Anabolic Steroid Side Effects and Health Risks | Anabolic.co
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Health risks and urgent warning signs

Anabolic Steroid Side Effects and Health Risks

Anabolic steroid misuse can affect the heart, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, hormones, fertility, mood, skin and adolescent development. The pattern differs by drug, amount, duration, route, product quality, age, sex, existing health and other substances. Some effects improve after exposure ends, while others can persist or become life threatening.12

Written by Team Anabolicco Editorial review by Team Anabolicco Published Medical review pending
See the body system matrix Check urgent warning signs

Primary health component

How Can Anabolic Steroids Affect the Body?

The table groups reported effects by body system and population. It does not predict what will happen to one person. A familiar drug name or careful training routine does not remove the possibility of serious harm.

Ten risk domains Possible effects, main modifiers, persistence and the next appropriate action.
Anabolic steroid side effects by body system and population
Body system or population Possible effects What can change risk Can effects persist? Appropriate action
Heart and blood vessels High blood pressure, cholesterol changes, heart attack, stroke, fluid retention and other cardiovascular problems.12 Drug, amount, duration, existing cardiovascular disease, smoking, stimulants and other substances. Some changes can improve. Heart or blood vessel injury can remain serious after exposure ends. Call 911 for chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, collapse or stroke signs.
Liver Liver injury and liver disease. Some oral anabolic steroids and hidden steroid products are a particular concern.13 Exact compound, oral formulation, duration, alcohol, other medicines and unknown product ingredients. Some injury improves after the cause is removed. Severe injury can progress or require hospital care. Seek prompt care for jaundice, dark urine, severe abdominal pain, fever, nausea or marked weakness.
Kidneys Kidney damage has been linked with anabolic steroid misuse and hidden steroid products.13 Existing kidney disease, dehydration, blood pressure, other drugs and product contamination. Kidney injury can be temporary or lasting. Symptoms may be absent early. A clinician can assess swelling, urine changes, pain, blood pressure and laboratory findings.
Hormones and fertility Suppressed natural hormone production, lower sperm count, infertility, testicular shrinkage, breast tissue growth, menstrual changes and sexual dysfunction.14 Drug, duration, cumulative exposure, age, sex, fertility goals and existing endocrine conditions. Recovery varies. Fertility or sexual function concerns need clinical assessment rather than a fixed recovery promise. Discuss symptoms and fertility goals with a qualified clinician.
Mood and behavior Irritability, aggression, altered mood and depression have been reported.13 Personal mental health history, sleep, other drugs, withdrawal and social stress. Mood can change during use or withdrawal. Severe depression requires prompt support. Call or text 988 for suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis in the United States.
Skin and hair Acne, oily skin, scalp hair loss and changes in facial or body hair.1 Genetics, androgen sensitivity, exact drug, skin care, product contamination and duration. Acne may improve. Some hair changes can persist. Seek medical review for severe acne, scarring, infection or rapid unexplained changes.
Adolescent development Restricted final height, acne, mood changes and disruption of normal hormonal development.14 Age, stage of development, duration, product contents and other substances. Restricted growth and some developmental effects may not reverse. A teenager using or considering steroids should speak with a qualified health professional and a trusted adult.
Effects reported in men Lower sperm production, infertility, shrinking of the testicles, breast tissue growth, hair loss and sexual function changes.1 Drug, exposure, age, fertility goals and previous hormone health. Recovery differs and cannot be predicted from a product name alone. Seek clinical assessment for fertility, breast, testicular or sexual function changes.
Effects reported in women Menstrual changes, facial or body hair growth, scalp hair loss, voice deepening and decreased breast size.1 Drug, exposure, age, androgen sensitivity and reproductive health. Voice deepening and some hair changes may not fully reverse. Seek clinical review for voice, menstrual, fertility or rapid physical changes.
Dependence and withdrawal Cravings, fatigue, restlessness, appetite loss, sleep problems, reduced sex drive and depression after use is reduced or stopped.1 Duration, pattern of use, mental health, other substances and available support. Symptoms vary. Depression can become severe and needs prompt care. Do not rely on a website for a personal withdrawal plan. Contact a health professional.
Association is not a predictionA listed effect may not occur in every person, but absence of symptoms does not prove safety.
Drug names do not define purityAn unregulated product can contain a different drug, strength or contaminant.
Route does not isolate riskOral and injectable products can affect many body systems.
Medical use is differentA prescribed product and monitored treatment plan do not establish the safety of nonmedical use.

Act now when symptoms are severe

Urgent Warning Signs

Serious symptoms need immediate professional care. Do not wait for a website, forum or seller to interpret them. In the United States, call 911 for a suspected heart attack or stroke. Call or text 988 for suicidal thoughts, emotional distress or a mental health crisis.567

Call 911 for possible heart attack

Chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, pain in the jaw, neck, back, arm or shoulder, faintness, nausea or unusual severe fatigue.

