Just to be clear, there are 3 different categories of "steroids". Basically, there are salt, sugar, and sex steroids. "Salt" steroids are the anti-inflammatory type like prednisone that you may take for asthma, sinus, or arthritis - these are sometimes used to reduce swelling in an injury, too, and if used briefly/infrequently, have no long-term concerns. Sugar steroids are the ones that control your sugar, like glucagon, insulin, etc. Sex steroids are your estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, human growth hormone, etc, and it is these that alternates have been created to make more muscle, "promote healing", etc. But they have major drawbacks and long term consequences that get minimized by those w/motivation to use them. There is a reason they are banned. For example, they act on heart muscle, too, and make it bigger than it needs to be, and that affects its function later in life. There are too numerous to count side effects that are beyond the scope of this message. Bottom line is that a blanket allowing of "steroids" will lead to indiscriminate use. Not all doctors should be allowed to treat w/these, and most won't without sig. experience. Endocrinologists, and a few other docs are truly trained in proper use. My 2 cents.
