The abuse of steroids follows some clear patterns which are popularly referred to as cycling. In this pattern, many continued doses of steroids are taken within duration of a month and then this is suddenly stopped for a similar length of time. This is meant to give the body time to respond to the new raw materials of the cellular metabolism in the body.
Within this period also, the individual is able to assess and evaluate the changes that are occurring to the body as a result of introducing a new hormonal dispensation. The line of thinking that inspires the stacking approach is grounded on the belief that using a combination of many different categories of steroids will bring about an increase in the efficiency of the muscle and ultimately overall performance by a margin that is equivalent to the strength of each of the individual steroid category. This is a theory that is yet to be scientifically proven.
After the effects have so far been seen, the individual goes back to the continued and increased dosages for duration similar to the first one. The process goes on and on and the effects continue to accumulate systematically until the threshold is reached. Such patterns make addicts of steroids find it very hard to extricate themselves from the yoke that bind them so tightly. Before long, steroids become a part and parcel of their being. Pyramiding involves progressive increment in the rate of intake of the quantities of the individual dose and of the overall intake levels.
This means that the abuser starts with a small dose that is spaced at long intervals. As time goes, the space between the doses is reduced while the amount of steroid per dose is progressively increased. This goes on and on until the peak is reached. But steroidal usage has not eluded controversy. There have been cases of role models turned sour, for instance the field and track star, the agile Ben Johnson. This is an Olympian who did win two gold medals amidst setting the world record around the year 1988, though he was later ascertained to have been in use of anabolic steroids, and even admitted it himself. These role models also make use of steroids not only orally and intravenously, but also in the form of a patch.
There are testoderm and endoderm patches in use. There are important precautions in use of patches, where for instance endoderm should never be used anywhere the scrotal skin because here, the rate of penetration is very high such that that the use of enhancement formulators should never be used. The flat areas of the skin are the ideal positions for this insertion. Areas that have overlapping folds of skins are equally inappropriate absorption sites. At any given time the patch should not be in the same position. It needs rotating to ensure that absorption rate reaches most of the body parts. This is very important because the effects should be felt all over the body and not only in the area where the patch has been attached.