Hyderabad: Orthopaedics in the city are noticing a rise in cases of joint pains and related ailments in the young — including gout and avascular necrosis, due to the indiscriminate use of steroids and muscle building supplements.
Experts said gyms, which offer steroids for the bulky and those who are thin, fail to tell inform customers about side-effects. Chemical combinations like primobolan, decadurobolin and others boost muscle growth but have severe side effects.
“We are seeing a lot of use of steroids among youngsters where the individual is put on muscle and strength agents, whey protein and bulking agents without proper evaluation of their diet,” said Dr R. Raghu, orthopaedic doctor. “Patients are coming with complaints of joint pains due to loss of blood supply to the bones in the joints. With too little blood, the bone starts to die. The types of joint related problems it causes are avascular necrosis, aseptic necrosis, and ischemic necrosis,” he said.
Steroids taken daily are dangerous. Intake has to be done under medical supervision, said Dr Srinivas Reddy, general physician. Market estimates show that 25 per cent of the youngsters use steroids for muscle growth.
Gym instructor Mohammed Rafiq said, “For the ‘rock hard body’ look steroids are important but they have to be taken conservatively. What we are seeing is that some youngsters want muscle built up very quickly, and they take steroids on a daily basis, which is wrong. Smaller dosages spaced out with once or twice in a week are recommended.”
