"Paying the Price for Muscles: The Harms of Anabolic Drugs on the Body"

General Definition:

Anabolic steroids or technically anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) or colloquially steroids are drugs that mimic the effects of testosterone or its more effective form, dihydrotestosterone (basic male hormones), in the body.

Anabolic steroid en It is uniquely known as the synthetic male hormone. Anabolic androgenic steroids are synthetic derivatives of the natural male hormone testosterone. It is used for medical purposes in the treatment of male hypogonadism, delayed puberty, lactation suppression, postmenopausal libido loss, aplastic anemia, in cases where catabolism is high, and in the treatment of hereditary angioedema.

On the other hand, AAS' It has been used for years by professional athletes to increase performance or to have a more muscular body appearance, especially by young men, uncontrolled and illegally. The effects of the misuse of anabolic steroids are too great to be ignored. The most common reason for unconscious use of anabolic steroids stands out as increasing muscle mass, reducing the rate of adiposity and increasing athletic performance. .

AASs; It is widely abused in young sportive men for reasons such as increasing muscle mass, gaining athletic strength and gaining the muscular appearance they want aesthetically. The use of AASs to increase muscle mass and strength has rapidly become widespread, both among athletes and especially among adolescent boys who want to be more muscular. In some studies, it has been determined that individuals who use it other than athletes use it for a longer time and at higher doses

Side Effects:

1. Dermatological: oily skin, acne, stretch marks (due to rapid muscle growth), excessive body hair growth, hair loss; baldness on the scalp, edema.

2. Reproductive/endocrine: libido changes, reversible infertility, sex hormone deficiency.

3. Male: spontaneous erections, nocturnal emissions, persistent and painful erection, gynecomastia, decreased sperm count, testicular cancer, prostate hypertrophy, prostate cancer.

Female: masculinization, irreversible deepening of the voice, excessive facial/body hair growth, menstrual disorders, clitoral enlargement, thoracic and uterine deformity

Child-specific: premature epiphyseal closure and consequent short stature, precocious puberty in boys, delayed puberty in girls

4. Psychiatric/neurological: mood swings, irritability, aggression, violent behavior, impulsivity/indifference, depression, anxiety, suicide, delusions, psychosis, withdrawal syndrome, addiction, cognitive impairment, above normal vitality, restlessness, dissatisfaction.

5. Musculoskeletal system: muscle hypertrophy, muscle strains, tendon ruptures,

6. Cardiovascular: Increased LDL levels, decreased HDL levels, decreased apo-A1 levels, hypertension, heart muscle enlargement, arrhythmias, sudden death.

7. Hepatic: elevated liver function tests (AST, ALT, bilirubin, LDH, ALP), jaundice,

8. Kidney: kidney enlargement, acute renal failure (secondary to rhabdomyolysis),

10. WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists AAS under Group 2A because it has carcinogenic effects.

Treatment:

Although there is no defined treatment protocol, anamnesis in the treatment of disorders associated with the use of AAS, It should begin with a comprehensive assessment and laboratory tests, including mental status and physical examination.

Treatment should address both previous physical or mental disorders and biological, psychological and social factors.

As with other substance use disorders, treatment should motivate AAS users to discontinue use, improve withdrawal-related symptoms, target related psychiatric disorders, and encourage attempts to identify and correct psychosocial factors that cause poor prognosis, supportive therapy and observation.

Treatment protocols related to the disorder in psychiatric symptoms can be applied.

Legal Status:

AAS; Olympic Games, International Football Federation, It is banned by all major sports organizations, including the International Professional Basketball Federation, International Gymnastics Federation, International Baseball League, International Wrestling Federation, International Hockey League.

Result:

As a result; The abuse of AASs has continued to increase in recent years. It is not possible to predict the reflections of every over-the-counter drug, especially anabolic steroid, in the body. The only thing we know is that the misuse of these drugs does more harm than good. For this reason, these drugs, which are preferred to have a more flamboyant body and a leaner body, unfortunately affect human health in a difficult way. It is considered that it would be appropriate to inform young people.