Clenbuterol hydrochloride is an anti-asthma medication that belongs to a broad group of drugs knows as sympathomimetics. These drugs affect that sympathetic nervous system in a wide number of ways, largely mediated by the distribution of adrenoceptors. There are actually nine different types of these receptors in the body, which are classified as either alpha or beta and further subcategorized by type number. Depending on the specific affinities of these agents for the various receptors, they can potentially be used in the treatment of conditions such as asthma, hypertension, cardiovascular shock, arrhythmias, migraine headaches and anaphylactic shock. (©William Llewellyn, Taken from “Anabolics 2009â€)
Clenbuterol is an extremely powerful drug and should be treated with caution.
Therapeutic use
Clenbuterol hydrochloride has been available as a bronchodilator for decades and is widely used in many parts of the world. Although it has a good safety record and approval in a wide number of other countries, this compound has never been made available for human use in the United States. The fact that there are a number of similar effective asthma medications already approved by the FDA and available may have something to do with this, as a prospective drug firm would likely not find it a profitable enough product to warrant undergoing the expense of the new drug approval process. Regardless of this fact, foreign clenbuterol hydrochloride preparations are popular among U.S. bodybuilders and athletes, and today are widely available on the black market. Note that in recent years, clenbuterol overdose/poisoning has been reported in a number of people, striking up a great deal of controversy about the safety of this drug and its off-label use for physique-and performance-enhancing purposes.
(©William Llewellyn, Taken from “Anabolics 2009â€)
How it is supplied:
Clenbuterol hydrochloride is most commonly supplied in oral tablets of 20mcg each. It is also supplied in oral syrups, injectable solutions, and for inhalation use. (©William Llewellyn, Taken from “Anabolics 2009â€)
How it is used:
When used for the management of asthma, the most common clinical dose for adults is 20mcg (1 tablet) twice per day. Some patients require up to 40mcg (2 tablets) twice per day. When using the drug (off-label) for physique-or performance-enhancing purposes, bodybuilders and athletes generally tailor their dosage and cycling of this product based on personal sensitivity to its benefits and side effects. To accomplish this, one often begins a cycle by taking one or two tablets per day, and gradually increasing the dosage every third day by one half to 1 tablet until a desired dosage range is established. At peak therapy some users can tolerate as many as 6-8 tablets per day (120-160mcg). Given the potency and potential for serious side effects, however, any dosage outside of the normal therapeutic range should be approached with an even greater level of caution.
The drug will usually elevate the body temperature shortly after therapy is initiated. The rise in temperature is commonly .5 to 1 degree, sometimes a little more. This elevation is due to one's body burning excess energy (largely from fat), and is usually not uncomfortable. The number of consecutive days clenbuterol hydrochloride is now used is usually dependent on the response of the individual. To be clear, the athletic benefits of this drug will only last for a limited time and then diminish, largely due to beta-receptor down-regulation. By most accounts clenbuterol hydrochloride seems to work well for approximately 4 to 6 weeks. During this period, users generally monitor their body temperature on a regular basis. We are given some level of assurance that clenbuterol hydrochloride is working by the temperature elevation. Once the temperature drops back to normal, receptor down-regulation has probably diminished the efficacy of the drug. At this point increasing the dosage is usually not regarded as effective, and instead clenbuterol hydrochloride is discontinued for a period of no less than 4-6 weeks. (©William Llewellyn, Taken from “Anabolics 2009â€)
