19-Nor prohormones (19-norandrostenedione, 19-norandrostenediol)
19-Nor-4-androstenedione, 19-Nor-4-androstenediol, 19-Nor-5-androstenediol, Estr-4-ene-3,17-dione, Bolandione, Bolandiol, Nor-dione, Nor-diol
Forms: Dione and diol forms (4- and 5-ene), often combined in one product; both are precursors of nandrolone.
Oral precursors of nandrolone (19-nortestosterone), sold as over-the-counter 'prohormones' in the US until 2005. They are not approved medicines.
Legal status: Named US Schedule III anabolic steroids since 2005; not approved medicines; status varies by country.
What it gives
What people use it for and what the sources report. Strength is a general category from the literature: mild, clear or strong.
Purpose
Taken for muscle and strength as a 'legal nandrolone'. They are also a well-known cause of nandrolone-positive doping tests, both from intended use and from traces in other supplements. The active hormone has its own card (Nandrolone).
What people seek and what studies show
Two small placebo-controlled trials in weight-trained men found no change in body composition or strength after 8 weeks; one also saw no change in mood. In rats, the dione given by injection built muscle, but taken by mouth it grew neither muscle nor prostate. All users in a short study tested positive for a nandrolone metabolite.
Effects
Evidence: Limited human data — some human studies, small or short
Sought effects by goal (as reported)
Possible side effects
Possible does not mean certain: whether they appear depends on dose, duration, individual response and monitoring. Below — what to watch for and how to notice it early.
7 possible side effects
level · how often it is reportedWhat the levels mean
Level: general category from the literature, not your personal risk
How often
- common
- reported often
- possible
- reported in some people
- rare
- reported occasionally
How to lower the risks
For 5 of 7 possible side effects there are specific ways to lower the chance: everyday measures, supplements and options a doctor may consider. For the rest — general advice. No measure removes a risk completely.
Products obtained without a prescription are often fake, mislabeled or non-sterile, and there is no way to check at home. For legal supplements, look for third-party testing (Informed Sport, NSF).
Check hormones before and after; if they stay low, see an endocrinologist.
How each option helps (2)
- Regular blood tests — LH, FSH and testosterone show how deep suppression is and whether natural production has recovered afterwards.
- Working with a doctor — Assesses how deep suppression is and guides recovery afterwards, including fertility testing.
Find the cause by tests (estradiol, prolactin, testosterone) rather than guessing.
How each option helps (1)
- Working with a doctor — Finds the cause of low libido or erectile problems instead of masking it.
Avoid combining several oral steroids; regular cardio, soluble fiber (psyllium), less saturated fat and alcohol; if LDL/ApoB stay high, a doctor may consider a statin. Omega-3 only lowers triglycerides.
How each option helps (8)
- Regular blood tests — A lipid panel with ApoB shows how far HDL has dropped and LDL risen — changes you cannot feel.
- Working with a doctor — Interprets lipids and ApoB and decides whether a statin or other therapy is warranted.
- Avoiding alcohol and other liver stressors — Alcohol raises triglycerides; its small HDL bump does not lower heart risk.
- Regular cardio training — Raises HDL a little and lowers triglycerides; it cannot offset a steroid-driven fall in HDL on its own.
- Berberine — Placebo-controlled meta-analysis: LDL about 0.5 and triglycerides about 0.4 mmol/L lower; HDL unchanged. Trials are mostly small; no statin substitute.
- Citrus bergamot — Pooled small trials show lower LDL and triglycerides, but certainty is low to very low; it is no replacement for statins.
- Omega-3 (fish oil, EPA/DHA) — Clearly lowers triglycerides but does not fix the steroid HDL drop, the main lipid harm; DHA-containing oils may even raise LDL slightly.
- Psyllium husk fiber — Lowers LDL by about 0.2–0.3 mmol/L (roughly 5–10%), also on top of doctor-prescribed statins; no effect on HDL.
What is unknown cannot be lowered, only avoided; tell your doctor what you have taken.
Stop at the first voice change and see a doctor — early stopping matters.
How each option helps (1)
- Working with a doctor — Steroid labels say to stop at the first mild signs (hoarse voice, facial hair, clitoral growth) to prevent permanent change; checks catch them early but do not make use safe.
Low-level side effects
How each option helps (3)
- Adapalene — Reduces spots in many users. Redness, scaling, dryness and stinging are common early and usually ease; acne may look worse at first. Rarely, allergic swelling.
- Benzoyl peroxide — A first-line acne option. Dryness, redness and peeling are common at first; it bleaches hair and fabric; rarely, serious allergic reactions. Severe steroid acne needs a dermatologist.
- Zinc — Trials show a modest drop in inflamed spots, weaker than antibiotics; steroid acne is driven by androgens.
Check-ups and blood tests
Which tests and check-ups to do and when. This is a guide — agree the exact schedule with your doctor.
Which doctors can help
Get medical help at once if
- Deepening voice, new facial hair, clitoral enlargement — stop and see a doctor: changes can become permanent. (women)
In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
For women
No studies in women. Nandrolone formed from them can cause voice deepening, facial hair, clitoral enlargement and menstrual changes, and some may be permanent.
Myth & fact
“19-nor prohormones give the effect of Deca without the risks.”
In controlled trials in trained men they changed neither muscle nor strength, yet they reliably produce nandrolone-positive tests, and any nandrolone that does form carries its risks.
Combinations
No specific combination notes for this substance yet. The stack check still adds up side effects that several substances share.
Sources
Possible side effects by body system, combinations, how to lower the risks and which tests to do — free.
Open the stack check