Anabolic Steroids

Understanding Anabolic Steroid Use

Anabolic steroids are drugs that copy the effects of testosterone, a hormone involved in muscle growth and sexual development. Clinicians prescribe them for certain medical conditions. Taking them without medical supervision to build muscle or improve performance can cause serious health problems and can become difficult to stop.^[1]

You may be worried about changes in your mood, sex drive or health. You may want to stop but fear feeling worse or losing muscle. Those concerns are worth discussing with a clinician. You do not need to decide whether you have an addiction before asking for care.^[2]

Anabolic steroids are different from corticosteroids, the medicines prescribed for conditions such as inflammation. They also should not be confused with every product sold for muscle building. Tell a clinician the exact name of what you take, including prescribed medicines and supplements, rather than using only the word “steroids.”^[3][4]

When Anabolic Steroid Use Becomes Hard to Control

Using anabolic steroids and having an addiction are not interchangeable. A concerning pattern includes craving steroids, repeatedly returning to them despite harmful effects, or finding that efforts to stop do not last. A clinician considers the pattern and its effect on your life, not your physique alone.^[3][6]

Physical dependence means the body has adapted to a drug and symptoms can appear when it is stopped. Addiction involves a broader problem with control and continued use despite harm. Withdrawal can contribute to that pattern, but it does not tell the whole story.^[6]

Fear of losing muscle can make stopping difficult too. In a published discussion of steroid-use problems, researchers Morgan Scarth, Ingrid Amalia Havnes and Astrid Bjørnebekk describe the importance of appearance, identity and the social setting around use. That context matters when planning support. Simply telling someone to care less about their appearance misses what they may be struggling with.^[6]

Consider writing down what you are noticing: attempts to stop, cravings, money spent, changes in relationships, and physical or emotional symptoms. You can bring the account to an appointment without labeling yourself or another person.

How Anabolic Steroids Can Affect Your Health

The risks vary with the products used, length of use and the person’s health. Not everyone develops the same effects. Some problems also may not be obvious from how strong or fit someone looks, which is one reason a medical assessment matters.^[2]

• Heart and blood vessels. Effects can include high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol changes and serious heart problems. These concerns deserve attention even when the original goal was better fitness.^[1]
• Liver and kidneys. Steroid misuse can damage these organs. A clinician may need to investigate symptoms or abnormal blood tests rather than assume they are a normal part of training.^[1][2]
• Sexual and reproductive health. In men, use can reduce sperm production, shrink the testicles and contribute to infertility or erection difficulties. Infertility means difficulty achieving a pregnancy. Tell the clinician if having children is a current or future goal.^[3][5]
• Mood and behavior. Some people experience irritability, marked mood changes or unusual suspiciousness. Severe changes need assessment. They are not proof that every person using steroids will become aggressive.^[3]

Women can experience menstrual changes, additional facial or body hair, and a deeper voice. Some changes, including voice changes, may persist after use stops. Much of the treatment research is in men, so advice should not assume that the same recovery pattern applies to everyone.^[3][7]

For adolescents who are still growing, anabolic steroid misuse can interfere with growth. A parent concerned about a teen’s use can start with a pediatric or family medical appointment. Ask about the products and symptoms without assuming that interest in fitness itself is an illness.^[1]

Injection adds another concern. Sharing needles can spread infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Tell the clinician if you have shared injection equipment so they can discuss appropriate testing and care.^[3]

Symptoms That Need Urgent Help

Seek immediate medical attention for symptoms such as chest pain or trouble breathing. Yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine or significant abdominal pain also need prompt medical assessment. Tell the medical team about steroid use and any bodybuilding products you have taken. Call 911 for severe symptoms or immediate danger.^[4][8]

What Happens When You Stop Anabolic Steroids?

Anabolic steroids can suppress the body’s own hormone production. After use stops, that system may take time to recover. This can help explain symptoms such as low energy or a reduced sex drive. It does not mean every symptom comes from a single hormone level.^[2][5]

Withdrawal can include fatigue, poor sleep, restlessness, appetite changes, cravings and depression. Depression after stopping can be serious. New or worsening symptoms deserve attention rather than an instruction to simply wait them out.^[1]

There is no recovery calendar that fits everyone. Hormone levels, sperm production and how someone feels may recover at different rates. The Society for Endocrinology’s 2026 position statement also notes that symptoms can persist even after hormone tests return to the expected range.^[5]

A normal result does not make distress unimportant. Ask what else needs assessment and when to return for follow-up. Medical and mental health care can work together rather than leaving you to choose between a physical explanation and an emotional one.^[5]

If you have suicidal thoughts or severe depression, seek help promptly. In the U.S., call or text 988 for crisis support. Call 911 if you are in immediate danger. Do not wait for a hormone appointment to address a crisis.^[5][8]

