What's your opinion of using steroids?

[b said:
Quote[/b] (Aaron_F @ Feb. 22 2003,5:00)]Women are getting T as well now, to improve their sex drive. But men aint allowed it for the same reason..?
double standard.
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I just read bout the different delivery mechanisms for test, and found a funny one.

With test cream they recommend you cycle application spots as it will get more hair growth. Then, a little further down, it says that some men might want to apply it to the shaft in order to improve sexual "vairables" (I'm tired and couldn't think of a better word right now). Also, it would help in the conversion to DHT. Now, my first thought is the comment from girls - "Hey, is that a tail you're wagging or are you just glad to see me ?" (I know there aren't any hair growth, so there won't be any...facts aside, it was a funny thought;) )
 
Personally, I stay away from steroids. I do get a little curious about them, but I've heard too many bad things about them to try. I will say if there was a proven SAFE way to use them I might look into it. I guess that's what's so enticing about all the supplements that come out and promise awesome results and don't end up doing crap! I do wonder when I see some gargantuan dude in the gym tossing 150lb dumbbells around like nothing if he's on the juice???
 
Nothing wrong with steroids, they can be used very successfully with few, if any, side effects. There are risks, but if you educate yourself the vast majority can be prevented.
It is those who indiscriminantly poke needles into their bodies or pop the first pill they come across that give steroids a bad name. (these are where all the horror stories you've heard come from). All the side effects they receive are deserved in their cases. (We live and learn and are wiser from our mistakes - thankfully death via steroids is incredibly rare or else pro-bodybuilding would not be what it is today)
In my opinion 'Abuse' of a substance is not confined to taking insane doses, but includes putting something in your body without having any idea how it works or how to properly use it.
I for one think it is ashame that steroids are illegal. I guess people fear what they don't understand. It is easy for a politician to single out and ban a powerfull substance used only by a 'fringe group' like bodybuilders are. It's an easy boost in the polls, mostly a political maneuver. (note how nearly every politician is clamoring for the removal of that dangerous drug ephedra. they've barely heard of ephedra before, they've never read about it, they've never tried it. It's an easy target, and there's plenty of room on the bandwagon.)
I guess the fear is having every 13 year old on the JV football team buying d-bol at the 7-11 after practice. This does not call for making steroids illegal. There are many alternatives short of outright removal. Why not make them available to any adult, but with one condition; they are administered by a doctor and the steroids stay in the office. (better yet, administered by a professional with knowledge of steroid use). Safe, effective - perhaps we pay a bit more, but at least we employ a few good MD's. Okay, time to step off my soapbox.
 
You need an option for "You do your thing, I'll do mine" :)
Too much fuss over what people choose to do to their own bodies.
 
I am a pharmacist and have these things available readily. As I'm writing this I can reach and grab some Deca :D I live in Greece where they were free until recently (and even now they are almost free for everyone). You can't find everything of course...
Living with drugs all day, I have come to see them more or less like food. In fact, I can say that food has more side effects than drugs: people are careful when they take drugs, but not when they eat.
I choose not to use them because I believe I can achieve my goals without them. Of course, my goals are very modest: I am not endorsing the notion "bigger is better". In fact, it has been shown that this is a psychological disorder (people perceive thmeselves to be small when they are in fact huge). I don't mean this as an insult for you monsters :D. We all suffer more or less from a psychological disease. Mine is called orthorexia nervosa :D
Anyway, I believe that roids can be used almost safely: they will increase your chances for prostatic hypertrophy and will have some side-effects, but it doesn't really matter: If we were so concerned to prolong our lifes, we shouldn't be packing muscle anyway: all studies show that undermuscled, poor eaters are the ones that live longer.

Just my .02 euros...
 
I will try steroids once HST has taken me far as I can grow with using proper diet and all the beneficial supplements first. Of course, if and when I do take steroids, I will still use HST training methods.
 
I welcome this thread. I feel strongly conflicted about this issue and it's good to hear about the experiences and opinions of the community.

Since I'll turn 50 in a few months, I've been struggling with the problems that come with...maturity (hah!).

Every time I go to a health food store, I feel drawn to the aisles with the prohormones. Although I am currently more inclined to avoid these types of supplements, I'd like to know more about the experiences of lifters who have tried them.

