Esiclene is the brand name for the steroid formebolone, a compound that was (when available) almost exclusively utilized (non-legitimate use) in the world of professional bodybuilding. It was produced both in oral and injectable form, the injectable solution containing only 2mg per milliliter of steroid. The compound itself shows little anabolic or androgenic activity, and is not highly useful for building muscle. It is however effective in one very novel way. When given by injection, the drug formebolone irritates the muscle tissue at the site of administration.The body will respond to this with a localized inflammation, the muscle tissues storing fluid in reaction. This will cause an increase in the overall diameter of the affected muscle, obviously a desired result for bodybuilders. This irritation can be uncomfortable however, so each ampule contains 20mg of added lidocaine (a local painkiller) to make the injection less painful. While this does compensate somewhat, Esiclene is still relatively uncomfortable to use. The procedure is of course endured for the results, which can be dramatic in a very short period of time.
The swelling produced by this drug is only temporary. It will usually take only five days after the last injection was given for the swelling to subside, the muscle returning to its usual dimensions. For this reason injectable Esiclene is really only used during the last week or two before a competition, offering us little off-season benefit. When used for contest purposes, it is usually to be injected daily into each muscle site. Those trying to stretch out the dosage schedule may opt to inject every other day, but no longer an interval. When stretched too many days apart, the accumulated swelling will likely not reach a desirable point. In order to keep this procedure more comfortable, the full dosage is not to be given from the onset of the regimen. Instead, the user will begin with half of an ampule, or ImL (2mg) per muscle. After a number of days the dosage is increased to 2mL, or a full ampule for each individual injection site. After continuing at this dosage for a week or two, one can possibly see an increase of 1 or 1.5 inches in their arm and calf measurements.This is clearly a tremendous improvement for only two weeks use. In addition, those who have used this steroid often report the drug produces an increase in overall muscle hardness.This is an added benefit when preparing for a contest as a large, hard and defined muscle is the obvious goal. Over the years a large number of male and female competitors have relied heavily on this drug for their exceptional show physiques. Esiclene has no doubt been the difference between winning and losing for many competitors.
Esiclene does not work this way for every muscle though. Bodybuilders experimenting with this compound have found that it is most effective with the smaller muscle groups such as the biceps, deltoid and calf. The resultant swelling will equate to a very favorable size increase in these small muscles, looking much larger and fuller. But when we try to inject Esiclene into larger muscles like the chest, back and legs we run into trouble. The result in this case can be a very uneven look, producing lumps in the muscle body and not an overall size increase. For this reason the large muscle groups are usually off limits.
Although an extremely mild steroid, the oral form (delivering a much higher dose of steroid) may offer some benefit to athletes. It seems to exhibit some level of anti-catabolic activity, shown in studies to interfere with the protein degenerative effects of synthetic corticosteroids. It also does not seem to aromatize, at least in it's initial state, so estrogenic side effects are not a major concern with use. If not a strong base steroid for muscle growth, it certainly has potential as a secondary steroid used in cycles for added effect. The compound however is c-17 alpha alkylated, and carries with it the same risk for liver toxicity we see with similar oral steroids. This risk of course is not isolated to the oral use of this drug, however the relatively low dose used with the injectable makes serious liver strain very unlikely.
In all forms of Esiclene have been discontinued, and are no longer available on the black market.