Trade Names: Anapolon

Chemical Names: Oxymetholone

Routes: Oral

Half-life: 8-9 hours

Anapolon is a very powerful oral steroid developed in the 1960’s by Zoltan. It is considered by many bodybuilders to be the ultimate mass building drug. This remarkable ability to increase muscle mass comes at a price though and the main drawback of this steroid is the number and severity of side-effects associated with it. Just about every side-effect linked to steroid use is likely to be experienced while using this drug. The most severe in my opinion is Anapolon’s toxic effects on the liver. However, one has to take into account the dosage range for this drug. Anapolon is taken in dosages between 50 to 150mg per day, where many others like Dianabol and Winstrol are taken in dosages from 10 to 40mg per day. This makes a direct comparison impossible and it’s very likely that 150mg of Winstrol will be just as toxic if not more harmful.

The most common daily dose of Anapolon is 100mg, but even at that dosage side-effects like water-retention, elevated blood pressure, acne, hair loss, blood clotting changes, gynocomastia, liver toxicity and mood swings are very often reported. Using aromatase inhibitors to control estrogen aromatization will be ineffective as this drug does not directly convert into estrogen. It was suggested that oxymetholone can activate the estrogen receptor, similar to, but more profoundly than the estrogenic androgen methandriol. Supplements like Milk Thistle can be taken to help keep liver enzyme levels between safe ranges.

When used correctly and responsibly Anapolon makes a great addition to any bulking cycle. The best results are seen when Anapolon is stacked in conjunction with other injectable steroids. Anapolon makes a great kickstart to a bulking cycle and is normally used during the first 3 to 4 weeks of the cycle. Avoid using other oral steroids in the same stack, because when combined with other 17-alpha alkylated compounds the hepatotoxic effects will become impossible to control and serious liver damage may occur.

A dosage of 1-2mg per kilogram of bodyweight is a good starting place, however I do not recommend this drug to novice steroid users and they are better off looking into Dianabol as a kickstart. A drop in weight is often experienced when the switch is made from the kickstart phase to the remainder of the cycle, but this is likely to be water weight only and should not be of any concern.