Steroidal hormones like testosterone, progesterone and estrogen play an important role in growth, development, and reproduction. Altering the natural balance of these hormones has both short-term and long-term consequences. Estrogenic side effects are particularly damaging and therefore deserve close examination.
Breast Development
The development of unusually large breasts in men is called "gynecomastia." This condition results from a hormonal imbalance. A 2004 report in the medical journal "Breast" describes a weightlifter experiencing gynecomastia. This young man self-administered a herbal extract known as "puncture vine" which contains many active ingredients including diosgenin. This steroid, present in wild yams, possesses estrogenic properties. Such properties likely led to his breast development.
Gynecomastia usually remits within a few months of drug withdrawal. However, sometimes the unwanted breast tissue requires surgical removal. Unexpected breast development may indicate cancer, and gynecomastia may cause psychological distress. Patients should, therefore, exercise caution in dealing with steroid-induced breast growth.
Hot Flashes
Anabolic steroids can cause vasomotor flushing, hot flashes, in men and women. Estrogenic steroids, when taken for the hormone replacement required in menopause, also produce vasomotor flushing in most patients. A 2006 review by Dr. Henri Rozenbaum in the "Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" looked at the different doses of estrogen and progesterone used in hormone replacement therapy. Standard doses cause hot flashes in 85 percent of patients, and lower doses cause flashes in 65 percent of patients. Dr. Rozenbaum therefore recommends using the low-dose formulas, which are equally effective, and produce less side effects. These negative reactions include not only hot flashes but also breast tenderness and leg pain.
Bone Mineral Density
The falling estrogen levels of postmenopausal women puts them at risk for osteoporosis, the loss of bone mineral density. People taking anabolic steroids also experience this risk because those medications alter the testosterone-estrogen balance. A 1987 study presented in the "American Journal of Sports Medicine" looked at testosterone and estrogen profiles in healthy men following anabolic steroid intake. Androstenedione use reduced testosterone levels and enhanced estrogen levels. According to 2010 review in "Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Obesity," such a reduction in testosterone increases the risk of osteoporosis development and bone fracture. That risk can be reduced by using testosterone replacement therapy or by avoiding the estrogenic effects of steroids. The latter option became increasingly viable with the development of anabolic steroids lacking estrogenic effects.
References
- "Breast"; Gynaecomastia and the Plant Product "Tribulis Terrestris"; J. K. Jameel et al.; October 2004
- "Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology"; How to Evaluate the Risk-Benefit Ratio of the Low-Dose Hormone Replacement Therapy?; H. Rozenbaum; December 2006
- "American Journal of Sports Medicine"; Androgenic-Anabolic Steroid Effects on Serum Thyroid, Pituitary and Steroid Hormones in Athletes; M. Alen et al.; July 1987
- "Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Obesity"; Androgens and Osteoporosis; P. R. Ebeling; June 2010
