Article source: MESO-Rx

Stimulation of collagen synthesis by the anabolic steroid stanozolol.

Researchers:Falanga V, Greenberg AS, Zhou L, Ochoa SM, Roberts AB, Falabella A, Yamaguchi Y; University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Miami, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Florida, USA.

Source:J Invest Dermatol 1998 Dec;111(6):1193-7

Summary:In this report, we measured the effect of the anabolic steroid stanozolol on cell replication and collagen synthesis in cultures of adult human dermal fibroblasts. Stanozolol (0.625-5 micrograms per ml) had no effect on fibroblast replication and cell viability but enhanced collagen synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. Stanozolol also increased (by 2-fold) the mRNA levels of alpha1 (I) and alpha1 (III) procollagen and, to a similar extent, upregulated transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) mRNA and peptide levels. There was no stimulation of collagen synthesis by testosterone. The stimulatory effects of stanozolol on collagen synthesis were blocked by a TGF-beta1 anti-sense oligonucleotide, by antibodies to TGF-beta, and in dermal fibroblast cultures derived from TGF-beta-1 knockout mice. We conclude that collagen synthesis is increased by the anabolic steroid stanozolol and that, for the most part, this effect is due to TGF-beta-1. These findings point to a novel mechanism of action of anabolic steroids.

Discussion:I must first acknowledge that the commonly held belief is that anabolic steroids predispose an athlete to tendon rupture. This conclusion is drawn from animal studies showing that some steroids produce a larger, stiffer tendon in rats and that these steroid-induced tendons “fail” before the tendons from the control animals. The term fail refers to the breaking point.

The interesting thing about the present study is that the steroid stanozolol (Winstrol) had a different effect than testosterone. If you are a regular reader of MESO-Rx you should be well aware that not all steroids act in the same manner. And that because of subtle differences in there molecular structure they are able to elicit different responses. For example, Deca seems to act primarily through the androgen receptor (AR) where as Dianabol has effects beyond those associated with the AR.

Because synthetic steroids have differ in their chemical properties it should not be surprising that testosterone did not have the same effect as Winstrol. Winstrol increased collagen synthesis as opposed to testosterone which did not in this study. Interpreting the results of this study are more difficult than simply describing them. Other researchers have suggested that steroids cause a rapid increase in protein synthesis within tendon fibroblasts which results in fibroids or fibrous nodules within the tendon (Michna,1988). These fibroids alter the mechanical properties of the tendon perhaps predisposing it to rupture. It is also noted that during short term use of steroids there is an alteration in the alignment of collagen fibers which may also lead to rupture. Interestingly these alterations in collagen metabolism are transient with markers of collagen turnover returning more or less to baseline after 3-4 weeks of steroid administration (Karpakka,1992). These same researchers noted that low dose anabolics effect primarily muscle collagenous tissue with tendon being effected only at higher doses (i.e. 5 times the therapeutic dose) which would more closely represent what is needed by bodybuilders to put on mass.

The question remains, dose this mean that Winstrol will actually help prevent tendon injury or will it lead to bigger yet stiffer tendons prone to injury? It is difficult to take animal research and extrapolate the results to humans. Stanozolol is used therapeutically in humans to treat a variety of connective tissue and vascular disorders and its clinical effects suggest that it can modulate connective tissue breakdown in people. Despite being labeled as “ineffective” by many bodybuilders it is very popular among athletes. As with most hormones, dosage plays a role in what effects are seen, be they positive or negative. Hopefully future studies will shed light on the therapeutic effects of different steroids on tendons in humans.

Winstrol Depot – stanozolol

References:

Michna H Appearance and ultrastructure of intranuclear crystalloids in tendon fibroblasts induced by an anabolic steroid hormone in the mouse.Acta Anat (Basel)1988;133(3):247-50

Karpakka JA, Pesola MK, Takala TE. The effects of anabolic steroids on collagen synthesis in rat skeletal muscle and tendon. A preliminary report.Am J Sports Med1992 May-Jun;20(3):262-6

Originally published at: When It Comes to Building Tendons, Not All Steroids are Created Equal

Article source: MESO-Rx

Two of the principals behind the underground lab Pacific Rim Labs  (PRL) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to the manufacturing and distribution of anabolic steroids. Jimmy Ray Jones aka “Jimbo” and Dana Fiscus of Missoula, Montana both pleaded guilty to several counts including conspiracy to “manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute anabolic steroids,” “unlawfully importing anabolic steroids” from China, and money laundering. The underground steroid lab did business under a variety of names including Pacific Rim Labs, Big Sky Sports Supplements and Ebay Solutions.