Why Post-Cycle Therapy Needs Medical Review

“Post-cycle therapy,” often shortened to PCT, usually means taking additional drugs after anabolic steroid use in an attempt to restore hormone production or ease symptoms. A regimen recommended online is not the same as a treatment plan made for you after a medical assessment.^[5]

In an Endocrine Society research announcement in 2023, physician Bonnie Grant cautioned that “self-medicating post-cycle therapy is not recommended and may be hazardous if illicitly obtained.” The announcement described an observational study. An association with improved hormone tests did not prove that a self-directed regimen was safe or would lead to lasting recovery.^[9]

The 2026 Society for Endocrinology statement found that evidence for drug treatments intended to restore hormone function remains limited. It does not recommend routine use of several hormone-stimulating drug regimens for this problem. Specialist fertility treatment is a separate, individualized decision.^[5]

Ask a clinician for help with stopping rather than adding a do-it-yourself PCT plan. The FDA advises people taking bodybuilding products that may contain steroids to consult a health professional immediately because of health and withdrawal risks. Bring the product labels and describe what you have already taken.^[4]

Products called selective androgen receptor modulators, or SARMs, are also marketed for muscle growth. They are not FDA-approved. A label saying “dietary supplement” or “for research use only” does not establish that a product is safe to take.^[10]

Getting Medical Help for Steroid Use

Start With an Assessment

A primary care clinician can be a starting point. Explain that the concern is anabolic steroids used for muscle or performance, including any use you have already stopped. Depending on your symptoms, care may involve an endocrinologist, a doctor who treats hormone problems, or professionals in addiction, mental health or reproductive care.^[2]

An assessment may include your use history, mood and safety, blood pressure, sexual health and relevant blood tests. The purpose is to understand what needs treatment and follow-up. A single testosterone result cannot answer every question about health or recovery.^[2][5]

The Society for Endocrinology urges clinicians to approach people with compassion and without judgment. It also says that gaps in research should not be taken as dismissal of a patient’s symptoms. If an appointment leaves your concerns unanswered, ask for a clear follow-up plan or a referral to someone with relevant experience.^[5]

Include Body Image and Emotional Support

Care can address reasons that make continued use appealing or stopping difficult. A therapist can help assess persistent mood symptoms, distress about appearance or problems maintaining a decision to stop. Evidence about treatments specifically for steroid-use problems is still developing, so ask what the professional would actually help you work on.^[5]

If you feel preoccupied with being too small or not muscular enough, mention it. Muscle dysmorphia is a form of body dysmorphic disorder involving distress about perceived insufficient muscularity. An assessment can explore that concern without assuming everyone who wants more muscle has the disorder.^[6]

Also explain whether exercise has become difficult to control, or whether training, food rules and appearance worries are crowding out the rest of your life. These are useful concerns to discuss, not a diagnosis based on how often you work out.

Find Care Near You or Ask About Online Visits

When searching for help nearby, use the specific term “anabolic steroids” and your city or ZIP code. Contact a primary care practice, endocrinology service or addiction clinician and ask whether they assess people with this concern. A listing for “steroid treatment” may refer to a different medicine or problem.

Ask about experience with anabolic steroid use, appointment availability, insurance or self-pay costs, and how referrals and follow-up work. If a remote appointment is offered, ask how any needed examination or laboratory testing will be arranged. Online counseling should not be assumed to provide that medical assessment.^[2][5]

Online addiction treatment options can help you consider how remote support fits your needs. For U.S. mental health and substance-use treatment listings, you can also use FindTreatment.gov. Confirm with the provider that the service fits anabolic steroid concerns before booking.^[8]

Supporting Someone Who Uses Anabolic Steroids

Start with what you have noticed and what you are worried about. You do not have to win an argument over the word “addiction” before offering help arranging an appointment. Partners and family members can be part of care when appropriate and when the person wants that involvement.^[5]

For example, you might say: “You told me you feel very low when you stop. I would like to help you find a doctor who understands anabolic steroids. What would make that appointment easier?”

Offer something concrete, such as helping make a call, finding insurance information or attending an appointment if invited. If there are threats, severe symptoms or immediate danger, seek urgent help rather than relying on a conversation to resolve the situation.^[8]

Finding Support for Anabolic Steroid Concerns

You can ask for care while you are still sorting out what you want to change. Bring an honest account of the products, symptoms and concerns to a medical appointment. Ask for a plan that addresses your health now and gives you a clear way to get help if symptoms change.^[2][5]

For broader support, explore drug-use concerns and treatment options and ask which services fit your situation. If you are in emotional distress or thinking about suicide, call or text 988. For immediate danger, call 911.^[8]