Dianabol

Metandienone, also spelled methandienone and marketed historically as methandrostenolone, is an anabolic-androgenic steroid derived from testosterone ^[2]. Its structure carries a methyl group at the 17-alpha position, a modification that lets the drug survive passage through the liver and remain active when taken by mouth, together with an added double bond in the steroid ring system ^[2][3]. The same 17-alpha-methyl group that makes it orally usable also contributes to its potential to harm the liver ^[1].

The compound was first synthesized in the mid-1950s by the pharmaceutical company Ciba in Switzerland and was introduced under the brand name Dianabol toward the end of that decade ^[3]. It became closely associated with weightlifting and bodybuilding and is often cited as the first anabolic steroid to see widespread use among competitive and recreational athletes ^[1]. Over the following decades, tightening regulation and doping bans pushed it out of legitimate supply channels in most countries ^[1].

Although anabolic steroids have some accepted medical roles, such as the treatment of certain hormone deficiencies and wasting conditions, metandienone itself is no longer marketed as an approved medicine in the United States and many other nations ^[1]. In practice it is used chiefly outside of medicine by people seeking to increase muscle size and strength, typically in amounts far above any that were once prescribed ^[1]. It is taken as an oral tablet.

Metandienone is a controlled substance in many jurisdictions; in the United States it is classified within Schedule III under anabolic steroid legislation, and it is prohibited in sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency ^[1]. Non-medical use has been linked to a broad range of adverse effects, including liver injury, unfavorable changes in cholesterol, cardiovascular strain, breast tissue growth in men, suppression of the body's own hormone production, and mood disturbances ^[1]. Because supply is illicit, product quality and content are frequently unreliable.

Dianabol (methandrostenone) is an oral 17-alpha-alkylated steroid and is hepatotoxic, capable of raising transaminases and causing cholestatic liver injury with extended use. It aromatizes readily, so estrogenic effects are prominent; gynecomastia, marked water retention, and elevated blood pressure are common without an aromatase inhibitor. It suppresses HDL and worsens the lipid profile, adding cardiovascular strain, and it strongly shuts down endogenous testosterone so post-cycle recovery is typically needed. Additional documented concerns include erythrocytosis, mood changes, and virilization risk in women.