Anavar was the old U.S. brand name for the oral steroid oxandrolone, first produced in 1964 by the drug manufacturer Searle. It was designed as an extremely mild anabolic, one that could even be safely used as a growth stimulant in children. One immediately thinks of the standard worry,"steroids will stunt growth'.'But it is actually the excess estrogen produced by most steroids that is the culprit, just as it is the reason why women stop growing sooner and have a shorter average stature than men. Oxandrolone will not aromatize,and therefore the anabolic effect of the compound can actually promote linear growth.Women usually tolerate this drug well at low doses, and at one time it was prescribed for the treatment of osteoporosis. But the atmosphere surrounding steroids began to change rapidly in the 1980's,and prescriptions for oxandrolone began to drop. Lagging sales probably led Searle to discontinue manufacture in 1989, and it had vanished from U.S. pharmacies until recently. Oxandrolone tablets are again available inside the U.S. by BTG, bearing the new brand name Oxandrin. BTG purchased rights to the drug from Searle and it is now manufactured for the new purpose of treating HIV/AIDS related wasting syndrome. Many welcomed this announcement, as Anavar had gained a very favorable reputation among athletes over the years.
Anavar is a mild anabolic with low androgenic activity. Its reduced androgenic activity has much to due with the fact that it is a derivative of dihydrotestosterone. Although you might think at first glance this would make it a more androgenic steroid, it in fact creates a steroid that is less androgenic because it is already "5-alpha reduced'.'ln other words, it lacks the capacity to interact with the 5-alpha reductase enzyme and convert to a more potent "di-hydro" form. It is a simply matter of where a steroid is capable of being potentiated in the body, and with oxandrolone we do not have the same potential as testosterone, which is several times more active in androgen responsive tissues compared to muscle tissue due to its conversion to DHT. It essence oxandrolone has a balanced level of potency in both muscle and androgenic target tissues such as the scalp, skin and prostate.This is a similar situation as is noted with Primobolan and Winstrol, which are also derived from dihydrotestosterone yet not known to be very androgenic substances.
This steroid is known as a good agent for the promotion of strength and quality muscle mass gains, although the mild nature of this compound makes it less than ideal for bulking purposes. Among bodybuilders it is most commonly used during cutting phases of training when water retention is a concern.The standard dosage for men is in the range of 15-25mg (6-10 tablets) per day, a level that should produce noticeable results. It can be further combined with anabolics like Primobolan® and Winstrol® to elicit a harder, more defined look without added water retention. Such combinations are very popular and can dramatically enhance the show physique. One can also add strong non-aromatizing androgens like Halotestin®, Proviron® or trenbolone. In this case the androgen really helps to harden up the muscles, while at the same time making conditions more favorable for fat reduction. Some athletes do choose to incorporate oxandrolone into bulking stacks, but usually with standard bulking drugs like testosterone or Dianabol.The usual goal in this instance is an additional gain of strength, as well as more quality look to the androgen bulk. Women who fear the masculinizing effects of many steroids would be quite comfortable using this drug, as this is very rarely seen with low doses. Here a daily dosage of 5mg should illicit considerable growth without the noticeable androgenic side effects of other drugs. Eager females may wish to addition mild anabolics like Winstrol®, Primobolan® or Durabolin®. When combined with such anabolics, the user should notice faster, more pronounced muscle-building effects, but may also increase the likelihood of androgenic buildup.
Studies using low dosages of this compound note minimal interferences with natural testosterone production. Likewise when it is used alone in small amounts there is typically no need for ancillary drugs like Clomid®/Nolvadex® or HCG.This has a lot to do with the fact that it does not convert to estrogen, which we know has an extremely profound effect on endogenous hormone production. Without estrogen to trigger negative feedback, we seem to note a higher threshold before inhibition is noted. But at higher dosages of course, a suppression of natural testosterone levels will still occur with this drug as with any anabolic/androgenic steroid. This makes clear that while estrogen is important in this regard, androgen action triggers feedback inhibition as well. In the context of the average bodybuilder using this steroid at a level to promote growth, we would probably expect that maintaining a normal level of endogenous testosterone release would likewise be very difficult.