The senior citizen Jones was allegedly the owner of Pacific Rim Labs. Jones’ stepson, Dana Fiscus was in charge of internet sales of steroids, purchasing raw materials from China, and collecting payments from customers via Western Union and Moneygram wires and via mail at a private mail box purchased in his name on Reserve Street in Missoula, MT. Fiscus is married to a police officer in the Missoula Police Department.

The pair were busted after an internet distributor of Pacific Rim Labs in Wisconsin, Kyle Bredl, was arrested for selling $10,000 worth of anabolic steroids including methandrostenolone, stanozolol and oxymetholone to an undercover police officer. A joint steroid investigation between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force (HIDTA) resulted in their arrests and indictments.

Originally published at: Pacific Rim Labs Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing and Distributing Steroids

Article source: MESO-Rx

Flex Online spoke with the attorney for Hidetada Yamagishi and confirmed the steroid-related charges against Hide that we first learned over three weeks ago from Muscletime. Allan Donnelly writes:

Yamagishi is charged with six felonies and three misdemeanors.

The felonies are: unlawful possess for sale and purchase for sale a controlled substance, trenbolone; unlawful possess for sale and purchase for sale a controlled substance, testosterone; unlawful possess for sale and purchase for sale a controlled substance chorionic gonadotropin; unlawful possess for sale and purchase for sale of a controlled substance mesterolone; unlawful possess for sale and purchase for sale of a controlled substance, oxandrolone; unlawful transport, import into the state of California, sell, furnish, administer and give away and offer to transport, import into the State of California, sell furnish, administer and give away, and attempt to import into the State of California and transport a controlled substance trenbolone, chorionic gonadotropin, testosterone, mesterolone, oxandrolone and stanozolol.

Shawn Chapman Holley, Hide’s defense attorney, confirmed that the amount and quantity of anabolic steroids and ancillary drugs found in Hidetada’s luggage at LAX was consistent with personal use for a competitive bodybuilder.

It’s clear that the quantity of steroids at issue is consistent with personal use and far less than one would expect to see in a case of sales. Moreover the quantity is consistent with what one would expect to see for a bodybuilder with the competition schedule Hide had posted on his Website before his arrest.

The State of California is apparently using the law to prosecute Hidetada Yamagishi as a distributor of anabolic steroids; Hidetada clearly had no intent to sell steroids only to compete in professional bodybuilding competitions.

California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, knows a thing or two about the quantity and type of anabolic steroids and ancillary drugs included in precontest bodybuilding steroid stacks. He could easily confirm that the steroid stack imported by Hide was consistent with personal use by a professional bodybuilder. Someone should appeal directly to Arnold Schwarzenegger and ask that he explain this to California prosecutors.

There is a good chance that Hide’s defense attorney will be able to do the same and reach a plea agreement to misdemeanor charges on behalf of Hidetada Yamagishi.

I am hopeful that on February 6th we will have worked out a deal where, hopefully he will plead guilty to a misdemeanor count and be placed on summary probation with credit for time served and that will be the end of the criminal case.

Nonetheless, it is terrible that Hide will have spent no less than 8 weeks incarcerated on trumped up charges.

IFBB pro bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi in jail on steroid charges

Originally published at: Defense Attorney Provides Further Details on Hidetada Yamagishi Steroid Case

Article source: MESO-Rx

Hidetada Yamagishi’s defense attorney provided court documents to Flex Online including details of steroid-related charges against him. The court documents provide details of the anabolic steroid stack imported by IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi when he was arrested on his arrival in the United States to compete in the 2008 IFBB Iron Man Pro and 2008 IFBB Arnold Classic as well as other pro bodybuilding shows:

• Anabolic Steroids: Trenbolone, Testosterone, Mesterolone, Oxandrolone, Stanozolol
• Testosterone Stimulator: HCG
• Nitric Oxide Boosters: Viagra, Cialis

