How to Come Off of Steroids

Steroids can take up a great deal of a body builder’s time before they ever even inject a drop into their body. Because steroids can have such a huge effect on performance and growth, many prospective users spend months to a year looking into the best steroid fit for their goals and their lifestyle.

Though this extensive research is great, and makes for a more informed user, they’re unfortunately only getting half of the picture. Coming down off of steroids is just as important as the steroid itself. So here’s everything you need to know after the cycle is over.

Why do I need to come off of steroids?

While steroids are very safe for use, too much of anything can eventually be harmful. Steroids work in the body because it takes a massive amount of synthetic hormone and floods the body for greater muscle growth. But this massive amount of added hormones can become unnatural to your system and start to either harm your body, or make you feel dependent upon them.

This is why many body builders take steroids in “cycles.” This means they take the steroid over a course of several weeks and then discontinue for a longer course. Once the steroids are out of the system and the body has had some down time they can be started up again.

Steps for coming down off of steroids:

1)      Don’t quit immediately: Any safe cycle will involve you slowly wean yourself off of the steroids by taking a lower and lower dose each day. Prepare yourself to start winding down in the last few weeks of your cycle. That should give you plenty of time to tune down your dosage enough to lower your chance of any severe side effects.

2)      Don’t quit cold turkey: If you’re taking a relatively large dose of a steroid often times body builders will start taking a low dose of testosterone mix to help their bodies jump start and start creating its own testosterone.

3)      Be prepared for some losses: After coming off of the steroids eventually your body will seem to shrink a little bit. That’s because your body cannot naturally maintain the gains made from steroids. So be prepared for your muscles to slim down and act accordingly. Spend some extra time in the gym doing bulk training and watch your diet closely so you’re only fueling muscle and not fat gain during this time.

4)      Expect to feel a little out of sorts: As with any synthetic drug put into the system you might find yourself feeling either overemotional or intense anger. Remind yourself that this is a fleeting feeling and supplement these feelings by introducing more caffeine or energy boosters into your daily routine. Increased caffeine will help heighten adrenaline in your body which will help you feel more happiness during these mood swings.

When to consult a doctor:

Coming off of steroids isn’t easy and also doesn’t come without its risks. There are possibilities that when you come off of the drugs you’ll find new medical conditions that have been created, or uncovered through the use of steroids. Make sure you immediately consult your medical practitioner if you notice any of the following issues: that your heart is racing or you’re having shortness of breath, if it’s been several months and you just aren’t feeling back to normal, or are feeling worse.

Hormones can create issues with testosterone production later on so make sure you talk to your doctor if you notice any changes with your sex organs, or if you’re having difficulty getting pregnant. You may also notice that you take on a more feminine form, like increased breast tissue growth, higher pitched voice, or problems with body hair. These can be moderate to serious issues that can affect you later on down the road.

Coming off of steroids is just as serious, if not more, than starting them. Do your research and don’t start anything that you won’t be able to handle when it’s time to quit. Some users find quitting so difficult that they take longer courses and put themselves at risk for serious health problems down the road. Be strong and stick to your original course goal, then the real work of quitting begins.

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