Call 911 for possible stroke

Sudden one sided weakness or numbness, trouble speaking, confusion, vision change, loss of balance or a severe unexplained headache.

Seek urgent medical care for possible liver injury

Jaundice, dark or discolored urine, severe abdominal pain, fever, nausea, marked weakness or unusual fatigue.38

Call or text 988 for a crisis

Use 988 for suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, substance use concerns or an immediate mental health crisis in the United States.

Why one experience does not predict another

Why Do Anabolic Steroid Side Effects Differ?

Risk is shaped by the drug, formulation, exposure, product quality and person. No table can convert those variables into an individual guarantee.

Exact drug and formulation

Anabolic steroids differ in chemical structure, metabolism, medical status and organ effects. A finding about one compound cannot be applied automatically to another.

Amount and duration

Greater or longer exposure can raise concern, but serious effects can also occur without a long history. A fixed threshold cannot define safety.

Route of exposure

Oral products can be associated with liver injury. Injectable products add contamination and infection concerns. Every route can produce effects throughout the body.

Product identity and quality

An unregulated product can contain a hidden drug, a different amount or a contaminant. The label and seller claim are not proof of identity.3

Age, sex and hormone state

Adolescents, people with fertility goals and people with hormone related conditions can face different patterns of harm.

Health and other substances

Heart, liver, kidney or mental health conditions, alcohol, stimulants, medicines and other drugs can change the clinical picture.

Heart, circulation and organs

Cardiovascular, Liver and Kidney Effects

Some of the most serious reported effects involve circulation and organ function. Symptoms can be absent until injury is advanced, so feeling well does not prove that blood pressure, cholesterol, liver or kidney function is normal.

Heart and blood vessels

MedlinePlus links misuse with high blood pressure, cholesterol changes and heart problems, including heart attack. DEA also describes increased cholesterol, coronary artery disease, stroke and heart attack concerns.14

  • High blood pressure may be present without obvious symptoms.
  • Cholesterol changes can affect long term cardiovascular risk.
  • Chest pain, severe shortness of breath, collapse or stroke signs require emergency care.

Liver

MedlinePlus lists liver disease among the effects linked with misuse. FDA reports serious liver injury in connection with some products marketed for bodybuilding that contained steroids or steroid like substances.13

  • Jaundice, dark urine, abdominal pain and severe fatigue require prompt assessment.
  • Oral formulation does not mean the only concern is the liver.
  • Hidden ingredients can make the product and risk harder to identify.

Kidneys

Kidney damage is included in official health summaries of anabolic steroid misuse and hidden steroid products.13

  • Blood pressure and other substances can add to kidney strain.
  • Early kidney injury can occur without a clear warning symptom.
  • Swelling, marked urine changes, severe pain or illness needs medical review.

Blood clots and circulation

FDA includes pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis among life threatening reactions associated with anabolic steroids and steroid like substances in bodybuilding products.3

  • Sudden breathing difficulty or chest pain can be an emergency.
  • One sided leg swelling or pain needs prompt clinical assessment.
  • A website cannot rule out a clot from symptoms alone.

Hormone signalling and reproductive health

Hormone, Fertility and Developmental Effects

External anabolic androgens can suppress the body systems that normally regulate sex hormone production. The effects differ by age, sex, drug and exposure. A fixed online recovery schedule cannot predict fertility or hormone recovery.

Hormone suppression

External androgen exposure can reduce normal hormone signalling. Symptoms after exposure changes can include fatigue, reduced sex drive, mood changes and reproductive problems.

Fertility

Reported effects include lower sperm count, infertility, testicular shrinkage and menstrual changes.1

Effects reported in men
  • Lower sperm count
  • Infertility
  • Shrinking of the testicles
  • Breast tissue growth
  • Hair loss
  • Sexual function changes
Effects reported in women
  • Menstrual changes
  • Facial or body hair growth
  • Scalp hair loss
  • Voice deepening
  • Decreased breast size
  • Other androgen related changes
Adolescent concerns
  • Restricted final height
  • Disrupted hormonal development
  • Severe acne
  • Mood changes
  • Reproductive effects
  • Exposure to unsafe appearance pressure

Some physical changes can persist. MedlinePlus lists voice deepening and male pattern hair changes among effects reported in women, while DEA describes some androgen related changes in women as permanent.14

Mood, dependence and withdrawal

Mental Health Effects, Dependence and Withdrawal

Anabolic steroids do not need to produce a conventional high to lead to dependence. A person may continue despite harm, feel unable to reduce use or experience withdrawal symptoms when exposure changes.1

Mood and behavior

  • Irritability
  • Aggressive behavior
  • Altered mood
  • Depression
  • Sleep problems during withdrawal

Withdrawal symptoms

  • Fatigue
  • Restlessness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Reduced sex drive
  • Cravings
  • Depression that can become severe

This page does not provide a personal taper, post cycle drug plan or withdrawal schedule. The FDA advises people using products that claim to contain steroids or steroid like substances to consult a health professional because dangerous withdrawal problems can occur when use is stopped quickly.3

Visible effects and unregulated products

Skin, Hair, Injection and Hidden Ingredient Risks

A product can create risk through its active drug, route, sterility, concentration, contaminants or undisclosed ingredients. A familiar label does not confirm what is inside.