Hidetada Yamagishi Felony Complaint – State of California

IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi fights steroid charges in California

Originally published at: IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi Anabolic Steroid Stack

Article source: MESO-Rx

Howard Levine, M.D. of Northwest Lifestyle Medicine was sentenced to almost two years in prison for dealing anabolic steroids out of his Seattle medical office. According to court documents, Levine sold approximately FIFTY – 10mL vials of anabolic steroids (including nandrolone decanoate, stanozolol, testosterone enanthate, trenbolone acetate as well as oxymetholone tablets, human growth hormone, and nandrolone decanoate and testosterone gels) to two undercover agents and a paid DEA confidential source over the course of 18 months. Levine also sold several thousand dollars worth of anabolic steroids to a Las Vegas trainer for local bodybuilders on at least one occasion.

Over the course of the investigation, Dr. Levine was always alone in his medical office; there were no secretaries, nurses, or other administrative support staff present but he had a pool table a refrigerator full of beer. Levine never conducted any sort of medical assessment or history before prescribing steroids.  During the course of the investigation, Levine discussed the resale of steroids by his clients including suggested prices. He also told his clients that they were considered drug dealers under the law and suggested that they refer their customers to him to avoid the possibility of criminal prosecution; he even offered to pay them a referral fee if they chose to do that.

Search warrants executed on Levine’s MSN and AOL email accounts (seattelmd@hotmail.com and ageisonlyanumber@aol.com) revealed that he sold steroids over the internet using the alias “Alan” where customers paid by credit card; there was no physical examination or medical questionnaire or any semblance of a doctor-patient relationship.

Levine was previously disciplined for selling Viagra over the internet via his company Confirmed.com LLC and ordered to cease selling prescription drugs via email and over the internet.

Levine was sentenced to prison for trying to extort $500,000 from Jack-in-the-Box stating that he was given spoiled chicken and threatening to take his story to the New York Times.

Originally published at: Seattle Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Dealing Steroids

Article source: MESO-Rx

I know it is not popular to express skepticism at claims that anabolic steroids lead to suicide or suicidal behavior. But the media has once again embraced a story of a teenager who blames steroids as the cause of his/her psychological state without question.

A former cheerleader and gymnast admits to injecting Winstrol ever other day for a five week period when she was in high school. She claims the steroid caused her to experience “roid rage” and experience suicidal thoughts and behavior.

“I was definitely suicidal,” she said. “I just was so upset the smallest thing would set me off. And I’m just like, ‘I want to die.’ Like, maybe if something happens to me, I’ll get the attention I need. I was, like, looking for something and I certainly didn’t find it.”

Certainly, the use of the anabolic steroid stanozolol was one of many potential causes associated with this behavior including emotional contagion (Taylor Hooton committed suicide 11 miles away during the course of her five week steroid cycle) not to mention her admitted pre-existing binge eating (and possibly bulimic) behaviors.

To isolate steroids as the specific cause for her psychological reflects bias more than science. This is exemplified in the Taylor Hooton case, as described by Dr. Jack Darkes, Associate Professor at the University of South Florida and Director of Interventions at the Alcohol and Substance Use Research Institute in his article on steroids and suicide:

Taylor Hooton reportedly “colored his hair and looked twice when he passed a mirror (Longman, 2003)” and “…was always concerned about his looks (Kix, 2004). In combination with a reported desire to be bigger suggests potential body dissatisfaction (e.g., Pope, Phillips, & Olivardia, 2000) which is associated with both AAS use (Cafri, Thompson, Ricciardelli, McCabe, Smolak, & Yesalis, 2005) and suicide (as a form of “socially-prescribed perfectionism”; Boergers et al., 1998). He had “low self-esteem” (Longman, 2003), a family history of depression (mother) and suicide attempt (sister) (Longman, 2004) and was taking anti-depressant mediation (Lexapro) (Ardis, 2005). [Interestingly, a Mail Tribune (8-10-2004) headline (Landers, 2004) seemed to echo the parents’ sentiments in these cases, reading "Drug leads to son’s suicide, family says" – but it was actually referring to Lexapro. See both Garland, 2004 and Valuck, Libby, Sills, Giese, & Allen, 2004 for a discussion of antidepressants and adolescent suicide]. His AAS use was allegedly motivated by wanting to excel at baseball (Numerous sources including father’s testimony), although some sources have suggested it had more to do with personal appearance and status.

