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Prescription medication — not a dietary supplement
Methenolone (Primobolan)is a prescription (or investigational) drug, not a supplement. It is included here for reference because people research and discuss it (often used off-label) — not as a recommendation. Take it only under a qualified clinician's supervision and only as prescribed; do not source it from grey-market vendors, where identity, purity, and dosing are unverified. The evidence below reflects its clinical trials.
What the evidence says
Most Methenolone (Primobolan) studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from mixed-quality studies published 1975–2024 with a typical study size of 39 participants.
Based on 5 studies · 111 total participants
Confidence
LowBy outcome
Methenolone (Primobolan) has an evidence score of 3.8/10 — emerging evidence based on 5 indexed studies. A mild anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) — brand Primobolan — sold as an injectable enanthate ester (Primobolan Depot) and an oral acetate tablet, and a DEA Schedule III CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. It is a derivative of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), so it is non-aromatizable (cannot convert to estradiol) and only weakly androgenic and weakly anabolic relative to testosterone. Its real clinical history is OLD and THIN: it was used decades ago to raise hemoglobin in bone-marrow-failure anemias (myelofibrosis, aplastic anemia, MDS) and, historically, as a palliative hormonal agent in advanced breast cancer — evidence that is mostly retrospective series and case reports, not modern RCTs. Off-label it is used in bodybuilding for lean-mass retention while dieting. The honest counterweight: it is NOT a dietary supplement and NOT a longevity drug; non-medical use is illegal without a prescription; the oral acetate form is 17α-methylated and carries hepatic risk while the injectable enanthate is not; and as an AAS it still suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, shifts lipids unfavourably, and can virilize. Informational, harm-reduction entry only — not a recommendation. Representative study: PMID 17483079.
Oxandrolone (Anavar)
Mostly mechanism / observationalA prescription oral anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) — brand Anavar/Oxandrin — and a DEA Schedule III CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. It has genuine randomized-trial evidence in FDA-approved, supervised muscle-wasting settings: it adds lean body mass, speeds wound healing and shortens hospital stay in severe burns, raises body weight in HIV-associated wasting, and modestly increases adult height in Turner syndrome. But it is 17α-alkylated and hepatotoxic (dose-related transaminase rises, cholestasis, and — with anabolic steroids generally — peliosis and liver tumours), it sharply lowers HDL and raises LDL cholesterol, and it suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and virilizes. It is NOT a dietary supplement and NOT a longevity drug; non-medical bodybuilding use is illegal without a prescription and carries real liver, lipid, and endocrine harm. Informational, harm-reduction entry only — not a recommendation.
Last reviewed June 2026 · evidence from 5 studies · how we score
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.
Methenolone (Primobolan) — a mild anabolic-androgenic steroid; injectable enanthate (Primobolan Depot) / oral acetate; DEA Schedule III controlled substance
A mild anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) — brand Primobolan — sold as an injectable enanthate ester (Primobolan Depot) and an oral acetate tablet, and a DEA Schedule III CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. It is a derivative of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), so it is non-aromatizable (cannot convert to estradiol) and only weakly androgenic and weakly anabolic relative to testosterone. Its real clinical history is OLD and THIN: it was used decades ago to raise hemoglobin in bone-marrow-failure anemias (myelofibrosis, aplastic anemia, MDS) and, historically, as a palliative hormonal agent in advanced breast cancer — evidence that is mostly retrospective series and case reports, not modern RCTs. Off-label it is used in bodybuilding for lean-mass retention while dieting. The honest counterweight: it is NOT a dietary supplement and NOT a longevity drug; non-medical use is illegal without a prescription; the oral acetate form is 17α-methylated and carries hepatic risk while the injectable enanthate is not; and as an AAS it still suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, shifts lipids unfavourably, and can virilize. Informational, harm-reduction entry only — not a recommendation.
