|
Effects of Illegal Anabolic Steroids on the
Liver
When the liver is facing additional stress and
work due to the presence of anabolic steroids,
it releases compounds called SGOT and SGPT. When
the damage stops being incurred, it stops releasing
these two chemicals. Standard blood screens detect
the levels of SGOT and SGPT, and those are the
readings that doctors use to analyze just how
much damage is being incurred by the liver.
Once the damage stops being incurred, the liver
stops releasing these compounds. The liver is
a remarkable organ which does have the ability
to regenerate new cells, but the level as to which
it can repair itself varies among individuals
and is influenced by many factors, including rest
times in which it isn't being damaged. Very often,
the steroid users who use heavy (damaging) levels
of steroids are the same users who tend to not
take recommended breaks from gear, giving their
livers time to recover and let the SGOT/SGPT levels
drop.
Oral steroids are very tough on the liver. As
the liver breaks down the oral agents, the cells
of the liver incur damage and often bleed. This
affects excretion and filtration functions of
the body. Injectable steroids are dangerous, but
for different reasons. While the injected compounds
aren't as toxic to the liver as oral steroids
are, the risk of infection from either impure
compound, bacteria on the needle, or blood issues
rise greatly. Steroid users who combine both oral
and injectable steroids run especially high risks.
They have all of the oral toxicity along with
the combined risks of bacteria damage to the liver.
As the liver incurs damage, from either of these
causes, small growths known as nodules appear
inside the liver. When the negative influence
of steroids is stopped, these nodules often clear
up or remain dormant. However their long-term
presence and growth, much more common in long-term
steroid users who don't take breaks, can lead
to liver disease which is fatal in most cases,
and responsible for millions of deaths each year.
While most of these deaths are due to long-term
liver damage due to alcohol abuse, steroid users
face the same liver risks, as the same nodule
growth occurs. Using alcohol and steroids together
is especially dangerous. Alcohol weakens the body's
ability to deactivate estrogens released as the
body metabolizes anabolic hormones. The negative
side effects of steroids - including Gynecomastia
- are far worse among steroid users who abuse
alcohol. Remember that your liver is a very useful
and precious organ. Anabolic steroid use should
be cycled, and liver tests should be run yearly
to ensure your levels are acceptable. Alcohol
abuse with steroids can be fatal.
|