If such a case history could truly prove causation, then the brief review above has identified several potential “causes”. But such a “psychological autopsy”, which is commonly used to investigate suicides, cannot show causation. It can suggest that many warning signs can be identified, any one (or combination) of which might be associated with suicide, but none of which can be definitively shown as a cause. In this case, to single out one might reflect other than scientific issues.

In spite of my skepticism that steroids cause suicide, I believe that teenage use of anabolic steroids is infinitely riskier than adult use of these drugs. Unlike adults, teenagers are undergoing radical and important developmental changes. The use of anabolic steroids could have persistent or permanent effects on the developing body and particularly the developing brain.

The side effects of steroids in adults, for the most part, tend to be transient and reversible. There is limited evidence published by the Melloni research group to suggest this isn’t the case with regard to brain development in teens. Even in the absence of more scientific information about the effects of steroids in teenagers, we should make our best efforts to reduce teenager steroid use in a rational, scientific approach to steroid education.

Originally published at: Teenage Cheerleader Uses Winstrol and Becomes Suicidal

Article source: MESO-Rx

A 33-year old German man living in Austria was arrested today entering Hamburg Airport in Germany as part of an investigation into the trade of illegal doping substances such as anabolic steroids. Authorities confiscated significant quantities of Winstrol Depot (stanozolol) and generic Viagra (sildenafil).

Raids on his former apartment, the office of his tax adviser, a Berlin transport company that he used and a Hamburg company led to the seizure of drugs that included 174 kilograms (384 pounds) of a bodybuilding supplement called “Winstrol Depot,” 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) of kamagra, an anti-impotence drug, and other anabolic steroids.

Based on records obtained during the raids, authorities determined that the steroid distribution had been booming for the past through years in the domestic bodybuilding scene.

Winstrol Depot – stanozolol

Originally published at: European Authorities Seize 384 lbs of Winstrol Depot

Article source: MESO-Rx

In the aftermath of the British Dragon and Redicat steroid bust in Thailand, steroid sources in the Southeast Asian country continue to face disruptions in their steroid distribution efforts (“Customs uncover ‘huge’ steroids stash,” April 1).

More than 2000 vials of a banned steroid have been found by Customs officials inside a parcel sent to Sydney from Thailand.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the steroid seizure by customs in February has resulted in ongoing steroid busts in Sydney Australia (“Steroids found in Thai parcel: customs,” April 1).

Customs officers at Australia Post’s Gateway Facility in Sydney found the 2,378 ampoules of Sustanon 250, Stanozol and Nandrolone in plastic bags after examining a parcel from Thailand said to contain glass figures…

After finding the drugs in the mail on February 19, Customs investigators executed search warrants on premises in south-western Sydney last Friday and seized evidentiary material.

Investigations into the major steroid seizure are continuing.

Customs national manager for investigations, Richard Janezcko, said the agency was “continuing to detect and investigate increased attempts to smuggle prohibited and restricted performance enhancing drugs into Australia”.

Australia’s war on steroids is one of the most aggressive in the world, perhaps even more draconian than the efforts by the United States.

Originally published at: Troubles for Thailand Steroid Sources Continue

Article source: MESO-Rx

Daniel McGlone was sentenced to two years in prison for advertising, marketing and promoting American Pharmaceutical Group (APG) as a source for anabolic steroids and human growth hormone in bodybuilding magazines and through the internet website PrescriptionProtocol.com. Daniel McGlone aka American Pharmaceutical Group paid $18,150 to American Media Inc. (AMI) for magazine advertisements over about an 18-month period; AMI publishes the bodybuilding magazines FLEX Magazine, Muscle & Fitness and Men’s Fitness. AMG also paid for $1,800 for advertisements in the bodybuilding magazine Planet Muscle for a couple of months.

The American Pharmaceutical Group made $860,810 over a twenty-eight month period in proceeds from anabolic steroid and HGH sales to individual customers and referral bonuses from compounding pharmacies such as Signature Pharmacy. Customers responding to ads in bodybuilding magazines and on the internet were prescribed various anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Specific drugs included testosterone, testosterone cypionate, testosterone propionate, testosterone enanthate, stanozolol, nandrolone decanoate, and somatropin (“Steroid seller given two-year term,” January 17).

