referral
Family Drug
Help
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Tel.
1300 660 068
– for information and support for people concerned about a relative or friend using drugs
Counselling
Online
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Tel.
1800 888 236
– free drug and alcohol counselling 24/7
Youth Drug and Alcohol Advice
(YoDAA)
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service Tel.
(03) 9415 8881
– for information, counselling and referral to youth-specific alcohol and other drug services
Kids
Helpline
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Tel.
1800 55 1800
Parentline
Victoria
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Tel.
13 22 89
Headspace
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Tel.
1800 650 890
or
eheadspace
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– for young people aged 12-25 wanting to talk about mental health and substance use