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A CORONER FOR Cork city this week warned against the dangers of steroid use at the inquest into the death of an 18-year-old boy.
Coroner Philip Comyn returned a verdict of death by misadventure in the case of Luke O’Brien, from Grange, Kilmallock, Co Limerick.
The verdict was returned after officials indicated that on the balance of probabilities Luke developed a swelling of the brain because of his usage of the steroid Stanozolol.
The coroner said that he had a duty to warn the public of the “significant health risks” associated with taking steroids.
“Most of these steroids are obtained illegally. You do not know what you are getting. People need to be told of this,” he said.
I hope people will become aware of the dangers of [these drugs] by Luke’s passing.
Steroid use
A number of indicators point towards the unregulated use of anabolic steroids rising in Ireland in recent years.
Each year for the past three years, the number of illegally obtained anabolic steroids seized has risen dramatically.
Last year, 449,411 dosage units of steroids were detained, compared to 109,006 in 2016 and 38,049 in 2015 – showing a rise in use.
The misuse of anabolic steroids has been linked to a range of side effects including cardiac disease, blood clots, headaches, depression, aggression, irritability and stomach pain.
In many cases, people are sourcing the drugs for performance enhancement but are either unaware or ignoring the dangers of taking the prescriptions without medical supervision.
Commenting earlier this year on the seizures, John Lynch, director of compliance with the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), said that it was “particularly concerned” with the rise in detentions of anabolic steroids, which pointed towards a “demand among some people for these highly potent prescription medicines”.
“The abuse and misuse of anabolic steroids can have serious consequences for the long-term health of the individuals who take them,” said Lynch.
We would urge anyone using illegally sourced anabolic steroids to stop doing so and to seek advice from their healthcare professional if they have any concerns about their health.
Culture
According to Paul Devine, a personal trainer and powerlifter based out of Active You gym in Drumcondra, use among people training in health and fitness has risen since he began training about 10 years ago.
“My best input on it would be that steroids aren’t just for people playing in the Olympics anymore – they’re more recreational,” said Devine.
“People who have trained for 20 years to get into the Olympics, then to get 5% better take steroids.
“Whereas now you see people training for a couple of months and they’re not seeing results fast enough, then they try to get 5% better from steroids.
It definitely ties into an impatience or a need for a fast track.
Devine said that use has definitely gone up but that in his view “you’d be hard pushed to find someone who admit they’re taking steroids”.
Devine competes in the Irish Drug Free Powerlifting Associations, which, unlike other competitions, tests competitors to ensure that they are not using drugs.
For Devine, steroid use can quickly become substance abuse, with a whole host of negative side effects attached to it.
In his view, there are multiple avenues and approaches to training and fitness that people should take before they even consider taking steroids.
“I think people are too quick to turn to steroids. I’ve been training for 10 years, I haven’t stalled on progress,” he said.
Steroids seem to me like a way to get people to that elite level, whereas most people won’t get anywhere near that. They’re not even close enough to maybe justify [taking steroids].
He said for many people, steroid use was being used as a “first push” when it shouldn’t be.
“Put in the hard work. There are so many other steps that you could take before you looked at your hormones,” he said.
“Is your diet right? Are you eating properly? Are you exercising? Is your programme good?
Are you actually doing all the other things before [doing] that?
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Anabolic steroids in the GAA, who would have thought it just a few years ago. Serious questions to be asked about Schools Rugby too I think.
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: have to agree, big questions need to be asked and their needs to be crackdowns for the sake of peoples lives and health.
Worrying to see people trying to defend the use of steroids through whatabouttery
@David Field: Are you against priests having the choice to rape children with their bodies?
@David Field: injection centres and decriminalisation are all about making drug use safer and making getting professional help easier. Also, most crimes are things people do with their own body.
@David Field: Whoosh! Completely missed the point.
@Dave O Keeffe: I think it should go astep further and offer a needle exchange program, might lead to less needles being dumped where-ever
@Lisa Byrne: makes sense. I remember one day I came across a needle in front of a dental clinic (probably where it came from) and I went in and mentioned it to them and asked them to dispose of it. Their response was basically “wasn’t us, not our problem” I pointed out that while it may not have been them they have facilities to dispose of it safely a d properly. Still said no. I just stood there in the doorway and told everyone passing to be careful until they eventually got rid of it
YouTube and Instagram stars Juiced to the eyeballs an claiming they are natural, while trying to sell products to impressionable teens like protein shakes to get “BIG” are a major part of the problem in my OPINION
You don’t know what you’re getting from your local pharmacy. During the week I discovered that my blood pressure medication supposed to be made in Ireland by Clonmel chemicals was part of a contaminated batch sourced from China
@techman: your comment seems questionable but let’s take it at face value, of course because your meds were legal you could find that information out and stop using them.