You are a drug dealer, U.S. District Judge William E. Smith said. To call it something else is just to gloss it over. [...]

Prosecutors say McGlone made more than $860,000 from steroid and HGH sales arranged from 2003 to 2006 through American Pharmaceutical Group, a business he operated from his New Brunswick, N.J., home.

Under the scheme, he would solicit prescriptions from doctors, including two sentenced in 2007 for their roles. One, Ana Maria Santi, of Queens, N.Y., had prescribed 84,000 doses of steroids and HGH to 400 customers of pharmaceutical sales companies, including McGlone’s, prosecutors said. McGlone would then forward those prescriptions to compounding pharmacies, which would deliver the drugs to customers throughout the country, including Rhode Island.

Daniel McGlone was the owner and sole employee of American Pharmaceutical Group. McGlone managed the lucrative operation from his apartment where he avoided hands-on involvement with anabolic steroids or HGH. McGlone advised customers on steroid stacks and protocols; he then paid three physicians – indicted and unindicted co-conspirators Ana Maria Santi, M.D., Victor Mariani M.D., and Claire Godfrey, M.D. - to write prescriptions for the various performance enhancing drugs and submit them to large compounding pharmacies such as Signature Pharmacy.

Dr. Santi and Dr. Mariani were indicted as co-conspirators with Daniel McGlone. Both physicians pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison in 2007 (“Physician, former physician are sentenced for fraudulently prescribing steroids & human growth hormone,” November 2, 2007).

At the plea hearings, Assistant U.S. Attorney Adi Goldstein said the government could prove that Santi and Mariani engaged in a conspiracy with Daniel McGlone, who operated American Pharmaceutical Group (APG) out of his home in North New Brunswick, New Jersey.  At McGlone’s request, Santi and Mariani fraudulently wrote prescriptions for steroids and hGH.  McGlone then had the prescriptions filled at compounding pharmacies and shipped to the end users, who had ordered the drugs from McGlone over the Internet or through ads in body-building magazines (“Physician, former physician are sentenced for fraudulently prescribing steroids & human growth hormone,” November 2, 2007).

Neither Santi, whose license to practice medicine had been revoked in New York in 1999, nor Mariani, who was a licensed physician during the conspiracy, ever examined or even spoke to the end users for whom they wrote prescriptions.

Santi, operating in Queens, New York, wrote the prescriptions in the name of another doctor, who at the time was retired and living in a nursing home in California, and who has since died.  Santi admitted writing an average of 100 prescriptions a month for APG.  She admitted writing prescriptions for nearly 400 APG customers, and also admitted writing prescriptions for steroids and hGH for three other companies.  McGlone paid her $25 per prescription.

Mariani maintained a practice in Queens and Manhattan.  He admitted writing an average of 100 prescriptions a month at McGlone’s request, and wrote prescriptions for 274 of APG’s customers.  He also wrote prescriptions for at least one other company.

Claire Godfrey, M.D.,  FOX New medical correspondent and former Mrs. Florida beauty pageant contestant, was not indicted in the American Pharmaceutical Group conspiracy. But Dr. Godfrey pleaded guilty to charges in the Albany County District Attorney David Soares’ Operation Which Doctor steroid investigation involving Signature Pharmacy. Godfrey was also identified as the physician who prescribed anabolic steroids to IFBB pro bodybuilder Victor Martinez  (“Fox News doc cops ‘roid plea,” July 25, 2007).

Godfrey wrote illegal prescriptions worth more than $1.3 million for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs last year for scores of patients – including two active wrestlers and bodybuilder Victor Martinez – without examining them, New York State Department of Health investigator Mark Haskins told the Daily News.

The Albany County District Attorney’s Office considered Claire Godfrey a star witness should the case against Signature Pharmacy go to trial. Dr. Godfrey was on the advisory board of the Institute of Nutritional Medicine and Cardiovascular Research, along with Naomi Loomis, which was located at the Signature Pharmacy headquarters. Godfrey started her own longevity clinic called Ageless (“Longwood doctor key to steroid case,” July 25, 2007).

“She is the most important one of the doctors in this case,” said Assistant District Attorney Christopher Baynes. “She’s familiar with [Signature's] principals and the inner workings of the pharmacy.” [...]

