Poststeroid balance disorder--a case report in a body builder

Int J Sports Med. 1999 Aug;20(6):407-9.

Poststeroid balance disorder--a case report in a body builder.

Bochnia M, Medraś M, Pośpiech L, Jaworska M.

Clinic of Otolaryngology, Medical University in Wroclaw, Poland.

The authors describe a case of poststeroid balance disorder in a 20-year-old
athlete. Previous information of such a doping pathology among sportsmen taking
anabolics was not found. That anabolic steroids had a harm to central activities
and could be suspected especially on the basis of reported psychiatric sequels
and cerebrovascular disorders. The case described is of a patient who had been
given metandienone, oxymetholone, and nandrolone phenyloproprionate in two
courses. Vertigo appeared twice just after introducing doping and persisted in
spite of a 1.5 year break in taking anabolics. In the electronystagmography a
positional nystagmus was detected, the eye-tracking test was distempered, and
abnormal responses in the caloric tests were obtained. In the computed dynamic
posturography the number and length of body sway were increased and,
consequently, the field of the outspread area was enlarged. The moment of
appearance and long-lasting vertigo as well as the results of laboratory
examinations indicate a poststeroid permanent disorder of the central part of the
equilibrium organ. Such a diagnosis seems to be most probable here.