Stanozolol
Winstrol, Winstrol Depot, Winny, Winni, Stromba, Strombaject, Winstrol-V, Stanozolol suspension
Forms: Oral tablets and an injectable water-based suspension (Winstrol Depot). Both forms carry the 17α-methyl group, so both act on the liver.
Oral steroidsControlled substanceWADA S1.1 · prohibitedEvidence: approved medicine
A 17α-alkylated DHT derivative, as tablets or a water-based injectable, that lowers HDL cholesterol more than most steroids and strains the liver; used for a 'dry', hard look.
Legal status: Controlled anabolic steroid in many countries (US Schedule III); human products largely discontinued, veterinary use continues; 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 while dieting and by power and speed athletes for strength without weight gain and a dry, hard look. Medically used for hereditary angioedema; no longer marketed for humans in the US since 2010, still used in veterinary medicine.
What people seek and what studies show
Controlled studies in athletes are scarce. The dry look users describe fits its chemistry: it forms no estrogen, so it retains little water. Medical studies show effects mostly outside muscle: in a long osteoporosis trial total body calcium rose by 4.4% (regional bone density did not differ from placebo), and within days SHBG, the protein that carries testosterone, fell by about half.
Effects
Evidence: Approved medicine — studied in people for its medical use
Sought effects by goal (as reported)
Mass
Sought for: muscle growth, strength
Cutting
Sought for: keeping muscle in a deficit, hard, dry look
Recomposition
Sought for: muscle growth, keeping muscle in a deficit
Strength
Sought for: strength, muscle growth
Works against it: tendon / ligament injury risk
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.
15 possible side effects
level · how often it is reportedElevated
Worse cholesterol (HDL↓ LDL↑)
commonIn a controlled study it cut HDL by 33% and raised LDL by 29%, versus a 9% HDL drop with injectable testosterone. The change is silent — only a lipid panel shows it.
How to notice: No symptoms — only visible on a lipid panel.
Elevated
Suppression of natural testosterone & fertility
commonSuppresses natural testosterone and sperm production; recovery after stopping can take months, often with low libido and fatigue until then.
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.
Elevated
Black-market quality risk (fakes, contamination)
commonMostly from underground labs: injectable suspensions carry a real sterility risk, and tablets may contain other substances.
How to notice: Unexpected effects, pain or infection, a stronger or weaker effect than expected.
Elevated
Liver strain
possible17α-alkylated in both forms: enzyme rises are common and cholestatic hepatitis is reported; the injectable does not spare the liver. Dark urine or itching is a reason for prompt liver tests.
How to notice: Usually silent early; later tiredness, nausea, itch, dark urine.
Elevated
Kidney strain
rareRare: severe cholestasis can damage the kidneys (bile cast nephropathy); two bodybuilders needed dialysis after using it.
How to notice: Usually silent; foamy urine or swelling in later stages.
Moderate
Injection pain, infection, oil cough
commonThe injectable is a water-based suspension: injections are often painful, and non-sterile products can cause abscesses; if redness, heat or swelling grows, see a doctor.
How to notice: Soreness, lumps; a short coughing fit right after an injection.
Moderate
Joint & muscle pain
possibleJoint aches ('dry joints') are widely reported by users; the cause is not proven — low estrogen may play a role.
How to notice: Aching or stiff joints, muscle aches.
Moderate
Tendon / ligament injury risk
possibleAAS users have markedly more upper-body tendon ruptures (class data, not stanozolol-specific); fast strength gains are one proposed cause.
How to notice: Pain at tendon attachments under heavy load.
Moderate
Androgenic hair loss
possibleA potent DHT derivative: can noticeably speed up hair loss in genetically prone men.
How to notice: More hair in the shower, thinning at the temples or crown.
Moderate
Thick blood (hematocrit) / clot risk
possibleUsed in some countries to treat aplastic anemia and the anemia of myelodysplastic syndromes because it raises hemoglobin; in healthy users this can thicken the blood. A blood count tracks it.
How to notice: Often silent; sometimes headaches, flushed face, itch after a hot shower.
Moderate
Heart strain / heart-muscle thickening
possibleNo stanozolol-specific heart studies, but years of AAS use are linked to thicker heart walls and weaker pumping, and its steep HDL drop adds to the risk.
How to notice: Shortness of breath on effort, lower endurance, palpitations.
MenLow
WomenHigh
Virilization in women (often irreversible)
commonDespite its 'mild' reputation it readily virilizes women: voice deepening and clitoral enlargement may be 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: used without testosterone, it drives estradiol down — low libido, flat mood and joint aches can follow.
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
Higher blood pressure
possibleLess fluid-driven than with estrogenic oral steroids, but blood pressure can still rise; home readings show the trend.
How to notice: Often silent; sometimes headaches, flushing, nosebleeds — a home monitor shows it.
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 12 of 15 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.
ElevatedBlack-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).
ElevatedLiver strain
No alcohol, no other liver stressors, limit oral steroids and their combinations, check liver enzymes.
Measure
Supplement or OTC product
Only if a doctor prescribes
How each option helps (6)
- 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.
- Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) — A doctor may consider it to improve bile flow; in steroid cholestasis benefit is unproven and severe cases often did not respond. Stopping the oral steroid comes first. Has side effects of its own.
ElevatedKidney strain
Drink enough water, control blood pressure, avoid regular painkillers (NSAIDs).
Measure
Only if a doctor prescribes
How each option helps (6)
- 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.
- ACE inhibitors (ramipril, perindopril, lisinopril) — May reduce protein leakage into urine and slow kidney disease. But with dehydration, diuretics or NSAIDs (ibuprofen etc.) they can trigger acute kidney injury. Has side effects of its own.
- Losartan / valsartan (angiotensin receptor blockers) — May reduce protein leakage into urine. But with dehydration, water cuts, diuretics or NSAIDs (ibuprofen etc.) they can trigger acute kidney injury. Has side effects of its own.
- Telmisartan — May reduce protein leakage into urine. But with dehydration, diuretics or NSAIDs (ibuprofen etc.) it can trigger acute kidney injury. Has side effects of its own.
ModerateInjection pain, infection, oil cough
Sterile technique, never share needles, vials or pens; see a doctor for a hot, swollen site. If equipment was ever shared, test for HIV and hepatitis B/C and ask about hepatitis B vaccination.
ModerateJoint & muscle pain
Check estradiol (too low hurts joints), warm up well, avoid overloading.
Measure
Supplement or OTC product
How each option helps (2)
- Working with a doctor — Finds the cause of joint or muscle pain — estradiol pushed too low by an aromatase inhibitor, GH-driven swelling, statin muscle effects — so treatment can be adjusted.
- Coenzyme Q10 — May ease statin-related muscle aches (one meta-analysis positive, results mixed); no help for joint pain from low estrogen.
ModerateTendon / ligament injury risk
Progress weights gradually — strength rises faster than tendons adapt.
ModerateAndrogenic 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.
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.
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.
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.
Blood pressure
Less salt, regular cardio, good sleep; home readings; a doctor if it stays high.
Measure
Supplement or OTC product
How each option helps (8)
- Home blood-pressure monitoring — Seated, rested readings on several days show your true BP; persistently high values are a signal to see a doctor.
- Regular cardio training — Regular aerobic training lowers resting BP by a few mmHg, more in people with high BP.
- Working with a doctor — Diagnoses persistent hypertension and prescribes treatment when needed.
- Avoiding alcohol and other liver stressors — Regular drinking raises blood pressure; cutting it out lowers it.
- Coenzyme Q10 — Inconsistent: some analyses show a small systolic drop in cardiometabolic disease, but a Cochrane review found no clinically meaningful effect.
- Magnesium — Meta-analysis of trials: about 2 mmHg lower systolic pressure on average.
- Omega-3 (fish oil, EPA/DHA) — Small drop of a few mmHg, mainly in people with untreated high blood pressure.
- Taurine — Meta-analysis of 20 small trials: about 4 mmHg lower systolic pressure on average.
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 logkidneys, heart
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 logkidneys, heart
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
Cardiologistcholesterol, hematocrit, heart
Endocrinologistnatural testosterone, low estrogen
Sports physicianjoints & muscles, tendons
Gastroenterologist / hepatologistliver
Nephrologistkidneys
Dermatologisthair loss
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
- 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.
- 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.
- A snap and sudden sharp pain in a tendon, inability to load the limb — stop training and get it examined.
- A hot, red, swollen or pus-filled injection site with fever — signs of an abscess; see a doctor.
- 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 presented to women as a 'light' option, but it is a strong androgen for women: voice deepening, facial hair and clitoral enlargement are common and may be permanent; risk rises with dose and duration.
Myth & fact
Myth
“Injectable Winstrol spares the liver.”
Fact
Both forms carry the same 17α-methyl group that makes it liver-active. Injection skips the first pass but does not make it liver-safe — liver tests and lipids still need watching.
Combinations
Overlap5α-reductase inhibitor with steroids it cannot affect
DHT-derived steroids, trenbolone and trestolone act without 5α-reductase, so finasteride and dutasteride do not lower their effect on hair or prostate; they only reduce DHT made from testosterone, while finasteride and dutasteride keep their own side effects.
DrostanoloneMetenolone1-TestosteroneOxandroloneOxymetholoneMesteroloneMethasteroneTrenboloneTrestoloneMethyl-1-testosterone (M1T)Desoxymethyltestosterone (DMT, Madol, Pheraplex)Epistane (methylepitiostanol, Havoc)ProstanozolMestanoloneStenbolone1-Andro (1-androsterone) and related prohormonesEpiandrosterone (Epi-Andro)Androstanolone (dihydrotestosterone, DHT)Sources
Thompson PD et al. Contrasting effects of testosterone and stanozolol on serum lipoprotein levels. JAMA 1989 (opens in a new tab)Kanayama G et al. Ruptured tendons in anabolic-androgenic steroid users: a cross-sectional cohort study. Am J Sports Med 2015 (opens in a new tab)Tabatabaee SM et al. Bile cast nephropathy due to cholestatic jaundice after using stanozolol in 2 amateur bodybuilders. Iran J Kidney Dis 2015 (opens in a new tab)
Check how Stanozolol 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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