Side Effects
Even though Anadrol is a non-aromatizing steroid, it still for reasons not fully understood bring about an increase in the levels of estrogen. Therefore, we still see some of those estrogen related side effects that so many steroids cause.
Anadrol is a powerful steroid and as is so often the case, the more powerful the steroid, the more numerous and fuller on the side effects can be. The main side effects to be aware of when you’re using Anadrol are:
Liver Toxicity
Anadrol is a 17aa (17-Alpha-Alkylated) steroid, and like all steroids of this type it is particularly demanding on the liver.
This means we must pay close attention to both dosage and duration of use of Anadrol because liver damage, and liver failure at the most extreme end, is not something you want to deal with.
Studies have clearly shown that liver stress levels rise with the use of oral anabolic steroids like Anadrol, with additional adverse effects on the kidneys when used long term.
Headache
Anadrol is famous for its headache inducing effects in some people. Experimenting with lowering your dosage can impact on whether you experience headaches or not, or how bad they get. In more severe cases, migraines can form, and this can certainly be a factor in how high a dosage of Anadrol you’re going to be comfortable using.
Some people will get headaches at just 50mg, while others can tolerate 100mg. Because Anadrol can also cause high blood pressure, this should be checked to make sure BP is not contributing to headaches.
Gynecomastia
An estrogenic side effect of Anadrol is gyno and even though, as mentioned, this steroid does not aromatize we still need to make use of anti-estrogen medication to keep issues like gyno at bay.
Aromatase inhibitors still work well with Anadrol to lower estrogen levels and reduce symptoms like gyno, just keep in mind that AI’s (unlike SERMs) can negatively impact on cholesterol levels.
Water Retention/Bloating
Another estrogenic effect that most users will experience with Anadrol is water retention, and this is a particular problem for those who are getting competition ready.
But again, water retention can be reduced and controlled using a quality aromatase inhibitor like Arimidex.
Keeping control of water retention is not only critical for appearance purposes, but even more importantly an excess of water retention can have an adverse effect on your blood pressure.
Cholesterol
If you are prone to high cholesterol, you you need to seriously consider whether Anadrol is the right steroid for you, because it is well known to contribute to a decrease in good cholesterol levels (HDL).
Even with normal healthy cholesterol levels, anyone using Anadrol is at risk of elevated cholesterol while on this steroid.
This makes it imperative that a low cholesterol diet is maintained especially by minimizing saturated fat intake, and by including some heart rate elevating cardio work in your workout routines.
Loss of Appetite
This is not meant to occur when you use Anadrol because it’s a drug designed to increase appetite and help you gain weight; but if you’re using too high a dosage it can have the opposite effect and suppress your appetite. So, if you notice a clear decrease in how much you feel like eating, your Anadrol dosage is too high.
Suppression of Natural Hormones
Like all steroids, Anadrol will cause the body to slow down or even stop the normal production of hormones, including testosterone
For this reason, you will almost certainly want to be making use of a testosterone steroid while on an Anadrol cycle. Without it, low testosterone and all the associated symptoms are virtually a given.
There are many different testosterone esters you can choose to use with Anadrol, and all will serve the purpose of maintaining a viable level of the hormone while you’re on a cycle.
Post cycle therapy is also critical to get all your natural hormone function going again once your entire steroid cycle is complete.
Mood Changes
This is a possibility with any anabolic steroid and some users do report seeing some pretty serious changes to their moods regarding anger and temperament.
Again, this is an area where monitoring your dosage relative to side effects is important so you can strike the right balance between getting good results while not suffering with personality changes that will impact other parts of your life.
ANADROL POST CYCLE THERAPY
While an exogenous source of testosterone during your Anadrol cycle is critical, just as important is to plan your post cycle theraphy (PCT) so your system can get back to normal.
When your steroid cycle finishes, normal testosterone production will begin again but this is a slow process that you will keep you in a state of low testosterone if you don’t undertake PCT.
Post cycle therapy speeds up your hormone production so you can be quickly producing testosterone at an adequate level without the use of steroids.
Because Anadrol is often used at the beginning of a steroid cycle, when and how you start your PCT will often depend on what other steroids you’re taking in your cycle, and how long it goes for. If you’re using just Anadrol and testosterone cypionate for example, your main PCT will start two weeks after the end of the cycle.
Since you will likely be making use of Arimidex or another aromatase inhibitor during your Anadrol cycle to control estrogen, this will also continue through your PCT.
An example of post cycle therapy in this scenario includes continuing Arimidex at 0.5mg daily, while starting with HCG (Gonadotropin) at up to 2500iu weekly beginning at the end of the cycle and going for two weeks. Following this by starting 50mg of Clomid for 3 weeks while maintaining Arimidex at 0.5mg but reducing it to once every two days.
