Steroids are used to mimic the hormone production in the adrenal gland. Typically, steroids are provided through injection or orally to treat several inflammatory conditions and speed up recovery. Depending on the dosage, steroids can have various side effects. One of the common side effects is fatigue. We will analyze, do steroids make you tired, possible symptoms, and more.
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Do Steroids Make You Tired? A Simple Guide
Do Steroids Make You Tired?: People often link steroids with athletes and bodybuilders. However, steroids are either used for enhancing performance or used for fast recovery, to tone up physical appearance, etc. Well, the use of steroids is common among bodybuilders to get a muscular body and sculpt muscles and attractive physique.
Many adverse effects have been noticed. The effects of steroids differ from men to women. Anabolic steroids are synthetic drugs. These steroids are either taken orally or via injection. The athletes who want to gain desirable muscles and performance in a fixed period. Anabolic steroids act like natural hormones and help to activate the testosterone receptors in the body.
The use of steroids for a longer period may lead to several health risks and various side effects. People who have been associated with steroids in the past have reported that they feel fatigued, have drastic mood swings, dramatic personality changes, increased risks of blood-borne diseases, and others.
Some of the major symptoms of steroids are as mentioned below:
- Quick weight gain
- Facial hair growth
- Fatigue
- Sleeping disorder
- Hyperactivity
- Acne
- Abdominal pain
- Baldness
- Cancer
- Blood clotting and many more.
If you use steroids for a prolonged period, it may be dangerous and lead to kidney diseases, heart attacks, strokes, and liver cancer. Not to mention, some of the athletes who were on high dosages got sudden deaths due to pressure on their hearts.
To enhance performance and quick muscle growth, bodybuilders use steroids in cycles. They use on and off cycles to skip the side effects of anabolic steroids. But during off-cycles, the risk is high. When you are on steroids, feeling tired and sleepy is very common. However, if you choose proper treatments, they will be cured by that time.
Tips for Avoiding Tiredness
People who are taking corticosteroids may experience sleep disorders, fatigue throughout the day, and nightmares. The below mentioned tips will help you rid yourself of tiredness.
- First of all, ask your doctor if you should take the medication in the morning or if he prescribes sleeping medication.
- Avoid taking steroids in the afternoon or in the evening.
- If you use sedating drugs, it is best to take them when you are going to sleep.
- I prefer to take steroids in the morning.
Other Side Effects of Steroids
Along with fatigue, the below-listed symptoms have also been noticed whether you are on or off cycle or taking small or high dosages of steroids.
Water Retention
Steroids make your body retain water, which will result in bloating and swelling throughout the body. Due to the large amount of water in our bodies, we experience frequent urination. It is a very common side effect experienced by people on steroids. It will fade away as soon as you stop the medication.
Irritation, Mood Swings, and Agitation
Restlessness, irritation, and mood swings are other symptoms of withdrawal after taking steroids. These symptoms can be mild or serious, depending on your body and dosage.
Mood swing is a common side-effect, but don’t take it lightly. If you are experiencing a serious mood disorder, talk to your doctor immediately because it may develop into anxiety or depression. Make sure that steroids are not intolerable.
Upset Stomach
It is reported in various surveys that an upset stomach is generally noticed in the majority of users. An upset stomach and bad taste are caused by hormonal changes in the body. Apart from that, vomiting, nausea, indigestion, heartburn, and acidity are also the negative effects of steroids.
You can ask your doctor to provide medication to help control these symptoms. There are some medications known as proton pump inhibitors that are used to prevent stomach issues.
Fluctuations in Blood Sugar
It is the most common symptom noticed in diabetic people. If you are diabetic, you may notice an increase in your blood sugar after using steroids. Therefore, before taking steroids, ask your doctor to adjust the dosage so it will not harm your health.
On the other hand, non-diabetic people also notice steroid-induced diabetes when they are using steroids. You will feel, dry-mouth, blurred vision, frequent urination, weakness, and tiredness.
Immune System Suppression
Steroids cause testosterone changes in our bodies. People on anabolic steroids experience hormonal imbalance and a suppressed immune system. The body stops the production of natural testosterone and converted it into estrogen.
When using steroids, there are higher chances of infection and flu symptoms because of the slowed immune system. Cold, cough, fever, sore throat, or flu symptoms will be noticed when you are on steroids.
Why Do Steroids Make You Tired – Possible Reason?
When you take steroids for a short or long period and immediately withdraw from the use of steroids, your body feels weakness and fatigue. The reason behind why we feel tired is that our adrenal glands slow the process of making hormones and our immune systems also become stagnant.
Other Symptoms in Males vs. Females
The side effects of steroids will vary in men and women. Common side-effects noticed in men and women are listed below.
Side-Effects in Women
- Deeper voice
- Weight gain
- Facial hair growth
- Enlarged clitoris
- Menstrual cycle irregularity
- Patterned baldness/hair fall
side-effects in men.
- a low expenditure count
- Erectile dysfunction
- Suppressed testicles
- Infertility
Do Steroids Make You Tired? – Final Verdict
Finally, we are here to provide a conclusion on whether steroids make you tired, and the answer is yes. Steroids are very effective in building muscles and treating the inflammatory condition.
However, these potent drugs are associated with several side effects and health risks. Some symptoms are mild, but others could be serious or even permanent. Therefore, we advise you to use steroids only after checking all the benefits and side effects of steroids.