Has anyone used Twinlab's Andro Nitrate Protein Powder? Is there any signficant difference in the quality, efficacy, safety etc. of the various 1-T, 1-AD, 4-AD products?

Side effects?

I'm waiting for results of my first blood work in over a decade, which will include my T level...and if it's "low," I might consider trying a pill or a powder if my D.O. didn't disapprove.

If T results are "normal," though, I'll probably stick with HST, good organic food and let form follow function...
 
I keep reading that steroids are safe if used properly. That’s not totally true! Sure you can control things like gyno, acne and for the most part even hair loss. But ALL steroids will shut down your natural production of testosterone. There is absolutely no way to stop that from happening. There is also no way to guarantee that you’ll ever fully recover from that shutdown! It can take months to recover, and in some cases, guys NEVER return to normal test levels! There is NO drug that can prevent this from happening or restore it once a hard shutdown occurs. Not HCG, not clomid…there is no fix! You might do 10 cycles without a problem, only to find out you can’t recover from number 11. Have fun building muscle naturally ever again if that happens. Good luck with that loss of sex drive too. Steroids safe? Not in my book!
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (jboy @ Nov. 04 2003,4:48)]I keep reading that steroids are safe if used properly. That’s not totally true! Sure you can control things like gyno, acne and for the most part even hair loss. But ALL steroids will shut down your natural production of testosterone. There is absolutely no way to stop that from happening. There is also no way to guarantee that you’ll ever fully recover from that shutdown! It can take months to recover, and in some cases, guys NEVER return to normal test levels! There is NO drug that can prevent this from happening or restore it once a hard shutdown occurs. Not HCG, not clomid…there is no fix! You might do 10 cycles without a problem, only to find out you can’t recover from number 11. Have fun building muscle naturally ever again if that happens. Good luck with that loss of sex drive too. Steroids safe? Not in my book!
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You are the victim of an after-school Lifetime television special.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Baoh @ Nov. 04 2003,8:47)]You are the victim of an after-school Lifetime television special.
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That's a great quote. Made me laugh out loud.

Yeah, I've read through information about steroids. It's thats individuals body, I don't care if they use them. I just hope they use them safely and properly.
 
Yeah, you're very funny…give yourself a pat on the back.

Look, if you want to take on the risks of using steroids, that's completely up to you. But don't run around saying that there aren't risks if you know what you are doing! That's FALSE! I studied steroids and how to use them for a couple of years before I ever did a cycle. I then did three cycles over a two year period without any problems at all...recovery was quick and easy. But then I did my fourth cycle and my system didn't want to recover! It took me six months to recover to near normal levels. I still feel like I'm only about 85% of what I was before that last cycle, and it’s been almost two years! Read the message boards on sites like Elite and tell me that many people aren’t experiencing problems with being shut down hard, depression, etc… There are several possible (and very undesirable) side effects that are out of your control, PERIOD! I won’t ever touch them again! It’s just not worth it.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (jboy @ Nov. 05 2003,6:46)]But don't run around saying that there aren't risks if you know what you are doing!
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I must have missed something. Who said steroids are devoided of any risks?
 
If you want to use steroids, that’s your choice—I don’t dispute that, nor am I saying that you’re wrong if you make the choice to use! My point is that too many people in the bodybuilding community try to portray steroids as being safe “if you know what you’re doing”. The fact is that there are several very harmful side effects that you cannot control or prevent. These are risks that you take every time you use these drugs. You won’t know if/when you will pay the price until it happens. And it’s not helpful to those who are contemplating using to keep being told how “safe” they are. I just want to make it clear that the risks are very real, and some of them you have no ability to control, prevent or reduce.

Here are some quotes from this thread that illustrate the “they’re not so dangerous” attitude that I’m talking about


“In moderate dosage steroids are NOT dangerous at all”

“They are only dangerous if you don't know what you are doing (and as mentioned previously if you start too young). Research is the key to success and safety.”

“Nothing wrong with steroids, they can be used very successfully with few, if any, side effects. There are risks, but if you educate yourself the vast majority can be prevented. It is those who indiscriminantly poke needles into their bodies or pop the first pill they come across that give steroids a bad name. (these are where all the horror stories you've heard come from). All the side effects they receive are deserved in their cases.”

