Oxymetholon

Oxymetholone — Anadrol by Dragon Pharma

Anadrol is Dragon Pharma's formulation of oral Oxymetholone at 50mg per tablet — one of the most potent oral mass-building steroids available, originally developed as a treatment for anaemia and muscle wasting conditions. Supplied in a 100-tablet pack, Anadrol produces among the most rapid increases in size and strength of any oral compound, with a distinct mechanism that separates it from other mass-building orals.

Also searched as: Oxymetholone 50mg, Anadrol 50, Oxy, Anadrol Dragon Pharma.

What Is Oxymetholone (Anadrol)?

Oxymetholone is a DHT-derived oral anabolic steroid — yet its side effect profile is paradoxically more similar to aromatising compounds than other DHT derivatives. This is because Oxymetholone does not convert to estrogen via aromatase (it cannot — it's a DHT derivative), but instead appears to activate estrogen receptors directly and through progestogenic activity. This distinction matters practically: aromatase inhibitors have limited effectiveness at managing Anadrol's estrogenic-type side effects, unlike with testosterone-based compounds where AIs address the root cause. The result is significant water retention and potential gynecomastia through a pathway that AIs cannot fully block.

The Anadrol Paradox — Why AIs Don't Fully Work

This is one of the most important and least-explained aspects of Anadrol use, and a critical information gap in most competitor content:

• Oxymetholone cannot aromatise — it has no aromatase substrate in its structure due to the DHT base
• Despite this, it produces significant estrogenic-type effects including water retention, potential gynecomastia and mood changes
• The mechanism is direct estrogen receptor agonism and/or progestogenic receptor activity — not aromatase conversion
• Consequence: aromatase inhibitors like Arimidex or Aromasin reduce circulating estrogen from other compounds in a stack, but they cannot block Oxymetholone's direct receptor activity
• SERMs (Nolvadex) are generally considered more useful than AIs for managing Anadrol-specific gynecomastia risk, as they block the estrogen receptor rather than reducing estrogen production

Effects and Benefits

• Among the most rapid mass gains of any oral steroid — significant size and strength increases often visible within the first week
• Exceptional strength increases — Anadrol is frequently cited as producing greater acute strength gains than Dianabol at comparable doses
• Originally developed for anaemia — Oxymetholone increases red blood cell count and erythropoiesis, improving oxygen delivery and training endurance
• Improved joint lubrication and connective tissue resilience during high-volume training, attributed to water retention in joint spaces
• Clinically proven: Phase III trials in HIV-related muscle wasting showed 8kg average lean mass gain over 30 weeks at 150mg/day

Dosage and Administration

With an ~8-9 hour half-life, Anadrol can be taken once daily though some users split the dose. Unlike Dianabol where splitting is more important due to its shorter 3-6 hour half-life, Anadrol's longer half-life makes once-daily dosing practical. Cycle length is typically limited to 4-6 weeks due to hepatotoxicity, with most advanced users keeping the 100mg/day dose to 4 weeks maximum.

Anadrol vs Dianabol — The Core Comparison

These are the two most commonly compared mass-building orals, and the comparison is more nuanced than most content suggests:

The key practical distinction: Anadrol produces greater and faster strength and size at equivalent doses but is harder to manage estrogenically. Dianabol's water retention is more controllable with AIs. Users sensitive to water retention and gynecomastia often find Dianabol more manageable despite being the "weaker" compound on paper.