|
Brands & Products:
| Syntex |
Anadrol 50
(US) |
50 mg
tabs |
|
Anapolon 50
(GB) |
50 mg
tabs |
|
Anasteron (o.c.)
(GR,S) |
50 mg
tabs |
|
Hemogenin
(Brazil) |
50 mg
tabs |
|
Oxitosona 50 (o.c.)
(ES) |
50 mg
tabs |
| Ibrahim TK |
Anapolon |
2.5, 5 and 50 mg
tabs |
| Cilag |
Dynasten (o.c.)
(PT) |
50 mg
tabs |
| Grünenthal,
Proto-chemie |
Plenastril (o.c.)
(CH) |
50 mg
tabs |
| Abic,
Ramat-Gan |
Roboral
(Israel) |
50 mg
tabs |
| Sarva |
Synasteron
(B) |
50 mg
tabs |
Characteristics:
Oxymetholone is without a doubt the strongest
and most visibly active steroid to date. Not only does
it act very rapidly, it causes a virtual explosion of
mass. Gains of up to 10 pounds in 2 weeks are not
uncommon. This is largely due to a moderate to low
androgenic effect combined with a high anabolic activity
also mediated by non-AR mechanisms (mechanisms other
than simply binding the androgen receptor). You can
imagine that the gains made on oxymetholone aren't the
leanest. You would note a drastic smoothing out of the
muscle due to estrogen-related fat (lipolysis) and water
retention. This lipolysis has been shown to be rather
drastic. One study1 on long-term hemodialysis
patients showed beyond a doubt the role that
oxymetholone can play in causing hyperlipedemia. The fat
deposition rate, post-hepatic (after processing by the
liver), increased drastically in the oxymetholone group
while numbers remained stable in the control group.
It has been suggested that the estrogenic
effects of oxymetholone may not be as much mediated by
estrogen, as by oxymetholone itself activating the
estrogen receptor. Because there is little to no
aromatisation off oxymetholone, the possible
progestational effect was examined first. Similar to
that of nandrolone perhaps. But a study2
testing the progestational effects of oxymetholone and
methandrostenolone against those of testosterone as well
as nandrolone and its metabolites showed that the
progestagenic activity of oxymetholone wasn't even in
the neighbourhood of that of testosterone, let alone
nandrolone. Ruling out the possibility of progestagenic
activity and aromatisation, that only left oxymetholone
engaging in a structure with the estrogen receptor
itself. Since it has an A-ring similar to that of
estradiol (the prime estrogen) so this would be the most
logical explanation. Since progesterone acts as an
estrogen agonist, it would require circulating estrogen
to negotiate such levels of water build-up as
oxymetholone causes, so it seemed like a far-fetched
idea to begin with.
The water component resulting from
oxymetholone use is not be under-estimated either. The
benefit of water retention is of course a lubrication of
the joints, allowing the comfort of pain-free workouts
even with extremely heavy weights, as well as the
retention of more nutrients inside the cell, possibly
leading to more permanent growth in muscle tissue. The
downside to a massive water retention is that it gives
you a rather puffed up look. A look not uncommon in
off-season competitive bodybuilders and the heaviest
classes of powerlifters. With the estrogen increase of
course comes the increased risk of more side-effects
such as gynocomastia (growth of breast tissue in men).
Therefore its always advised that a cycle of
oxymetholone is accompanied by the use of an
anti-estrogen such as Nolvadex. Nolvadex, keeping in
mind that aromatase enzyme is not involved, would be the
wiser choice as it blocks the receptor for estrogen
rather than the aromatase enzyme. Its wise to note as
well that the gains from oxymetholone are largely
mediated by estrogen, so reducing estrogen may reduce
results as well.
Because it is mild androgen as well as a
potent estrogen, blood volume is increased. Androgens
raise the red blood cells (although this has been shown
to happen through a mechanism other than
erythropoesis3) to improve aerobic
performance while estrogens increase the white blood
cells in an attempt to stimulate the immunity. Couple
that increase in blood cells to an increase in water and
you get a serious increase in blood volume. This effect
has been known to result in magnificent pumps for the
users of oxymetholone products. The synthesis of extra
erythrocytes (Red blood cells) also increases stamina
and performance (this effect is largely negated by the
larger estrogenic component. Oxymetholone is not a good
product for athletes). Together with the unbelievable
strength effect of oxymetholone's water retention that
makes for some incredible workouts. On a side note,
these characteristics make for anadrol's popular use in
treating anemia.
