HIV infection and weight-loss:
A serious and culmination HIV infection can cost one their ideal body weight and also their healthy functioning immune system. The HIV gnaws away at a healthy body and reduces it to nothing. No medication or diet plan can fully surpass the actions of the monster virus that eats into its host each day. This continuous process leads to tremendous weight-loss in the patient making them more prone to other diseases.
Declining immunity can do nothing to hold against strong bacterial and viral forces that are everywhere. It is important to bring back the ideal weight and strength of the body if these infections need to be kept at bay. One way of doing so is to stimulate the appetite of the patient so that they eat more and eat well. But this process only bulks them up in body fat which is not healthy.
Another considerable and safe option is using anabolic steroids. They are simple and quite effective, and also increase the body weight quite quickly. They not only help put on fat but also lean muscle mass which is better that any other alternative of gaining weight.
How do anabolic steroids work?
The male hormone testosterone has an important part to play when it comes to building lean muscle mass. Anabolic steroids can be compared to these hormones, except that they are more synthetic and unnatural. They may not be the original testosterone hormones that we know of, but they truly bring about its benefits, and are quite similar to testosterone in effects. Anabolic steroids increase the muscle mass, that is, they don’t just help in putting on more weight, but also in bringing back the lost shape of the body owing to HIV.
Are they a good alternative to tackle such weight loss?
An HIV positive person is in no condition to exercise heavily and regularly because of their diseased state. Given the sudden and tremendous weight-loss and declining immunity in such a person, opportunistic infections are bound to happen. Hence, in order to avoid this, it is nothing but wise to put them on steroids so that their weight bounces back to normal as soon as possible.
Anabolic steroids have always been prescribed for medicinal purposes like for osteoporosis or for women undergoing menopause. Despite this, the use of these steroids to address weight loss in men and women has not yet been legalised. There are still experiments and studies going on to delve more into the details of the effects of steroids on the human body with respect to weight gain. Anabolic steroids can be administered orally or intravenously depending on the state the patient is in.
There is a wide variety of steroids available which can be used to tackle the problem of weight-loss in HIV positive people. Also, care should be taken while injecting steroids so that they do not end up causing other bacterial infections in the process. It is preferable to take them orally or have them absorbed onto the skin.
What are the side effects of anabolic steroids?
The side effects of anabolic steroids are plenty but not harmful if small amounts of doses are administered. It is only when the dosage exceeds certain threshold do the side effects become lethal. Some of them are as follows:
- Some anabolic steroids result in liver toxicity
- Acne build-up and loss of hair is not uncommon
- Natural testosterone levels start dwindling
- Results in frequent stomach aches and water retention in the body
A high-blood pressure coupled with sleepless nights is the most extreme condition of anabolic steroids intake. Although the side effects cannot be negated, they can very well be controlled if one decides to monitor their steroids, their medications and their diet. Steroid, though most of them are not yet legally recognised as far as weight-loss due to HIV is concerned, still remain the best available alternative to address the issue of weight-loss in both men as well as women.