North Wales Substance Misuse Forum website. |
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Anabolic Steroids |
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Drug |
Anabolic Steroids |
Common Name |
Roids, Durabolin, Stanozolol, Dianabol, Finajet, Testosterone, Nandrolone |
Description |
Tablets or inject able ampoules |
Routes of use |
Ingestion or injection |
Effects Required |
The effect people seek from anabolic steroid use is an increase in muscle mass either for an improvement in appearance or because of better sporting performance and lower training fatigue. |
Other Effects |
Regular use by women can lead to the possibly irreversible development of male sexual characteristics such as body hair growth, reduction in breast size, deepening of the voice, increased clitoris size and effects on the menstrual cycle. In males the effects include growth of breasts, decreased testicle size, lowered sperm count and loss of libido. Reports of aggressive behaviour whilst using are common and have led to the controversial term 'roid rage' which is an act of extreme violence by normally placid people due to steroid use. Long term effects include various types of liver damage including cancers and a rare form of hepatitis. Early fusion of the ends of the long bones in young people can lead to stunted growth. Some cases psychiatric problems have also been reported including depression, paranoia and confusion. Increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Injection of steroids can lead to blood borne disorders such as HIV if the needles are shared or other problems if injected incorrectly. |
Dependence and Tolerance |
Dependence is psychological with users being convinced of better performance whilst using the drugs. The actual benefit to increased muscle mass or improved sports performance is controversial and may just be a placebo effect. |
Legality |
Under the Medicines Act, Anabolic Steroids are prescription only drugs. They also come under class C of the Misuse of drugs Act. This means it is legal to possess them for personal use but it is illegal to supply them. Similarly sportsmen using them can find themselves being banned from their sport and stripped of honours. |
