Winstrol is the trade name and brand name for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol and is widely utilized in both human medicine as well as veterinary medicine. It is also both an injectable anabolic steroid as well as an oral anabolic steroid, which is the central point of discussion here. The details regarding oral Winstrol were first released in 1959, and Winthrop Laboratories of the United Kingdom took the initiative in releasing it as a prescription drug. It was not long afterwards until Sterling in the United States achieved a patent on the drug in 1961, and oral Winstrol (as well as the injectable variant) were released onto the American prescription market in 1962 under the well-known brand name Winstrol. Upon its release, it was utilized for a large and wide variety of medical treatments, many of which included appetite stimulation, the promotion of weight gain during wasting diseases and disorders, weight gain following surgery or periods of sedentary inactivity (such as a coma or disability), strengthening bone frailty, speeding up the recovery of burn victims, as well as a number of other applications. In the 1970s and 1980s, oral Winstrol’s applicable treatments were cut drastically by the FDA due to the increasing control granted to the FDA over the prescription drug market. The result was a narrowed list of approved uses that had been dwindled down to a ‘possible’ treatment for osteoporosis, and for the treatment of growth promotion and acceleration in pituitary-deficient dwarfism in both children and adults.
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Towards the late 1980s and 1990s, many anabolic steroids had been removed from the market as a result of the mass hysteria in relation to anabolic steroids at the time, as well as the overall anti-steroid sentiment that had swept the United States during that time period. While anabolic steroids such as Dianabol (Methandrostenolone), Anavar (Oxandrolone), and several others were being discontinued and/or pulled from the American prescription drug market, Winstrol maintained steady sales and production during this period. As a matter of fact, oral Winstrol had been surprisingly shining and demonstrating much promise during this period, a period where anabolic steroids were shunned upon. Its use at this time expanded to the treatment of anemia, angioedema, and its ability to combat breast cancer. Although the manufacture of oral Winstrol had involved a change of hands over the years since then, it remains widely sold throughout the world under both its brand name of Winstrol as well as its generic name of Stanozolol. It is not, however, currently sold on the American prescription market due to manufacturing issues.
Oral Winstrol happens to be the third most popular anabolic steroid in use by athletes and bodybuilders, with the first two being Dianabol (Methandrostenolone) and Nandrolone (Deca-Durabolin). Oral Winstrol happens to land in the top three most popular and most widely utilized anabolic steroids, scoring third in popularity and use. It is in fact the anabolic steroid most notable in the athletic world due to Canadian Olympic Sprinter Ben Johnson’s use of it in the 1988 summer Olympics, which he supposedly tested positive for. It is currently known as to whether or not Ben Johnson had utilized oral Winstrol, or injectable Winstrol (appropriately referred to as Winstrol depot).
Oral Winstrol Results and Properties
At its core, oral Winstrol is chemically and structurally no different from the injectable variant, properly referred to as Winstrol depot. Winstrol is a Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) derived anabolic steroid with various modifications to it that enable a great amplification of its anabolic capabilities, while its androgenic capabilities are greatly reduced. Because it is a DHT-derivative, it is not recognised as a proper substrate for the aromatase enzyme, which is the enzyme that converts androgens into Estrogen (properly termed aromatization). Thus, oral Winstrol cannot be aromatized into Estrogen at any dose, and this allows Winstrol to promote a considerable degree of muscle growth and strength gain without the added water retention and possible fat retention/gain that aromatization is responsible for. Thus, one can easily see why oral Winstrol is a highly sought after and very popular anabolic steroid among speed athletes such as sprinters, boxers, wrestlers, etc. that cannot bother to be hindered by the added weight and bulk of bloating water weight that would slow down their performance and athletic ability.
Oral Winstrol is therefore used by those who wish to experience lean mass gains without any water retention or possibility of fat retention or fat gain, commonly the result of rising Estrogen levels as a result of aromatization (which Winstrol is incapable of). Instead, should the person’s diet and training be appropriately adjusted, the gains expected from Winstrol is that of the addition of lean mass without any undesired grotesque massive bulk that might be undesirable, alongside the capability of Winstrol to enhance the ‘3D’ and ‘hard and chiseled’ look to the muscles as commonly reported by many users. This is why Winstrol is commonly utilized during dieting phases and pre-contest phases by bodybuilders and athletes, although it can be a wonderful addition to any bulking cycle as well.
