There is no escaping the aging body. For men, as they get closer to the middle age area, the natural testosterone production in the body begins to slow down at about a rate of 1 to 2% per year, but can vary. When men reach about the age of 50 or so, about half of the men will experience what is known as andropause. This would be almost as equivalent, hormonally, to women’s menopause.

Andropause is the declining level of androgen in the body. A lot of men fight these symptoms by turning to either steroids or hormone replacement therapy, HRT.

The symptoms of andropause vary from man to man but might be signs of increased lethargy, diminished libido or less interest in sex, erectile dysfunction, muscle weakness, insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings or depression, just to name a few. As I previously mentioned, because of the similarities as to what women go through during menopause, this is often referred to as male menopause. The only difference really is, that the male reproductive system does not shut down, it just slows down.

Steroids are no stranger to the fitness world but today, more and more average men are taking steroids in and effort to combat the effects of andropause and stop its drastic impact. Even though there are legal steroids that have their purpose and are very useful, they are also very much so abused. In part, due to the fact that they are so readily available in a lot of gyms, health clubs and from online internet pharmacies and more.

Aside from being illegal without a prescription, steroids that are taken without proper medical supervision are causing a wide array of health issues. Most of the short-term side effects are well known, however, the long-term effects are not very well studied.

As with most drugs or alcohol, the real problem is not necessarily from the use, but more from the abuse. Steroid abusers will buy their steroids at the gym or from a friend, and self administer them and regulate the intake themselves, instead of going to a medical professional for guidance. This spells disaster for most abusers. When you are buying steroids from an unknown source, you are placing your life into the hands of a stranger, a stranger that knows nothing about you, but more to the point, could care less what is happening to you as long as they are making a profit.

It is a well known fact that a lot of the steroids that are on the black market, come from countries that have very low quality standards, or steroids that were meant to be given to animals instead of humans, or better yet, the fake steroids that are not even remotely doing what you think they are supposed to do and can not only be dangerous, but deadly.

Without getting into any lengthy detail, there have been many books written completely about the list of potential side effects of self administered steroid therapy, abuse, and the list is very long. The symptoms include, but are not limited to, mood swings, fluid retention, thinning or hair loss, infections, testicle atrophy and the risk of blood borne disease, just to name a few.

There are many medical professionals that state that all drugs have side effects and risk should always be compared to the potential reward. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT, is a medically supervised regimen that mimics or duplicates the body’s natural testosterone production.

As with anything else, as long as HRT is administered properly, the benefits are more significant without the high side effect risk or safety hazards that are associated with steroid abuse.

Some of the side effect benefits from HRT are; increased sex drive, increased muscle mass, increased strength, improved overall mood and increased bone density.

Anyone who starts HRT, they will be monitored for possible side effects or adverse reactions to the treatment. In general, there will be no adverse effects. The majority of HRT recipients are very satisfied with the results, and rarely report any, if any, negative consequences.

Even though most men like to think they know what they are doing where their own bodies are concerned, taking the risks that are associated with self administered steroids far outweigh any benefits. Additionally, the potential for major abuse is much greater. If you think you might have andropause, do yourself a favor and go consult your primary care physician with your concerns and ask them to walk you through the investigation of HRT as a possible treatment, if in fact you are going through andropause. Do yourself another favor and not rely on your friends at the gym to make this decision for you.

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