Nandrolone decanoate

Anabolic steroid
Drugbox
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| IUPAC name = [(8R,9S,10R,13S,14S,17S) 13 methyl 3 oxo 2,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14,15,16,17 dodecahydro 1H cyclopenta[a]phenanthren 17 yl] decanoate
| image = Nandrolone decanoate. svg
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| image2 = Nandrolone decanoate molecule ball. png
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| tradename = Rolon, others
| pregnancy AU = D
| pregnancy US = X
| pregnancy category =
| legal AU = S4
| legal CA = Schedule IV
| legal UK = Class C
| legal US = Schedule III
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| routes of administration = Intramuscular injection, subcutaneous injection
| class = Androgen; Anabolic steroid; Androgen ester; Progestogen

| bioavailability = Intramuscular: 53–73%
| protein bound =
| metabolism = Blood (hydrolysis), liver (reduction)• Nandrolone: <4.3 hours among others, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication which is used primarily in the treatment of anemias and wasting syndromes, as well as osteoporosis in menopausal women. It is given by injection into muscle or fat once every one to four weeks. Side effects of nandrolone decanoate may include symptoms of masculinization like acne, increased hair growth, and voice changes. It has strong anabolic effects and weak androgenic effects, which give it a mild side effect profile and make it especially suitable for use in women and children. Nandrolone decanoate is a nandrolone ester and a long lasting prodrug of nandrolone in the body. Nandrolone decanoate was first described in 1960 and was introduced for medical use in 1962. It is also one of the most widely used AAS worldwide. The drug is a controlled substance in many countries and so non medical use is generally illicit. In Australia, it is approved specifically for the treatment of kidney failure, chronic kidney disease, anemia of kidney failure, aplastic anemia, osteoporosis (in women in whom estrogens are contraindicated), inoperable breast cancer, and for patients on long term corticosteroid therapy. In New Zealand, it is approved for osteoporosis, inoperable breast cancer, and as an adjunct to therapy for conditions characterized by a negative nitrogen balance. In any case, nandrolone decanoate has widely been used at low doses as a means of androgen replacement in postmenopausal women, for instance to maintain or increase bone mineral density and decrease the risk of osteoporosis. It is one of only three androgens approved for androgen replacement in postmenopausal women, the others being testosterone (and esters) and methyltestosterone. Nandrolone esters and related compounds such as trestolone and dimethandrolone undecanoate have also been studied as means of androgen replacement in investigational male contraceptive regimens. It has also been proposed for masculinizing hormone therapy in some nonbinary people assigned female at birth who want the body shape effects of testosterone without androgenic hair growth.

A dosage of nandrolone decanoate of 25 to 50 mg once every 6 to 12 weeks (working out to an average exposure of about 2 to 8 mg per week) by intramuscular injection is considered to be appropriate for general androgen replacement therapy in women. A dosage of 50 mg once every 2 to 4 weeks by intramuscular injection is used in the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and in the palliative treatment of inoperative breast cancer. For children aged 2 to 13 years, the average dosage for anemia of chronic kidney disease is 25 to 50 mg every 3 to 4 weeks by intramuscular injection. because, according to the studies if consumed solo (i. e., without a base) it shuts down the natural production of testosterone by altering blood–testis barrier components. Despite this fact, nandrolone decanoate is one of the most popular injectable AAS worldwide, and nandrolone esters have been said to be the most popular AAS used by bodybuilders and in sports.

Contraindications for nandrolone decanoate include pregnancy, breastfeeding, prostate cancer, male breast cancer, breast cancer in women with hypercalcemia, hypersensitivity (to nandrolone decanoate or excipients such as arachis (peanut) oil; includes those with peanut and soy allergies), nephrosis or nephritis, liver disease with impaired bilirubin excretion, and heart failure.

Nandrolone decanoate causes virilization as a common side effect in women, including acne, hoarseness of the voice, hirsutism (excessive facial/body hair growth), and libido changes, among others. Relative to testosterone, nandrolone decanoate has enhanced anabolic effects and reduced androgenic effects. Once in the circulation, it is converted into nandrolone, which is the active form of the drug. Nandrolone decanoate is rapidly hydrolyzed in the blood by esterases into nandrolone, with a terminal half life of one hour or less. The metabolism of nandrolone occurs in the liver and is very similar to that of testosterone, including reduction by 5α reductase and 5β reductase, dehydrogenation by 3α hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 3β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and 17β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and conjugation. The elimination half life of nandrolone decanoate administered by intramuscular injection is approximately 6 to 12 days. The blood half life for the combined process of hydrolysis into nandrolone and elimination of nandrolone is 4.3 hours. The pharmacokinetics of nandrolone decanoate via subcutaneous injection closely resemble those of intramuscular injection. Shortly thereafter it became one of the most widely used AAS in the world. Its availability is becoming increasingly limited with time.

Nandrolone decanoate has been studied in the treatment of bone loss in men, but in contrast to testosterone esters, was found to be ineffective. In short term (6 to 8 week) studies in healthy male bodybuilders, nandrolone decanoate did not alter bone mineral density. However, the short duration of these studies limits conclusions on the influence of nandrolone decanoate on bone in men.