Anabolicum Vister is an oral anabolic steroid that was produced in the 1970's by the Parke Davis Company. Peculiarly this product was only sold in Italy, and never had much commercial success outside of this country. The active substance in this product is quinbolone, which is an oral form of the anabolic steroid boldenone. As such it is chemically identical to the veterinary steroid Equipoise® except in this case the boldenone base has a 17beta cyclopentenyl (enol) ether attached instead of an undecylenate ester. The ether functions very much like an ester however, increasing the fat solubility of the compound and protecting it from metabolism. While esterified boldenone was designed as an injectable medication, here the similarly structured ether was used as a means to increase the oral bioavailability of the hormone. The design of this steroid is likewise very similar to the testosterone product Andriol® (testosterone undecanoate), which is also an encapsulated, oil dissolved steroid intended for oral administration. Our experiences with Andriol® remind us that this type of steroid delivery is not very efficient however; but with frequent dosing a steady blood hormone level could be achieved with both of these compounds nonetheless.
The effects of this drug would likewise be characteristic of that reported with Equipoise®. Androgenic side effects are not very prominent when boldenone is taken in moderate doses, except among sensitive individuals. Anabolicum Vister would therefore not cause many problems in terms of estrogenic side effects, and gynecomastia would not be a big concern for the user.The hormone boldenone is able to convert to estradiol in the body, however it seems to do so with a relatively low affinity (about half that of testosterone). So while mild water retention is sometimes documented with this steroid it will usually be related to a more ambitious dosing pattern. Additionally Anabolicum Vister was one of only a few commercially available oral compounds that were not c17 alpha alkylated. Likewise this steroid is not liver toxic, even when used at higher doses for extended intervals. Overall it was one of the safest, most well tolerated oral steroids in production. It was said that in Italian medicine it was prescribed to elderly patients to enhance general health and well being, particularly after weakened from illness, and was even prescribed to postmenopausal Women who were feeling the effects of age. It is unfortunate that with the atmosphere surrounding anabolics in the U.S. such avenues are not more readily explored. One would think that in many instances a mild anabolic could be used to great benefit for an elderly patient. It is further unfortunate that in Italy it seems this unique oral form of boldenone has been discontinued in spite of its favorable design and clinical safety record. Since this was the only country making this steroid it can now be considered extinct.
The disappearance of this product from the black market seemed to go surprisingly unnoticed, probably because athletes usually considered this steroid too mild to warrant consideration. Even when taken in high doses, muscle mass gains would typically be very slight. Clearly this was not simply an alternative to injecting Equipoise®, no doubt due to the low bioavailability of this compound. Used in combination with other steroids it might have proven to have solid benefit as an anabolic, but the money would still have been better spent on a number of more cost-effective items. Men who have experimented with this compound generally found a dosage of 80-120mg (8-12 capsules) per day necessary for any noticeable results. It would obviously not have much use in a bulking cycle, but perhaps the added weak effect might have been welcome during cutting cycles. Women who were curious about steroid use might have found this steroid ideal to experiment with though, perhaps finding notable muscle growth and low side effects on 30-40mg (3-4 capsules) daily. Of course with its stop in production Women are still left with the orals oxandrolone, Primobolan or Winstrol® to fiddle with.