Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone
Oral Turinabol, Turinabol, Tbol, T-bol, CDMT, DHCMT, Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone
Oral steroidsControlled substanceWADA S1.1 · prohibitedEvidence: limited human data
A 17α-alkylated oral steroid: methandienone with a 4-chloro group that blocks conversion to estrogen. Moderately anabolic with little water retention; the core drug of East Germany's doping program.
Legal status: Controlled anabolic steroid in many countries (US Schedule III, UK Class C); not an approved medicine anywhere; 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
Used for lean, gradual gains in strength and muscle and for recovery, in strength and endurance sports alike. Made by Jenapharm in East Germany (1965–1994); not approved as a medicine anywhere today.
What people seek and what studies show
Most of what is documented comes from East German state doping records: several thousand athletes a year, including minors, were given androgens, this one above all. Damaging side effects were recorded, including virilization of women and girls, some needing surgery or medical treatment. There are no modern controlled trials, so the steady gains users describe are unmeasured.
Effects
Evidence: Limited human data — some human studies, small or short
Sought effects by goal (as reported)
Mass
Sought for: muscle growth, strength, recovery
Cutting
Sought for: keeping muscle in a deficit
Recomposition
Sought for: muscle growth, keeping muscle in a deficit
Strength
Sought for: strength, recovery, muscle growth
Endurance
Sought for: recovery
Recovery & healing
Sought for: recovery
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.
11 possible side effects
level · how often it is reportedElevated
Worse cholesterol (HDL↓ LDL↑)
commonAs a non-aromatizing 17α-alkylated oral steroid it is expected to lower HDL strongly, though data specific to it are limited. Only a lipid panel shows the change.
How to notice: No symptoms — only visible on a lipid panel.
Elevated
Suppression of natural testosterone & fertility
commonSuppresses natural testosterone and sperm production like other oral AAS; low libido and fatigue after stopping are typical signs.
How to notice: Lower libido and energy, smaller testicles; low natural testosterone on tests after stopping.
In women: Menstrual changes or missed periods, lower libido and energy; reduced fertility.
Moderate
Liver strain
common17α-alkylated: liver enzyme rises are common and cholestatic injury is possible, especially with longer use. Dark urine or itching is a reason for prompt liver tests.
How to notice: Usually silent early; later tiredness, nausea, itch, dark urine.
Moderate
Black-market quality risk (fakes, contamination)
commonNo pharmaceutical source exists today; all supply is underground, with uncertain content and strength.
How to notice: Unexpected effects, pain or infection, a stronger or weaker effect than expected.
Moderate
Heart strain / heart-muscle thickening
possibleNo compound-specific heart data; its strong HDL drop adds to the class link between years of AAS use and heart-muscle changes.
How to notice: Shortness of breath on effort, lower endurance, palpitations.
Moderate
Thick blood (hematocrit) / clot risk
possibleNo compound-specific data, but androgens as a class raise red-cell production; a blood count shows a rising hematocrit before symptoms do.
How to notice: Often silent; sometimes headaches, flushed face, itch after a hot shower.
Moderate
Kidney strain
rareAs with other 17α-alkylated oral steroids, severe cholestasis can injure the kidneys (bile cast nephropathy), and long-term AAS use has been linked to kidney scarring (FSGS).
How to notice: Usually silent; foamy urine or swelling in later stages.
MenLow
WomenHigh
Virilization in women (often irreversible)
commonIn East German female athletes it caused deep voices, body hair and clitoral enlargement — often permanent.
How to notice: Hoarse or deeper voice, new facial or body hair, menstrual changes, clitoral enlargement.
Low
Too-low estrogen (joints, libido, mood, lipids)
possibleNot aromatized: when it is used without testosterone, estradiol drops, which can lower libido and mood.
How to notice: Aching, stiff joints, low libido, flat mood, poor sleep.
Low
Acne, oily skin
possibleOily skin and acne are possible.
How to notice: Oily skin, spots on back, shoulders and face.
Low
Androgenic hair loss
possibleLess androgenic than many AAS, but it can still speed up genetic hair loss.
How to notice: More hair in the shower, thinning at the temples or crown.
What the levels mean
Lowbackground — just be aware
Moderatewatch for signs
Elevatedneeds regular control
Highcritical — can be life-threatening or permanent
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 10 of 11 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. Prescription medicines are listed only for a doctor to decide on, after tests — they have side effects of their own.
ElevatedWorse cholesterol (HDL↓ LDL↑)
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.
Measure
Supplement or OTC product
Only if a doctor prescribes
How each option helps (12)
- 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.
- Atorvastatin — A doctor may consider it when LDL or ApoB stay high; it strongly lowers them but barely lifts steroid-lowered HDL. Risks: muscle aches, drug interactions, rarely muscle or liver injury. Has side effects of its own.
