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Primobolan
Pharmaceutical Name: Methenolone
Chemical Name: 17 beta-hydroxy-1-methyl-5 alpha-androst-1-en-3-one
Chemical Formula: C20H30O2
Molecular Weight of Base: 302.4558
Molecular Weight of Acetate Ester (oral): 60.0524
Molecular Weight of Enanthate Ester (injectable): 130.1864
Active Life of Oral: 4-6hrs
Active Life of Injectable: 10-14 days
Anabolic/Androgenic Ratio (Range): 88/44-57
Primonolan is one of the unique compounds that can be administered either
orally or by injection. The only difference in the compounds is the ester
attached, the oral version using acetate and the injectable version using
enanthate. However regardless of the method of administration or ester used
methenolone is considered by most to be a relatively mild compound. For the
most part users should not expect to make major gains in muscle mass from this
drug but rather lean gains in muscular body weight.
In some animal studies (1,2) it has been demonstrated that methenolone has the
potential to increase muscular size and strength. However the anecdotal
evidence from users suggest that any mass gains using the compound will not be
overly significant. However it has been noted as quite an effective "cutting"
drug because of it's ability to bind to the androgen receptors in the body
(3). Of course the ability to bind to androgen receptors has been shown to
promote fat burning in individuals. This effect would obviously be highly
desirable during "cutting" phases or to simply limit the amount of body fat
one puts on during a bulking phase.
Promonolan does not convert to estrogen and therefore estrogenic side effects
should not be a concern with this compound. As well, unlike other oral
anabolic steroids it is not 17 alpha alkylated. This means that it is far less
stressful to the liver than other oral steroids. However the process that oral
methenolone does go through to make it orally active, 1 alkylation and 17-beta
esterification, does not protect it during the first pass through the liver
very well at all. This requires that the oral version of methenolone must be
run at higher doses than would be expected with the injectable version. For
this reason it is often said that the injectable version of the drug is far
more efficient at producing gains.
In terms of therapeutic/medical use of methenolone, it has been argued by some
researchers that it has shown some ability to promote immune system function
in AIDS patients. This is different than the anti-muscle wasting properties
that some anabolic steroids are used for. In several studies it's been
demonstrated that methenolone does not exhibit this capability. However in
terms of enhancing immune function this could be attributed to the increased
nitrogen retention that methenolone promotes (4). While this effect alone
won't prevent muscle wasting in those suffering from AIDS, it can help to
maintain muscle mass in less severe circumstances, such as calorie restricted
diets. But despite these advantages methenolone is not approved for any type
of medical use in North America.
Use and Dosing of Primobolan
The difference in the dosing that is required for the oral and injectable
versions of methenolone, as described earlier, is due to the action of the
liver and the fact that the majority of the oral compound will not make it to
circulation in the body. Also, due to the differing esters/structures of the
compounds the frequency with which a user must administer them is also
different. The oral form of methenolone should be administered at least once
per day to maintain consistent blood levels of the drug, while the active life
of the injectable version of the drug is such that administering it once per
week is possible because of the enanthate ester, although splitting the doses
to twice per week would provide much more consistent blood levels of the drug.
For the oral version of the compound to be effective most male users of
methenolone will need to administer roughly 80 to 150 milligrams per day. This
demonstrates truly how much of the drug does not make it past the liver
intact. Compare it to the 200 to 400 milligrams per week many users
anecdotally report they administer of the injectable version and have good
results with. Of course many users will increase dosages beyond these with
amounts ranging from 600 to 800 milligrams per week or higher of the
injectable compound not being uncommon.
For women that are inexperienced with methenolone doses of the oral version of
the drug have anecdotally reported ranging from about 40 to 75 milligrams per
day. For the injectable, 50 to 150 milligrams per week should produce very
noticeable gains in muscle mass and quality. At these dosages very little in
the way of virilizing effects should be experienced by the majority of female
users. However as dosages are increased, so is the likelihood that these
effects will become evident.
As for the length of time that methenolone can be run, due to the lack of
toxicity issues associated with the compound and the relatively mild nature of
it in terms of side effects there is little to worry about even if using it
for weeks at a time. Liver, kidney or other organ damage should not be a
concern for healthy individuals. Suppression of natural testosterone
production in males does of course occur, but only the usual protocol of
post-cycle therapy is needed to regain this.
Female users have reported that methenolone is quite effective if run alone,
however some will stack it with other compounds for an extra anabolic effect.
Male users will rarely run methenolone by itself, instead choosing to add it
with any number of other potential compounds. This is primarily due to the
mild nature of the drug. Used in conjunction with other drugs it can offer
several benefits, but alone it will likely leave the user unsatisfied. However
anecdotally users report that if used in combination with other compounds it
can be effective in "cutting" or "bulking" phases. This is despite the fact
that methenolone itself will not result in major gains in muscle mass. It does
however help and is quite effective at preserving muscle mass while dieting as
well as enhancing the appearance of a user's muscles.
Risks and Side Effects while using Primobolan
For the most part, side effects are almost non-existent with methenolone.
However due to it being a DHT derived steroid prostate problems and the
exacerbation hair loss if a user is prone to male pattern baldness can occur
for users of the compound. Many will use ketoconazole and/or finasteride to
help with these effects.
Due to the fact that methenolone does not aromatize, estrogenic side effects
are of no concern with this compound. This is another reason why it is often
utilized by bodybuilders during their pre-contest preparations. Water
retention, gynecomastia, and a rise in blood pressure should not occur from
use of methenolone. Due to this, there is no need for anti-estrogen or
anti-aromatase compounds while cycling this drug. In fact, there is some
evidence that methenolone can act as an anti-estrogen itself, much in the same
way that drostanolone does. However this effect is weak and should not be
relied up for these purposes.
In terms of organ toxicity, methenolone shows no signs that it is capable of
causing organ damage in healthy individuals, even at relatively heavy doses.
If dosages are kept within reason, there should be little in the way of
concern about possible organ damage while using methenolone.
The same can be said for virilizing effects in women. While such things are
deepening of the voice, menstrual irregularity, and body/facial hair growth,
among others, are definitely possible, they should be minimized if female
users do not use the drug to excess. These effects are of course permanent if
they do manifest themselves.
References
1. Fritzsche D, Krakor R, Asmussen G, Widera R, Caffier P,
Berkei J, Cesla M.Anabolic steroids (metenolone) improve muscle performance
and hemodynamic characteristics in cardiomyoplasty. Ann Thorac Surg. 1995
pr;59(4):961-9
2. Fritzsche D, Krakor R, Asmussen G, Lange S, Kaufmann A, Zapf P, Mehlhorn G,
Berkei J, Widera R. Effect of an anabolic steroid (Metenolon) on contractile
performance of the chronically stimulated latissimus dorsi in sheep. Eur J
Cardiothorac Surg. 1994;8(4):214-9
3. Saartok T, Dahlberg E, Gustafsson JA. Relative binding affinity of
anabolic-androgenic steroids: comparison of the binding to the androgen
receptors in skeletal muscle and in prostate, as well as to sex
hormone-binding globulin. Endocrinology. 1984 Jun;114(6):2100-6
4. van Wayjen RG. Metabolic effects of anabolic steroids. Wien Med Wochenschr.
1993;143(14-15):368-75
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