Acne and oily skin

Acne is included among the effects linked with steroid misuse. Severe acne can scar or become infected.

Scalp hair loss

Androgen sensitivity and genetics can affect hair loss. Some changes may persist after exposure ends.

Facial and body hair changes

Increased facial or body hair can occur with androgen exposure, particularly in women.

Injection and infection

Injection adds risks from poor sterility, contaminated equipment, unknown products and bacterial infection. DEA reports endocarditis among possible serious effects.4

Hidden steroid ingredients

FDA has found bodybuilding products labelled as supplements that illegally contained steroids or steroid like substances.3

False protection claims

A product claiming to protect the liver, hormones or fertility does not prove that a steroid combination is safe.

What may improve and what may remain

Do Steroid Side Effects Go Away?

There is no universal recovery timetable. The same symptom can have different causes, and an absence of visible symptoms does not confirm that organ or hormone function has recovered.

Effects that may improve

Acne, fluid retention, some mood changes and some hormone related symptoms can improve after exposure changes. Improvement is not guaranteed and may take time.

Effects that may persist

Voice deepening, some hair changes, restricted adolescent growth, fertility problems and injury to the heart, liver or kidneys can persist.

Effects that need urgent care

Chest pain, breathing difficulty, collapse, stroke signs, jaundice, severe abdominal pain or suicidal thoughts should not wait for a recovery estimate.

Recovery statements and their limits
Claim What can be said What cannot be promised
A symptom improved after use changed The symptom may have been related to exposure, withdrawal or another factor. That all organ, hormone or fertility effects have recovered.
Laboratory values returned toward a reference range The measured value changed and needs clinical interpretation. That future cardiovascular, liver, kidney or reproductive risk is absent.
A person has no visible side effects No visible symptom is currently noticed. That blood pressure, cholesterol, organ function or product purity is normal.
Another person recovered quickly That person reported a particular experience. That the same drug, product or outcome will apply to someone else.

Professional assessment

What Information Can Help a Clinician?

A clinician can make a better assessment when the product and symptoms are described honestly. Bring packaging or photographs when safe, but do not handle needles or unknown substances to create evidence.

The health professional may consider blood pressure, physical examination, mental health, heart symptoms, liver and kidney function, blood counts, cholesterol, hormone status and fertility concerns according to the situation.

  • Every product name and known ingredient
  • Where the product came from and if the contents are uncertain
  • Route and approximate period of exposure
  • When each symptom began
  • Prescription medicines, supplements, alcohol and other drugs
  • Existing heart, liver, kidney, hormone or mental health conditions
  • Fertility goals and reproductive symptoms
  • Any chest pain, breathing difficulty, jaundice, severe depression or infection signs
  1. 1. Check for emergency signsCall 911 or 988 when the urgent criteria on this page apply.
  2. 2. Contact a health professionalUse a doctor, urgent care service or emergency department according to symptom severity.
  3. 3. Describe every exposureInclude products, medicines, supplements, alcohol and other drugs.
  4. 4. Do not rely on a sellerA seller cannot diagnose symptoms, verify product contents or rule out organ injury.
  5. 5. Follow the clinical planTesting and follow up depend on symptoms, findings and professional judgment.
Medical review publication lock

This health page remains `noindex,follow` until a named qualified clinician reviews the exact HTML version, appears with relevant credentials and scope, and accepts the visible review date. Team Anabolicco editorial review is not medical review.

Safety boundary

What This Page Does Not Provide

Risk information should not be converted into a method for nonmedical use. Medical review cannot make unprescribed steroid use safe.

Not provided

  • Personal dosing
  • Cycle length or timing
  • Stack recipes
  • Injection instructions
  • Post cycle drug plans
  • Supplier recommendations
  • Drug test evasion
  • A promise of safe nonmedical use

Provided

  • Reported health effects
  • Factors that change risk
  • Urgent warning signs
  • Product contamination concerns
  • Medical assessment context
  • Evidence limits
  • Official support routes
  • Links to source and review policies

Common health questions

Questions About Anabolic Steroid Side Effects

These answers explain major risk groups, recovery limits, hidden ingredients, withdrawal and emergency action.

