Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Adrenal insufficiency associated with long-term anabolic steroid administration in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1993
- Authors:
- Dowling, P M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Large Animal Surgery and Medicine
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding developed adrenal insufficiency, a condition where the adrenal glands don't produce enough hormones, after receiving monthly injections of a steroid called stanozolol for 8 years. When the injections were suddenly stopped, the horse started showing signs like not eating, being very tired, losing weight, and limping on both front legs. Tests revealed that the horse had low levels of certain hormones, confirming that the steroid use was the cause of the problem. The treatment involved giving the horse hormone replacement therapy for 9 months, which eventually helped restore normal adrenal function. Overall, the treatment was successful in resolving the horse's adrenal issues.
Abstract
Adrenal insufficiency was diagnosed in a 9-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding that had received monthly injections of stanozolol for 8 years. After the injections were abruptly discontinued, the horse developed anorexia, lethargy, weight loss, and bilateral forelimb lameness. Secondary hypoadrenocorticism was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs, lack of high endogenous plasma ACTH concentration, and lack of cortisol response to administration of ACTH. Because the medical history did not include glucocorticoid administration, the cause was determined to be excessive administration of an anabolic steroid. Treatment consisted of physiologic glucocorticoid replacement for 9 months until adrenal function returned. Findings in this horse indicate that anabolic steroids influence the hypothalamic-pituitary axis in horses.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8244866/