Methandrostenolone
Also known as: dianabol, dbol, methandienone
The 'dianabol' steroid: the original performance oral, and still one of the harder ones on the liver.
Legal status: UK: Class C controlled drug and prescription-only medicine. Supplying it (including to friends) and importing it by post are criminal offences; personal possession for your own use generally is not. Checked 2026-07-26.
Prohibited in sport: Yes — on the WADA Prohibited List.
What it is
Methandrostenolone was developed in the 1950s specifically to give athletes the anabolic effect of testosterone in an oral form, and it is the compound that effectively created the modern steroid era. It is 17-alpha-alkylated, aromatises readily to oestrogen, and is no longer a licensed medicine in the UK.
What’s claimed
- Fast, large increases in size and strength
- A strong sense of wellbeing and training drive
- The classic opening compound for a first regimen
What the evidence shows
The anabolic effect is well-supported in humans (Gold): this is one of the few compounds here with an actual controlled trial history, some of it decades old. The qualifications matter: a substantial fraction of the rapid early weight is water, much of which is lost afterwards, and the liver and blood-pressure costs are among the higher in this library. Its historical status as 'the original' should not be read as a safety record.
The risks
- Hepatic: 17-alpha-alkylation lets the compound survive digestion and is the same change that burdens the liver; raised liver enzymes, and in rarer cases cholestasis or peliosis hepatis.
- Oestrogenic: strong aromatisation, so gynaecomastia and marked fluid retention are common.
- Cardiovascular: raised blood pressure driven by fluid retention, alongside adverse lipid shifts.
- Lipids: marked lowering of HDL ('good') cholesterol and raising of LDL, an adverse cardiovascular shift that is more pronounced with oral compounds.
- Endocrine: suppression of the body's own testosterone production, with testicular atrophy and impaired fertility. Recovery is not guaranteed and can be slow or incomplete.
What needs monitoring
- Full blood count, including haematocrit and haemoglobin
- Lipid profile
- Blood pressure
- Liver and kidney markers
- Testosterone and the wider hormonal axis: a doctor is the right person to arrange these tests and to interpret what they show.
Sources
- NHS. Anabolic steroid misuse — health risks and the law.
- GOV.UK. Controlled drugs: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 drug classes.
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The Prohibited List.
- Pope HG, et al. Adverse health consequences of performance-enhancing drugs: an Endocrine Society scientific statement. Endocr Rev. 2014;35(3):341-375.