Anabolic Steriods

Side Effects Medical Risks
Lab Findings Corticosteriods
Uses References

synonyms: anabolic steriods, roids, juice, hype, pump

Anabolic androgenic Steroids

  • Androstanediol
  • Stanozol
  • Testosterone and its derivatives

Side Effects

  • Testicular atrophy
  • Pre-mature physeal closure in children
  • Increased hostility and aggression: most common
  • Psychosis: rare
  • Depression: rare
  • Mania: rare
  • Acne
  • Striae
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Baldness
  • Sexual Dysfunction
  • Gynecomastia in males
  • Infertility
  • Virilization in females
  • Cardiac muscle hypertrophy
  • Increased LDL cholesterol, decrease in HDL cholesterol
  • Increased risk of DVT

Medical Risks

  • Increased risk of tendon, ligament and mucle injury / rupture
  • Stunted growth in children
  • Joint pain
  • DVT (related to elevated testosterone)
  • HTN
  • High cholesterol
  • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Peliosis hepatis
  • Jaundice
  • Liver tumors
  • Acne
  • Fluid retention
  • Trembling
  • Chronic halitosis

Lab findings

  • Anabolic steriods cause an abnormally low high-density lipoprotein level, but has no effect on low-density lipoprotein levels (hartgens F, Br J Sports Med 2004;38:253).
  • Urine testosterone:epitestosterone ratio - Normal =1; Positive test >10:1; Suspicous for exogenous testosterone use >6:1.

Corticosteroids

  • patients taking long term (prednisone 5mg QD) or short term high dose (prednison 20mg QD) should be given Hydrocortisone 25 to 100mg at the time of minor surgery and resume previous dose postoperatively. For major surgery Hydrocortisone 100mg Q8hours x 24 hours, resume previous dose postoperatively.

Uses

  • Animal studies demonstrate that anabolic steroid use during exercise produces a stiffer tendon which absorbs less energy and fails with less elongation
  • may be beneficial for fracture healing, soft tissue healing, and postoperative rehabilitation (Evans NA. Current concepts in anabolic-androgenic steroids. Am
    J Sports Med. 2004;32:534).
  • cachexia (Basaria S, J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001;86:5108).

References

  • Blue JG, Clin Sports Med 1999;18:667
  • Hartgens F, Sports Med 2004;34:513
  • Maravelias C, Dona A, Stefanidou M, Spiliopoulou C. Adverse effects of anabolic steroids in athletes: a constant threat. Toxicol Lett. 2005;158:167–175.