- premature balding or hair loss
- dizziness
- mood swings, including anger, aggression, and depression
- believing things that aren't true (delusion)
- extreme feelings of mistrust or fear (paranoia)
- problems sleeping
- nausea and vomiting
- trembling
- high blood pressure that can damage the heart or blood vessels over time
- aching joints
- greater chance of injuring muscles and tendons
- jaundice or yellowing of the skin; liver damage
- urinary problems
- shortening of final adult height
- increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer
Risks for Girls
- increased facial hair growth
- development of masculine traits, such as deepening of the voice, and loss of feminine body characteristics, such as shrinking of the breasts
- enlargement of the clitoris
- menstrual cycle changes
Risks for Boys
- testicular shrinkage
- pain when urinating
- breast development
- impotence (inability to get an erection)
- sterility (inability to have children)
Other Risks
Unfortunately, steroids can be addictive, making it hard to stop taking them.
Steroid users can spend lots of time and money trying to get the drugs. And once users stop taking steroids, they're at risk of developing irritability, paranoia, and severe depression, which may lead to suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide. Some of the long-term effects of steroids may not show up for many years. People who use steroids also appear to be at higher risk for using other drugs, such as alcohol or cocaine.
Because growth hormone can only be injected, like some steroids, there's a risk of contracting HIV or other diseases (like hepatitis) if people share needles.
Steven Dowshen, MD
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