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Lets also first make it clear what we are talking about here, just in case, like many, you are confused between corticosteroid preparations (for inflammatory conditions amongst other things) and Anabolic Androgenic Steroids including testosterone preparations used for increasing muscle mass, preventing muscle wasting in certain disease states and as hormonal therapy agents by individuals who may suffer from low testosterone levels for various reasons.
And, secondly let me qualify myself on the topic of steroids.
1. Used anabolics extensively/was competitive bodybuilder for over 15 years.
2. Have distributed on international level, to pro bodybuilders down to the local gym rat.
3. Have a health science background
4. Know through experience and education what they do and do not do.
5. I'm already the top steroid answer guy on a very popular q and a platform:)
There, that's my ego talking and setting you up so that you can understand why my answers on this topic tend to be a bit more in depth and, not much like any of the other ones that will eventually start to be spouted off here as the platform expands and attracts more steroid "experts."
Experts, many of whom in fact, could not be an expert, just due to the fact that they are barely out of their early twenties and wouldn't know if they had any side effects because, well, many don't manifest until you have been cycling anabolic androgenic steroids for extended periods of time.
**As you can see from the cut and paste answers that followed my answer, which was the first answer posted, seven days after the question was asked, which is completely original, most steroid info online is regurgitated garbage that you could have just looked up anywhere, like WebMD.***
And there's the other ones that are older and make their income via their advices/physique etc that is connected to their ongoing use of anabolics, in the form of hormone replacement.
If there were no side effects, and their advice was correct, would it not stand to reason they would not need hormone replacement?
There will be answers to this question and ones like it that start with statements similar to the following:
"I've used steroids with no side effects and here is how you do it...." (Absolute bullshit, even small amounts have side effects ranging from hormonal suppression to psychological depression.
How about we just start with basic hormonal disruption due to the fact that our physiology runs mainly on negative feedback loops when it comes to hormonal signalling.
See how this could become a bible sized answer?
I mean, what the heck are negative feedback loops?
Let's just end this here for now with a general list of side effects that can, and do happen with the use of steroids ok?
No google, no looking stuff up.
*Not all anabolic steroids are created equal and some have very specific side effects, and others, can be taken to mitigate the side effects of others.
At the end of the day however, it would behoove a person considering theirnuse to do some real and in depth research before they even dabble.
If your reasons are purely egotistical and vanity based, it's probably in your best interest to stay away.
1. Negatively Effects/alters blood lipid profile
2. Alters base brain chemical levels, especially dopamine, setting one up for cycles of depression upon cessation of use.
3. Testicular atrophy, and it's commensurate effect of having low libido and decreased natural testosterone production, once one ceases to use the androgenic compounds that caused the original
4. Can cause vitamin deficiencies of different kinds
5. Bone and connective tissue formation/regeneration problems - https://www.quora.com/Can-taking-steroids-kill-you/answer/Eric-Morrison-18
6. Skin problems
7. Liver, kidney, heart and other organ stress.
8. Water retention/increased blood pressure
9. Hair loss
This is a well known list and, it's not even getting into the whole piece on fake, dirty, non-pharmaceutical grade garbage anabolics that are the norm, rather than the exception as well as the fact that our modern, technological world is a far cry from the golden days of competitive bodybuilding.
While it may have been possible to do some planned out cycles of anabolics 40+ years ago when people were still being born with predominantly healthy mitochondrial heteroplasmy rates, today, infants already have osteoporosis at birth.
Which is why, dear reader, my answers today are much different than when I was the anabolics section moderator at a massive and still In Existence steroid board/forum.
If you've already messed up your system by using AAS for extended periods, it could be argued that they can, in certain instances be beneficial, but, the next time you actually come across an "expert" that is correctly using blood work to look at such values as total body inflammation via tests like an HS-CRP, let me know.
I've yet to meet one.
Out of sight, out of mind and all that you know?
E-GO 2018