This article was medically reviewed by Janice Litza, MD. Dr. Litza is a board certified Family Medicine Physician in Wisconsin. She is a practicing Physician and taught as a Clinical Professor for 13 years, after receiving her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health in 1998.
There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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"Steroid" is the name given to a chemical compound with a specific structure. In everyday speech, the term steroid is applied to several medications that share this structure; however, these medications have very different uses. Anabolic steroids are a class of drug that mimic the effects of male sex hormones called androgens which stimulate muscle growth and secondary male sex characteristics. They are often abused by bodybuilders and other athletes to build muscle mass and so should be used with caution. When prescribed, oral steroids should be taken as directed. If you come across extra pills that haven't been taken, and are unsure if they are steroids, you can identify the pill based on its physical appearance, information on the bottle, or by consulting a professional.
Steps
Using a Pill Identification Website
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1Make note of identifying features. If you find a pill and don't know what it is, start by taking note of the physical characteristics of pill. In particular, pay attention to:[1]
- The shape of the pill — Is it circular? Diamond-shaped? A capsule?
- The color of the pill — Is it multicolored? White? Some other color?
- Any markings, such as letters, numbers, or other symbols
- The size of the pill
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2Visit a pill identification website. There a number of websites that can be used to identify pills based on their physical appearance. Find one of these websites. Some of the better known options include:
- The National Library of Medicine: https://pillbox.nlm.nih.gov/pillimage/search.php
- Webmd: http://www.webmd.com/pill-identification/
- Drugs.com: https://www.drugs.com/imprints.php
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3Enter identifying features. Enter the information you have noted about the pill. Depending on the website, you will probably need to identify shape, color, and imprint.
- Some websites will require you to agree to terms of use beforehand, limiting their liability for any misuse of medications you have found.[2]
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4Narrow down based on photographs. If the information you have provided is inadequate to identify a pill, you may be presented with several photographs of pills that could be the one you have found.[3] Look closely at these to compare your pill to the pictures and determine what you have found.
Identifying a Steroid Pill by Name
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1Recognize common varieties. There are several common varieties of oral steroids that you may come across. Recognizing these by name will make it easy to determine if a pill is one of them. Among these are:[4]
- Cortisone
- Hydrocortisone
- Deltasone (Prednisone)
- Dianabol (Methandrostenolone)
- Winstrol (Stanozolol)
- Anavar (Oxandrolone)
- Anadrol (Oxymetholone)
- Turinabol (Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone)
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2Look for information on the pill bottle. If you have the bottle the pill came in, it may be significantly easier to determine whether or what type of oral steroid it might be. Simply look for the name of the medication printed on the label.
- This information will usually be printed horizontally in black text. Often the name of the drug will be in bold type, at or near the top of the label.
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3Find a book or website listing oral steroids. Next, enter the name into a search engine, or find a book or reputable website that lists the names of oral steroid pills. Good options include steroidal.com and steroids.org.[5] [6] Look for the name of your pill on the list.
- Some pill identification websites will also allow you to enter a name rather than visual identifiers.[7]
Seeking Professional Assistance
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1Call the Center for Poison Control. Another way to identify a pill that might be an oral steroid is to call the center for poison control. Their hotline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.[8]
- The CPC hotline can be reached at 1-800-222-1222. Call and describe the pill as best as you are able, including information about shape, color, and markings.
- Their services are confidential and anonymous.
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2Take a photo and submit it online. There are also websites that allow you to simply send in a photograph of any pill you have found for identification. One such website is http://www.steroidabuse.com.[9]
- A medical professional will look at the pill you have submitted and will respond as soon as possible via email to let you know what the pill is.
- This service is particularly useful for identifying black-market steroids that might not appear in databases of legal or commercially available pills.
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3Take a pill to your doctor or pharmacist. A medical professional such as your doctor or pharmacist should be able to identify pills you have found and let you know whether they might be steroids.
- If you have been unable to identify a pill using the methods described above and need to know what it, consult a medical professional.[10]
Expert Q&A
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QuestionI was prescribed a package of steroid pills for 10 days and I feel fine after the 4th day, can I stop and save the rest?
Janice Litza, MDDr. Litza is a board certified Family Medicine Physician in Wisconsin. She is a practicing Physician and taught as a Clinical Professor for 13 years, after receiving her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health in 1998.
Board Certified Family Medicine PhysicianNo, you should take them as prescribed. There can be some rebound effects if stopped too soon that will require an even longer taper and your symptoms might return.
Warnings
- Upon identifying the oral steroid, dispose of it. Oral steroids are meant to be taken sequentially and as prescribed by a physician. Visit the DEA's website for information about local facilities to dispose of medication.[11] If there isn't a facility near you, mix the pills up with an undesirable substance such as coffee grounds.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Do not take steroids unless your physician prescribes them. Steroids can cause side effects including weight gain, facial swelling, abdominal pain, blurred vision and fatigue.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- If you think you may be abusing steroids, seek professional assistance from you doctor and visit https://www.steroidabuse.com⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References
- ↑ https://pillbox.nlm.nih.gov/pillimage/search.php
- ↑ https://www.drugs.com/pill_identification.html
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/pill-identification/
- ↑ https://www.steroidal.com/oral-steroids/
- ↑ https://www.steroidal.com/oral-steroids/
- ↑ http://www.steroids.org/List-of-Steroids-and-brand-names.php
- ↑ https://www.drugs.com/imprints.php
- ↑ http://www.aapcc.org/
- ↑ http://www.steroidabuse.com/identify-anabolic-steroids.html
About This Article
To identify oral steroid pills, look for the pill’s name on its bottle, which is usually printed in bold. If you don’t have access to the bottle, note the pill's characteristics, such as its color, shape, and any markings like letters or numbers. Then, visit a pill identification website, like the National Library of Medicine, and enter the information. If you don't have enough information to identify the pill, you’ll see several photographs of potential pills for you to choose from. Alternatively, try phoning the Center for Poison Control’s helpline to speak with a medical professional, who can help you identify the pill. For tips from our Medical co-author, including how to use books to identify an oral steroid, read on!