Methenolone (Primobolan) is a real, well-characterized but MILD anabolic-androgenic steroid (a non-aromatizable DHT derivative). Its genuine clinical evidence is OLD and THIN: it was used for decades to raise hemoglobin in bone-marrow-failure anemias (a retrospective myelofibrosis series found ~44% favourable response) and historically as a palliative hormonal agent in advanced breast cancer (a 1975 case series), with no modern randomized trials and a mechanistic in-vitro anchor for its receptor binding. Against that sit the AAS harms it still carries: HPTA suppression, an adverse lipid shift (a German series documented hyperlipoproteinaemia and an MI on treatment), virilization, and — for the oral 17α-methylated acetate — hepatotoxicity. It is a DEA Schedule III controlled substance and a prescription drug, NOT a dietary supplement or a longevity drug; non-medical use is illegal without an Rx. Hence a low-ish score: real historical clinical use, but thin/old evidence and class harms.
Methenolone (brand name Primobolan) is a synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) — a 1-methylated derivative of dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Because it is already 5α-reduced (a DHT analog), it is NON-AROMATIZABLE: it cannot be converted to estradiol, so it does not cause the estrogenic effects (gynecomastia, water retention) of testosterone.
It exists in two forms with very different pharmacology: an injectable enanthate ester (Primobolan Depot, given intramuscularly, long-acting) and an oral acetate tablet.
Crucially, the oral acetate is 17α-methylated to survive first-pass metabolism — that 17α-alkyl group carries the hepatic toxicity (transaminitis, cholestasis, and for AAS as a class, peliosis and liver tumours) characteristic of oral steroids — whereas the injectable enanthate is NOT 17α-alkylated and so largely spares the liver.
Methenolone is regarded as a comparatively MILD steroid: in receptor-binding work it binds the androgen receptor in skeletal muscle and prostate more weakly than the strongest anabolics, making it weakly anabolic and weakly androgenic.
It is a prescription drug and a Schedule III controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act; possession or distribution without a valid prescription is a federal crime. Unusually for the compounds in this collection, methenolone's real clinical evidence is OLD and THIN rather than absent.
Its historical medical rationale was hematologic: like other anabolic steroids, it stimulates erythropoiesis and was used for decades to raise hemoglobin in bone-marrow-failure anemias — myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia, aplastic anemia, and the anemia of myelodysplastic syndrome.
The evidence here is retrospective and observational: a retrospective analysis of 39 myelofibrosis patients treated with anabolic steroids (including methenolone) in Japan (Shimoda 2007) found favourable hemoglobin responses in 44%, with adverse events described as moderate and transient, and a 2024 case report (Ushimaru) documents methenolone acetate plus darbepoetin used for the anemia of MDS.
It also had a second historical indication in oncology: as a palliative hormonal agent in advanced breast cancer, where a 1975 case series of 43 women treated with methenolone enanthate (Notter) reported objective remissions in 8 of 41 evaluable patients, with efficacy comparable to testosterone propionate but less virilization.
None of this is modern randomized evidence — it is the foundational, decades-old literature that defines the top of this compound's (modest) pyramid. The honest counterweight is the AAS safety profile, which methenolone shares despite its mildness.
As an oral acetate it is 17α-methylated and hepatotoxic; even the milder injectable enanthate, being an androgen, suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (LH, FSH, endogenous testosterone), shifts the lipid profile unfavourably (lower HDL, higher LDL — a 1981 German series during methenolone treatment of breast-cancer patients documented hyperlipoproteinaemia and a myocardial infarction in one patient), and can virilize (deepened voice, hirsutism) in women, sometimes irreversibly.
It is a WADA-prohibited doping agent.
The score reflects a real but OLD and THIN clinical evidence base — retrospective anemia series and historical breast-cancer case series, no modern RCTs — set against the fact that this is a controlled-substance prescription steroid, not a supplement or a longevity drug, whose non-medical bodybuilding use is illegal without a prescription and carries the lipid, endocrine, hepatic (oral form), and virilizing harms of its class.
This is a hormonal compound for harm-reduction information, not a recommendation.
Methenolone is a 1-methyl DHT derivative that binds and activates the androgen receptor in skeletal muscle and other tissues — but more weakly than the strongest anabolics, making it a comparatively mild androgen. Being already 5α-reduced, it is non-aromatizable: it cannot convert to estradiol, so it lacks the estrogenic effects of testosterone.
