Fluoxymesterone

• Halotestin

Fluoxymesterone is an oral anabolic steroid derived from testosterone. More specifically, it is a methyltestosterone derivative, differing by the addition of 11-beta-hydroxy and 9-alpha-fluoro groups. The result is a potent orally active non-aromatizable steroid that exhibits extremely strong androgenic properties. Fluoxymesterone is considerably more androgenic than testosterone, while at the same time the anabolic effects of this agent are considered to be moderate in comparison. This makes fluoxymesterone a great strength drug, but not the most ideal agent for gaining muscle mass. The predominant effects seen when taking fluoxymesterone are increased strength, increased muscle density, and increased definition, with only modest size increases.

Androgenic: Fluoxymesterone is classified as an androgen. Androgenic side effects are common with this substance, and may include bouts of oily skin, acne, and body/facial hair growth. Anabolic/androgenic steroids may also aggravate male pattern hair loss. As a potent androgen, this steroid may also increase aggressiveness. Women are additionally warned of the potential virilizing effects of anabolic/androgenic steroids. These may include a deepening of the voice, menstrual irregularities, changes in skin texture, facial hair growth, and clitoral enlargement. Hepatoxicity: Fluoxymesterone is a C17-alpha alkylated compound. This alteration protects the drug from deactivation by the liver, allowing a very high percentage of the drug entry into the bloodstream following oral administration. C17-alpha alkylated anabolic/androgenic steroids can be hepatotoxic. Prolonged or high exposure may result in liver damage. Cardiovascular: Anabolic/androgenic steroids can have deleterious effect on serum cholesterol. This includes a tendency to reduce HDL (good) cholesterol values and increase LDL (bad) cholesterol values, which may shift the HDL to LDL / balance in a direction that favours greater risk of arteriosclerosis. The relative impact of an anabolic/androgenic steroid on serum lipids is dependent on the dose, route of administration (oral vs. injectable) I type of steroid (aromatizable or non-aromatizable), an< / level of resistance to hepatic metabolisrr / Fluoxymesterone has a strong effect on the hepatic management of cholesterol due to its structural resistance to liver breakdown. Testosterone Suppression: All anabolic/androgenic steroids when taken in doses sufficient to promote muscle gain are expected to suppress endogenous testosterone production. Without the intervention of testosterone-stimulating substances, testosterone levels should return to normal within 1-4 months of drug secession. The majority of anabolic steroids are injected. Individuals who inject are potentially at risk of a number of potential issues that include: - Damage to the injection site as a result of poor injecting technique. - Bacterial and fungal infections as a result of poor injecting technique, contaminated drug products, and sharing vials and/or reusing injecting equipment. - Blood-borne viruses (BBV) such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C as a result of sharing used injecting equipment (direct sharing) or reusing injecting equipment and, subsequently, sharing vials with others (indirect sharing). For free sterile injecting equipment and advice please visit one of your local needle exchanges. Directories to your nearest confidential needle exchange can be found at: In England: www.talktofrank.com or call 0300 123 6600 In Scotland: www.scottishdrugservices.com or call 0141 221 1175 In Wales: www.dan247.org.uk or call 0808 808 2234

Dermatological & Hair: Male pattern baldness has been shown to be androgen-dependent (Randall, 2004). It is conceivable that in those who are genetically predisposed to this form of scalp hair loss, the use of certain types of steroids could accelerate the progression of hair loss. Conversely, many steroid users report increased growth of body hair when using steroids. From the limited data available growth of facial hair may be particularly pronounced in female users. Gynaecomastia: Gynaecomastia is the growth of the glandular breast tissue in males, caused by an imbalance in the ratio of oestrogen to testosterone. This imbalance is a direct result of an excess of testosterone resulting in aromatisation (conversion of excess testosterone into an oestrogen like compound. This in turn can cause the growth of breast tissue and female fat distribution. Those anabolic steroids with a high androgenic component are more likely to result in this adverse effect. Many of the drugs commonly used in conjunction with anabolic steroids such as growth hormone, human chorionic gonadotrophin, spironolactone) have also been clinically associated with gynaecomastia. Genitourinary: Anabolic steroid use can suppress endogenous testosterone leading to shrinkage of the testes. It can take a prolonged period for testicular production and fertility to recover. Many anabolic steroid users report increased libido while using steroids, conversely on cessation of use, libido is often decreased below original levels. Erectile dysfunction has also been reported both during use and following cessation of use. There have been a small number of case reports of renal cancers in individuals who reported use of anabolic steroids. But, as in the case of many of the more serious side effects of anabolic steroids, a causal link has not been fully ascertained. Liver: The use of anabolic steroids, in particular oral C17 alpha alkylated steroids (such as methandienone and oxymetholone), has been associated with disease and dysfunction of the liver, with cases of jaundice being relatively common. The extent of impact on liver function is inconclusive with studies reporting diverse results and conclusions. However, there have been a small number of case reports of liver tumours in anabolic steroid users. Cardiovascular: The use of anabolic steroids has been associated with a range of both acute and chronic cardiovascular pathologies. Reported adverse effects include hypertension, altered lipid metabolism, altered haemostatic system, cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, stroke, thrombosis, sudden cardiac death and cardiac hypertrophy However, much of the data related to these cases is equivocal.