Higher testosterone levels have been observed in prisoners who have committed violent crimes, and it has been hypothesized that the link between AAS use and aggressive behavior is related to the high levels of testosterone that are induced by AAS (Melloni and Ricci, 2010).
Mood Effects
Prior research has found adverse psychological effects of steroids including anger, aggressiveness, depression, and mania (Daly et al., 2003; Pagonis, Angelopoulos, Koukoulis, & Hadjichristodoulou, 2006; Su T et al., 1993; Yates, Perry, & Murray, 1992).
Steroid use can cause anxiety, depression, paranoia and psychosis in those people who have a vulnerability to mental health problems. Drug use can lead to social and emotional problems and affect a person's relationship with family and friends.
noun. variants or 'roid rage. : an outburst of anger, aggression, or violence attributed to the use of anabolic steroids. Some experts believe that use of testosterone can contribute to paranoia, depression and violent outbursts known as "roid rage."
Corticosteroids may also impact the hippocampus in the brain, which regulates memory and emotional processing. Common corticosteroid-induced neuro-psychiatric disturbances from neurotransmitter imbalances include problems with cognition, hyperactivity, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, and depression.
Long-term and/or high-dose use of anabolic steroids can lead to liver and kidney damage, high blood pressure, changes in blood cholesterol, and increased risk of heart attack and stroke — even in young people. There may also be risks inherent in how your boyfriend gets the steroids and how they are taken.
Steroid-induced psychosis is a well-documented phenomenon. It usually occurs with oral systemic steroid treatment and is more common at higher doses, although there are case reports of occurrence with local steroid injections.
The most frequently identified symptoms include agitation, anxiety, distractibility, fear, hypomania, indifference, insomnia, irritability, lethargy, labile mood, pressured speech, restlessness, and tearfulness.
Many people who must take steroids will experience some adverse side effects, primarily stimulation or agitation. I often see this in children taking prednisone for asthma when a quiet little girl suddenly becomes Girl Gone Wild. I experienced this first-hand when treating my grandson.
It is only legal to use anabolic steroids in Australia if they have been prescribed by a doctor for proper medical reasons. It is against the law to keep, make, use, sell or give away, or to inject someone else with anabolic steroids.
Changes in mood caused by prednisone usually go away once a person stops taking the drug. 2 However, discontinuing prednisone must be done gradually and according to the schedule that is prescribed by a healthcare provider.
A severe side effect that can occur with steroid use is steroid psychosis. It is most likely to develop during the first week of treatment with steroids.
Some people who take steroids say the drugs make them feel powerful and energetic. However, steroids are also known to increase irritability, anxiety and aggression and cause mood swings, manic symptoms and paranoia, particularly when taken in high doses.
Prednisone can cause mood swings, short temper and irritability. These changes usually subside when prednisone therapy is stopped.
Dimethyltrienolone is an extremely potent agonist of the androgen and progesterone receptors and hence AAS and progestogen. In animal bioassays, it was shown to possess more than 100 times the anabolic and androgenic potency of the reference AAS methyltestosterone.
2) In spite of its positive effectiveness, long term use of steroid can cause adverse effects, including osteoporosis, renal impairment, infection, gastrointestinal disorder, depression, hypertension and diabetes.
Mood swings and anger from taking prednisone
Because for many patients living with chronic illnesses such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or indeterminate colitis, prednisone causes extreme mood swings. In other words, 1 small annoyance can cause extreme anger.
The most serious prednisone side effects usually include allergic reactions, infections, gastrointestinal issues and elevated blood sugar. These may occur when people take larger doses or take the medication for long-term treatment.
Prednisone is a strong anti-inflammatory steroid and jack-of-all-trades that is prescribed to treat conditions such as: Poison ivy. Sore throat. Inflammation in different parts of the body.
There is a strong connection between steroids and manic depression (bipolar disorder). When someone uses corticosteroids for an extended period of time, they may be at risk for experiencing mood disturbances and psychosis that are associated with the mental health condition.
Clinical Manifestation Early indicators of steroid-induced psychosis include confusion, perplexity, and agitation that typically occur within the first five days after initiation of treatment (6-7). Patients may go on to develop hallucinations, delusions, and cognitive impairment (2).
Anabolic steroid users are more likely than nonusers to report anxiety. Moderate to high doses of anabolic steroids are also associated with major mood disorders such as mania, hypomania,87 and major depression.