- Rosuvastatin — A doctor may consider it when LDL or ApoB stay high; it strongly lowers them but barely lifts steroid-lowered HDL. Risks: muscle aches, rarely muscle or liver injury, slightly higher diabetes risk. Has side effects of its own.
- Ezetimibe — A doctor may consider it when LDL stays high on a statin or a statin isn't tolerated; it lowers LDL moderately but does not raise HDL. Risks: rare liver-enzyme rises. Has side effects of its own.
- Pravastatin / pitavastatin (low-interaction statins) — A doctor may consider them when LDL is high and other statins aren't tolerated; they lower LDL moderately and barely lift HDL. Risks: muscle aches, slightly higher diabetes risk. Has side effects of its own.
ElevatedSuppression of natural testosterone & fertility
Check hormones before and after; if they stay low, see an endocrinologist.
Measure
Only if a doctor prescribes
How each option helps (7)
- 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.
- Clomiphene — A doctor may consider it after stopping, guided by hormone tests; recovery after long use can still take months. Risks: vision changes, mood swings, rare clots. Has side effects of its own.
- Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) — A doctor may consider it to preserve fertility (in men it keeps the testes working); it does not restart the pituitary, so natural LH still has to recover. Risks: higher estradiol, gynecomastia. Has side effects of its own.
- Tamoxifen — A doctor may consider it after steroids are stopped, guided by hormone tests; it has not been tested for this after steroid use. Risks: blood clots, vision changes. Has side effects of its own. Not offered to women: in the women’s view it adds to a risk this substance already carries.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (follitropins, menotropins) — A fertility doctor may consider adding it to hCG when semen tests and FSH stay low; it does not restart the pituitary. Risks: gynecomastia, acne. Has side effects of its own.
- Toremifene — A doctor may consider it after steroids are stopped, guided by hormone tests; it raised testosterone in subfertile men but was never tested after steroids. Risks: QT prolongation, clots. Has side effects of its own. Not offered to women: in the women’s view it adds to a risk this substance already carries.
ModerateLiver strain
No alcohol, no other liver stressors, limit oral steroids and their combinations, check liver enzymes.
Measure
Supplement or OTC product
How each option helps (5)
- Avoiding alcohol and other liver stressors — Removes a major extra liver stressor during oral steroids and other hepatotoxic drugs.
- Regular blood tests — ALT, AST, GGT and bilirubin show liver strain before symptoms; heavy lifting alone raises AST/ALT for days, and GGT helps tell muscle from liver.
- Ademetionine (SAMe) — Used for intrahepatic cholestasis in some countries, but trials are small and of low quality; untested in steroid users. Stopping the oral steroid matters most.
- N-acetylcysteine (NAC) — Restores glutathione; proven in paracetamol poisoning and helped in early acute liver failure of other causes, but untested in steroid users.
- TUDCA (tauroursodeoxycholic acid) — Improves bile flow in cholestatic disease; in steroid cholestasis only case reports, with failures in severe cases. Stopping the oral steroid matters most.
ModerateBlack-market quality risk (fakes, contamination)
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).
ModerateHeart strain / heart-muscle thickening
Regular cardio, blood pressure control, an echo as a baseline and then yearly.
Measure
How each option helps (4)
- Heart screening: ECG and echocardiogram — Echocardiography shows wall thickening and reduced pumping early, while stopping AAS and treating BP can still help.
- Working with a doctor — Orders ECG and echocardiography and treats early heart changes.
- Home blood-pressure monitoring — Keeping BP controlled is one of the main ways to limit heart-wall thickening.
- Regular cardio training — Supports heart and vessel function, but does not reverse steroid-related heart thickening or weakening.
ModerateThick blood (hematocrit) / clot risk
Check the blood count regularly; if hematocrit stays high, a doctor decides — usually stopping or reducing the cause, sometimes therapeutic phlebotomy, never blood-bank donation. Avoid dehydration: it thickens the blood further.
Measure
How each option helps (3)
- Regular blood tests — A blood count shows hematocrit and hemoglobin climbing toward the range where clot and stroke risk rises.
- Therapeutic phlebotomy prescribed by a doctor — Only on a doctor's decision, never at a blood bank. Lowers hematocrit quickly but temporarily; repeated sessions drain iron, and a lower clot risk is unproven.
- Working with a doctor — Manages thick blood by changing what you use or, if justified, by therapeutic phlebotomy.
ModerateKidney strain
Drink enough water, control blood pressure, avoid regular painkillers (NSAIDs).
