Proviron (mesterolone) - Info and Experiences

[Expat98]

Ok, I've reported previously on SWIM's disappointing experiences with the much-hyped drugs cabergoline and PT-141 (bremelanotide). Now I want to share some info about a relatively unknown libido-enhancing drug that actually works for SWIM.

The name of the drug is mesterolone, sold as the brand name Proviron. First I'll give some basic information about it, and then I'll report on SWIM's experience with it. If anyone else has information, please add it in this thread.

Before I get started, let me note a couple of caveats:

1) SWIM is a male, and all the information given here assumes that the user is a male. I have no idea if this drug is used by women, and if so, what the side effects are.

2) I am not a doctor, and neither is SWIM. All of the information given below is either taken from various websites (mostly bodybuildng sites) or from my own experience and the experiences of friends (who aren't doctors either). So the information below is not authoritative in any way - I just want to give you a basic idea of what this drug is about. Doing your own research and consulting your doctor is essential.

What is it?

Mesterolone is an orally active steroid. It is an anabolic steroid, but its anabolic activity is not very strong. So bodybuilders don't typically take this to increase their muscle mass. However, they do often use it to combat gynecomastia, a.k.a., the dreaded "bitch tits".

It is also sometimes prescribed by doctors to increase sexual desire (libido), and it is for this purpose that SWIM is interested in it. It is probably prescribed for various other medical conditions related to sex hormones as well.

What Does it Do?

Mesterolone reduces circulating estrogen levels by inhibiting the aromatase enzyme which converts testosterone to estrogen. (So it helps bodybuilders avoid the estrogen side effects produced by other anabolic steroids.)

It also binds to two proteins (sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and albumin) which normally bind to testosterone and render it inactive. As a result, the amount of free testosterone available in the body is effectively increased.

I will post some more detailed information below about what mesterolone does and how it does it, but I want to keep this introductory post at a basic level.

Legaility and Availability

Mesterolone is Schedule III in the U.S. I do not know about its legal status in other countries - except I do know that it is legally available over the counter in some countries.

Dose

Under the brand name of Proviron, mesterolone comes in 25mg pills. I believe that bodybuilders typically take about 25mg to 50mg per day, i.e., 1 or 2 pills. That is the dosage level that SWIM used for his libido-enhancing experiments with this drug.

Side Effects

Mesterolone is generally considered to have very mild side effects compared to other anabolic steroids when taken at the dosage level mentioned above. However, SWIM can tell you from his experience that it *does* have some of the typical side effects associated with anabolic steroids. (See the report below.)

Note that one bodybuilding site says that, "In high doses it can cause some virilization symptoms in women."