“Anyway, I believe that roids can be used almost safely: they will increase your chances for prostatic hypertrophy and will have some side-effects, but it doesn't really matter”

“I just hope they use them safely and properly”
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (jboy @ Nov. 05 2003,11:38)]If you want to use steroids, that’s your choice—I don’t dispute that, nor am I saying that you’re wrong if you make the choice to use! My point is that too many people in the bodybuilding community try to portray steroids as being safe “if you know what you’re doing”. The fact is that there are several very harmful side effects that you cannot control or prevent. These are risks that you take every time you use these drugs. You won’t know if/when you will pay the price until it happens. And it’s not helpful to those who are contemplating using to keep being told how “safe” they are. I just want to make it clear that the risks are very real, and some of them you have no ability to control, prevent or reduce.
Here are some quotes from this thread that illustrate the “they’re not so dangerous” attitude that I’m talking about
“In moderate dosage steroids are NOT dangerous at all”
“They are only dangerous if you don't know what you are doing (and as mentioned previously if you start too young). Research is the key to success and safety.”
“Nothing wrong with steroids, they can be used very successfully with few, if any, side effects. There are risks, but if you educate yourself the vast majority can be prevented. It is those who indiscriminantly poke needles into their bodies or pop the first pill they come across that give steroids a bad name. (these are where all the horror stories you've heard come from). All the side effects they receive are deserved in their cases.”
“Anyway, I believe that roids can be used almost safely: they will increase your chances for prostatic hypertrophy and will have some side-effects, but it doesn't really matter”
“I just hope they use them safely and properly”
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I understand your point. I actually went trough something similar when I came out in another forum and said that ephedra can have some negative side effects. Everyone jumped on me.

But anyway, what we have here is more a debate on semantics, isn't it? The quotes you posted don't really say that steroids are substances completely devoided of any side effects but more that they're not the terrible monsters some make them to be.

Out of curiousity, what steroids contributed to your HPTA shutdown? Was it a nandrolone cycle?
 
First off I agree with you about ephedra...taking the stuff makes me quick tempered and depressed...not to mention the effect is has on my sleep. I don't tolerate it well, I guess.

I was shut down hard on a Test/EQ cycle. My cycle was 6 weeks of 500mg/test & 400mg/EQ. Before that cycle I had done a test/dbol and 2 tren only cycles. The tren shut me down hard too (fina dick), but I seemed to recover from it fairly quickly. The thing is, I have this feeling that I wouldn’t be able to recover from any cycle now…I don’t think my body would tolerate being shut down again. I don’t plan to find out. Luckily I was able to recover most of what I lost (like I said, about 85%). For a while I didn’t think I was ever going to get my sex drive back…not a good thing!!! I did the standard post cycle clomid thing (didn’t do a dang thing). I also had some liqidex on hand (which didn’t help either). Over the next few months I tried tribulus (which actually helps me now if I stick with it), ALC…basically everything rumored to boost testosterone levels. It was a big wakeup call to have this happen and realize that there really is nothing I could do to fix it. The standard clomid answer is a poor defense which I found it to be very ineffective. This is one of the areas where there is a big void in the side effect prevention game.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (jboy @ Nov. 05 2003,11:46)]Yeah, you're very funny…give yourself a pat on the back.
Look, if you want to take on the risks of using steroids, that's completely up to you. But don't run around saying that there aren't risks if you know what you are doing! That's FALSE! I studied steroids and how to use them for a couple of years before I ever did a cycle. I then did three cycles over a two year period without any problems at all...recovery was quick and easy. But then I did my fourth cycle and my system didn't want to recover! It took me six months to recover to near normal levels. I still feel like I'm only about 85% of what I was before that last cycle, and it’s been almost two years! Read the message boards on sites like Elite and tell me that many people aren’t experiencing problems with being shut down hard, depression, etc… There are several possible (and very undesirable) side effects that are out of your control, PERIOD! I won’t ever touch them again! It’s just not worth it.
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lol

If you only knew who I am (or was, rather).

Keep going.

"The sky is falling!"
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Baoh @ Nov. 05 2003,7:14)]lol
If you only knew who I am (or was, rather).
Keep going.
"The sky is falling!"
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So who are you?

Please enlighten us upon this road to knowledge rather than tossing off the "I'm too lazy to continue this conversation, most likely because I can't back up my references!"

Forgive me if I'm too blunt but I dislike your approach :)
 
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