The use of oxymetholone should be strict and
brief. While it is no doubt the strongest steroid,
quantitatively, its also by far the most hazardous
steroid to your health. Apart from the great risk of
common steroid-related side-effects (acne vulgaris,
benign prostate hypertrophy, gynocomastia and
androgenetic alopecia), it also has numerous other
side-effects. Most notable is oxymetholone's
hepatoxicity (damaging to the liver) : Its standard
17-alpha-alkylated as with most oral steroids, resulting
in an inavoidable raise in liver transaminase enzyme
counts. The most frequent of the hepatoxic effects is
jaundice4 (yellow coloration of the skin) due
to an oxymetholone induced increase in biliburine, but
others include peliosis hepatis and formation of hepatic
tumors (cancer). And that's not all. There is also a
number of intrinsic side-effects noted with the use of
this steroid. Headaches, stomach aches, nausea,
vomiting, insomnia and diarrhea are among common
afflictions associated with oxymetholone use.
This is the reason why only strict doses of
oxymetholone are used , often only 1-2 tabs of 50 mg.
The general rule of thumb is to use 0.5 or 0.6 mg per
pound of bodyweight, most likely putting you in the
100-150 mg range. Because of the negative effects on the
liver, its often not used for more than a two or three
weeks. The results are fast, but also fleeting and
therapy is usually continued with another aromatizable
compound, most likely a long acting testosterone like
Sustanon or testosterone enanthate. The Anabolic Review
also warns that under no circumstances should
oxymetholone use exceed 6 weeks. When using
oxymetholone, or any oral 17-alpha-alkylated steroid for
that matter, one should always consult a physician on a
frequent basis and get your liver values checked. Its
not that oxymetholone is necessarily more toxic to the
liver, but rather that much higher doses are needed than
with other oral steroids, so the relative risk increases
as well.
Other notes I should mention about this
compound are that oxymetholone's androgenic qualities
are not linked to a 5-alpha reduced form. As a matter of
fact it shows rather poor interaction with the 5AR
enzyme, making it futile to treat a possible increase in
hair loss with 5-alpha reductase-blocking products such
as finasteride. Its androgenic component stems from the
fact that oxymetholone is very much like
Dihydrotestosterone were it not for the added
2-hydroxymethylene group. Since this group can be
metabolically removed, that would leave methyl-DHT. A
compound with a weaker affinity for the androgen
receptor than straight DHT, but more active and with
less affinity for the DHT-reducing enzyme 3beta
hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Ultimately resulting in
much stronger, instead of weaker androgenic effects than
compounds that are actively 5-alpha reduced. This evens
out largely, because the distribution is even across the
body, where 5-alpha-reduction usually concentrates more
potent androgenic forms in androgen responsive tissue
such as skin and scalp.
The effect on the blood pressure is rather
drastic, so its recommend that you use a
anti-hypertensive drug in conjunction, especially if you
already have a fairly high blood pressure. Here too the
care and control of a physician is advised. Because of
the HPTA (hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis)
suppressive nature, the use of Clomid or Nolvadex and
HCG is advised as well towards the end of your
oxymetholone use. Lastly, oxymetholone also has an ill
effect on the glucose tolerance5, causing
borderline diabetic situations. Something to be weary of
if you yourself have been diagnosed with similar
problems already.
In conclusion one can safely state that the
negative effects on the system associated with the use
of this hormone are rather drastic and that the use is
therefore not recommended for beginners, women or people
who have pre-existing afflictions. Nonetheless Anadrol
remains a popular steroid among experienced users to
kick-start a steroid cycle because of its magnificent
increases in strength and size. Most people who have
used oxymetholone with great success have no problem
calling it the strongest and most reliable steroid
available today. A somewhat surprising remark however,
since Methandrostenolone can produce similar results
with half or a third of the doses normally used with
oxymetholone and with less side-effects. So personally I
would recommend methandrostenolone over oxymethelone, as
its clearly stronger, milligram fro milligram.