Measure
How each option helps (3)
- Fluid & electrolyte management — Good hydration eases kidney stress from heavy training and heat; dehydration plus NSAIDs is a classic cause of acute kidney injury.
- Regular blood tests — Creatinine reads high in muscular people and with creatine; cystatin C and a urine test give a truer picture of the kidneys.
- Working with a doctor — Investigates protein in the urine or falling kidney function and can start treatment that slows kidney damage.
MenLow
WomenHigh
Stop at the first voice change and see a doctor — early stopping matters.
Measure
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
Low estrogen
Avoid controlling estrogen blindly; adjust only by blood tests with a doctor.
Measure
How each option helps (1)
- Regular blood tests — Testing ends guesswork use of aromatase inhibitors — prescription drugs that can push estrogen too low and harm joints, libido, mood and lipids.
Acne
Gentle skin care, cleansing after training, a dermatologist if it spreads.
Supplement or OTC product
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.
Hair loss
Ketoconazole shampoo, minoxidil, a dermatologist early if you are prone to it.
Supplement or OTC product
How each option helps (1)
- Minoxidil (topical) — Slows thinning and regrows some hair; scalp itching and early temporary shedding are common, unwanted facial hair possible. Gains fade once stopped.
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.
Baseline tests
your own starting values — every later result is compared with them
Lipid panel (HDL, LDL, triglycerides, ApoB)cholesterol, low estrogen
Liver panel (ALT, AST, GGT, bilirubin)liver
Complete blood count (hematocrit, hemoglobin)hematocrit
Kidney panel (creatinine, eGFR, cystatin C)kidneys
Testosterone (total, free), LH, FSH, SHBGnatural testosterone
Estradiol (sensitive assay)low estrogen
Home blood-pressure logheart, kidneys
ECGheart
Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)heart
Urinalysiskidneys
While taking
about 4–6 weeks in, then every 6–8 weeks — agree the exact schedule with your doctor
Lipid panel (HDL, LDL, triglycerides, ApoB)cholesterol, low estrogen
Liver panel (ALT, AST, GGT, bilirubin)liver
Complete blood count (hematocrit, hemoglobin)hematocrit
Kidney panel (creatinine, eGFR, cystatin C)kidneys
Estradiol (sensitive assay)low estrogen
Home blood-pressure logheart, kidneys
Urinalysiskidneys
After stopping
4–8 weeks after stopping (later after long-acting injections), then until values return to baseline
Lipid panel (HDL, LDL, triglycerides, ApoB)cholesterol, low estrogen
Liver panel (ALT, AST, GGT, bilirubin)liver
Complete blood count (hematocrit, hemoglobin)hematocrit
Kidney panel (creatinine, eGFR, cystatin C)kidneys
Testosterone (total, free), LH, FSH, SHBGnatural testosterone
Semen analysisnot earlier than 3 months after stopping, then every 3 months until normalnatural testosterone
Every year
with regular or repeated use
ECGheart
Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)heart
Which doctors can help
Sports physiciancoordinates everything
Cardiologistcholesterol, hematocrit, heart
Endocrinologistnatural testosterone, low estrogen
Gastroenterologist / hepatologistliver
Nephrologistkidneys
Gynecologistvirilization, natural testosterone (women)
At home
- Home blood pressure: 2–3 times a week in the morning, keep a log
Get medical help at once if
- Swelling, pain or redness in one leg; sudden shortness of breath or chest pain; sudden one-sided weakness or numbness, trouble speaking or seeing — seek urgent care.
- Chest pain or pressure, breathlessness on light effort, swollen ankles, fainting — seek urgent care.
- Yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, intense itching, pain under the right ribs — see a doctor now; sudden severe abdominal pain with dizziness or fainting — call emergency services.
- Much less urine than usual, cola-colored urine, new swelling, flank pain — see a doctor now.
- 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
Often called 'mild', but it was the main steroid of East Germany's doping program, which left many female athletes with lasting virilization; voice and clitoral changes can be permanent.
Myth & fact
Myth
“Turinabol is a mild, 'clean' steroid.”
Fact
No water retention does not mean low risk: it is 17α-alkylated (liver, HDL), suppresses natural testosterone, and is documented to virilize women.
Combinations
No specific combination notes for this substance yet. The stack check still adds up side effects that several substances share.
Sources
Franke WW, Berendonk B. Hormonal doping and androgenization of athletes: a secret program of the German Democratic Republic government. Clin Chem 1997 (opens in a new tab)Huang G et al. Do anabolic-androgenic steroids have performance-enhancing effects in female athletes? Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018 (opens in a new tab)LiverTox: Androgenic Steroids (opens in a new tab)
Check how Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone combines with your stack
Possible side effects by body system, combinations, how to lower the risks and which tests to do — free.
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