Steroids, the other side...

[Chief Dick]

I think the fact that the entire 70's Steelers offensive line is dead of heart attacks or mental illness, all before any of them hit 60, is pretty much a big fat neon sign.

 

Ken Caminiti, anyone?

 

Peace

policy

 

850165[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Quit showin' off, you knowledge dropper.

[jgcoach]

If you see taking steriods, under a doctor's supervision and cycling it, not having any long term effects then why not heroin or cocaine to name a few? IMO the pscyhological addiction plays just as much into the equation as the physiolgical.

 

Simplistically stating, if you had an one lane bridge capable of carrying 20 tons and someone told you by adding another lane you'd improve its performance (moving traffic). Yet by adding that other lane, the bridge towers (bones) and cables ( ligaments/tendons) are not guaranteed to withstand the long term effects, would you risk it?

 

Personally, if you can't naturally compete on a professional level then accept it. Buying your "competitive edge", IMO reduces the accomplishment(s) of the athlete. Would you be able to achieve it without supplements (ie. Bonds)?

850931[/snapback]

 

First heroin has been proven to have long term effects in the body where steroids have not. Second you do bring up a very good point about tendons and ligaments. While building up muscle and pushing to the edge with a resistance training program, somethimes they are overlooked. That is one of the reasons in my opinion body builders are often injured having problems with tendons and ligaments. For football there are other reasons. The steroids don't create this problem, the training program does but, it is a good point.

 

Do you know what a supplement is? I suggest you look into it before posting. Everyone takes supplements in some form. A vitamin is a supplement. Should everyone stop taking vitamins?

[Vet]

First heroin has been proven to have long term effects in the body where steroids have not. Second you do bring up a very good point about tendons and ligaments. While building up muscle and pushing to the edge with a resistance training program, somethimes they are overlooked. That is one of the reasons in my opinion body builders are often injured having problems with tendons and ligaments. For football there are other reasons. The steroids don't create this problem, the training program does but, it is a good point.

 

Do you know what a supplement is? I suggest you look into it before posting. Everyone takes supplements in some form. A vitamin is a supplement. Should everyone stop taking vitamins?

851590[/snapback]

 

 

You haven't done an ounce worth of research on this topic. You keep asking people to show you studies that prove this or that. Why don't you go do the research and prove your point, rather than just throwing some idiotic theory out there and challenging people to prove you wrong.

 

Do your work, then come back to the table with something worthwhile.

[jgcoach]

I agree.  I think there is definately a link between the Steroids and their medical conditions that later took their lives.  There was a kid I played ball with in hs that had used steroids and died at the age of 18 from a heart attack.  As far as I know he was a healthy kid prior to using.

851120[/snapback]

 

So what you're saying is this kid at 18 years old, taking roids responsibly was killed by them. At 18, how long was he actually taking them? Couldn't have been he was either abusing another drug or the steroids for that matter now, could it?

 

People I guess just don't understand the post.

[jgcoach]

You haven't done an ounce worth of research on this topic.  You keep asking people to show you studies that prove this or that.  Why don't you go do the research and prove your point, rather than just throwing some idiotic theory out there and challenging people to prove you wrong.

 

Do your work, then come back to the table with something worthwhile.

 

851606[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

So I guess you have. I've looked for long term studies and have found none. That's the point of the post. I guess you didn't read it through. This is not a theory. It's through personal experience, things I've saw over the years and also information gathered through the years, so yes I asked people to show me case studies for long term effects on steroids because to my knowledge none have been done, except for people who have taken them long term and have had no ill effects. In some cases there were reports that so and so could have died from steriod abuse but, there's no study to suggest anything either way the effects they have when taken responsibly. Next time actually read the post.

[Bill Swerski]

First heroin has been proven to have long term effects in the body where steroids have not.

 

851590[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Steroid use has been linked to heart failure, depression, violent behavior, and suicide. Steroids most definitely do have long-term effects in the body.

 

There's agood article in a recent issue of Science that discusses the use of steroid therapies for use in increasing stamina and sexual desire in middle-aged people. There are quite a few testosterone patch- and gel-based therapies that are currently undergoing clinical trials (Phases I-III). Therapies based on legal testosterone precursors (such as Andro) are also being used. I'm very interested to see the results of the clinical trials and how the FDA handles all of this.

[Outshined]

So I guess you have. I've looked for long term studies and have found none. That's the point of the post. I guess you didn't read it through. This is not a theory. It's through personal experience, things I've saw over the years and also information gathered through the years, so yes I asked people to show me case studies for long term effects on steroids because to my knowledge none have been done, except for people who have taken them long term and have had no ill effects. In some cases there were reports that so and so could have died from steriod abuse but, there's no study to suggest anything either way the effects they have when taken responsibly. Next time actually read the post.

