Girls using steroids should be aware of adverse effects

Male pattern baldness, stunted growth and increased facial and body hair aren't what teenage girls are after when they dabble in the world of anabolic steroids. Researchers have found that up to 5 percent of high school girls and 7 percent of middle-school girls have acknowledged using anabolic steroids at least once.

Many of the girls are taking synthetic forms of the male hormone testosterone to get thin; others are athletes looking to get faster and stronger. Depending on when, how much and what they're taking, and how long they take it, the short- and long-term effects can be devastating.

"You're messing around with your endocrine system in a way we can't predict," said Dr. Gary Wadler, a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency, who recently testified before Congress about anabolic steroid use in professional baseball and football. "It's playing a very dangerous game of Russian roulette--you don't know which side effect is in which chamber of the gun."

In teen girls, adverse effects include a deepened voice, acne, male pattern hair loss, clitoral enlargement, and increased facial and body hair. With the exception of acne, which can leave scars, these side effects are considered irreversible even after anabolic steroid use stops. Menstrual periods can also be disrupted, and steroids can close off growth plates in youngsters, stunting growth.

"They pretty much hit every system in the body," said Dr. Cynthia LaBella, medical director, Institute for Sports Medicine, at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. "Everyone thinks of steroids increasing muscle mass and strength, but they actually weaken tendons. I see lots of tendon ruptures and tendinitis in current users." Because steroids raise "bad" and total cholesterol, and lower "good" cholesterol, blood vessels can be damaged, increasing the risk of coronary artery disease.

"There's definitely a risk of infertility because [steroids] impair the function of the ovaries," LaBella added. "And the hair loss in the scalp often doesn't come back."

While taking the steroids (high doses of Turinabol) "they'd get out of the pool and feel awful. The doctors would tell them not to worry, and the next day they'd be in tears and falling apart, telling doctors they couldn't control their emotions."

The depression, mood swings and psychosis that can occur while using steroids don't always disappear when steroid use stops.

"It can take months to years, depending on how you were affected while taking them," LaBella said.

"Just hearing that the number of adolescents using this is on the rise means this is an opportunity to intervene before the number gets bigger," LaBella said. "We need to educate parents, primary care physicians, coaches and teachers and kids. Although true to the adolescent way of thinking, they don't always care about what will happen two years from now or 10 years from now."

Warning signs of steroid use

- Sudden weight gain.

- Sudden onset of acne, especially when there's no family history of it.

- Aggressiveness, fighting on the playing field, sharp mood swings.

- Hair loss (scalp).

How Much Arimidex or Letrozole Is Needed on a Testosterone Cycle?

Initial values to try, I figure a base of 0.36 mg/day for letrozole where no testosterone is being taken but there is a need to reduce high or moderately high estradiol OR 0.36 mg for each 200 or 250 mg/week of testosterone that is being taken, but not more than 1.0 mg/day as the initial value and typically not as an adjusted value either.

The numbers don’t need to be that precise. The 0.36 value results simply from 2.5 mg/week being divided into 7 parts.

Dosing also can be every other day instead of daily, provided the total weekly dosage is the same.

With Arimidex I never developed an adjusted-for-testosterone-amount method, but have recommended 0.5 mg every other day and adjusting from there. This also works.

For your proposed cycle, it would be the 1.0 mg letrozole per day figure, as 700 mg/week is about 3 times the 200-250 mg/week figure, and multiplying 0.36 mg by three gets us up to the 1.0 mg/day suggested initial-dose ceiling — but there should be a follow-up test of estradiol levels. Or if not doing that — the test isn’t expensive though and results are back quickly — then at least being ready to reduce if there are symptoms suggesting low estradiol: joint problems, depression, or low libido.

But it is better to get the actual test because the absence of those symptoms doesn’t prove that estradiol hasn’t been driven too low. There could still be a problem.

And likewise, having one or more of those symptoms doesn’t prove estradiol has been driven too low, either. It is only suggestive. But if one finds from experience that changing aromatase inhibitor amount clearly matches up with change in the symptoms, then that is a good basis for adjustment. Still (repeating myself) better to get the test.

Anabolic steroid side effect - how to stay safe

Sportsmen looking to deliver top performance on a consistent basis often make use of anabolic steroids, which are also known as anabolic androgen steroids (AAS), which promote muscle mass and body strength besides promoting growth and development of primary and secondary male sexual characteristics. Use of these performance enhancing drugs is also related with muscle function, body strength, stamina, performance, and lean mass besides having positive effects on protein synthesis from amino acids, appetite, stimulation of the bone marrow, red blood cells, bone remodeling and growth enhancements.

However, use of these drugs can very easily turn into abuse and lead to side effects. When abused or of a low grade, anabolic steroids can cause gynecomastia, bloating, high blood pressure, insomnia, tremors, hallucination, negative effects on an individual’s personality, mood, relationships, premature hair loss, oily skin, acne, kidney damage, liver damage, stunted growth, depression, addiction, fatigue, restlessness, clitoral hypertrophy, infertility, sexual dysfunction, and increased risk of coronary diseases. Abuse of anabolic steroids may also lead to health complications like abnormal liver function, male pattern baldness, abnormal hair growth, deepening of the voice, testicular atrophy, cardiovascular problems, increased aggression, joint and ligament injuries, neurological problems, sleeping disorders, paranoia, pathological anxiety, euphoria, infertility, reduced sperm count, oily skin, acne, heart damage, fluid retention, shrinking of the testicles, and increased risk for breast and prostate cancer.

To avoid these side effects of anabolic steroids, it is best to collect all facts about the use and purchase of anabolic steroids so that you stay away from all health complications.

Letrozole by QD Labs - reduce estrogens with unmatched efficacy

In the world of professional sports, particularly bodybuilding and strength athletics, Letrozole or Femara is an admired name. This wonder drug is second to none when it comes to the treatment of infertility for inducing ovulation.

Letrozole, which is also known as Femara, is used in the world of anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs as a powerful antiestrogen. In the world of healthcare, it is used to treat spread of breast cancer after standard options of treatment such as Tamoxifen therapy have failed.

The chemical name of Letrozole is 4,4′-(1H-1,2,4Triazol-1-ylmethylene)dibenzonitrile and its molecular formula is C17H11N 5. This drug has the molecular weight of 285.31 g/mol at the base.

Sportsmen, especially steroid users, prefer Letrozole over other antiestrogens as it can inhibit the formation of estrogens by as much as 98 percent. In addition to that, Letrozole can enhance the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and sex hormone-binding globulin significantly. Moreover, steroid users can easily avoid steroid side effects such as oily skin, acne, gynecomastia, and water retention by using Letrozole.

The recommended dose of Letrozole (Femara) is 2.5 mg per day and this antiestrogen is best taken at the end of a steroid cycle. It is important to note that this antiestrogen is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women or those using heavy machinery or performing activities requiring complete attention as its use can lead to dizziness. In order to maintain its shelf life, Letrozole is best stored at a controlled temperature of 25°C (77°F) with excursions permitted up to 15-30°C (59-86°F).