I am not an advocate of the Food and Drug Administration. But I am also not an advocate of dangerous drugs that need to be monitored by a doctor. What I see is a difference of systems in this country that puts people's lives in jeopardy and has even killed, compared to more liberal countries of the world. One can argue that a liberal system of drug dispensement, such as that of Mexico, is life-threatening as well. But I think there is a logical compromise between the two here.
Unless you need a simple medication, you currently need to visit your doctor, pay $100 or more, wait for 30 minutes after your appointment, then talk to someone for about 5 minutes to get a piece of paper that gives you the right to buy medication from a pharmacy. Everywhere you turn, people are making money. Doctors are driving $75,000 cars, and the pharmacies are making billions of dollars annually. While people who can't afford health insurance suffer. Sure the pharmaceutical companies need to make money. They have rights given to them by the government to patent their medicines as the exclusive provider. Research is expensive. But these medications are sold worldwide. And Americans get the bill for the health of the rest of the world.
Prescription drugs are much more expensive in the U.S. than in most parts of the world. And a good percentage of these pharmacies are right here in America. So what changes should be made?
First, let's recognize that the pharmaceutical companies are only operating in the only way it can to recover research costs, by raising prices for those who are prescribed the drugs, thereby raising health care costs. They're not the problem. The government, and the hierarchy of drug dealers are.
I believe that many drugs requiring prescriptions should be sold over the counter. Some states give pharmacists the power to prescribe medications to patients who explain their conditions to them. This should be a nationwide policy. But most medications should be sold on the shelves of drug stores. My theory is that this would increase consumption of medications and bring drug prices down, while still providing the same profit the drug companies get right now. Doctors would go back to monitoring a patient's progress on drugs, and recommending other medications or procedures. Being a doctor may not be as lucrative as it is now, but certainly not a bad way to make a living. Visits to doctors would be less frequent, lowering health care costs and make it possible for more people to have health care.
But there are going to be drugs that shouldn't be sold over the counter. Narcotics should remain available by prescription, as well as other medications that can cause harmful side effects.
Now we get to the subject you're probably looking at this for, performance- enhancing drugs. Anabolic steroids were once legal and widely available in the U.S. (they were classified as controlled substances in 1991). But so were narcotics. And the crime rate was lower, but that's a different story. The number of people who want to take steroids is much smaller than those who consume alcohol. This is why the argument of harmfulness isn't considered. If everyone in the country were making steroids at home (which can be done now), the laws would be repealed just as they had been for liquor. But look around, how many people actually are healthy enough to have a use for steroids?
I think it really depends on what's used, how much and how long. Many weaker anabolics are actually very safe for short and intermediate use. One such medication is oxandrolone, a mild anabolic with no side effects, except for strength gains. I personally believe that this drug could satisfy the desires of most potential users, especially young people, looking for some help with their strength and size gains, deterring many from using harder, illegal drugs. Others like dianabol and andriol are stronger anabolics with side effects that must be counteracted with additional drugs. Of course, if these drugs were introduced on the market without prescriptions, some idiot would pop so many he would develop breasts and sue someone. The only way I could see a stronger anabolic available OTC would be an oral combination with anti-estrogenic drugs. Then there is the problem with orals kicking the hell out of your liver. And who would think it's a good idea to sell injectable steroids?
Let's just put it this way. Drugs like these need the supervision of a doctor. And they're actually very legitimate drugs, for men with low testosterone and for those looking for a form of birth control. Should we be told what to take? Not necessarily. I think that the policy of controlled drugs for physical improvement should be between you and your doctor. I see nothing wrong with a patient visiting a doctor, notifying him/her that the drugs are for physical enhancement, and signing a waiver that prevents the patient from suing the doctor or the drug maker if he/she develops complications from the drugs. In most cases, steroids aren't necessary, and the additional cost of screening and monitoring by a doctor is an expense that one should cover if they are looking to buy drugs for non-medical use.
At this point I probably sound like a clever politician who refuses to give
a clear answer. But there are many topics that cannot be answered yes or
no. Prescription drug use is a wide topic, which involves all of us.
Again, this is just my opinion. I realize many steroid users know the
risks of these drugs and accept them. While they may ask for your sympathy
when the abuse of these drugs leads to health problems, they are not likely
to attack the drug makers for it. They know what they're doing and have
taken the consequences. Note that I mentioned "abuse". A non-smoking,
non-drinking person who cycles anabolics once a year for instance will likely
not have any physical problems. But there are exceptions; most of us can
work out and play a hard game of basketball or football. And then there
are "athletes" who drop dead during games because of a genetic defect.
If you are fortunate to live near the Mexican border, you can generally import anything not specified as a controlled substance (i.e. narcotics and anabolics). The Mexican government has reportedly repealed a law that required Mexican prescriptions for drugs. There are several places on the web that provide other import information, and some pharmacies that will deliver drugs to you through the mail. Some do not sell illegal drugs and some do. Know what you're doing before you order anything.
