Anadrol: Uses, Cycles, and Side Effects Of Oxymetholone

What You Should Know Before Using Anadrol

Anadrol is one of those drugs that many people know nothing about their medical uses. It is known more as an illegal anabolic steroid used by bodybuilders and athletes. It is ranked among the most powerful compounds these groups of users use.

Anadrol

You are probably reading this article because you are thinking in the direction of using this substance. What is it used for and what is it best at? We provide all you need to know about Anadrol here, including uses, doses, stacks, availability, and side effects.

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What is Anadrol?

Anadrol is a popular brand name of oxymetholone, an anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS). It should not be confused with oxandrolone, which is more known as Anavar. The drug competes with the likes of Dianabol in terms of popularity, especially when talking about oral steroids. Popular names among users include Anadrol 50 and A-Bombs.

Oxymetholone is a derivative of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), like some other compounds such as Winstrol and Anavar. It is a 17-alpha alkylated steroid. It is the result of structural alteration of DHT at the 17th carbon position, with this quality making it easily orally active. The steroid has an added methyl group and 2-hydroxymethylene group.

Anadrol is a highly anabolic steroid. Its anabolic to androgenic ratio is higher than some other similar compounds. The anabolic potency is more than three times that of testosterone at 320. But the androgenic strength, compared to the male androgen hormone, is significantly lower at 45.

Scientists first described the steroid in papers released in 1959. It was made commercially available by Syntex and Imperial Chemical Industries for medical use in 1961 under the brand name Anapolon. The drug was also released in the same year by Parke-Davis under the name Adroyd. Syntex would release oxymetholone as Anadrol in 1962.

In addition to the above brand names, this anabolic steroid has been sold under a variety of other names, including:

Oxybolone
Androlic
Anadroyd
Anasterone
Oxyanabolic
Oxitoland

Medical Uses

Anadrol has been used for a number of medical purposes over the years, although this seems to have been reduced in recent years.

It was primarily used in the treatment of anemia. It is believed to improve erythropoiesis significantly, better than any other steroids. This is a process whereby secretion of the hormone erythropoietin increases, helping to improve the red blood cells count.

Anadrol is also used in the treatment of conditions whose symptoms include muscle wasting. A good example is HIV/AIDS. In a study, it was found that the anabolic steroid promoted weight gain in AIDS patients experiencing muscle wasting by about 8 kg. But subjects who got a placebo lost mass and had increased mortality risk.

In addition, oxymetholone has been used in the treatment of people suffering from osteoporosis. It has also found usefulness in the promotion of muscle growth in malnourished patients. It boosts appetite, when used correctly, and improves strength levels.

Non-Medical Uses

Perhaps, you have a hint as to how Anadrol can be beneficial to bodybuilders and athletes from the foregoing. It improves protein synthesis for considerable gains in body mass.

Those in the bodybuilding community, especially the experienced ones, typically use Anadrol as the first compound in a bulking cycle. Its effects are noticeably faster, but also tend to disappear quickly after stopping its use. This is why it is common to stack with other compounds that take longer to exert their effects.

A quality that makes it quite ideal for building muscle mass is its low binding affinity. Research suggests that it helps to lower sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) that can bind to free testosterone. This ensures that you get more anabolic benefits from the male hormone. It also makes it a perfect inclusion in any bulking stack.

Anadrol is also a commonly used compound among athletes, particularly those for whom weight is no constraint. It provides a quick boost in energy levels, which can translate into better performance.

Anadrol Administration

Anadrol is popularly available as tablets. These often come at a dose of 50 mg and probably this is the reason why it is called Anadrol 50.

The drug boasts impressive activity with oral administration. It is actually one of the most potent orally active steroids that are currently available on the market. It remains very potent after passing through your liver.

You can also get the compound in liquid, capsules, and paper forms. Prices will differ and paper appears to be the most costly.

The ideal doses have varied significantly over the years, although these usually depend on particular condition. Prescription guidelines vary from time to time.

