?

Obviously in competition its agaist the rules, and in some countries breaking those rules is against the law (France?). But is it illegal for Joe Blogs to take them?

illegal to supply

Steroids are apparently legal to buy but illegal to sell in the UK. You can get them on prescription as well for certain things.

Talk to Frank! 🙂
http://www.talktofrank.com/drugs.aspx?id=170

Anabolic Steroids are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act as class C drugs but their legal status is complicated. In most situations the possession offence is waived meaning that people who possess or use steroids without a prescription are unlikely to be prosecuted. However, in some areas of the UK police have successfully prosecuted people for possession of steroids when the steroids have not been in the form of a medicinal product. It is always an offence to sell or supply steroids to another person. People can also be prosecuted for possession with intent to supply if they have large quantities of steroids without a prescription for them.

That's cut and pasted from drugscope, but is a fair summary. Don't know about growth hormones, not your everyday recreational drug, but they'll be some sort of control over it I'm sure.

lol, nadda to do with me, housemate is spoiling for an argument and I need counter arguments against why leaving a tub of popcorn and a DVD wraper on the coffee table does not make me the anti-christ of all housemates.

Maybe chuck this back at him, from the frank link

If you're male, regular use can lead to erection problems, growing of breasts, becoming sterile and developing acne. It can also make your testicles shrink.

Also the fact they may have altered his mood and made him more aggressive may mean that 'arguing' with him is a road to nowhere! 😉

Seek alternative housemates?

if he is spoiling for an argument, perhaps you could mention the anger control issues associated with misuse

Stand naked in front of the telly slowly rubbing your tummy, preferably while he's watching it.

Then ask him if the popcorn tub seemed like such a bad thing after all.

Samuri, you owe me a new keyboard and a cup of tea!

Wait until his testicles are at their most shrunken and his self loathing is at an all time high, and then discuss it with him. I'm sure he'll be most appreciative!

if he is spoiling for an argument, perhaps you could mention the anger control issues associated with misuse

or show him a recent episode of American Chopper ..

Earlier today in Treforest 😆

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnRoVMsfB1g&feature=player_embedded

But is it illegal for Joe Blogs to take them?

Not illegal to take them AFAIK ( although not that bright either ), might be illegal to have them ( see above ), can't immediately think of a way to supply them without a prescription that wouldn't be illegal and prescribing them for sports related purposes as opposed to a medical treatment for a specific condition may still be illegal and certainly wouldn't play well with the GMC.

Not sure that most of the medical hormone replacements would benefit one anyway. Oral contraceptive pill won't help you confuse the gender testing; thyroid hormone will make you stay up nights, sweat, eat like a pig, have a fluctuating weight and make your heart race; most classes of steroids unhelpful/harmful. Some people have used insulin as an anabolic agent but its relatively easy to tell the artificial from the real and the potential side effects are offputting ( and much more likely in the non-diabetic ). EPO etc. well documented and well detectable ( and I find the use of what is a relatively scarce medication for cheating in sport, at the cost of it being available for those who need it, shameful ). Growth Hormone has anabolic effects in theory, but we still haven't worked out whether replacement actually helps those adults who are deficient, never mind what effects it has on those who already have sufficient.

Thanks, rant over, but useful in keeping the work related bit of my brain ticking over whilst I am stuck at home with a chest infection.

thyroid hormone will make you stay up nights, sweat, eat like a pig, have a fluctuating weight and make your heart race;

I'm struggling with sleep but no change in persperation rates or hunger. My weight has dropped from 14st 2lbs to 12st 10lbs pretty steadily and now seems to be fixed at that weight. My resting heart rate is 44 bpm.
100mg per day of thyroid stuff (even though I see it every morning, I can't remember what it's called).
I wonder if my dose needs upping? I'm having lightheaded episodes and I'm quite dizzy a few times per day.
My moobs seem to be getitng bigger as well. I might not up my dosage.

Suspect it is called Levo-thyroxine. If you are on replacement and in any doubt get your GP/specialist to check your blood levels if they haven't done so recently. Level of thyroid hormone controls tick over rate of most of the body's systems. Answer, therefore, to the question – is this caused by my thyroid? – is invariably "It could be."

I have an under active thyroid. Levothyroxine – that's the stuff.
I'm going to get my wife to do a blood test and I'll drop it in at the hospital path lab. Getting an appointment for ny annual bllod test is proving impossible and they've written to me to tell me they're going to stop my medication if I don't get a blood test.
A pretty effective way of cutting surgery costs – especially as I don't pay for prescriptions as I'm exempt anyway.