Steroids: How It’s Related to Testicular Shrinkage After a Dianabol Cycle

Steroids are artificial drugs that closely mimic cortisol, the hormone that your body secretes naturally. Steroids work by lessening inflammation and limiting the activity of the immune system. They’re used to relieve a wide range of inflammatory ailments and issues. In addition, corticosteroids are different from anabolic steroids, which some players use to build larger muscles. Examples of corticosteroid medications include triamcinolone, methylprednisolone, cortisone, and prednisone.

Steroids could be given by injection, mouth (orally), and topically (gels and creams). When injected, they could be given into a muscle and vein, directly into the bursa and joints (fully lubricating the sac between specific tendons and the bones beneath them) or around tendons and other soft tissue areas. In specific disorders, the body’s immune system doesn’t work properly and is overactive. This can result in inflammation to work against the body’s tissues and cause tissue damages. Inflammation is determined by pain, swelling, and redness.

Steroids lessen the secretion of inflammatory chemicals in order to reduce tissue damage. In addition, performance-enhancing substances also lessen the activity of the immune system by affecting the function of white blood cells.

Gynecomastia

The growth of breasts known as Gynecomastia is another usual side effect of steroid use. It’s often visible to people who have been long-time users of steroids or those who have been using steroids in large amounts. Breast tissues are formed in the man’s chest that gradually takes the form of lumps under the nipples. Timely surgical intervention is needed to remove these lumps or more complications such as cancerous growth may occur. In females, breasts are known to show signs of shrinkage.

Steroids Inhibit Bone Growth, Tendons, and Muscles 

Steroids are also known to stop bone growth which can result in lesser height in adulthood as the result of the untimely closing of epiphyseal growth plates. In fact, this is common in users who abuse performance-enhancing substances during their teenage or earlier years. Bone pain is another reported side effect of steroid use. Steroids also affect the muscles and tendons dramatically. Steroid use brings a false sense of endurance in the user, which leads to them pushing the limits and trying to perform rigorous physical tasks which they’re highly incapable of. This often results in muscle tears. As the result of the accelerated improving muscles facilitated by steroids, the tendons are likely to cave into the pressure and a major rupture may happen.

Steroids Affect the User’s Skin 

The user’s skin gets affected, causing an unidentifiable roughness in the texture of their skin. Other skin ailments that have been reported are red blotchy, greasy skin with acne formation on the face and throughout the body. Thinning of the skin and increased muscle growth can also result in the appearance of stretch marks and the impact of performance-enhancing drugs on the liver causes jaundice which leads to the skin turning yellow in color.

Aside from these elements, testicular shrinkage after a Dianabol cycle may be noticeable.