She told prosecutors that Signatures referred online clinics — which needed doctors to sign prescriptions — to her. Godfrey said Calvert and Stan Loomis helped her set up a pay structure, including charging $50 a script. She learned later that Signature charged clinics about $10,000 to connect them to a doctor, Baynes said.

Since 2006, Godfrey wrote prescriptions for at least five clinics, including ones in Texas and New Jersey, the prosecutor said.

A.J. Peterson told Albany County investigators that Oasis Rejuvenation paid Signature Pharmacy $10,000 for access to Claire Godfrey who would write prescriptions for anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (“Signature Pharmacy pimping in female doctors,” March 30, 2007).

“Peterson blows the lid off the fact that Signature not only knew what the doctors were doing, but actually were providing doctors for these clinics,” Baynes said outside court. In exchange for a deal that will keep him out of prison, Peterson has agreed to cooperate with investigators. He had faced a maximum potential penalty of 1 /3 to 4 years in prison for his guilty plea to a felony count of criminal diversion of a prescription medication. [...]

The Times Union learned this week that an employee of another wellness center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., also told investigators he’d paid an official at Signature Pharmacy $10,000 in cash for access to a doctor willing to approve pre-written prescriptions for steroids. The employee has not been charged with a crime and is cooperating with authorities, his attorney told the newspaper.

Claire Godfrey also wrote prescriptions for Cellular Nucleonic Advantage clinic in Texas.

Originally published at: Man Goes to Prison for Advertising Anabolic Steroids in Bodybuilding Magazines

Article source: MESO-Rx

Winstrol Depot (stanozolol) is for most users not a staple steroid and not the foundation of any steroid cycle, but may be included as an extra element. In a few cases, it is used alone. Winstrol Depot as a sole androgen is a non-optimal choice if maximal mass gains are desired, but can be appropriate where mass per se is not needed, but a hard and lean appearance or athletic speed is required.

Winstrol Depot can be added to other steroids for the purpose of improved fat loss, and it may add an increment to strength gains. However, if the rest of the stack is already a highly effective combination, any effect of added Winstrol is relatively subtle. This being the case, since it is a fairly expensive drug I have generally left it as optional when planning programs with athletes.

On the other hand, if a program is otherwise rather mild – for example, if 500 mg/week testosterone were the only other drug used – then the addition of Winstrol Depot shows clear and very worthwhile benefits.

One obvious difference between Winstrol Depot and other injectables is that it is not esterified, being provided as aqueous suspension. (It should not be called water-soluble: virtually none of it is dissolved in the water.) This means that it does not have a classical half-life, where at time x the level is ½ the starting level, at time 2 x the level is ¼, at time 3 x the level is 1/8, etc. Instead, the microcrystals slowly dissolve, and when they have all dissolved levels of the drug then fall very rapidly.

Another effect of being provided in this manner is that Winstrol Depot may yield a quite painful injection if administered into the calf. Other muscles commonly used for injection generally tolerate the preparation well, however.

There is veterinary evidence that drug levels are fairly stable for about a week after administration. In practice, every day use or every other day use is convenient, as 50 mg/day or 50-100 mg every other day are common doses, and the drug is most conveniently administered intramuscularly 1 ml at a time with an insulin syringe.

There are no particular noticeable added side effects from use at 100 mg/day, but I am unsure as to whether there is any further benefit compared to 50 mg/day usage. I think it likely that when Winstrol is only part of a stack which in itself would be reasonably complete, amounts added beyond 50 mg/day add little to nothing further. But when used alone or with rather small amounts of other anabolic steroids, there may well be some further improvement at the higher dose.

Winstrol is a particularly unsuitable drug for women for physique enhancement. In some cases, virilization problems have occurred with oral Winstrol at only 2 mg/day. Thus, it cannot be assumed that even a single tab per day is necessarily safe for all women concerned about maintaining their natural voice, avoiding hirsutism, etc. Injectable Winstrol is an even poorer choice for women than the oral.

There is concern that stanozolol may be more prone to increasing brittleness of tendons than some other anabolic steroids. This does not seem a practical problem in bodybuilding for occasional use – that is to say, being used only some fraction of the weeks of a year – but is probably good reason to not employ the drug chronically.

