side effects of steroids

Side Effects of Anabolic Steroids

There are many misconceptions about steroids usage today, mostly due to negative media messages they give out. The fact is that anabolic steroids do not cause any live-threatening side effects, as long as they are used correctly, within normal dosages and within proper time periods. To be perfectly honest, and you can ask any pro bodybuilder on steroids, anabolics will give you only two main side effects and they are water retention and acne (and male pattern baldness at some individuals who have such genetical predispositions). They mainly come from over use of the heavy testosterones.

The basics: each steroid has anabolic and androgenic effects. Anabolic effects are those you want (muscle growth). On the other hand, androgenic effects will show some strength improvment, but mainly they are known as the "negative" effects and can be noticed as oily skin, acne, increased body hair and male pattern baldness. Example of a very popular steroid with strong anabolic and only moderate androgenic component is Deca Durabolin, which would give you a moderate quality results. On the other hand, if you want enormous gains in the shortest period of time, you would need a highly androgenic Dianabol.
Beside anabolic/androgenic components, steroids (not all) tend to turn into estrogen (they "aromatize"), which brings the second group of side effects and they are gynecomastia, water retention, and fat deposition. These are kept down with the anti-estrogen drugs such as Clomid after a cycle or Proviron and Nolvadex during a cycle. The ratio between anabolic/androgenic components and a scale of aromatization are always the basic pieces of information you need to know about any given anabolic steroid.

Possible side effects are kept to minimum by doing following:

- Nolvadex or Tamoxifen should be used during a cycle (essential when stacking or cycling)
- Salt (sodium) in the diet should be kept to minimum
- Find out the correct dosage and then keep slightly under that to play it safe
- A full rich diet with all supplements MUST be taken (proper protein/carb/fats depending on program with all vitamin and mineral additions)
- When using more steroids, a liver de-toxifier can be used (such as LIV-25)

If you really want to use steroids safely without side effects, it is essential that you get knowledge from professional steroid users. We recommend downloading popular steroid e-book.


Side effects at higher dosages and prolonged use:

Men - Although anabolic steroids are derived from the male sex hormone, testosterone, men who take them may actually experience a "feminization" side effect along with a decrease in normal male sexual function. This is because one of the metabolic breakdown products of testosterone is the female hormone, estrogen. Some possible side effects in men include:

• Reduced sperm count
• Impotence
• Development of breasts
• Shrinking of the testicles
• Difficulty or pain while urinating

Women - It's not surprising that women who take the drugs may develop masculinizing effects. These include the following:

• Facial hair growth
• Deepened voice
• Breast reduction
• Menstrual cycle changes
• Clitoral enlargement

Both sexes - With continued use of anabolic steroids, both sexes can experience the following side effects:

• Acne
• Water retention
• Rapid weight gain
• Clotting disorders
• Liver enzyme irregularities
• Elevated cholesterol levels
• Tendon damage from proportionally stronger muscles
• Mood swings

Below, we will cover the side effects of three most popular steroids in detail:


Dianabol side effects & dosages:

Dianabol has a rather weak androgenic component and a very strong and visible anabolic component. This means that the drug has less depressive effects on natural testosterone levels than some other more androgenic steroids. This means that Dianabol, especially in the short term, is not risky and cannot be the cause of the dramatic shutdown of natural hormone production. Of course like most side effects the degree of testosterone shutdown is dependant on the dosage. However Dianabol still has mild androgenic effects and in high doses (30-40+ mg daily) such androgen-related side effects as acne, male pattern hair loss, and aggression, may become noticed.

Like many oral steroids Dianabol is 17-carbon methylated in order to minimize its breakdown by the digestive system and liver. Of course this chemical modification brings with it a certain degree of toxicity. For this reason users should not take such steroid for more than 6 to 8 weeks at a time. And even then it is higly recommended that this is done under supervision of a medical professional who can monitor your liver values.

Although Dianabol is popular as an off-season mass-building drug, it usually isn't used in pre-contest cycles. This is because it heavily aromatizes to estrogen making fat loss difficult. It is also known to cause a great deal of water retention which gives bloated and smooth muscle look - another property that makes it unpopular as a contest drug. To get around this bodybuilders usually stack it with other steroids such as nandrolone or one of the testosterones (i.e., propionate).

The average dosage used by bodybuilders is 15-40mg/day (three to eight, 5mg tablets). Beginners do not need more than 15-20mg per day since their steroid receptors have not been exposed to the drug before and will experience dramatic results using small dosages over a 6 to 8 week period. When the effects begin to slow down (mostly because the steroid receptors have become saturated), and the individual wants to continue the cycle, the dosage should NOT be increased. Instead an injectable such as Deca-Durabolin or Primabolan may be added to the cycle.


Deca Durabolin side effects & dosages:

Deca Durabolin, nandrolone decanoate is moderately to highly anabolic and only moderately androgenic, which means that unlike some steroids that cause such side effects as hair loss, acne, and aggression, Deca is relatively side effect free. Of course bodybuilders who abuse the drug and use megadoses will no doubt experience side effects, perhaps the most unpleasant of which is gynecomastia.

Deca is not considered a good pre-contest steroid because in most cases it produces noticable water retention. This leaves the user looking smooth on a contest day. The upside to this water retention is that the drug promotes more water storage in the joints and surrounding connective tissues. Many users report that one or two cycles of Deca can temporarily relieve or even cure chronic joint pain. Bodybuilders who have been training through shoulder, elbow, and knee pain for years especially welcome this. After years of excruciating pain they can suddenly do their workouts relatively pain-free.

Although bodybuilders have been known to do crazy things with their cycles, most users take between 200 and 600 mg/week of Deca. Many users have discovered that an intake of 2-mg per pound of body weight, seems to provide the best gains with the fewest side effects possible. Those who take less than 200 mg/week usually only report slight anabolic effects. On the other hand, those who throw caution to the wind and inject 1000mg/week or more report great muscle gains accompanied by noticable side effects. Most users experience great results by taking an average of 400 mg/week.


Winstrol side effects & dosages:

Winstrol (Stanozolol) is one of the favorite steroids with pre-contest bodybuilders because it doesn't aromatize into estrogens and cause water retention and other side effects. Injectable Winstrol is reported to give the muscles a harder and more vascular appearance as well as speed up the oxidation rate (burning) of fat. Stanozolol is usually not used alone during the pre-competition period as its low androgenic components make it weak for preserving muscle mass. For this reason many bodybuilders stack it with another steroid such as Parabolan, Primobolan, or Deca Durabolin. Because of the low toxicity levels, higher dosages can be used and it's also good for women. Men should take 20-50mg daily and women should not go over 20mg daily.