If you are looking for information about the possible side effects of steroids, you will surely find acne as one of the minor side effects. Most online sources would tell you that acne is one of the common effects after taking anabolic steroids. There are also a lot of professional athletes who were accused of using this performance enhancing drug because of their back acne. Some of them were Mike Piazza and Barry Bonds of the major league and Chael Sonnen of MMA.

The alleged steroid use of Mike Piazza still remains debatable because he had not failed a steroid test. On the other hand, Chael Sonnen tested positive for testosterone which makes people believe that the acne on his back was caused by steroid.

But what is the real score on this issue? Can steroids really cause acne? A recent article written by Howard Megdal of the NY Baseball Digest shed light on this matter. He interviewed some dermatologists to know if acne is really caused by steroid intake. Megdal concluded that the steroid-acne connection is extraordinarily tenuous.

The three doctors interviewed by Megdal were all specializing in acne treatment. All dermatologists agree that acne is a common problem of people regardless of age. “It’s a very common thing in my practice,” said Dr. Jennifer Goldwasser of Central Westchester Dermatology. But she argued that the number of steroid users with acne is very minimal.

A dermatologist from Manhattan agreed with Dr. Goldwasser. Dr. Eric Schweiger said that there is a broad section of the population who suffer from this condition but only a handful of them are taking steroids. “Lots of adult females, adult males, adolescents, many of whom have back acne,” he said. Based on his experience, half of his patients who admitted taking steroids showed no symptoms of acne.

But can we safely say that Piazza or Bonds took steroids because they have acne? The doctors answered in the negative. Most professional athletes are prone to acne even if they are not on steroids. According to Dr. Schweiger, 10 to 20 percent of men at their 20’s or 30’s suffer from acne. The percentage could be even higher for athletes. “More activity leads to the clogging of their pores,” the doctor said.

Another dermatologist from Staten Island confirms that athletes are more prone to acne. “One of the major causes of [back acne] is if someone sweats a lot, wears heavy equipment, wears, as Piazza did, heavy uniforms,” said Dr. Ira Davis.

Some people may also jump into a wrong conclusion. Dr. Goldwasser pointed out that red spots in the back are not always caused by acne. There are other skin problems with similar symptoms with acne. “We don’t even know if that’s what he had,” said Goldwasser, referring to the case of Mike Piazza. “Folliculitis, rosacea, they’d present in a similar way. We don’t have an official medical diagnosis, and we’d by no means draw the conclusion that he even had back acne so quickly,” the doctor said. She also told Megdal that steroids can’t cause folliculitis and rosacea. The former is an infection of the skin follicles while the latter is a chronic skin condition.

The doctors all agreed that athletes having acne should not be labeled as steroid users. “I would say that conclusion is not fair,” said Dr. Schweiger.

Critics say that the anti-doping policy of the NBA is ineffective because of the minimal number of players caught using performance enhancing drugs. However, the league counters this allegation saying basketball players don’t need steroids to improve their performance in court. But the recent suspension of an NBA player for a banned substance indicates that the sport is not exempted from the problem of steroids or PED’s.

The league announced recently that they handed a 10-game suspension on O.J. Mayo for violating the anti-doping policy. O.J. Mayo is a point guard of the Memphis Grizzlies. The suspension started Friday and will end on Feb. 15. According to the league, Mayo tested positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). This substance is commonly found on health supplements and is not yet included in the controlled substances list by the Drug Enforcement Agency. DHEA, while still considered legal, is a steroid precursor. Most professional leagues ban the use of DHEA because it is also considered as a performance enhancing substance.

Mayo already issued a statement apologizing for his failed test. “I’m extremely disappointed that I’m going to miss the next 10 games, particularly as our team is making a push for the playoffs.” The guard accepted the sanction but denied that he was intentionally doping. “I had no idea that the over-the-counter supplement that I took was a substance banned by the NBA. It was an honest mistake, but I take full responsibility for my actions. I apologize to my fans, teammates and the Grizzlies organization for regrettably not doing the necessary research about what supplements I can put in my body,” Mayo added.

O.J. Mayo is not new to controversies. The Grizzlies’ guard had a scuffle with another team mate earlier this month. It seems that the shooter has a problem with his temper. In the BleacherReport article, Mayo allegedly assaulted a referee during a high school game. But the Memphis Grizzlies is still supportive of their point guard.

According to the team owner, Mayo will continue practicing with the team during his 10-game suspension. “O.J. had a lack of judgment but has shown complete accountability. We will continue to support O.J. during this time as we have from the moment he joined the team in 2008,” said Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley. He just hopes that Mayo will learn from his mistakes. “He has unselfishly done everything we have asked of him, and we expect him to grow as a player and a person from this experience,” Heisley said.

The USC guard was the 3rd overall draft pick in 2008. He was traded by the Minnesota to the Grizzlies for Kevin Love. Mayo is a valuable player for the team because of his shooting skills. He averages 12 point per game but he had only played 15 games for the Grizzlies this season. He was also nominated as Rookie of the year.

