Side Effects
On the scale of severity of side effects that steroids can cause, Anavar is near the bottom. This is a side effect friendly compound compared with most others, but that doesn’t mean there are zero risks of adverse effects.
Oxandrolone is not an estrogenic steroid, so you don’t need to use aromatase inhibitors with it. However, as most men will be using other steroids stacked with Anavar the use of aromatase inhibitors might still be required depending which compounds are being used.
The main issues to watch out for include:
Low Testosterone
– While Anavar is far from the most highly suppressive steroid we can use; it can still reduce your natural testosterone production down by half or more. If you already have low testosterone levels, Anavar can be enough to push it well down where you’ll experience related side effects like low libido, mood changes and fatigue. This is a reason it’s always advised to add an exogenous source of testosterone to all Anavar cycles, so your Test levels are maintained, and you can focus on your goals and not mitigating low testosterone side effects.
Hair Loss
– Anavar won’t cause you to start going bald if you weren’t going to go bald later in life thanks to your genetics. On other words, if you’re predisposed to hair loss then Anavar might make it happen earlier, but as with all other side effects with this steroid, it’s certainly not guaranteed to happen and especially when dosages are kept at moderate levels the chances are slimmer of any hair loss issues occurring.
Acne
– Another possible effect of DHT steroids like Anavar is acne because of increased activity of the sebaceous glands, which can also bring about oily skin. Again, if you have had acne issues in the past, you’re at higher risk of this side effect however sensible doses and assuring you only use high quality Oxandrolone can minimize the risk of acne and skin related side effects.
Liver Toxicity
– All oral steroids carry some toxicity to the liver, but Anavar is at the lower end of the scale in this regard. However, that doesn’t mean excessive use of Anavar should take place; make no mistake that Anavar still carries liver toxicity risks as a C17-aa steroid and its use will more than likely result in changes to liver enzymes which indicates liver stress. This is the reason
an 8-week cycle is recommended
as the maximum length, and it’s just as important to avoid the use of not only Anavar, but any other oral C17-aa steroid until the liver has returned to normal functionality. Additionally, alcohol should be avoided to avoid additional stress to the liver.
Virilization in Females
– Anavar is possible the most female friendly steroid in existence and it’s more than possible for women to experience no virilization side effects at all when dosages are maintained at a low level of no more than 20mg daily (however 10mg is advised as the best dose to avoid deepening of the voice and other masculinization side effects). Typical masculinization effects that can occur for women are body hair growth, deepening of the voice and clitoral enlargement. While these reactions are an almost certainly when a woman uses any other steroid, they are considerably less likely to occur with Anavar at the recommended dosage and when a cycle is kept to no more than six weeks.
All anabolic steroids come with risks but with sensible dosage and cycle lengths, Anavar side effects can be well controlled by both male and female users.
Anavar Post Cycle Therapy
Even though Anavar is a comparatively mild steroid, PCT is always ideal following a cycle. Additionally, most users will combine other steroids into the cycle, making PCT even more mandatory to recover hormone function and keep the gains you’ve made.
The PCT protocol you follow will depend on what you can obtain and what other steroids you’re using. Adding Clomid and HCG is a good option. 2500IU of HCG per week for the first two weeks of PCT, and Clomid at 50 mg daily for three (four) weeks will greatly improve results post-PCT.
Even an Anavar only cycle requires PCT (doesn’t need to be an aggressive one) otherwise you will be waiting many months for normal testosterone production function to be restored; during which time you’re likely to suffer the effects of low testosterone.
