Women and Anabolic Steroids Part 3

Availability of anabolic steroids

Over the years, countless anabolic steroids have been developed and many have been discontinued by the pharmaceutical companies. Today, the majority of anabolic steroids are available only for hospital use to treat certain medical disorders.

Anabolic steroids for personal use are only available through illegal means. Some women get their steroids from foreign countries like Mexico, Thailand, Europe or over the internet. In each and every case, the quality and purity of these illegally acquired anabolic steroids remains questionable. Plus, many of the illegally acquired anabolic steroids have contaminants and fake products are also common.

The most popular anabolic steroids used by women include:

- winstrol
- Depo testosterone
- Halotestin
- Anadrol
- Stanozolol
- Equipose
- Oxandrin

Most women usually start off with the low doses and generally take the drugs for a few months. Unlike men, the dose in women does not have to be high to produce the anabolic effects. When the dose is increased, many of the anabolic steroids have undesirable side effects which are not always reversible. Women who take these steroids see a noticeable effect in their body after about 3-4 weeks. The initial weight gain is usually from water retention and then the muscle mass build up follows. A female must exercise in order to build the body. Taking anabolic steroids without any formal exercise program only leads to obesity.

Most women who take anabolic steroids develop increased protein mass and reduced body fat. Women who have used anabolic steroids in the past claim that these drugs create a positive euphoria and increased awareness. Besides developing a sexy and trim body, these women also notice the obvious increase in strength. Unlike men, women experience a heightened sexual arousal when taking anabolic steroids.

Breast growth and Anabolic Steroids Part 4

Surgery

There are no medications that can be taken to reverse breast enlargement in males. Surgery is only undertaken if the cosmetic appearance is emotionally disturbing. If the breast enlargement is small and not problematic, it is best left alone. The two types of surgical procedures used to treat gynecomastia include:

Liposuction can be done to remove all the fat tissue but does not remove the fibrous material. Liposuction can be done under local anesthesia but most people prefer general anesthesia. It is a short procedure and has excellent cosmetic results. It is an outpatient treatment.

Mastectomy is also done to treat gynecomastia. Today various minimally invasive endoscopic procedures have been devised to remove the fat tissue. Again the results are decent.

As a final word, the treatment of gynecomastia after the use of anabolic steroids is conservative. Discontinuation of the drugs will lead to reversal of the breast enlargement. While physicians will push for surgery, this is the last choice and only after 6-9 months have elapsed after discontinuing the steroids. If the breast enlargement is not bothersome, simply leave it alone. Remember surgeons make a living doing surgery which sometimes is completely unnecessary - and gynecomastia is one of those conditions.

Finally, both liposuction and mastectomy are cosmetic procedures and no insurance company will cover the cost of the procedure. So if you go to a physician who recommends surgery as a first choice, then you should always seek a second opinion or better still keep away from surgeons.