January 19, 2001
Issue #30

EXTREME ANABOLIC REVIEW
by Grendel

This week I am going to start with a basic drug that should be among the first two drugs anyone researches or uses. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. The first drug any bodybuilder should investigate is testosterone; it’s the king of anabolic steroids. The second drug a bodybuilder should learn about is nandrolone. I should add that this discussion includes all of the various esters of nandrolone, whether it be laurate, decanoate, or phenylpropionate.
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 Nandrolone

Nandrolone is a 19-nortestosterone derivate steroid that is more anabolic then androgenic. It does not easily convert into estrogen nor does it have many of the common steroid side effects like hair-loss and acne. The biggest side-effect a user will encounter with Nandrolone is erectile dysfunction which is commonly called “deca-dick”; there is also usually an accompanying loss of sexual desire associated with the usage of this drug. However, these side effects really seem dosage dependant and are not as evident in weekly dosages under 500-mgs. Nandrolone seems to help athletes with joint problems; certainly, the water-retention caused by this drug would “cushion” the region.

It is said that nandrolone was the drug that caused bodybuilders to start the practive of stacking. Whether this is true or not I don’t know.  However, nandrolone is one of the most potent additions possible to any cycle. On its own, nandrolone can provide solid muscle gains but it is really when used in conjunction with other drugs that nandrolone shines. For bulking purposes, nandrolone combines well with testosterone and an oral steroid like Oxymetholone (anadrol). Nandrolone does cause water retention, which makes it less then perfect for contest preparation. Another important consideration is that nandrolone metabolites are detectable in the body for much longer then most other steroids; bodybuilders or athletes that are drug tested would be advised to stay away from nandrolone. If water retention is a major cosmetic concern, 25mcgs of cytomel (t3 thyroid hormone) will help reduce this “puffiness” or “smoothness”.

While I think a beginner could benefit from using Nandrolone on its own at dosages as low as 300mg per week, even a neophyte steroid user should add testosterone to the stack. It is one of my fundamental beliefs that no cycle should be without testosterone at a minimum dose of 500mg per week. Look, a dosage of 100-150 mg per week is roughly testosterone replacement therapy-what can you take away from that? Low dosages of testosterone will only serve to shutdown your natural production without providing much in the way of gains in the gym.

The biggest problem with nandrolone is cost and availability. Nandrolone is one of the most counterfeited steroids in the world and the real stuff is expensive. Furthermore, the nandrolone that you could afford (Egyptian and Greek for instance) are going to come, usually, in 50mg per ml ampoules. That means even someone taking 300mgs per week is going to be taking 6ccs of nandrolone per week. That greatly increases the injection volume, which is not good in my opinion. Mexican nandrolone comes in 200mg per ml vials (10mls per vial) but quality is questionable; most people consider the product under-dosed. 

Designing a cycle with Nandrolone is not complex. I would say to use as much as you can afford up to 600mgs per week. Really, beyond that, a higher dosage seems counter-productive because you are really just increasing your side effects without much gain. I would not go too much below 200mg per week. As I mentioned in a previous article, nandrolone can be used by women as well although I don’t feel comfortable really recommending a dosage level.  Some women tolerate nandrolone very well, and can use significant amounts with little or no side effects.  I’ve seen other women suffer from clitoral hypertrophy and deepening of the voice on doses as low as 50 mg/week.

Cyproheptadine (Periactin)

This is an antihistamine with anti-serotoninergic properties used for the treatment of acute and chronic allergies. This drug is also used as an anti-depressant and weight gain agent for patients with anorexia nervosa. It is also speculated that this drug increases growth hormone levels in the body; perhaps as a function of increased sleep. This drug is extremely potent. It drastically boosts your appetite and food intake. It also makes you extremely sleepy, making it a very useful nighttime drug if you have difficult with insomnia from high levels of circulating testosterone. Athletes can expect to gain weight even without AAS when using this drug.

Now that is what I wrote about Periactin in a previous article. There have recently been many questions asked about this product and I want to address this drug in greater depth. First off, this drug is not scheduled or controlled in anyway as it’s only really an anti-histamine. Furthermore, because its used in the treatment of AIDS (perhaps not clinically) some pharmacies in larger cities will provide it without prescription…This means there is almost no problem obtaining it domestically although you can freely import it from SBC. Ok, now, because of the legal nature of this drug I can comment personally it. I have taken periactin and it knocked me on my ass. Plain and simple, this drug makes you sleep like the dead. You will sleep at least 10 hours, if not more, and the sleep is very deep. The hunger you feel with periactin is very acute; it is a sharp almost painful feeling. It takes a while for the appetite stimulating effects to kick in from the periactin, I would estimate that after a few days of steady use you will begin to experience increased appetite, but I have found it takes at least seven days for the full effects to set in.

Periactin may not be the best drug for of many people because of the fatigue it causes. You could use stimulants like ephedrine to keep alert but at the same time that would suppress the hunger stimulating qualities of this drug. Sleeping a lot is not a bad thing; the combination of increased calories and lots of rest is the most crucial component to muscular growth.

I think periactin would be of great use to younger athletes who do not have the rigors of working a fulltime job, etc. If I had a high school aged friend who wanted to put on 20 pounds steroid-free I would suggest he start taking periactin since the hunger and the sleep would produce a solid weight gain and his schedule could accommodate the increased hours of sleep.  I am going to make a bold suggestion. If you have not used anabolic steroids but still find yourself hitting a plateau at a weight then use periactin, one pill a day is all you will need. I think this will help you bust through that plateau without resorting to steroids. I am not promising pure muscle growth, but I am saying you will find your body putting on more weight.

Well this brings us the to end of another issue. Next week I will return to the kitchen chemistry series of articles because I think I have some simple things that need to be said, although there may be some out there that would rather I would not say them. This series, Extreme Anabolic Profiles, will continue, probably every other week or so. I still want feedback on drugs that the readers would like to see profiled and if there are specific questions that you would like to see answered; if you have some good ideas contact me at Grendel@anabolicextreme.com.