Oxymetholone (Anadrol)
FROM THE REEL TO THE RESEARCH
The quick answer, with the evidence attached.
Both have demonstrated anabolic effects in human studies. Neither has been established as the superior muscle builder in a reliable head-to-head trial of healthy trained lifters identified for this comparison. The interesting distinction is how molecular changes, exposure and tissue responses produce outcomes that a mirror or scale cannot separate.
From Anavar vs Anadrol · Editorial update 2026-10-16
Related comparisons (2)
- Anavar vs Anadrol — Beyond hardness and fullness.
- Dianabol vs Anadrol — Rapid size. Several kinds of change.
What it is & what research shows
Study example availableOxymetholone is listed as a small molecule in the anabolic steroids section of this catalog. Also indexed as Anadrol, Oxymetholone injection, Oxymetholone. A source-verified explanation of its mechanism and uses has not yet been completed here; the catalog category is not evidence of benefit.
One selected study: Full-paper case report followed suspected cholestatic liver injury after 29 days of self-administered oral oxymetholone 50 mg/day plus intramuscular testosterone enanthate 250 mg/week. One previously healthy 26-year-old male gym instructor presented with jaundice, dark urine, pale stools and severe itching. The case report describes self-administered oral oxymetholone 50 mg/day with intramuscular testosterone enanthate 250 mg/week. Presentation was on day 29; both agents were withdrawn on day 30. Product identity was not chemically verified. Peak bilirubin was 24.6 mg/dL with cholestatic injury; synthetic and renal function remained preserved. After both agents stopped, bilirubin fell 91.5% by day 85. Single-case evidence cannot establish causation. Testosterone was coadministered, products were not chemically verified, and supportive treatment prevents attributing recovery to a specific intervention. [2.1]
Sources & reading scope
- [2.1] Oxymetholone-Associated Cholestatic Drug-Induced Liver Injury With Profound Hyperbilirubinaemia: A Longitudinal Case Report.Case report · Supplied full text summarized
Evidence summarized on PED Evidence
2 completed summaries
1 human-study reports
1 randomized-trial candidates
1 safety-topic reports
More about Oxymetholone: identity, safety & reference details
Also known as Anadrol · Oxymetholone injection · Oxymetholone
Start with the research
An outcome-specific synthesis has not been prepared for this compound. This is a coverage gap, not evidence that it has no effect.
Open studies and trial records- Uses & research
Uses have not been independently checked for this profile. Browse the original studies to see the conditions and populations investigated.
- Known half-life
No source-verified value in this profile yet. A treatment schedule or duration of an effect is not a drug half-life.
Half-life describes how quickly the measured drug concentration falls by half. It does not set a dosing interval.- Evidence & important limits
Research subject only. Excluded from evidence-leader and supportive-compound recommendations.
Safety & evidence boundaries
A compound-specific safety synthesis is not available here yet. Lack of listed adverse effects does not establish safety.
Explore safety questions by system
These are literature filters, not claims that this compound causes each effect. A keyword match is not a confirmed adverse reaction.
Identity, names & formulations
Canonical compound: Oxymetholone · oxymetholone
Searchable names: Anadrol, Oxymetholone injection, Oxymetholone
Names share a parent research page. Different esters, salts, routes and brands are not assumed to have the same half-life, indication or exposure.
- Oxymetholone injectionInjectable · Named formulation
Oral oxymetholone findings do not establish the pharmacokinetics or safety of an injectable product.
Find this formulation in the archive - OxymetholoneOral · AnadrolFind this formulation in the archive
Research subject only. Excluded from evidence-leader and supportive-compound recommendations.
Combination evidence stays attached to the studied combination. It is not automatically assigned to each ingredient.
Understand the evidence types
Read the model and design first, then the population, outcome and limitations. These categories describe evidence, not a best-compound ranking.
- Randomized human trials
- Compare assigned interventions. Randomization does not by itself establish low bias or relevance to every population.
- Controlled human studies
- Use a comparison group; allocation and confounding still matter.
- Prospective human research
- Follows participants forward. It may be observational or interventional, so this is not a separate quality grade.
- Observational human research
- Describes associations. Confounding can explain differences.
- Case reports and series
- Useful for unusual events and safety signals, not reliable rates or effect sizes.
- Animal research
- Can test biology and function in a living model. Human exposure, benefit and safety remain separate questions.
- Cell and tissue research
- Tests responses in a preparation, including human-derived cells. It is not a human participant trial.
- Mechanistic and computational evidence
- Helps explain or predict a pathway; predictions need experimental and clinical testing.
- Anecdotal reports
- Self-reported experiences can generate questions. Product identity, selection bias and other interventions may be uncontrolled.
Systematic reviews synthesize studies and depend on their quality. Preprint status and abstract versus full-paper reading are separate labels. Citation popularity measures attention, not reliability. A study summary is not a formal quality appraisal.
Study model describes the source. Confidence depends on methods, replication, population and outcome.
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Oxymetholone study summaries
Human-first reading order. Intervention candidates are distinguished from background mentions in the library.