Anabolic steroids are the man-made versions of naturally occurring androgens in male sex hormones. Other names for testosterone are also a hormone of the class known as an androgen.

Anabolic steroids (also just called steroids) are given to adults with low testosterone (male hypogonadism), some cancers, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) to promote new growth of skeletal muscle and to masculinize (masculinization; develop male sexual characteristics).

These are the most common APEDs in appearance and performance-enhancing drugs. These can be used because some athletes and bodybuilders would like to enhance their physical appearance.

Anabolic steroid street names

The class of these drugs is called anabolic androgenic steroids, using the scientific name. Anabolic refers to muscle building. Androgenic refers to increased male characteristics. Scientists, however, shorten it to anabolic steroids.

The common names that anabolic steroids are given in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration have changed over time.

● Arnolds
● Gear
● Gym candy
● Juice
● Pumpers
● Roids
● Stackers
● Weight gainers

Anabolic steroids vs. corticosteroids
General steroid medications (Corticosteroids) reduce inflammation and, to some extent, suppress the immune system's activity. These cortisol hormones are made in a laboratory to behave exactly like a hormone produced by your adrenal glands, cortisol.

Anabolic steroids are also not as frequently prescribed as corticosteroids by doctors. They may be needed to treat conditions such as asthma, eczema, muscle or joint conditions, lupus, or multiple sclerosis.

How Do Anabolic Steroids Work?
Anabolic steroids cause activation of androgen receptors within your body. In other words, they induce the same body effect caused by androgens. As such, they are considered an effective treatment for those experiencing low testosterone levels.

It can even help to reduce estrogen levels, which can also treat estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer if estrogen feeds cancer cell growth. Anabolic steroids increase the concentration of androgen receptors in skeletal muscle, increase its size and strength in people with cancer or AIDS who are losing muscle.

Anabolic Steroid Types
Anabolic steroid pills
Tablet or capsule form is how you can take these, but they are anabolic steroids. There is some that you take sublingually, meaning under the tongue.

Other forms of anabolic steroids

● Injections
● Creams or topical gels
● Patches
Other than pills, you are implanting under the skin

List of anabolic steroids

It also includes the different types of anabolic steroids the doctor can prescribe.

● Danazol (Danocrine)
● Fluoxymesterone (Androxy, Halotestin)
● Mesterolone (Proviron)
● Testosterone buccal system (Striant)
● Testosterone capsules (Jatenzo)
● Testosterone injection (Andro-L.A., Aveed, Delatestryl, Depo-Testosterone, Virilon, Xyosted)
● Testosterone nasal gel (Natesto)

Anabolic Steroid Uses
These drugs are given to treat delayed puberty and increased muscle mass and strength in people whose diseases reduce their muscle tissue. It is prescribed by some doctors as treatment for testosterone supplementation therapy to improve mood and sexual performance in older men.

Anabolic steroids for muscle growth
As an athlete, you tend to misuse anabolic steroids since they speed up lean muscle mass when taken with weight lifting, but it doesn’t happen when you lift weights only. People who take muscle would deal with body dysmorphic disorder, also known as muscle dysmorphia is a preoccupation with the muscles that they believe are too small.

Cycling and stacking
Others cycle their use of the drug by taking it for a certain period and then pausing for some time before resuming use of it. Another method known as 'stacking' is also done by anabolic steroid users, whereby two or more types of anabolic steroids are used in combination in hopes that this would yield stronger effects.

Pyramiding
Another type of anabolic steroid usage is called “pyramiding,” which is tried to be avoided to prevent hindrance of damaging side effects. There is a mix of both stacking and cycling. First, you take just a low dose of one or more of the anabolic steroids and raise it over time. After a dose reaches its highest point, you stop taking it and rest a little before you start again.

Plateauing
If anabolic steroids are staggered, overlapped, or replaced with another form of steroid to prevent tolerance building, it is known as 'staggering,' or 'overlapping,' or 'substituting'. None of these methods is based on science, and no research proves that they can make the drugs more effective or decrease the risk of negative effects.

Anabolic Steroid Effects
The use of anabolic steroids is only safe with a prescription from a doctor and strictly under his supervision.

The typical side effects of the drug include:

● Acne
● Oily skin
● Ankle swelling
● Problems peeing
● Decreasing breast size in people assigned female at birth
● In particular, you have worse sleep apnea
● Decrease in testicle size
● Burning, burning, itching, bleeding or vaginal dryness.
● Changes to your period

Anabolic Steroid Side Effects
Side effects from taking anabolic steroids without a physician’s care could range from severe to critical. You're at risk of:

● High blood pressure
● Blood clots
● Heart issues, including a heart attack
● Stroke
● Liver damage
● If you are an adolescent, then short stature
● Male-pattern baldness
● Aggression
● Mania
● Delusions

Treatment for Anabolic Steroid Misuse
But few of the people using anabolic steroids for abuse misuse them enough to seek treatment to stop doing so. The best treatment for steroid use is to find the underlying causes for its misuse.

Treatment options include:

● Therapy and possibly medication for muscle dysmorphia
● Helping to treat low testosterone levels after stopping anabolic steroids to prevent and reduce symptoms of depression.
● Antidepressants
People also dependent on opioids to whom drug and psychosocial treatments. These methods may work to decrease anabolic steroid dependence.

Takeaways
Anabolic steroids are taken by doctors to help develop male sexual characteristics and skeletal muscle. However, about 3 to 4 million people in the U.S. do use anabolic steroids without a prescription for nonmedical purposes, for example, as APEDs (appearance and performance enhancing drugs).

If you don’t take anabolic steroids under a doctor’s treatment, you may get very serious side effects that can affect your healthAnabolic Steroids

FAQs
What are anabolic steroids used for, for the most part?
Non-medical use of anabolic steroids is around 3 to four million human beings inside the U.S. APEDs are the maximum not common appearance and overall performance improving tablets.

Are anabolic steroids ever safe?
However, doctors prescribe anabolic steroids to help with skeletal muscle development and in the case of male hypogonadism, as well as some cancers, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which is a disorder of the adrenal gland.