Oxymetholone, sold under the brand names Anadrol and Anapolon among others, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication which is used primarily in the treatment of anemia.
[5] The primary clinical applications of oxymetholone include treatment of anemia and osteoporosis, as well as stimulating muscle growth in malnourished or underdeveloped patients.
[5] However, in the United States, the only remaining FDATooltip Food and Drug Administration-approved indication is the treatment of anemia.
[5] Presented most commonly as a 50 mg tablet, oxymetholone has been said to be one of the "strongest" and "most powerful" AAS available for medical use.
[15][16] Oxymetholone is highly effective in promoting extensive gains in body mass, mostly by greatly improving protein synthesis.
[5] The common side effects of oxymetholone include depression, lethargy, headache, swelling, fast and excessive weight gain, priapism, changes in skin color, urination problems, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain (if taken on an empty stomach), loss of appetite, jaundice, breast swelling in men, feeling restless or excited, insomnia, and diarrhea.
[6] Oxymetholone has very low affinity for human serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), less than 5% of that of testosterone and less than 1% of that of DHT.
[5][9] It was introduced for medical use by Syntex and Imperial Chemical Industries in the United Kingdom under the brand name Anapolon by 1961.
[20][21][25][12] Oxymetholone has been marketed under a variety of brand names including Anadrol, Anadroyd, Anapolon, Anasterona, Anasteronal, Anasterone, Androlic, Androyd, Hemogenin, Nastenon, Oxitoland, Oxitosona, Oxyanabolic, Oxybolone, Protanabol, Roboral, Synasterobe, Synasteron, and Zenalosyn.
[5][12] At least historically, it has also been available in Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland,The UAE, Israel, Hong Kong, and India.