Faust’s legend has been and continues to be reenacted everywhere in modern life. Sell your soul to the devil and Satan will quench your burning desire, in exchange for you being a slave to his every command. No country is out of reach and no person is exempt from its appeal.
The devil insinuates itself in politics, business, sports arenas, universities and in all walks of life. Some individuals with a relentless desire to achieve fame, power, money or youth will do anything with anyone at any cost to get what they want.
The bargain between the individual and the underworld has been has been portrayed in theaters and played out in sports arenas. You want to break Babe Ruth’s home run record? “You got it,” says the devil. You want an Oscar, an academy award in the film industry? “You got it.” You want an Olympic gold medal for weightlifting or winnning the Tour de France? “You got it.”
But what you got was a pyrrhic victory. The foolish bargain and use of anabolic steroids have made your life and too many lives miserable. Your fame and glory and lucrative endorsement contracts have proven to be short lived.
Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroids are a class of man-made (synthetic) drugs related to the male sex hormone testosterone. These drugs have the ability to promote muscle enlargement in response to physical activity.
Medical Uses of Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroids are legally available only with a doctor’s prescription in the United States. They have been used to rebuild muscle and tissue that have been thinned out by injury or disease. Anabolic steroids plus a diet high in calories and proteins are necessary to get the best results. Some indications for their use are:
- To treat hormonal issues-boys with delayed puberty
- To treat muscle wasting in certain types of cancer
- To treat muscle loss in AIDS patients
- To help people gain weight after an injury or illness
- To treat severe anemia
Side Effects of Anabolic Steroids
Weightlifters in their 20s or 30s are the people most likely to misuse illegal anabolic steroids. They and others might use steroids on the skin as a cream, may pop pills or inject steroids into muscle. They essentially use these drugs to enhance athletic performance and to appear more muscular. The doses can be 15 to 100 times greater than doses used to treat medical conditions. Such large doses have worrisome physical, mental and emotional side effects.
Side Effects
Female Side Effects
- Increased appetite
- Irreversible deep voice
- Increased facial and body hair
- Shrinkage of breasts
- Menstrual cycle changes
Male Side Effects
- Breast growth
- Increased risk for prostate cancer
- Shrinkage of testicles
- Decreased sperm count
Male and Female Physical Side Effects
- Acne
- Blood clots
- Hair loss or baldness
- High blood pressure and heart disease
- Kidney disease and liver disease
- Osteoporosis
- Causes fertility
- Prolonged teen use-stunts growth
Male and Female Emotional and Mental Side Effects
- Aggressive behavior
- Angry outbursts
- Delusions-illogical false beliefs or impressions
- Paranoia-delusions of persecution and unwarranted jealously
- Hallucination
Anabolic steroids do not cause the release of the brain’s dopamine — the “feel good high” — as in other drugs. What they do cause are dangerous side effects that can be irreversible. The illegal use of non-prescription anabolic drugs is simply not worth it.
References
- Farid Talih et al; Anabolic steroid abuse; Cleveland Clinic J of Med, May 5, 2007
- Schroor EJ et al; The effect of prolonged administration of an anabolic steroid (oxandrolone) on growth in boys with constitutionally delayed growth and puberty; Eur J Pediatr. Dec 15, 1995
- NIH Steroids and Other Appearance and Performance Enhancing Drugs (APEDs); February 2018
- Shimoda, K et al; The effect of anabolic steroids on anemia in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia: retrospective analysis of 39 patients in Japan; Int J Hemotol, 2007 May;
- NIH, NIDA for Teens; Steroids, Anabolic; February, 2019
Glossary
‘Anabolic or anabolic-androgenic’ steroids
Anabolic means “stimulating or promoting growth”
Androgenic refers to increased male sexual characteristics
‘Steroid’ is short for corticosteroid
‘Sterol’ having a structure similar to cholesterol
Street names — “roids, juice, andro”
This article is intended solely as a learning experience. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options.