There were already a handful of professional players who were sanctioned because of supplements with DHEA content. Rashard Lewis was also suspended in 2009 for testing positive for steroid precursor DHEA.

The 10-game suspension will cost O.J. Mayo at least $405,109.

It is a fact that the number of people taking steroids is continuously growing even if the government has implemented stringent control measures. Anabolic steroids are not illegal if prescribed according to its medical use. But most of the time it is being abused in sports and bodybuilding.

Health experts are also alarmed about recent studies showing an increasing number of young adults taking anabolic steroids. The large portion of these teens is not engage in sports but they are merely trying to build a better body or physique. We know that steroids are used as a performance enhancing drug but right now, it is becoming popular as an image enhancing drug.

Long term use of these substances can lead to side effects. Young adults who are into steroid regimen usually suffer from severe side effects of the drug and can lead to abuse or addiction. A lot of them take these pills without consulting a health practitioner. The side effect varies from mild to severe depending on the dosage and length of steroid use.

The findings of health experts in the United Kingdom should serve as a warning to those people who are taking anabolic steroids. The doctors believe that steroid is one of the primary causes of the increasing number of men suffering from infertility. The specialists interviewed by Denis Campbell of The Guardian both agreed that most men who are engaged in bodybuilding and at the same time taking muscle enhancing substances have problems in the level of their sex hormones.

According to Dr. Steve Payne, an urologist, most men are usually surprised that they are to be blamed for their wife’s failure to get pregnant. “Many fit young men who believe they are at the peak of physical perfection don’t believe it could be their fault when their wives or girlfriends find it difficult to become pregnant,” said Payne who is a consultant urologist at the Manchester Royal Infirmary and a council member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons.

Payne suggests that bodybuilders should avoid taking steroids. This will lessen the risk of infertility. “They are insulted when it is suggested that they undergo a sperm test, and horrified when the results of those tests show an absence of sperm in the sample,” Payne added.

Another serious side effect of taking too much steroid is it can halt sperm production. “It is a very real risk that men who take anabolic steroids will become infertile. It’s almost certain that they [the steroids] will have an effect of some sort on their fertility and, in the worst-case scenario, that sperm production will stop altogether,” said Dr. Allan Pacey, a senior lecturer in andrology at Sheffield University.

Some bodybuilders who stopped taking anabolic steroids failed to regain their reproductive capacity according to Pacey. In other cases, it may take years before the production of sperm return to normal. One professional athlete who admitted that he is on a continuous hormone therapy is baseball slugger Jose Canseco. He was also caught using a fertility drug. Canseco is one of the many baseball players who used anabolic steroids.

Other noted side effects of long term steroid use are gynecomastia or enlargement of the male breast, changes in skin tone, mood swings, depression and acne.

Lawmakers in New Jersey have one objective; to eradicate the rampant use of steroids and human growth hormones by law enforcement officers across the state. The state’s lawmakers were angered by the investigative report of a news publication revealing the high number of police officers and firefighters taking anabolic steroids and growth hormones. These law enforcement officers were not only taking illegally prescribed drugs but they were also using the tax payer’s money in availing these performance enhancing substances. Most of them used the health benefits provided by the state.

An investigating panel was already created but lawmakers want to stop this practice through legislation. Several anti-steroid bills were passed early this month. These bills will strengthen existing laws on prescribing steroids, human growth hormones and other substances considered to improve performance. They also want law enforcement officers in New Jersey to undergo stricter medical examinations before they can get a prescription for these drugs.

Proponents of the bills were happy that politics was set aside when it comes to this issue. The Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee recently approved one of the proposed legislation. They voted unanimously (9-0) on the measure requiring the Department of Law and Public Safety to include human growth hormones among the drugs to be monitored in the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) of the state. Under the current program, human growth hormone is not included in the controlled dangerous substances list.

Once the measure is approved by the entire Assembly, it will now require pharmacists across the state to submit monthly reports on prescriptions for human growth hormone. This will in effect deter police officers to take HGH without valid medical condition because they can be easily traced by the authorities.

Assemblyman Herb Conaway of Burlington told the media that the bill is a step in the proper direction. “This steroid abuse is frightening from both a public policy and public health perspective. Taxpayers have been stung and public safety has been put at risk, as has the health of the abusers,” he said. Conaway added that they can’t sit idly by and let the abuse of steroids and HGH continue.

Another co-sponsor of the bill, Valerie Vainieri Huttle of Bergen is worried on the possible effects of abusing these drugs. “Steroid abuse often comes with increased aggression, so this illegal activity by those assigned to protect our safety has been costly to taxpayers and put people at risk,” she said. “It cannot continue. This bill will prevent abuse, save taxpayers money and hopefully lead to these abusers getting the help they need before it’s too late,” Huttle told cliffviewpilot.com.

