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Side Effects of Steroids

Steroids are a cluster of compounds that are closely related to testosterone. When used properly they can help alleviate many medical disorders including asthma, certain types of anemia and respiratory illness. There are also people who use them illegally as body-building agents or to boost athletic performance. But with their use comes the risk of side effects, some of which are serious. Understanding what the side effects can be will help you decide what value they have in treating your medical conditions.

  1. Testoserone Interference

    • According to the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology one of the side effects that can occur with steroid use is the inhibition of hormones throughout the body. Every person has natural hormones that are produced to serve a specific purpose. Interference with those hormones is one of the most commonly occurring side affects with steroid use. When someone uses steroids the body gets a message from the brain that testosterone is being introduced to the system and it will stop producing 99 percent of the natural hormone.
      Usually once the steroid treatment is stopped, the body resumes normal testoserone production.

    Liver Damage

    • The study also concluded that the widely publicized belief that steroids are harmful to the liver when taken as prescribed are untrue. Most steroids are taken orally and pass through the liver without incident. But the journal does note that when taken in large quantities, there is an increased risk of liver overload.

    Cholesterol

    • Steroid use can impact cholesterol levels. While on steroids your HDL levels (bad cholesterol) may go up while your LDL (good cholestrol) will go down. Once the steroid course is complete, however, most people find that their cholesterol levels return to normal.

    Breast Tissue

    • While on a course of steroids some men discover that they are developing breast tissue. This is caused by the increased amount of estrogen that is in the body during steroid use. This happens because the compounds of the steroids that are similar to testosterone are also converted to estrogen, leading the body to develop additional breast tissue. In some cases it is severe enough to require surgical removal.

    Acne and Other Side Effects

    • Acne and male baldness are also sometimes increased during steroid use. In addition there is evidence that using steroids can create kidneys to malfunction and also can create a reduced sex drive in both genders. These conditions generally correct themselves when the steroid treatment is stopped.

    Heart

    • According to the CDC abusing steroids can create problems with the cardiovascular system, including strokes and heart attacks leading to death. Steroid overuse can lead to blood clots in the body, which can lead to strokes.

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