Anavar is also a 17alpha alkylated oral steroid, carrying an alteration that is noted for putting stress on the liver. It is important to point out, however, that despite this alteration oxandrolone is generally very well tolerated. While liver enzyme tests will occasionally show elevated values, actual damage due to this steroid is not a statistical problem. Bio-Technology General states that oxandrolone is not as extensively metabolized by the liver as other 17aa orals are; evidenced by the fact that nearly a third of the compound is still intact when excreted in the urine. This may have to do with the understood milder nature of this agent (compared to other 17aa orals) in terms of hepatotoxicity. One study comparing the effects of oxandrolone to other agents including methyltestosterone, norethandrolone, fluoxymesterone, and methandriol clearly supports this notion86. Here it was demonstrated that oxandrolone causes the lowest sulfobromophthalein (BSP; a marker of liver stress) retention among all the alkylated orals tested. 20mg of oxandrolone, in fact, produced 72% less BSP retention than an equal dosage of fluoxymesterone, which is a considerable difference being that they possess the same liver-toxic alteration. With such findings, combined with the fact that athletes rarely report trouble with this drug, most feel comfortable believing it to be much safer to use during longer cycles than most other orals with this distinction. Although this may very well be true, the chance of liver damage still cannot be excluded.
Like virtually all oral anabolic/androgenic steroids, oxandrolone does not have an extremely long half-life in the body. Although we do not have exact calculations on this, we can point to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism investigating (among other things) blood levels of oxandrolone in response to oral dosing of the drug87. Researchers noted that measurements taken 10 hours after administration do show a steady elevation of drug in the bloodstream. Between the 10 and 18-hour mark, however, drug concentrations fell 73%. Such a drop in an 8-hour window indicates a pretty rapid metabolism of oxandrolone, and suggests that at least two oral doses would be needed per day if one wished to keep relatively steady blood concentrations over an entire 24-hour period.
At one time oxandrolone was looked at as a possible drug for those suffering from disorders of high cholesterol or triglycerides. Early studies showed it to be capable of lowering total cholesterol and triglyceride values in certain types of hyperlipidemic patients, which was thought to signify potential for this drug as a hypo-lipid (lipid lowering) agent88.With further investigation we find, however, that while use of this drug can be linked to a lowering of total cholesterol values, it is such that a redistribution in the ratio of good (HDL) to bad (LDL) cholesterol occurs, usually moving values i
n an unfavorable direction89 90. This would, of course, negate any positive effect this drug might have on triglycerides or total cholesterol, and in fact make it a danger in terms of cardiac risk when taken for prolonged periods of time. Today we understand that as a group, anabolic/ androgenic steroids tend to produce unfavorable changes in lipid profiles, and are really not useful in disorders of lipid metabolism. As an oral c17 alpha alkylated steroid, oxandrolone is probably even more risky to use than an esterified injectable such as a testosterone or nandrolone in this regard.
Oxandrolone has always been a hot item on the black market. The past several years has brought forth many new oxandrolone containing products.This was right after a period of time when many drug manufacturers were dropping oxandrolone from their lines, due to low financial interest. Luckily, things have changed. Now there are numerous companies selling this steroid. Below, I will run down some of the more popular items on the black market.
Animal Power sells an oxandrolone product in Mexico called Oxandro Tabs. It comes in 5mg tablets, with 100 packaged to each glass bottle.The bottle itself rests inside a cardboard box, and both carry the company's holographic security sticker. The bottle is further imprinted with the company logo, which rests mostly under the label. So far we have a lot of confidence in AP, given the good feedback on their line and the obvious attention to security.
Quality Vet, another popular Mexican company, produces an Anavar product called Oxavet QV. It comes in the form of 5mg tablets, with 100 packaged to each bottle. QV also uses a holographic security sticker to deter counterfeiting. Provided it is present on both the box and bottle, you should have a safe purchase. QV products are always in very high demand, due to their excellent reputation.This is definitely a recommended product if you are faced with a large selection.