Assemblyman Ruben J. Ramos Jr of Hudson, another proponent of the bill, also told the media about his concern of the possible danger on public safety because of steroid use. “It’s bad enough the abuse has been costing the taxpayers of this state millions of dollars. But law enforcement officers susceptible to ‘roid rage’ pose a grave danger to the public safety. This measure will increase accountability and awareness and send a message that this behavior must stop,” he said.

A Canadian judge was not convinced that a conditional sentence is enough for a bodybuilder charged with illegal distribution of drugs. The request of the defense lawyer to give his client a lighter sentence was rejected. Sean Safa, in the defense of his client, argued that Jeremy Shilling, 28, of Cambridge do not have any previous violation of the law. They also told the court that Shilling was only tempted to use anabolic steroids because of peer pressure.

However, the judge ruled in favor of the prosecution. Judge Gary Hearn decided to put Shilling into 26 months prison term. “This appeared to be very much a business for Mr. Shilling,” said Hearn. The judge was referring to the illegal sale and distribution of cocaine, anabolic steroids, and marijuana of the accused. His steroid use may not be a big issue but his sale of these drugs is a clear commission of a crime.

Police investigators caught Shilling selling steroids and cocaine. Three vials of steroids worth $250 and $3,100 worth of cocaine were seized from him. According to the report of The Record, cash worth $1,650 and several OxyContin pills were also found in his girlfriend’s possession, who was also with him during the search.

The bodybuilder is working at family business installing appliances but the instant money from steroids and other prohibited drugs lured him to make it an income generating activity. When police search his home at Porter Crescent in Cambridge, police found out that Shilling is not a small time drug dealer. Authorities seized $15,000 worth of various steroids, $22,000 worth of cocaine, and 27 marijuana plants valued at $27,000. Drug paraphernalia and a money counter were also seized.

Shilling admitted that he was once a skinny person. In an effort to build his physique, he tried using steroids six years ago. However, according to the report, Shilling became dependent on steroids. In fact he already suffered an injury as a result of lifting weights. He denied using cocaine but admitted using the prescription painkiller OxyContin.

In another steroid related news, a supplements company pleaded guilty to manufacturing and distributing steroid-tainted supplements. The charges stemmed from the investigation of the Food and Drug Administration of a bodybuilding site selling supplements online.

A raid was conducted in 2009 as a result of an investigation showing that the website was selling supplement that contains steroids. At least five controlled substances or designer steroids were found on the more than 60 products sold by the company.

The Tribravus Enterprises, also Known as IForce Nutrition, agreed to pay $125,000 fine for the felony charge. The supplement company is based in California.

He worked as a cop but later ventured into the lucrative business of selling steroids and human growth hormones. However, former police officer Anthony Forgione, 46 was caught by the authorities distributing steroids and HGH illegally. Forgione pleaded guilty this month at a U.S. District Court in Palm Beach County, Fla. for federal crimes of distribution of human growth hormone, distribution of controlled substances and conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids.

The 15 counts federal indictment could result to a life sentence for the former NYPD and Boca Raton cop but the guilty plea will shorten his jail term and penalty. The sentencing is scheduled on March 25 in West Palm Beach.

After working as a police officer, Forgione established Infinity Longevity, a wellness clinic in Boca Raton and later in Delray Beach, Florida. According to the report of the Times Union, Forgione’s clinic offers hormone replacement therapy with one employee named Dr Gary Brandwein, an osteopath physician. Court records showed that Forgione paid Brandwein $11,000 a month for his services.

Brandwein allegedly make fraudulent prescriptions for clients. He seldom requires clients to undergo physical examinations before prescribing the drugs. Anabolic steroids and human growth hormones can be prescribed to patients with legitimate medical conditions. If it is prescribe for other reasons, the doctor will violate federal laws.

Forgione and Brandwein were already implicated in the Albany investigation. They both pleaded guilty to drug charges filed by Albany prosecutors headed by Albany County District Attorney David Soares. Forgione received probation for three felony charges. This was related to his connection with an Orlando based compounding pharmacy that was involved in selling illegally prescribed steroids and human growth hormones. Forgione admitted that he sold steroids and human growth hormones to clients in Albany through mail. The prescriptions were allegedly filled by the Signature Compounding Pharmacy in Orlando.

The case of the Signature Pharmacy is still on going in Albany. However, federal prosecutors in Florida already dropped the charges against the pharmacy owners. The owners also filed counter charges to the prosecutors and police officers who raided their business in 2007. The owners alleged that the Albany prosecutors violated their rights and asked for damages. Chief Prosecutor Soares was previously removed from the case but was able to get a favorable ruling after his appeal. Soares was reinstated in the case and all the charges against the owners and employees of the pharmacy are still in effect.

However, Forgione’s case in Florida does not implicate the Signature Pharmacy. Another pharmacy was involved which according to the authorities replaced Signature’s role in filling questionable prescriptions. The company is Treasure Coast Pharmacy located in Martin County, Fla.

The Times Union revealed that Forgione was fired from his job as a police officer due to allegations that he used anabolic steroids. Florida State Department records also showed that the former cop neglected his duty because of his bodybuilding activities.