AAS USE AND THE “ARRAY”
// October 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // Hormones, Steroids
Breast enlargement, acne, and edema are undesirable and disadvantageous to athletes and bodybuilders, so AAS users must resort to other medications — anti-estrogens to combat breast enlargement, anti-acne medications to cope with unwanted blemishes, and diuretics to purge the edema from their bodies. The supplemental medications needed to short-circuit the undesirable side effects of AAS are referred to as “the array.” Spawned by the latest advantages in pharmacology the “array” takes on each distressing symptom one at a time. To control acne, the antibiotic minocycline (Minocin) is used to blunt the impact of androgen excess on sebum production. Pills like the diuretic furosemide (Lasix), designed to rid the body of unwanted fluid, help control ankle swelling. To fend off breast enlargement, two different medications are called into play. The anti-estrogen tamoxifen helps diminish the male breast response to excessive estrogen in the bloodstream. Testolactone (Teslac) — a pill that disrupts a man’s ability to process male hormones like testosterone into female hormones like estradiol — has also found favor among bodybuilders. Dread of balding has created a demand for use of finasteride (Proscar or Propecia). These medications decrease conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and are used to prevent hair loss from the scalp. The medications currently employed in the array are listed below.
The “Array” used to combat side effects of excessive male hormone use.
Symptom Treatment
Edema - Furosemide (Lasix)
Acne - Minocycline (Minocin)
Breast enlargement (Gynecomastia) - Tamoxifen, Testolactone (Teslac)
Balding -Finasteride as Proscar or Propecia