Nutri-Vet also sells an oxandrolone product in Mexico, called Ultra Var. It carries 5mg of steroid per tablet, and comes in bottles holding 100 tablets each. Nutri-Vet is a newly registered company in Mexico, and thus far seems to have a good reputation among buyers.
Ttokkyo is no longer in business, and their 5mg Oxandrolone should be out of circulation at this point. Avoid anything you come across with this company name on it, as it will most certainly be a counterfeit.
Oxandrovet by Denkall is another Mexican oxandrolone product circulating the black market in steady volume. It contains 5mg per tablet, and is found in bottles of 100 tablets each. The presence of a hologram security sticker should help assure a legitimate purchase. Note that fakes of the Denkall line with counterfeit holograms are in circulation, however, so this is not a perfect guarantee (see: Security Stickers for more information).
Bonavar from Body Research is no longer in manufacture, following a raid on their facilities in Thailand last year. When sold, it came in the form of 2.5mg tablets, with 10 tablets being packed in a foil and plastic strip. Since the raid, there have been many knockoff products purportedly from Body Research, but are actually originating from a known counterfeit operation in Russia. The quality of these fakes has been highly questionable. There is rumorthat Body Research (the real company) may start producing again this year.
Loeffler sells an oxandrolone product in Mexico, called Oxafort. These are 5mg tablets, and come packaged in bottles of 100 tablets each. Loeffler recently began using hologram stickers on some of their boxes to deter counterfeiting. Lab analysis on two separate lots of this product confirmed that it contained the correct amount of oxandrolone. Keep in mind, however, that Loeffler has underdosed some of its products in the past, and may be of varying quality lot to lot.
Oxanabol from British Dragon is currently a very popular version of Anavar on the global steroid market. Formerly in a 5mg tablet dose, the manufacturer has since doubled the dose to lOmg. The product comes packed in sealed pouches holding 100 tablets each.The tablets themselves are orange, and square in shape. A score mark divides it in halves. Furthermore,"BD" should be imprinted in one side and "10" in the other. This should be a reliable purchase provided the tablets are correctly shaped, and the product bears the proper BD hologram sticker and custom printed pouch and silica gel pack.
Hubei Labs in China makes an underground version of Anavar (this is not a legit company).These are 2.5mg blue tablets, sold in strips of 30 tablets each. Feedback has been good on this product, so it may contain an acceptable dosage.
A generic oxandrolone is produced by Planet Pharmacy in Belize. This is a country with a very meager steroid market, which is otherwise fed by only a couple of Mexican products like Sustanon and Deca-Durabolin. Don't expect to find these products in Belizean pharmacies if you travel, as Planet Pharmacy seems to manufacture its products for export only.
Oxandrolone is manufactured in the U.S. by BTG Pharmaceuticals under the Oxandrin brand name. It comes in both 2.5mg and lOmg tablet strengths. High price at the pharmacy precludes any reasonable entry into the black market. This would be a high risk item regardless, as real U.S. steroids rarely circulate the black market.
SPA Oxandrolone from Italy is still may still be available for export, however it has been suspiciously scarce on the black market as of late. Domestic versions of this drug were already discontinued years ago, so don't expect to find them. There has been a great deal of anti-steroid sentiment and government action in Italy as of late, making this a harder and harder country to source drugs from.
Oxandrolone from LA Pharma (Italy) is a new counterfeit item circulating theThai pharmacies in high volume. From there it is entering the global steroid market.This is not a real product, and Italian company these counterfeiters were originally copying (Laboratore Alchemica) has made very clear they are not responsible for these products.The quality (or consistency) of this item is currently unknown.
Xenion Pharma Co. in Myanmar produces an oxandrolone product called Oxanol.lt carries 5mg of steroid per tablet, and comes 60 tabs to a box.The pills themselves are white in color, and are imprinted with the characters "OXA 5.0" on one side and the company logo on the reverse.Twenty tablets are sealed in each foil and plastic strip.