 

851626[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

 

I think they are just starting to study it now because it is finally being exposed. Here is one link I found. Besides with all these side effects listed below, there has to be some long term effects. They probably were never pinned down to steroids.

 

Side Effects

 

The side effects from steroids can be very serious and even fatal. But from the information we gathered in the past few years, it seems to me the side effects are not as serious as the media makes them out to be. Because of the media over exaggerating the side effects, this has turned many people way from steroids. There will only be short descriptions for the side effects now, and in the future we will add more to the side effects when we have time.

 

Water Retention:

This is most common from using steroids. It is a ?puffiness? or swelling in the neck and facial areas. It is rather notable mainly if you know the person is on steroids. For example, we know someone that took steroids but we did not know it at the time. After we found out, if we looked his face we would wonder how we couldn?t notice he was on roids before. It can be mild swelling or very serious, obvious swelling.

 

Acne:

Everyone knows about acne, and is one of the side effects we worry about the most for us. It is also a very common side effect, it can give acne to someone who has never had acne, and it can make acne worse for others. It can also appear in new places for a person, such as, the back and neck. There have been several users that have not received acne on the other hand.

 

Gynecomastia:

It may not sound familiar but most people have heard about it. It is the formation of breasts, or abnormally large glands. The first signs are lumps under the nipples, then will gradually grow to fatty tissue and increase in size.

 

Aggression:

Aggression, also know as ?roid rages?. Surprisingly, several athletes feel this is a positive effect. They often find they lift more, and are more intense during workouts. On the negative side, users find themselves fighting with family, friends, and co-workers with an uptight behavior.

 

Hypertension:

High blood pressure is also a chance when taking steroids. Most athletes would not know if they had high blood pressure so it is suggested to get tests regularly. High blood pressure can lead to many more serious diseases.

 

Cardiovascular Disease:

Studies have shown that steroid use is a risk factor for heart disease. This is because steroids affect the cholesterol levels. Over a period of time the cholesterol builds up and clogs the arteries.

 

Palpitations:

Heart palpitations have been reported by a number of athletes on steroids. These may indicate an excited or elevated level of the central nervous system.

 

Impotence:

Impotence occurs when a user goes on and off steroids. When steroids are first used sexual interest increases because of the heightened frequency and duration of the erections. But eventually the opposite happens and no erections can be produced.

 

Jaundice:

A serious liver disease, which is found by an enlarged painful liver, yellowing of the eyes and skin, and flu like symptoms. This happens when athletes use high dosages of steroids.

 

 

Here are some more possible side effects from:

Irritation of the stomach lining. Steroids can increase the production of stomach acid and lower the production of protective stomach mucus. This can irritate the lining of the stomach and may cause or aggravate a stomach ulcer. To reduce this side effect the tablets should be taken with meals or milk. Tell your doctor if you have indigestion, stomach pains or abdominal discomfort.

 

The levels of sugar in your blood may change temporarily. This may happen if you have high-dose or long-term treatment. While you are having your steroid therapy your blood sugar levels will be checked regularly by blood tests. You may be asked to test your urine for sugar. You will be shown how to do this. Tell your doctor if you get very thirsty or if you are passing more urine than usual.

 

Fluid retention due to changed salt and water balance. You may notice that your ankles and/or fingers swell. Some people have a bloated feeling in the abdomen. This is usually only a problem with long-term treatment.

 

Increased appetite. You may notice that you feel hungrier than usual while taking steroids, and this can make you want to eat more than usual. If you are concerned about weight gain speak to your doctor or contact Cancer BACUPs information service.

 

Increased chance of infection and delayed healing of injuries. This happens mainly with high-dose or long-term treatment. Tell your doctor if you notice signs of infection (inflammation, redness, soreness or a temperature) or if cuts take longer than usual to heal. It is important to maintain good personal hygiene to prevent infection.

 

Menstrual changes. Women may find that their periods become irregular or stop.

 

Behavioral changes. You may notice mood swings, difficulty in sleeping and perhaps anxiety or irritability. These happen mainly with high-dose or long-term treatment and will stop when the steroid therapy ends. Tell your doctor about any behavioral changes which are worrying you. Difficulty in sleeping may be reduced by taking the steroids in the early part of the day, but discuss this with your doctor first.

 

Less common side effects

Eye changes. With long-term use of steroids, cataracts or glaucoma may develop. There is also an increased risk of eye infections. Tell your doctor if you notice any eye problems.