There are two major modifications to its chemical structure that grants oral Winstrol these advantages and capabilities. The first is the bonding of a methyl group at carbon 17-alpha (also known as C17-alpha alkylation). This methylation of the 17th carbon is what first and foremost allows Winstrol to resist liver metabolism when ingested, so that a high percentage of it may survive to enter the bloodstream where it will do its job in the body. The second major modification is the development of a pyrazol group, which is attached to the A-ring on the anabolic steroid structure of Winstrol. This pyrazol group addition is what dramatically increases its anabolic capabilities while simultaneously reducing its androgenic strength. It must be kept in mind that although both the oral and injectable forms of Winstrol are chemically identical in every way, oral Winstrol presents a greater degree of potential liver toxicity than when injected. This is due to the C17-alpha alkylation, but more specifically it is due to the fact that when ingesting Winstrol orally, it must make a first pass through the liver. Injectable Winstrol does not exhibit this effect on the liver, but because the injectable format does still possess C17AA modification, it exhibits a greater degree of liver toxicity than nearly all other injectable anabolic steroids, but once again not to the extent that oral Winstrol does.
Types of Oral Winstrol
Oral Winny was originally designed and manufactured as a 2mg tablet, and in later years various pharmaceutical companies manufactured higher dosed 5mg and 10mg tablets. Today, pharmaceutical grade oral Winstrol can commonly be found in these dose ranges, but underground labs (UGL) are known for manufacturing high-dose and high-concentration formats where 50mg oral Winstrol tablets can be found, for example. Although rare, some underground laboratories have created even higher dosed oral Winstrol tablets, upwards of 75 – 100mg tablets. These formulations are obviously designed specifically for athletes and bodybuilders looking to enhance their physique and athletic performance, as such high concentrations cannot be practically used in medical applications (and most of the time such high concentrations are not even necessary for the treatment of various disorders and diseases). Additionally, there have recently been new types of liquid oral Winstrol products being manufactured by underground labs contained in 10mg vials commonly dosed at 25mg/ml, which are designed to be ingested orally rather than injected.
Oral Winstrol Side Effects
Oral Winstrol’s side effects can completely exclude Estrogen related side effects, as it cannot be aromatized into Estrogen at any dose. It’s androgenic side effects should be lesser than that of other anabolic steroids such as Testosterone or Trenbolone, but some users who are particularly sensitive can and do note various ‘flare-ups’ of androgenic effects, such as acne or hair loss (male pattern baldness), but most users should not have a problem. Oral Winstrol side effects of notable concern have to do exclusively with the liver, however. Because it is C17-alpha alkylated, it will present a measurable degree of hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity), which would necessitate regular monitoring of liver function through blood work (if possible) and supplementation with proper and effective liver support supplements such as NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) and/or tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA). Because Winstrol is so impacting on the liver, this presents an additional side effect worth noting: its intensely harsh negative impact on cholesterol values, more so than almost any other anabolic steroid. Winstrol in general is known as being notorious for raising LDL (bad cholesterol) and dramatically lowering HDL (good cholesterol). The result is a serious risk increase for cardiovascular disease. Oral Winstrol is by far worse for this due to its first pass direct interaction with the liver, and it is therefore imperative that cycle lengths remain short, supplementation with healthy omega-3 fats are a must, and anyone with underlying cardiovascular or cholesterol issues should steer completely clear of oral Winstrol. Lastly, although oral Winstrol is commonly touted as a ‘mild’ anabolic steroid, it is anything but mild on the HPTA (Hypothalamic Pituitary Testicular Axis), where suppression and/or shut down of the HPTA is guaranteed during use, which would necessitate a proper PCT (Post Cycle Therapy) protocol after the end of an oral cycle.