Now illegal drugs on the other hand can have anything and you’ll never know and they won’t be recalled or batch numbered in a traceable manner. You also won’t get advice from a qualified person.
@Barry Somers: my point was that I though that my medication was produced in Ireland and I was mislead. They were merely packaged in Ireland
@Barry Somers: why is it questionable
@techman: which is it? Were they supposed to be made in Ireland or did you just think they were?
@Dave O Keeffe: I was prescribed a blood pressure medication. Picked it up in my local pharmacy. Noted that it was produced by Clonmel Chemicals. I now discover that the active ingredient was produced in China and has been contaminated by a chemical used to induce cancer in lab rats. I am one of over 50000 Irish people similarly treated. Think twice before you use a Generic Medicine
@techman:
What’s the name of your medication?
@Walt Jabsco: Valsartin see journal article
Heart condition medication recalled over ‘probable carcinogen’ impurityhttp://jrnl.ie/4111583
@Dave O Keeffe: They were manufactured by Clonmel Chemicals in Clonmel and sold under prescription by my local pharmacy. Would I be naive to think that the active part of the drug was made in China
@techman:
Cheers
@techman: MacDonald’s make hamburgers, they don’t raise cows.
If gym bunnies and rugby meat-heads want to pump themselves full of ‘roids and creatine let them at it. The gene pool will be healthier without them. Eliminate them at the source.
@Phillip Maguire: What’s wrong with creatine?
@Phillip Maguire: creatine ?? Anyone who reads your comment is automatically ten percent dumber for having read it
@Phillip Maguire:….. Creatine is legal. And extremely safe.
I might be wrong but Isn’t the women’s pill classed as a steroid??
@Gordon Larney: you may not be wrong but you definitely are missing the point.
@Dave O Keeffe: missing what point?? You ask any joe soap what a steroid is and a high percentage will say that they are a bad thing people do to gain muscle,, but steroids are used to help millions of sick people everyday,, people need to realise that the word steroid isn’t a bad word……
@Gordon Larney: sorry, didn’t realise this poor young lad died from the pill.
@Dave O Keeffe: a pill….
@Gordon Larney: you know the difference between a pharmacy and a gym right?
@Dave O Keeffe: you obviously don’t,, how many steroids are manufactured and produced in a gym??? Look Dave, my original comment was about how the word steroid was seen as such a bad thing,, just like the word drug, both steroids and drugs have good and bad uses,it’s about how an individual uses them that makes all the difference..,,
@Gordon Larney: except this article is clearly about negative use. Also, Pharmacies are the point of sale, not the manufacturer.
@Dave O Keeffe: this is about anabolic steroids, not the “good” seroids e.g. cortisol based ones
@Gordon Larney:
You obviously don’t know what a pharmacy is either if you think drugs are produced there.
@Gordon Larney: Major difference between Anabolic steroids and Corticosteroids. They aren’t the same thing
Look everything in moderation you’ll be ok. Before ye ask i dont do or never have took them but if theres such a epidemic of steroids in sports go to any A.E department ask them how many admissions they have received in the last 6 months due to steroids i guess very few
@goaskmehoop: in 5, 10, 20 years when they present to hospital with enlarged organs, damaged liver, damaged heart.
The steroids are gone out of their system but the lasting effect of playing with hormones.
People on here comparing drink with steroids. Apples and oranges.
Not all steroids are equal but sure they are made in unregulated factories with no quality control or traceability.
Tic.tic
@Patrick: patrick steroids have been rampant in Ireland since the 80s well before there was information on what steroids you could take they took everything in the 80s and early 90s and still people aren’t turning up to A&E or too hospitals complaining of steroid complaints I am not saying they’re good for you just saying everything in moderation
@goaskmehoop: because people probably wouldn’t disclose that they are taking steroids.
Steroids are important to cancer treatment also….
@Chris Kirk: yes, under the guidance of medical professionals.
Huge amount of idiots using steroids when going to the gym, very worrying that people can be so flippant with their lives and health
@Barry Somers: huge amounts of people going out drinking too much , taking too many drugs both illegal and legal . What’s your point ?
@Jonathan Coughlan: how’s that whatabouttery going for you? Maybe you can stick to the topic at hand instead of trying to deflect away from it.
My point is clear in my comment.
@Jonathan Coughlan: and people are warned about that over and over again. PS steroids are drugs. Not sure what point you were trying to make but advising people against dangerous practices is a good thing. Especially with steroids, where people are usually introduced to them by someone else that’s already using them and usually hide their use.
Last time I done steroids my ball bag was touching the floor
You don’t know what your
The flip of this a very large percentage of people pointing the finger on this probably binge drink every week causing just as much damage to themselves, hypocrisy at its finest.
@Peter Hughes: comparing two wrongs. A popular justification on the journal. I’ve still to see the time it makes a right.
ask any GP for Prednisolene – Sorted!
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