Liver Conditions And Illness

So what happens when the liver goes “wrong”?

The previous image only visually showcased how a damaged liver LOOKS, but it doesn’t explain what actually happens when the liver gets into a state like this.

To put it simply, imagine all of the functions we’ve currently observed over the course of this profile up to now. In order to get an idea of the end result of a severely damaged liver, you simply need to imagine all of these functions ceasing to exist, or being diminished in capacity.

Can you imagine if your ability to filter blood, absorb fats and detoxify the body in a general sense (not to mention the many other functions the liver has to offer) was diminished? At the very least, you’d fall into a severe state of illness; at the worst you may die.

Let’s now observe the precursors and facets of liver illness and disease.

C-17 Alpha Alkylation

C-17 alkylation is a process whereas oral steroid types undergo a certain process to ensure that they can survive what’s known as the “first pass” of the liver in the most intact fashion possible.

This process involves adding either a methyl or ethyl group to the 17th carbon position of a compound’s molecular structure, thereby altering its “DNA.” The above image shows the structure of the popular oral steroid anavar. This particular compound belongs to the C-17 AA category, as per almost all oral steroid varieties.

You might immediately think that the alteration of the molecular structure of steroid compounds, thus allowing them to survive with more “intensity”, is a good thing…and you’re absolutely right, it is, and to an extent that’s how they’re able to produce their results so effectively.

The problem is that realistically, they aren’t supposed to come through our system in quite such an intact fashion. They (like all pharmaceutical products) are supposed to have some of their “bite” taken off.

If this “bite” isn’t fully removed, what you’re left with is excess – this excess circulates within the body, fulfilling its effects, and ultimately needs to be processed yet AGAIN by the liver on its way out of the system. As a result, the liver has to process a little “more” than it would typically handle. The stronger / harsher the compound, the more potential damage it can cause too.

Imagine the difference between some kind of abrasive surface cleaner or even bleach being diluted or not diluted. If one (obviously, you would never ingest either substance orally, but try to run with this concept for the purpose at hand) version went into the body, it would immediately cause a great deal of harm. If the other went in (depending on how diluted it was), the individual probably wouldn’t face a tremendous degree of damage. In a more realistic sense, think of alcohol – some drinks are 40 or even 50 and 60 percent proof, whereas others are 4 – 6. Having one regularly takes less “processing” power from the liver than the other, and is nowhere near as harmful in terms of potency and “corrosion.”

The other though, if ingested on a regular basis, is clearly going to cause a tremendous degree of internal harm. This is precisely why alcoholism eventually kills if it is not overcome.

In the case of oral steroids, how much damage you cause is ultimately going to depend entirely on your habits and sensibility, as well as the strength of the product(s) you’re using. It’s reasonable and realistic to state that anavar or primobolan (two of the “weaker” anabolic agents out there) when used appropriately are going to pose some risk of liver toxification, but on the whole if they’re used with the relevant level of protection, then you probably won’t encounter any noteworthy issues.

However, if you don’t utilise any protection whatsoever, then it’s almost guaranteed that you’re definitely going to cause some internal harm. It probably won’t be severe (depending again on your habits and whether or not your cycle lasts for the appropriate amount of time / you’re using the relevant amount of your item for your experience), but it’s almost definitely going to present itself nonetheless.

At the opposite end of the scale, you have products like anadrol. Anadrol will, even with the appropriate protection in place, present a potent risk to your liver health. If this protection wasn’t in place, you’d definitely put your liver under tremendous stress.

You’ll find that many of the seasoned anabolic veterans who read the last two paragraphs are likely to scoff and proclaim that they have “never” encountered such issues. You’re always going to encounter these individuals, and they always seemingly come through every cycle they run completely unscathed…until they don’t anymore.

No matter what anyone else says to you in regards to C-17 AA steroids and what their opinion happens to be, remember this is your body. You’ve got to ask yourself if YOU want to take the risk for YOUR sake, not for anyone else’s.

In regards to what that risk actually is, now is an appropriate time for us to take a closer look at some of the conditions that may arise as a result of neglect when using steroids.

Cholestasis

Often mistakenly labelled as jaundice (jaundice is simply one of the symptoms of this issue), cholestatic liver disease arises when bile is either reduced or blocked, and stays within the blood stream rather than moving through to the small intestine as per a healthy body.

Dark urine, light coloured stools and fatigue / jaundice are some of the tell tale signs that you may have contracted this condition. There are several reasons why you may contract cholestasis, but ultimately the primary cause we’re concerned with here is that of an adverse reaction to pharmaceutical grade drugs.

This adverse reaction can lead to the afore-mentioned capacity to effectively utilise bile being diminished, thus impacting the digestive process greatly and affecting nutrient uptake capacity.

The reason for the yellowish appearance of the eyes when jaundice sets in is a substance known as Bilirubin. This yellowish brown matter is used to break down old / redundant red blood cells.

Bilirubin is unable to circulate effectively when cholestasis sets in, hence why it ends up appearing in places it shouldn’t, like the surface of the eyes. Another cause for cholestasis can be liver tumours, which too can arise from the use of oral anabolic steroids and / or abusing them.

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is an unfortunate (but unlikely) end result of the development of liver tumours – whilst it isn’t guaranteed to arise, you should know that its development is still possible.

When the liver is damaged, enzymes called aminotransferases leak out of the cells and into the bloodstream. Eventually, this can lead to the build up of tumours. The most likely cause of serious injury / illness in this instance would actually be a ruptured tumour, which has proven to be fatal on several occasions.

Ordinarily, the tumours would not rupture and the user wouldn’t face any issues of severe consequence provided they were treated swiftly enough. In at least one instance, tumours did unfortunately lead to the development of liver cancer, and a growing concern is that more anabolic users may potentially share the same fate as time goes on.

Again, you’ll hear countless people say that they haven’t suffered anything remotely like the symptoms mentioned in this section, therefore there is “no reason” for concern whatsoever. What these individuals fail to acknowledge is the fact that those who develop tumours / cancerous growths likely felt exactly the same way about their own steroid use and the risks associated with it too before they fell ill.

This is why you truly have to decide whether or not you deem the risk of not protecting your liver properly via the appropriate supplementation and cycle breaks to be worth it for your own sake when using AAS types.

It’s not about whether or not you believe there is a risk, it’s about whether or not you are willing to accept the consequences should they arise and what they would mean for you.