 

Cushing's syndrome. This is usually caused only by long-term use of steroids. It can cause acne, puffiness of the face, dark marks on the skin and facial hair in women. Cushing's syndrome can be partially reduced by taking the steroids early in the morning, by taking them on alternate days instead of every day, or by reducing the dose, but discuss this with your doctor first.

 

Muscle wasting. With very long-term use of steroids, wasting of leg muscles may occur. This can cause weakness. When the steroids are stopped some people experience muscle cramps for a short time.

 

Osteoporosis. With very long-term use of steroids, calcium may be lost from the bones. This can result in pain (especially in the lower back), an increased susceptibility to fractures and loss of height.

 

Other side effects include: enlarged prostate, premature hair loss, sterility, shortness, and head and stomach aches. Please e-mail us if you know any more important side effects we missed, thank you.

[max]

So what you're saying is this kid at 18 years old, taking roids responsibly was killed by them. At 18, how long was he actually taking them? Couldn't have been he was either abusing another drug or the steroids for that matter now, could it?

 

People I guess just don't understand the post.

851610[/snapback]

 

 

I am saying that it played a big part in his death. Steroids cause health issues.

 

It was said before that they are illegal and that is a reason in itself not to take them. Personally I feel that those that them to get an advantage in athletics are simply cheating and not dedicated enough to work hard to get where they need to be to be able to compete. And if they arent able to get there with hard work alone then they shouldnt be playing that sport.

[jgcoach]

Steroid use has been linked to heart failure, depression, violent behavior, and suicide.  Steroids most definitely do have long-term effects in the body.

 

There's agood article in a recent issue of Science that discusses the use of steroid therapies for use in increasing stamina and sexual desire in middle-aged people.  There are quite a few testosterone patch- and gel-based therapies that are currently undergoing clinical trials (Phases I-III).  Therapies based on legal testosterone precursors (such as Andro) are also being used.  I'm very interested to see the results of the clinical trials and how the FDA handles all of this.

851834[/snapback]

 

They're just starting to do studies now. There is no concrete evidence either way. Also as you've written, steroids are used for a multitude of different problems. Now, therapies you describe should produce the same side effects as are quoted by Outshined. By cycling the steroids as would be the case when consulting a Doctor, any symptoms you may or may not have do go away. I haven't heard or seen anything to contradict this. Will there be certain people that react differently than most, of course. I know, and have seen people that have taken steroids long term with no persisting side effects. That's what I'm trying to get across, when taken responsibly they may be as safe as any other prescribed drug. Some of these posters think that by taking steroids you become some super athlete. That's just not true. You don't even get stronger if you don't put in the work. I will also be interested when the AMA and FDA come out and have something to say. By the way, when steroids were deemed illegal one or both of those entities were against banning them. I heard that on a TV documentary and have been looking for it on the web but haven't found it yet.

 

As far as the Andro and a multitude of other prohormones; I don't really get it. Those you can get at any Vitamin Shoppe but are banned by football. They're either ok or not. Someone's dropping the ball. What about HGH? Never mind won't even bother to get into that one.

 

I really hope they do invest the time into some study and come out of it with some real evidence of what they do or don't do physically. I started this post because it's such a big deal now in sports and is on the tip of everyone's tongue. Everyone has about the same take on steroids and I just wanted to see how they have come to the conclusions they feel so strongly about. Most know absolutely nothing and spit out the same rhetoric they here on the news at night. Most have had no personal knowledge or read anything on the subject but feel very strongly that steroids are some death drug. It really is unbelievable how easily they are led by the things they hear.

[jgcoach]

I am saying that it played a big part in his death.  Steroids cause health issues. 

 

It was said before that they are illegal and that is a reason in itself not to take them.  Personally I feel that those that them to get an advantage in athletics are simply cheating and not dedicated enough to work hard to get where they need to be to be able to compete.  And if they arent able to get there with hard work alone then they shouldnt be playing that sport.

851992[/snapback]

 

I guess I have to take your word for it as I have no idea why the kid died. It's very unfortunate. I will say this; if he had physical problems and used steroids short term, he was definitely abusing them or doing something called stacking and not really knowing what he was doing. Possibly he got some bad steroids also, I don't know.

 

Steroids don't do a darn thing for you when you don't put in the work. Have you ever seen someone take steroids and do nothing, just sit on the couch. I have, my sister-in-law has MS and as part of their therapy they sometimes prescribe steroids. Why, MS attacks what the roids help. But she aslo thought the doctor was out of his mind when he told her to exercise. She blew up like a balloon. She took herself off them because "they were mnaking her fat". She forgot to mention she didn't do as the doctor prescribed and exercise. By the way, she also had no ill effects of the steroids. And yes, she took them for about 6 months. Probably long enough to show some type of symptom. She also biatches a lot, maybe that's the roids talking.

