Anadrol (Oxymetholone)
Anadrol was the U.S. brand name for 50mg Oxymetholone tablets, which were available in the U.S. until 1993. Syntex is the world producer of this drug, and markets it under a few different brand names in other areas. Oxymetholone is a 17alpha alkylated oral steroid. Anadrol is generally considered the most powerful steroid available. It will produce extremely dramatic weight and strength gains in its user. Some of this weight and strength gain will be due to the drugs heavy water retention. Users of Anadrol report severe crashes when stopping usage, mostly due to the loss of water and inhibited endogenous hormone production brought about during the cycle. Aside from the water, Anadrol will pack on the mass like no other steroid.
A short cycle of Anadrol could account for a gain of over 20lbs in many users, sometimes more. As this drugs anabolic properties are so extreme, so are it's androgenic side effects. Due to the strength of these side effects, Anadrol should never be used by women. For starters, oxymetholone will easily convert to estrogen and DHT. As stated earlier water retention will be present, along with an increase in blood pressure. Kidney functions may also need to be looked after during longer use. Hair loss has also been reported among users with a predisposition for male-pattern baldness. The most dangerous attribute of Anadrol is that is it 17alpha alkylated. As you probably know 17aa orals are toxic to the liver. Unlike Dianabol (another popular 17aa oral) which is effective in doses of as little as 15mg, Anadrol users generally start with 50mg/day and often lead up to 150mg/day. So when a user takes 3 Anadrol tablets, his liver is processing roughly the equivalent of 30 Dianabol tablets. This obviously is quite alot of 17aa steroid for your liver to process, so it is pertinent a user has his liver enzymes checked regularly with a doctor.
When you hear of horror stories involving liver cancer from steroid use, Anadrol is most often the culprit. For medical treatment, Syntex recommends 1-5mg/kg of bodyweight per day. This leads many patients to take as many as 8+ tabs per day, for extended periods of time. This is much more than an athlete would need and should be using, which may be why documented cases of liver cancer seem more prominent among non-athletes taking Anadrol medically. Lately, many people are speculating on how long this product will be available world wide. Syntex has stopped production of Anadrol in the U.S., Oxitosona in Spain and medical use in other areas of the world seems to be declining due to the advent of newer drugs to treat conditions in which Anadrol was formerly used.
Aside from the Mexican version, all other forms of Anadrol are now being counterfeited, often with incredible accuracy. In the U.S., a version of the now unavailable American Anadrol has been found in which box, bottle and even the stamping of the tablet are identical to the real version. The only seen difference is the lack of active ingredient. Since real U.S. Anadrol has been out of production for some time, it would be safe to say anything labeled Anadrol is fake. Anapolon is copied as well with good accuracy. Oxitosona was/is counterfeited but since Syntex dropped its production in 1993, all forms should be considered fake. Hemogenin from Brazil is another popular version which makes its way to the states and is also counterfeited. Currently, all the loose red Anadrols from Mexico (Stamped with SYNTEX on one side and 2902 on the other) which are circulating the states should be considered real. They are available only to clinics and hospitals in Mexico, so black market supplies are limited. Reports are that they may also be slightly underdosed.
