Thinking about using anabolic steroids to build muscles or improve your athletic performance? Think again. Misusing them is not legal or safe. It can cause long-term health problems.
*Health information sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. co-pay.com is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.
Anabolic steroids are synthetic (man-made) versions of testosterone. Testosterone is the main sex hormone in men. It is needed to develop and maintain male sex characteristics, such as facial hair, deep voice, and muscle growth. Women do have some testosterone in their bodies, but in much smaller amounts.
Health care providers use anabolic steroids to treat some hormone problems in men, delayed puberty, and muscle loss from some diseases. But some people misuse anabolic steroids by taking them in a way that's different than their provider prescribed.
Some bodybuilders and athletes use anabolic steroids to build muscles and improve athletic performance. They may take steroids by swallowing tablets or capsules, inject them into muscles, or apply them to the skin as a gel or cream. These doses may be 10 to 100 times higher than doses used to treat medical conditions. Using them this way, without a prescription from a provider, is not legal or safe.
Misuse of anabolic steroids, especially over a long period of time, has been linked with many health problems, including:
In men, it can also cause:
In women, it can also cause:
Even though they don't cause a high, anabolic steroids can lead to addiction. You can have withdrawal symptoms if you stop using them, including:
Behavioral therapy and medicines can be helpful in treating anabolic steroid addiction
NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse
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