Medical doses, according to an FDA guideline, were put at 1-2 mg per kilogram of body weight in a day. But daily dosage amount based on that will be too high, even for bodybuilders who tend to take higher doses of anabolic steroids. Safe medical dosage will fall in the range 2.5 mg to 30 mg a day.

In the bodybuilding community, daily dosage typically starts at about 25 mg for beginners. Some advanced users are believed to take up to 150 mg a day.

However, research suggests that there are no extra benefits from taking 150 mg per day over 100 mg per day – it only increases the risk of side effects. Some say that 50 mg a day can make a difference for any level of the user.

There is a bit of confusion over the biological half-life of Anadrol. But the active life is believed to be less than 16 hours. This means that it is best to split the daily dose into two smaller ones. Use one part in the morning and take the other one in the afternoon or evening.

Stacks and Cycles

Anadrol is best stacked with injectable, slow-acting anabolic compounds for superb mass gains. Bodybuilders typically stack it with other steroids such as Deca Durabolin, testosterone enanthate, or Trenbolone enanthate. It is not advisable to combine it with other orally active compounds.

We already mentioned that oxymetholone is typically used to kick-start a bulking and strength gaining cycle. But that’s not the only reason why it is used. It is less popularly used in the middle of a cycle to deal with a plateau or seeming slow progress. Some people use it towards the end of a cycle to finish on a strong note.

Anadrol cycle should not extend beyond six weeks to avoid possible damage to the liver. But you can continue using other injectables in the same stack beyond this point.

Availability and Legality

It is very easy to get Anadrol. This is probably one of the reasons it is popular among users. The drug is one of few anabolic steroids still available for medical use in the United States, where its most common use is for the treatment of anemia.

There is hardly any supplier on the market that does not have oxymetholone for sale. Interested persons can not only get supply from underground labs, but also high quality, pharmaceutical grade offerings.

Anadrol is fairly affordable. It mostly sells for $2.5 or less per 50mg tablet, and that’s including pharmaceutical grade versions. The variants of the drug from underground labs are available for as low as less than $1 a tablet.

But bear in mind that Anadrol is a Schedule III controlled substance in America, under the Controlled Substances Act. You can only get it on prescription and it is not available for non-medical uses. You will be breaking the law when you use it for bodybuilding or performance enhancement.

Risks and Side Effects

Anadrol is a highly hepatotoxic substance – that is, it is very toxic to the liver. Some even consider it the worst among all steroids. It is very resistant to breakdown by the liver, making it quite harsh on the organ.

Long-term use of Anadrol can cause different liver problems. It can cause hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, or liver cancer. It is ideal for those using this steroid to do liver function tests from time to time.

There is something rather unusual or unexpected about oxymetholone: it has high estrogenic activity. This is strange because, being a DHT derivative, the aromatase enzyme should not be able to aromatize it into estrogenic metabolites. The high estrogenic activity is something of a mystery. But some believe that it probably binds to and activates the estrogen receptor without necessarily converting into the female hormone.

The consequence of this mysterious high estrogenic activity is that users may experience side effects typically associated with a high level of estrogen. These include fluid retention, bloating, and enlargement of breast tissue in men. Aromatase inhibitors are practically useless since Anadrol does not aromatize.

Other side effects that users may experience from using oxymetholone include:

Acne
Oily skin
Male pattern baldness
Voice deepening (in females)
Headache
Fatigue
Depression
Changes in skin color
Loss of appetite

Similar to some other anabolic steroids, Anadrol also poses a risk to your cardiovascular health. It can have unwanted effects on the cholesterol balance in the blood. It can elevate your blood pressure as well.

Bottom Line

For the brave ones, Anadrol offers a potent means of supercharging muscle mass gains. Most bodybuilders include it in their bulking stacks. It also helps to enhance strength for better performance. But the drug – more specifically, its long term use – can pose a significant risk to your health. It is particularly dangerous to your liver.

And when you also consider that oxymetholone is illegal for bodybuilding and performance enhancement, it makes sense to think twice before using it. There are natural alternatives, such as growth hormone, that promise similar benefits, including muscle gain, greater endurance, and energy boost.