What are the main side effects of anabolic steroids?

Anabolic steroid misuse has been linked with high blood pressure, cholesterol changes, heart problems, liver disease, kidney damage, acne, mood changes, hormone suppression, fertility problems and effects that differ by sex and age. The pattern depends on the exact drug, exposure, product quality and personal health.

Can anabolic steroid side effects be permanent?

Some effects can improve after exposure ends, but recovery is not predictable. Voice deepening, some hair changes, restricted adolescent growth and some cardiovascular, liver, kidney or fertility injury can persist. A clinician can assess symptoms and arrange suitable follow up.

Do oral steroids only affect the liver?

No. Some oral anabolic steroids are strongly associated with liver injury, but oral use can also affect blood pressure, cholesterol, hormones, fertility, mood, skin and other systems. The route does not confine a drug to one organ.

Are injectable steroids safer than oral steroids?

No route makes nonmedical use safe. Injectable products can still affect the heart, blood vessels, hormones, fertility, mood and kidneys. Injection also adds risks from contamination, uncertain product contents and infection.

Can anabolic steroids affect fertility?

Yes. External androgens can suppress normal hormone signalling. Reported effects include lower sperm production, testicular shrinkage, infertility and menstrual changes. The degree and recovery vary, so concerns should be discussed with a qualified clinician.

Can anabolic steroids affect mental health?

Steroid misuse has been associated with irritability, aggression and other mood changes. Withdrawal can include fatigue, sleep problems, cravings and depression. Suicidal thoughts or immediate danger require urgent help through 988 or 911 in the United States.

What side effects can occur in women?

Reported effects include menstrual changes, facial or body hair growth, scalp hair loss, acne, voice deepening and decreased breast size. Some androgen related changes, including voice deepening, may not fully reverse.

What side effects can occur in men?

Reported effects include lower sperm count, infertility, shrinking of the testicles, breast tissue growth, scalp hair loss and changes in sexual function. Individual risk depends on the drug, exposure and existing health.

Why are anabolic steroids risky for teenagers?

Anabolic steroid use can interfere with normal hormonal development and may restrict final height. Teenagers may also experience acne, mood changes and reproductive effects while being exposed to unregulated product and appearance pressure.

Can bodybuilding supplements contain hidden steroids?

Yes. The United States Food and Drug Administration has found products marketed for bodybuilding that illegally contained steroids or steroid like substances. A supplement label does not prove that the ingredients are accurate or that the product is safe.

Should someone stop anabolic steroids suddenly?

A website cannot decide the safest plan for an individual. Withdrawal can include fatigue, sleep problems, cravings, low sex drive and depression. The FDA advises people using products that claim to contain steroids or steroid like substances to speak with a health professional because rapid cessation can create dangerous withdrawal problems.

When should someone seek emergency help?

Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing, collapse or stroke signs such as sudden one sided weakness, trouble speaking, loss of balance or a severe unexplained headache. Call or text 988 for suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis in the United States.

Health and emergency sources

References

The page uses United States government and public health sources. The source set supports general education and emergency routes, not a personal diagnosis.

  1. MedlinePlus: Anabolic SteroidsDefinition, medical use, misuse, health effects, sex specific effects, dependence and withdrawal. Last updated 19 May 2025.
  2. National Institute on Drug Abuse: Anabolic SteroidsSevere, long lasting and potentially irreversible health effects associated with anabolic steroid misuse.
  3. United States Food and Drug Administration: Bodybuilding Products Can Be RiskyHidden steroid ingredients, liver injury, heart attack, stroke, blood clots, kidney damage, withdrawal concerns and symptom guidance.
  4. United States Drug Enforcement Administration: SteroidsDrug class, patterns of misuse, age and sex effects, cardiovascular effects, liver damage and endocarditis.
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Heart Attack SymptomsEmergency signs that include chest discomfort, shortness of breath and upper body pain.
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Stroke Signs and SymptomsSudden weakness, speech difficulty, vision change, balance loss and severe unexplained headache.
  7. 988 Suicide and Crisis LifelineCall, text and chat support for suicidal thoughts, emotional distress and substance use concerns in the United States.
  8. MedlinePlus: Drug Induced Liver InjuryPossible symptoms including abdominal pain, dark urine, fatigue, jaundice, appetite loss, nausea and vomiting.
  9. Anabolic.co Editorial StandardsSource selection, evidence transferability, review labels, artificial intelligence and publication rules.
  10. Anabolic.co Medical Review Team and Editorial RolesCurrent contributor status and the rule that a named qualified clinician is required for medical review.
  11. Anabolic.co Corrections PolicyMaterial correction, update, clarification, source status review and withdrawal rules.