Oxymetholone remains a strong and favorable compound
however, despite its side-effects. Its effects may also
be slightly more explosive than those of
methandrostenolone and therefore people seeking strength
may give it an edge over the former.
A lot of oxymetholone products were
discontinued in the early 90's due to the high rate of
side-effects, making them rather uninteresting. The
renewed interest came when it was being effectively used
in the treatment of the wasting disease AIDS, sparking a
comeback. Nonetheless users should note that the
original 50 mg Anadrol50 was taken over by Unimed. The
original Anadrol50 by Syntex is no longer made or found.
There has also been a surge of legit underground
compounds such as the Ttokkyo oxymetolona 50. So be
careful and do your homework when looking for
Oxymetholone.
Stacking and
Use:
Anadrol is an oral only compound and is
17-alpha alkylated with a methylgroup to allow for a
higher yield when having to traverse the liver, as with
most oral compounds. As such it has a good degree of
hepatoxicity and should not be used for longer than 6
weeks on end and it is highly recommended that you get
your liver values checked regularly. Because of its long
activity and poor affinity (due the the 17AA) good
results can be obtained with a single daily dose, so
spreading your doses out is an option but is anything
but necessary. A single dose of 50-100 mg every day is
recommended, but doses as high as 150 or 200 are used by
experienced bodybuilders as well. Due to its rapid
action and high toxicity, its mostly used to kickstart a
longer injectable cycle in the first 3-5 weeks of that
cycle. It will add a lot of mass and strength on
immediately, getting you through the low-result
beginning of an injectable cycle. Its use is thus very
similar to that of Dianabol, but with the latter being
slightly more versatile.
As such it makes a good match early in a stack
with you standard testosterone/nandrolone stacks, with
boldenone (equipoise) and methenolone (primobolan) as
well. Since it has a high intrinsic affinity for the
estrogen receptor and next to no intrinsic affinity for
the androgen receptor I doubt anyone would contemplate
using this for cutting. To even out the massive water
retention one might choose to stack it with trenbolone
(finaplix/parabolan) or stanazolol (Winstrol/Stromba)
but never for the purpose of looking lean. Anadrol, like
Dianabol, may also be one of the few orals that has real
merit when using it alone. Although the gains are often
hard, near impossible to keep afterwards.
In terms of secondary drugs, I wish I had a
lot to recommend here, but really there isn't much to be
helped with oxymetholone. Even with liver protection it
would still do serious damage and with every bit of
added protection, the efficacy rate of oxymetholone
would go down. As for estrogen maintenance, Nolvadex
being the strongest of estrogen receptor antagonists
comes highly recommended and preferably in higher than
normal doses, 30-40 mg, as its oxymetholone itself that
is the culprit and not its aromatized form. On the other
hand, we need to take into account that more than half
of Anadrol's anabolic action stems from this estrogenic
action as well. So its sort of trading less side-effects
for gains. One thing that is advised is blood pressure
medication as extreme hypertension has been noted. And
I'll say it a third and last time, its best to get
regular liver check-ups when taking Anadrol.
References
1 Reeves RD, Morris MD, Barbour GL., Hyperlipidemia
due to oxymetholone therapy. Occurrence in a long-term
hemodialysis patient., JAMA 1976 Aug 2;236(5):469-72
2 Desausles PA, Les hormones anabolisantes de point
de vue experimental (Anabolic hormones from an
experimental viewpoint), Helv. Med. Acta 1960 , 479-503
3 Molinari PF, Neri LL., Effect of a single oral dose
of oxymetholone on the metabolism of human
erythrocytes., Exp Hematol 1978 Sep;6(8):648-54
4 Pavlatos AM, Fultz O, Monberg MJ, Vootkur A,
Pharmd., Review of oxymetholone: a 17alpha-alkylated
anabolic-androgenic steroid, Clin Ther 2001
Jun;23(6):789-801; discussion 771
5 Woodard TL, Burghen GA, Kitabchi AE, Wilimas JA.,
Glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in aplastic
anemia treated with oxymetholone., J Clin Endocrinol
Metab 1981 Nov;53(5):905-8
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