Ask the Doc: How long do steroids stay in your system?

2 min

Related conditions

Question

How long do steroids stay in your system?

Answer

When people refer to ‘steroids’ they usually mean androgenic steroids, like testosterone, so let’s concentrate on those.

Testosterone is metabolised by the body quite quickly. That’s why testosterone peaks when you wake up in the morning and falls during the day.

A single dose of testosterone can be cleared from the body within three to six hours. For testosterone levels to be increased for a longer time, you need to take different forms of testosterone in different ways, like gels and injections into muscle. These can keep testosterone levels up for anywhere from around a day to months.

Testosterone isn’t something you take like aspirin or paracetamol to treat a headache. It takes a while for testosterone to have its effects, whether it’s for treatment of androgen deficiency or appearance or performance gains. The psychological effects of testosterone treatment appear within a few weeks, whereas physical effects take months to years.

The longer you use steroids and the higher the doses you take, the longer it will take for their levels and the effects on your body, to wear off. In some cases, the problematic effects of steroids can take years to go away.

Keywords

Alcohol use
Anabolic steroids
Steroid
Substance use

Did you find this page helpful?

Information provided on this website is not a substitute for medical advice

Call 000 for emergency services

If you or someone you know needs urgent medical attention.

Call MensLine Australia on 1300 78 99 78 for 24/7 support

MensLine Australia is a telephone and online counselling service for men with emotional health and relationship concerns.

Sign up to our newsletter

We release two monthly newsletters – one written for men, family and friends, and another for health practitioners.

Your preferred mailing list

Your name

Your email

Stay up to date

FacebookInstagramLinkedinTwitterYoutubespotifytiktok

Healthy Male acknowledges the traditional owners of the land. We pay our respects to elders past, present and future. We are committed to providing respectful, inclusive services and work environments where all individuals feel accepted, safe, affirmed and celebrated.

Disclaimer

Healthy Male is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. This website does not host any form of advertisement. Information provided on this website is not a substitute for medical advice.

Trusted information partner of