Some additional advice on buying prescriptions in Mexico.
How does the body build muscle?
While there are several chemicals in the body that assist with protein anabolism (building muscle), two are the most widely known. They are testosterone and human growth hormone. First, you should know that all humans, male or female, have testosterone. It is the main chemical of muscle growth. Testosterone is potentially produced at two places in the body. One is in a gland under the brain, and the other is in the gonads (balls). Since women shouldn't have balls, they have less testosterone production.
Another thing that surprises some males is the fact that they also have estrogen. It is not produced in a gland; it aromatizes from testosterone itself. There are several enzymes in the body that affect testosterone production, but there are others that attack test to produce estrogen. This is the body's natural balancer to try keeping test levels relatively low, and in growing humans, it works to slow and eventually stop bone growth in most areas of the body. This is also why too much test can create gynocomastia, a condition where the body stores fats in the chest area, developing breast tissue.
Unfortunately, most types of test are prone to being converted to estrogen. The only form that does not easily convert is nandrolone. However, this chemical does not have the power that test does. Nandrolone is responsible for some strength, but it mostly makes muscles harder and denser.
Test also has another undesirable effect when changed into dihydrotestosterone; it affects hair. DHT is what makes body hair, and too much can create excess hair and even hair loss. Again, most forms of test can convert to DHT.
Now that we understand a little about aromatization, lets look at how test is created. The body creates it from cholesterol, found in foods that contain fats. Cholesterol is broken down by the body to produce dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA. From there, the DHEA in the bloodstream can come in contact with enzymes that will either change it to androstenedione or estradiol. Estradiol is a form of estrogen, so it's usually not wanted. Androstenedione is the direct precursor to testosterone, and when it combines with another enzyme in the body, it creates testosterone.
So, if natural test is similar to anabolic steroids, why is there a difference? That is because steroids are created in a laboratory, and were manipulated to have different effects on the body. The makers of these drugs intend their products to be used for people with low test, to lower sperm count (or increase it if test levels are extremely low), and to improve sexual function. Of course, the body knows when it's getting too much of a good thing, and will start to attack the fake test. The body may aromatize it into DHT or estrogen, or release catabolic hormones to reduce the effects of the chemical. This is why people who use steroids can find it hard to keep their gains. Also, with oral steroids, the liver must separate the form of test from fillers and binders in the pills, and put the hormone into the bloodstream. That is why oral steroids are harmful to the liver. Too much test can actually decrease the body's sexual functions, causing impotency.
Currently, there are some homeopathic (natural) ways to stop aromatization of natural test. Saw palmetto extract has been shown in some European studies to lower production of DHT. It may also lower production of estrogen as well. And chrysin may lower the aromatization of test to estrogen, though this supplement is very expensive right now. If needed, anti-aromatizing medications can be prescribed by a doctor, but it is unlikely that this will happen if only to build muscle.
Last, let's try to understand how test works to create muscle. In exercise, you tear down muscles and damage their fibers. Provided you are eating enough protein and calories, testosterone will create a bond for new strands of protein called Ribose Nucleic Acid (RNA). How these strands are created will be explained with the following text on growth hormone. This is how growth occurs, by breaking fibers and filling in the spaces with new protein held together by test. And because the body is creating more muscle, it needs more energy to create it.
Growth Hormone in general, is arguably the most anabolic hormone in humans. From bone density and growth, to the size of the kidneys and heart, HGH is an important chemical that has a wide range of effects. A lack of it can stunt growth, where an excess can cause gigantism. These abnormalities are usually caused by malnutrution or tumors, respectively. The hormone is produced in the pituitary gland under the brain.
HGH is made of a complex chain of amino acids, which could not be duplicated outside of the human body until recently. While the most accepted use is for treatment of low natural levels in children, athletes have begun using this chemical to increase energy, endurance and muscle size. Often, these athletes who excessively use the drug, will develop odd-shaped abdomens, a sloped forehead, as well as larger hands and feet. Bones in these areas do not close, even with the end of childhood. Other more serious complications are diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and heart failure.
Somatotropin, a form of HGH made by pharmaceutical companies, has been mass-produced in recent years. Before about 1990, HGH was available only from companies who removed the hormone from the pituitary glands of dead humans, which caused a type of mad-cow disease in some people who used it. There are some cases of children who were injected with the hormone by doctors, who later developed the disease and died.
HGH is very expensive. A year-long cycle of it can easily cost $14,000 a year. Some forms of amino acids, taken by mouth or injected, promote the production of HGH and/or IGF-1, a form of HGH that is responsible for the positive effects seen with growth hormone.
HGH and IGF-1 work to produce muscle by copying the order of proteins in existing muscle tissue to create new strands of RNA. When a space in muscle tissue is created by exercising, which tears the fibers, the new protein strands fall in place, where they are bonded to existing strands with testosterone.
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