Substandard steroids from the black market can potentially kill. The same applies to the misuse of anabolic steroids even though they’re balanced. In this article, we are going to look at bodybuilders who regretted misusing steroids after their bodies turned on them. Please note that some of them are deceased and in no way does this article victimize them based on their steroid use history.
Steroid users are reminded that their bodies respond differently to the drugs. Only a few adverse or fatal cases have been reported as a result of steroid misuse. Steroids, like any other drug, come with side effects which range from mild to severe. However, the chemicals might start reacting with your body and cause complications. You’re advised to discontinue the use of a particular steroid immediately it starts causing complications. Most importantly, be reminded that the effects from using steroids can be reversed with the right therapy.
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George Paterson
George Paterson was the 2019 Arnold Classic Championship winner. Sadly, he passed on at the age of 37 due to steroid-related complications. The official cause of death was reported to be sudden cardiac dysrhythmia due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease. But steroid use was cited as a contributing factor.
Paterson had a long history of steroid use and his death came at a time when he was preparing to compete for Mr. Olympia at the Orange County convention center. Fitness experts had predicted that he was the favorite to win the competition before his death. It is possible that Paterson had used too much steroids while preparing for the contest, which turned out to be fatal.
Rich Piana
Another bodybuilder who had a rough path with Steroids, Rich Piana’s death was much publicized. Many people knew him as a bodybuilder but he was also a youtuber and businessman. His major achievements include winning titles for: NPC Mr. Teen California (1989), NPC Mr. California (1998), and other NPC competitions in 2003 and 2009.
Up until his death in August 25, 2017, Piana defended his steroid use, insisting that he is not hooked. However, he admitted more than once that indeed the drugs ‘can kill you’. Piana was placed in a medically induced coma for two weeks prior to his death. When the police searched his home after his death, they found 20 bottles of testosterone, which suggests he might have taken a lot of it before passing out. Piana was one of the most followed athletes on Instagram with 1.2 million followers. He was 46 at the time of his death.
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Naved Jamil Khan
Steroid misuse can affect different vital body organs depending on how your body responds to them. As for Naved Khan, the drugs had taken a toll on his liver to a point he needed a transplant. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis B and got admitted at the ICU. Doctors cited excessive steroid use as the reason behind his condition. Khan was only 23 years when he died, so his was a case of steroid misuse rather than prolonged use. And just like Piana, Khan died a day before he took part in a bodybuilding competition being held in Thane city.
Khan was found to have dangerously high levels of cortisol in his body. This is a steroid hormone that falls under a family of steroids known as glucocorticoids. These drugs are very potent and could mess up your system if misused. His mother noted that Khan used to order steroids online and inject himself regularly. She further urged young people not to misuse steroids so as not to meet the same fate as her son.
Lex Darne
Darne developed difficulties breathing and had a puffy face soon after using illegal steroids he ordered online. He was initially taken to hospital where he begged the doctor to give him testosterone. The doctor denied his request and that is when he resorted to buying illegal ones from the internet. Darne was a gym owner and fitness enthusiast at the time of his death. A South African by birth, he had moved to the UK where he met his death two weeks later.
Darne’s family knew nothing of his steroid until they accompanied him to the UK hospital and saw his medical records history. His mother, Barbara Darne felt sad that he had been using all that and not letting anyone know. It was later revealed that he used to hide the drugs he was taking for his injury. Darne breathed his last on the morning of July 29, 2020.
Mike Matarazzo
The man fondly remembered as ‘Big Guns’ by his friends had only a 20% heart function at the time of his death. He succumbed to a heart-related condition that is suspected to be due to prolonged steroid use. Matarazzo didn’t win a major title but he was among the most ripped bodybuilders of his time. The closest he came to winning a title was in the 1998 Mr. Olympia contest where he finished 9th. He last appeared in the event in 2001 where he finished in the 21st place.
Mike Matarazzo was using steroids on and off throughout his career. Medical experts have hinted that the use of the drug could have contributed immensely to his death. Matarazzo died in 2014 aged 47.
Ben Harnett
Ben Harnett was known to take steroids ahead of every competition. The father of one would eventually meet his fate in February 2019. He was found dead at his home in Guide Post, Northumberland. An inquest into the cause of Harnett’s death revealed that he had been using body-enhancing drugs. His father, Harnett Snr. Also stated that his son was also using cocaine alongside steroids. This revelation could be the reason Harnett’s death was swift.
A family man who had not even celebrated his first anniversary of marriage, Harnett left behind a devastated 24-year old wife and an infant. His love for the gym proved to be his undoing as he misused steroids trying to make the most out of his body.
Robby Ryder
Robby Ryder is probably the youngest bodybuilder to succumb to steroid misuse. He was a British upcoming bodybuilder when he met his tragic death at the age of 20. It is reported that Ryder died from complications caused by steroid drugs he bought online. He had collapsed at his home in Hull shortly after opening a pack containing the drugs. Fingers were pointed at illegal steroids once again. Ryder’s death showed the consequences of a perpetual culture where young bodybuilders use excess steroids to build muscle quickly.
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Robby Robinson
Robby Robinson is still alive but he has his dark past with steroids. The legendary bodybuilder states that he didn’t used to take steroids until he moved to California from Florida. One day he took a shot and went home, he sat down and his head started spinning.
It is his body’s reaction to steroids that made him restrict their use to during competitions only, and even then, he would take very small amounts once in two weeks. Robinson would not take any steroids during the offseason. He has urged the government to regulate the steroid market because it is doing the opposite of building careers in many cases.
Unidentified Bodybuilder Working to Get Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Physique
The Coroner reported in 2013 that a bodybuilder whose identity was suppressed collapsed and died during a 45 minutes workout. It is also reported that the 20-year old died of a cardiac arrest caused by steroid use. A staunch follower of bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, the lad was prepared to do anything to look like his idol. Those ambitions pushed him into steroid and dietary stimulant use that caused is untimely death.
Overall
Deaths and other health complications caused by steroid misuse have plagued the bodybuilding industry for decades. Surprisingly, such cases are very rare in elite bodybuilders such as past Mr. Olympias. It is possible that the bodies of experienced bodybuilders have developed tolerance to the drugs.
Additionally, elite bodybuilders have mastered the art of balancing their steroid intake and knows exactly where to get the right product. Steroid products from the dark web are not only illegal but also sub-standard. It is very likely the product you buy from an untrusted entity will cause you trouble. Young and aspiring bodybuilders are advised to trust the process and work it out in the gym first before resorting to steroids. Successful bodybuilders will tell you that it is the hard work that gets you there, steroids only come as a second option.