Case stories
The following are examples of cases reported to the Anti Doping Hot-Line. The examples are from real life but have been altered to avoid identification or pointing out of any person.
Young girl
A 23-year old girl training aerobics calls. She has been tipped by her male training buddies, who think that she has all it takes to grow big and to compete, to use AAS. They haven’t given her any information about the risks with AAS, as they say they are merely “girl steroids”. She herself hasn’t looked for any information about the adverse events.When she calls us, she is very worried because her hair has started to fall off when she showers. She has not had her periods for the last two months, her clitoris has grown, she is hoarse, and she has pains in her belly.
Girlfriend
A girl calls regarding her boyfriend, who exercises at a gym. She describes that his personality has changed. He is short-tempered, irritable, aggressive and jealous, often without any obvious reason. He is forever training and wants her to touch and feel his muscles. He wants sex several times a day, even if she does not want to.The boyfriend eats “weird”, guzzles down his food and dietary supplements, and cares more about his training, food and buddies than about her.
"You don´t want to be smaller than the junior guys"
A 22-year old man calls about a specific drug and wondering about effects and side-effects. He exercises four to five days a week and has never intended to use forbidden substances or risk his health. But he does not develop his body the way he wishes. Younger men, who have just started their training, have surpassed him in volume and strength at the gym. He is now thinking about taking AAS, partly because he is worried about his status at the gym – “you don’t want to be smaller than the junior guys”.
Worried parent
A mother lives with her 17-year old, studying son. He exercises five to six times a week. He has begun to do worse at school, his temper shifts, he has gained weight and become muscular. He has stopped seeing his old friends, things have disappeared from his room, and he has hardly ever any money. The mother suspects that her son takes AAS. She has searched his room and found tablets, ampoules and syringes. She asks what to do.
Young man
A 22-year old guy calls regarding side-effects of AAS. He has taken AAS a couple of times. He has not experienced any problems during the first few cycles that he hadn’t already taken into account. He has “merely” been slightly irritable, has got acne, collected fluid, has a little tender nipple on one side, and has had sexual problems since he finished his cycle. Both mammary glands are now clearly enlarged and he describes them as “sore marbles” behind the nipples. When he had finished his cycle, he tried to get rid of them by eating medicine for women with breast cancer, but instead his glands have grown. He thinks that he has now got what looks like growth of female breasts and wonders what to do.
Weight loss
A 25-year old woman has tried to loose weight several times. She decides to try Syneburn, a product containing caffeine and synefrine. After one week she experiences palpitation and feels sick when she is dancing at a restaurant. An ambulance is called for and at the hospital it is found that she is dehydrated and has cardiac arrythmia. The woman wonders if there is any other better product to eat. She has read about Hoodia, a product that is sucessfully used among models.
Worried grandmother
A grandmother calls about her daughter. Her daughter lives with her two children and a man who takes AAS. The daughter is too afraid to make the phonecall herself. Her man has control over all her telephone calls and the websites that she visits. He does not even allow her to visit her own mother together with the children. Sometimes, when he drinks alcohol, he gets totally mad. He breaks things, scares the children and threatens to use violence. The daughter has sleeping problems and has lost weight. The man is at the gym most of his time, and when he is at home he cooks food. The grandmother is worried about her daughter and her grandchildren and wonders what to do.