Like anabolic steroids generally, methenolone stimulates red-cell production — the mechanistic basis for its decades-old use to raise hemoglobin and reduce transfusion dependence in bone-marrow-failure anemias (myelofibrosis, aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome).
As an androgen, methenolone suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (LH, FSH, endogenous testosterone), lowers HDL and raises LDL cholesterol, and can virilize. The oral acetate form is additionally 17α-methylated, adding the hepatotoxicity (transaminitis, cholestasis, and for AAS as a class peliosis and liver tumours) of oral steroids; the injectable enanthate is not 17α-alkylated and largely spares the liver.
How Methenolone (Primobolan) works — from molecular targets to health outcomes. Click an edge to see supporting research.This visualization is in beta — pathways are being refined and expanded.
Tap node to isolate • Pinch to zoom • Tap edge for research
There is no legitimate non-medical dose. Methenolone is a prescription-only, DEA Schedule III controlled substance; this library does NOT provide a body-composition dosing protocol. For historical/clinical context only: the injectable enanthate (Primobolan Depot) was given intramuscularly, and high doses (e.g. 400–1200 mg/week) were used in the older breast-cancer literature; the oral acetate is 17α-methylated and hepatically taxing. Any legitimate use is clinician-directed with lipid, liver, and hormonal monitoring. That is not an endorsement of self-administration.
Can be taken without food
| Form | Type |
|---|---|
| 💊Injectable enanthate (Primobolan Depot) — clinician-directed; the injectable is NOT 17α-alkylated and largely spares the liver, unlike the oral acetate | Recommended |
| 💊Oral acetate tablet — orally active but 17α-methylated and hepatotoxic, and lower bioavailability | Alternative |
There is no legitimate over-the-counter or supplement form. It is a Schedule III controlled substance; non-prescription material is illegal to possess without an Rx and frequently counterfeit. The injectable enanthate is generally preferred to the oral acetate on liver-safety grounds.
Minimum: 4 weeks
Optimal: 12 weeks
Cycling: Not required
Note: No non-medical timing is endorsed. It is a controlled-substance prescription steroid with HPTA suppression, an adverse lipid shift, and (oral form) hepatotoxicity; legitimate use is physician-directed with monitoring. This library does not schedule its use.
Dose-response data unavailable. The current published research for Methenolone (Primobolan) does not provide sufficient dose-specific outcome data to generate reliable dose-response curves.
Refer to the Dosage & Timing section above for recommended dose ranges based on available evidence.
The clearest historical benefit: as an erythropoiesis-stimulating anabolic steroid, methenolone was used to raise hemoglobin and reduce transfusion dependence in myelofibrosis, aplastic anemia and MDS — but the evidence is retrospective and observational, not modern RCTs.
A weakly anabolic androgen; the off-label bodybuilding rationale is lean-mass retention while dieting, helped by being non-aromatizable (no estrogenic water retention). This use is not supported by controlled trials.
Like other AAS, methenolone lowers HDL ('good') and can raise LDL ('bad') cholesterol — an adverse cardiovascular signal. An older series during methenolone treatment documented hyperlipoproteinaemia, with a myocardial infarction in one patient.
An exogenous androgen suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (LH, FSH, endogenous testosterone) and can virilize — deepened voice, hirsutism, menstrual disruption — changes that can be irreversible in women, even though methenolone is comparatively mild.
Methenolone is a DEA Schedule III controlled substance, a prescription drug, and a WADA-prohibited doping agent — NOT a dietary supplement and NOT a longevity drug; non-medical use is illegal without a prescription and unmonitored.
Avoid — a controlled-substance prescription steroid, not a supplement; HPTA suppression, adverse lipids, virilization and (oral form) hepatotoxicity, and illegal to use without a prescription.
High caution even when prescribed — although described historically as less virilizing than testosterone propionate, virilizing effects (voice deepening, hirsutism) can be permanent; discontinue at the first androgenic sign.
Major interaction — requires clinician-managed anticoagulant dose reduction and frequent INR checks.
