Durabolin® is the Organon brand name for the injectable steroid nandrolone phenylpropionate. As one could guess, the properties of this drug are very similar to that of Deca-Durabolin®. Both contain the anabolic hormone nandrolone and are produced by the same drug firm (Organon). The primary difference between these two preparations is the speed in which the drug is released. While Deca provides the extremely slow release duration of up three or four weeks, Durabolin® is active for only a few days. In clinical situations Deca can thus be injected once every two or three weeks, while Durabolin® is usually administered every few days.
As with Deca, estrogen buildup is not a typical worry when using this drug. Some feel the fast action of Durabolin® is associated with slightly less water retention than Deca-Durabolin®, but this observation is probably just due to a lower blood concentrations during typical use.There is no difference between the nandrolone which is released into the body by each drug, so we cannot assign Durabolin® any unique set of properties. Nandrolone is generally not noted to cause estrogen trouble in any event, so the chance of developing gynecomastia and water bloat is slight, even among sensitive individuals. Likewise an anti-estrogen is usually not necessary when using this steroid. Durabolin® is also the preferred nandrolone product during dieting and contest preparation phases of training when estrogen and water retention are a major concern. This is just due to the fact that blood hormone levels are easier to control with a faster acting substance.
We also know that nandrolone is not an extremely potent androgen. This is because it will reduce to a less active metabolite (dihydronandrolone) in many androgen target tissues, due to interaction with the 5-alpha reductase enzyme.This is of course the same enzyme that potentates the action of testosterone by transforming it to a more active form (dihydrotestosterone). Related side effects such as oily skin, acne, body/facial hair growth and aggravated male pattern hair loss likewise occur much less frequently with these drugs compared to testosterone and many other anabolic/androgenic steroids, making Durabolin a very favorable steroid for those concerned.
While the level of such side effects is low with this anabolic, so may be the gain of strength and muscle mass. This is to be expected, as nandrolones are noted as being slow but quality builders instead of mass drugs. They are however noted to allow for the retention of a higher percentage of new body weight gain after a cycle is over, the user not having to endure a dramatic loss of stored water due to estrogen buildup. Although the buildup of estradiol is not marked, this drug can still notably affect endogenous testosterone levels. One may therefore still need to use an ancillary drug like HCG and/or Clomid® when coming off a cycle.This should ensure the lowest chance for suffering a hormonal crash when the steroid has been removed.
Due to its rapid rate of release from the injection site, Durabolin® is usually administered every two or three days. The dosage of each given shot is usually in the range of 50-100mg, equating to 1mL or 2mL when using the 50mg version. To keep injection volume to a comfortable level men will typically use a slightly lower weekly dosage than with Deca, generally 200-300mg (2 or 3 injections of 100mg). As discussed earlier, the buildup of muscle tissue resulting from Durabolin® is slow and even.This combined with a low incidence of side effects makes it an ideal steroid to use for longer periods of time, so that gains are given time to accumulate. It is likewise not unusual to see someone utilizing a nandrolone such as this in cycles greater than three months in length.
The short action of this drug is highly attractive to female athletes. Although usually more expensive, Durabolin® should be the preference if both it and Deca are available. While all nandrolone are generally well tolerated, blood hormone levels are more difficult to control with a long acting ester such as decanoate. Should virilization symptoms become evident, the rapid metabolism of
Durabolin® would be a very welcome trait. Here it would only take a matter of days for most of the active hormone to leave the body.The chance for more serious side effects would of course be heightened with Deca, the female athlete left with a highly elevated hormone level for weeks after ceasing use. The preferred administration schedule for women would also be a single injection weekly, at a dosage no more than 50 to 75 mg.This level is sufficient for a quality gain, yet low enough to feel safe from most side effects.
In general, Durabolin® will produce the same side effects seen with Deca, but they may be slightly less pronounced if the dosage used is lower (and/or more controlled, with less peaks) in comparison. Nandrolone preparations are among the most well tolerated steroids in manufacture, causing a very low incidence of unwanted side effects.
The only real problems with this drug are availability and price. Although produced in a fair number of countries, Durabolin® in particular is not commonly found in the U.S. This may be due to the high selling price and low strength of the Organon preparations. A single 50mg ampule could cost as much as $15 when sold on the black market, which is a high price for such a low dosage of steroid. Quite often the only strength available is the 25mg version, which can be even less cost effective. At the same time the injections may be too frequent or too large a volume for most to tolerate. These factors make Organon's Deca-Durabolin® much more abundant on the black market.
This steroid does occasionally find its way here in volume from India, where you can find the quasi-legit product Dubol by BM Pharmaceuticals. Dubol is made in both 50mg/mL and 100mg/mL dosage strengths (Dubol-50 and Dubol-100 respectively), and is considerably more cost effective than its Organon-manufactured counterpart. For a while, Dubol was being sold as a generic from the former company name Haryian Biologicals, however enough time has passed now that you should expect to see mostly the BM product on the black market.
Organon Durabolin may still be produced in India as well, though it has never been a common item on the black market due to high cost and low dosage.
British Dragon in Thailand also makes Durabol, which comes in the form of a 100mg/mL 10mL vial. BD is a reputable lab, and the product should be accurately dosed. New vials have labels with a section of inlayed foil, which bears the letters "BD" and the company's Dragon logo.The foil is red for western products, and blue for those bound for sales in Eastern Europe. Also, make sure the top on your vial carries the Durabol name formed into the plastic, and a rubber stopper with an ingrained dragon logo.
Superanabolon from Spofa in the Czech Republic is also still in manufacture. It contains only 25mg of steroid per ImL ampule, which makes it in relatively low demand among athletes. Still, it is a reputable product, with no major problems of fakes. Recently Spofa updated their packaging, presenting a new more modern look.