[max]

I guess I have to take your word for it as I have no idea why the kid died. It's very unfortunate. I will say this; if he had physical problems and used steroids short term, he was definitely abusing them or doing something called stacking and not really knowing what he was doing. Possibly he got some bad steroids also, I don't know.

 

852167[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

I agree with you that it is possible about it being bad steroids too. Anyone can have a deadly allergic reaction to any type of medication or drug. Everyone reacts differently to different things.

[NAUgrad]

I see what your getting at and unfortunately I don't know of any links that point out how bad steroids is even if taken appropriately, but couldn't you say that about most drugs. I mean, if you smoke pot and "cycle" off it, then no permant harm is done. Same could be said for alcohol, and tobacco. However, if we abuse any of them (don't want this to turn into a pro/con pot discussion) then they can lead to or cause major health problems.

 

I've taken a mild version of steriods (prednesone, sp?) to control allergy problems. I cycled off it pretty quick, but I felt like crap while I was on it. I don't think it's an anabolic steriod, but it is a steroid.

[Chargerz]

I've taken a mild version of steriods (prednesone, sp?) to control allergy problems.  I cycled off it pretty quick, but I felt like crap while I was on it.  I don't think it's an anabolic steriod, but it is a steroid.

 

852283[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Just an FYI:

 

You're talking about Prednisone. It is not an anabolic steroid but a powerful glucocorticoid. It is very helpful when trying to decrease allergic responses in a host of conditions, but has been studied extensively and been found to have a whole host of nasty side-effects (weight gain, water retention, facial swelling, decreased response to infections, hunger, etc.) The reason patients are tapered off of it quickly is to get the maximum benefit but avoid the long-term side-effects mentioned above.

[jgcoach]

I see what your getting at and unfortunately I don't know of any links that point out how bad steroids is even if taken appropriately, but couldn't you say that about most drugs.  I mean, if you smoke pot and "cycle" off it, then no permant harm is done.  Same could be said for alcohol, and tobacco.  However, if we abuse any of them (don't want this to turn into a pro/con pot discussion) then they can lead to or cause major health problems.

 

I've taken a mild version of steriods (prednesone, sp?) to control allergy problems.  I cycled off it pretty quick, but I felt like crap while I was on it.  I don't think it's an anabolic steriod, but it is a steroid.

 

852283[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

I don't really know if pot does have long term effects or not. Never really got into trying to research that but, what you're saying is most likely true and Chargerz can probably answer that better than me but, some things are just logic. Any drug I know of has side effects, some worse than others. If you pick up a PDR and start loocking at them, it's almost scary. Some things you just wouldn't believe. Also, listen to some commercials they have for medications and at the very end listen to them announce the side effects real fast. It's really something if you listen.

[boat_hacked]

Do you know what a supplement is? I suggest you look into it before posting. Everyone takes supplements in some form. A vitamin is a supplement. Should everyone stop taking vitamins?

 

    Over the last few years, a number of metabolic precursors to either testosterone or nandrolone have been marketed as dietary supplements in the U.S. These dietary supplements can be purchased in health food stores without a prescription. Some of these substances include androstenedione, androstenediol, norandrostenedione, norandrostenediol, and dehydroepiandtrosterone (DHEA), which can be converted into testosterone or a similar compound in the body. Whether they promote muscle growth is not known.

 

So sorry I didn't use the EXACT meaning I inferred for supplements. I used it loosely to imply what the above quote says about dietary supplements. Hence, the Bond's reference.So maybe you should apply that practice when starting a thread about steroids. As there are about four classes of steroids, yet you lump steroids given to middle-aged men with the topic of anabolicsteroids. Yet question why they aren't harmful. Many of those injections given to middle-aged men are for a drop in their testosterone levels.Maybe you should look into what form of steroid you have questions about before you post, so we don't have to infer what you implied when stating, "Why you don't understand why steroids are illegal?"

[Sgt. Ryan]

Lyle Alzado

 

849828[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

 

I saw the piece last night as well. I dont agree Steroids are a good thing, but Lyle Alzado did not die from Steroids, he died from brain cancer which his doctors said had nothing to do with steroids. Interesting as I always thought they were what killed him as well. i still will never use them, but it is interesting how many people do and have no side effects, and there is little evidence besides acne of any side effects what-so-ever.