Avoid entirely — androgenic; causes fetal virilization.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids potentiate warfarin, raising INR and bleeding risk; anticoagulant doses often need reduction with close INR monitoring under a clinician.
The oral 17α-methylated acetate is itself hepatotoxic; combining it with other hepatotoxic agents or alcohol compounds the risk of transaminitis and cholestatic injury. (The injectable enanthate is not 17α-alkylated and largely spares the liver.)
Tip: Lowered HDL and raised LDL cholesterol work against cardiovascular health; an older series documented hyperlipoproteinaemia and one myocardial infarction on treatment. Reversibility depends on discontinuation; monitor lipids.
Tip: Suppresses LH, FSH and endogenous testosterone like any exogenous androgen; clinician monitoring required. Suppression is generally reversible after discontinuation but recovery is not guaranteed.
Tip: Deepened voice, hirsutism, menstrual disruption and clitoral enlargement can occur and may be irreversible, even though methenolone is comparatively mild and historically described as less virilizing than testosterone propionate. Stop at the first sign of voice change in women.
Tip: The oral 17α-methylated acetate is hepatotoxic (transaminitis, cholestasis; AAS as a class are linked to peliosis hepatis and liver tumours). Prefer the injectable enanthate, which is not 17α-alkylated; seek care for jaundice, dark urine or right-upper-quadrant pain.
The commonly studied dose of Methenolone (Primobolan) is There is no legitimate non-medical dose. Methenolone is a prescription-only, DEA Schedule III controlled substance; this library does NOT provide a body-composition dosing protocol. For historical/clinical context only: the injectable enanthate (Primobolan Depot) was given intramuscularly, and high doses (e.g. 400–1200 mg/week) were used in the older breast-cancer literature; the oral acetate is 17α-methylated and hepatically taxing. Any legitimate use is clinician-directed with lipid, liver, and hormonal monitoring. That is not an endorsement of self-administration.. Individual needs vary — start at the lower end of the range and adjust based on how you respond.
Timing is flexible for Methenolone (Primobolan) — consistent daily use matters more than the time of day. The injectable enanthate is a long-acting depot given intramuscularly under medical supervision; the oral acetate is dosed daily but is 17α-methylated and hepatically taxing.
Methenolone (Primobolan) should be used with caution — talk to a healthcare provider before taking it. The most commonly reported side effects are adverse lipid shift (low HDL, higher LDL), HPTA suppression, virilization (women). Use caution if any of these apply to you: Anyone seeking it for body composition or athletic performance without a prescription — a DEA Schedule III controlled substance; possession/use without an Rx is illegal, and it is not a dietary supplement; Pre-existing liver disease or elevated liver enzymes — the oral 17α-methylated acetate is hepatotoxic; Known or suspected prostate or male breast carcinoma; hypercalcemia.
Nandrolone (Deca-Durabolin)
Mostly mechanism / observationalAn injectable anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) — brand Deca-Durabolin, the long-acting decanoate ester of 19-nortestosterone — and a DEA Schedule III CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. It has genuine randomized-trial evidence in supervised, catabolic-illness settings: it adds lean body mass and weight in HIV-associated wasting, adds muscle mass and physical function in dialysis patients, and raises hemoglobin in dialysis anemia (a historic FDA-approved indication, since largely replaced by erythropoietin). But it suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis — and because it is a long-ester 19-nortestosterone with progestogenic activity, that suppression and the resulting sexual dysfunction ('deca dick') can be prolonged. It worsens the lipid profile (lowers HDL), is associated with cardiac remodelling/cardiomyopathy and premature atherosclerosis in long-term high-dose users, and virilizes. It is NOT a dietary supplement and NOT a longevity drug; non-medical bodybuilding/performance use is illegal without a prescription and carries real cardiovascular, endocrine and sexual harm. Informational, harm-reduction entry only — not a recommendation.
Anabolic steroids can improve insulin sensitivity and lower glucose, potentially requiring antidiabetic-dose adjustment.
Stacking androgenic agents compounds HPTA suppression and the adverse lipid shift (and hepatic burden if an oral 17α-alkylated steroid is included); the combined risk is additive and uncharacterised in non-medical use.