Stanozolol does not aromatize; that is to say, there is no conversion to estrogen. It also is not affected by the 5alpha-reducatase enzyme found in the scalp and prostate, and so unlike testosterone it is not converted there to a more potent androgen. While some call it a DHT derivative, this does not have any biochemical reality to it as it is not potentiated in the skin or prostate, and additionally, unlike DHT, it cannot be converted to 5alpha-androstanediol.

Being 17-alkylated in both the oral or injectable forms, Winstrol has the same liver toxicity issues as any alkylated androgen. Use is best limited to no more than six weeks at a time.

It is, for male users, fairly rated as a mild drug in terms of side effects, provided that duration of use is limited.

Winstrol Depot – Stanozolol

Originally published at: How to Use Winstrol Depot

Article source: MESO-Rx

Winstrol Depot (stanozolol) is for most users not a staple steroid and not the foundation of any steroid cycle, but may be included as an extra element. In a few cases, it is used alone. Winstrol Depot as a sole androgen is a non-optimal choice if maximal mass gains are desired, but can be appropriate where mass per se is not needed, but a hard and lean appearance or athletic speed is required.

Winstrol Depot can be added to other steroids for the purpose of improved fat loss, and it may add an increment to strength gains. However, if the rest of the stack is already a highly effective combination, any effect of added Winstrol is relatively subtle. This being the case, since it is a fairly expensive drug I have generally left it as optional when planning programs with athletes.

On the other hand, if a program is otherwise rather mild – for example, if 500 mg/week testosterone were the only other drug used – then the addition of Winstrol Depot shows clear and very worthwhile benefits.

One obvious difference between Winstrol Depot and other injectables is that it is not esterified, being provided as aqueous suspension. (It should not be called water-soluble: virtually none of it is dissolved in the water.) This means that it does not have a classical half-life, where at time x the level is ½ the starting level, at time 2 x the level is ¼, at time 3 x the level is 1/8, etc. Instead, the microcrystals slowly dissolve, and when they have all dissolved levels of the drug then fall very rapidly.

Another effect of being provided in this manner is that Winstrol Depot may yield a quite painful injection if administered into the calf. Other muscles commonly used for injection generally tolerate the preparation well, however.

There is veterinary evidence that drug levels are fairly stable for about a week after administration. In practice, every day use or every other day use is convenient, as 50 mg/day or 50-100 mg every other day are common doses, and the drug is most conveniently administered intramuscularly 1 ml at a time with an insulin syringe.

There are no particular noticeable added side effects from use at 100 mg/day, but I am unsure as to whether there is any further benefit compared to 50 mg/day usage. I think it likely that when Winstrol is only part of a stack which in itself would be reasonably complete, amounts added beyond 50 mg/day add little to nothing further. But when used alone or with rather small amounts of other anabolic steroids, there may well be some further improvement at the higher dose.

Winstrol is a particularly unsuitable drug for women for physique enhancement. In some cases, virilization problems have occurred with oral Winstrol at only 2 mg/day. Thus, it cannot be assumed that even a single tab per day is necessarily safe for all women concerned about maintaining their natural voice, avoiding hirsutism, etc. Injectable Winstrol is an even poorer choice for women than the oral.

There is concern that stanozolol may be more prone to increasing brittleness of tendons than some other anabolic steroids. This does not seem a practical problem in bodybuilding for occasional use – that is to say, being used only some fraction of the weeks of a year – but is probably good reason to not employ the drug chronically.

Stanozolol does not aromatize; that is to say, there is no conversion to estrogen. It also is not affected by the 5alpha-reducatase enzyme found in the scalp and prostate, and so unlike testosterone it is not converted there to a more potent androgen. While some call it a DHT derivative, this does not have any biochemical reality to it as it is not potentiated in the skin or prostate, and additionally, unlike DHT, it cannot be converted to 5alpha-androstanediol.

Being 17-alkylated in both the oral or injectable forms, Winstrol has the same liver toxicity issues as any alkylated androgen. Use is best limited to no more than six weeks at a time.

It is, for male users, fairly rated as a mild drug in terms of side effects, provided that duration of use is limited.

Winstrol Depot – Stanozolol

Originally published at: How to Use Winstrol Depot