Dianabol or Dbol (Methandienone)

Introduction

Dianabol (Methandienone) also spelled metandienone and talked about as simply ‘Dbol’ is the most used oral anabolic steroid in history.  It is a classic steroid still very popular especially with the older generations who did not care so much about aesthetics and being skinny or lean.  Dbol is considered a ‘dummy proof’ steroid because anybody can use it and have easy results within a few weeks.  It is also one of the cheapest steroids, with a full cycle costing less than $100.

History of Dianabol use

Dianabol (Methandienone) was developed by pharma company CIBA in 1955 for androgen replacement therapy.  American Olympic doctor John Ziegler is credited with introducing the steroid to athletes to try and get a leg up on their Russian rivals.  He liked that it could be orally taken, taking away the injecting aspect. It was also used in the 1960s by college and pro football players. 

CIBA would later stop producing it in 1983 due to government pressure, and the FDA in 1985 revoked it entirely, which was followed by a complete ban on non-medical use in 1990 in the United States.  Today, it is produced in other countries for some medical reasons and used by bodybuilders and weight lifters in the USA. 

Structure of Dianabol

Dianabol (Methandienone) is almost exclusively an oral tablet, but some underground labs have tried selling it as an injectable with little success.  On paper, it is 50% more anabolic and half as androgenic as Testosterone. 

Developers took Testosterone and added in the below 2 so it could not be destroyed by the liver.  :

1. A 17th carbon position methyl group
2. A double bond to carbon positions 1-2

Quite simply, Dianabol (Methandienone) is testosterone in oral form with some minor changes ((Chapter 15, Medical Toxicology of Drug Abuse: Synthesized Chemicals and Psychoactive Plants by Donald G. Barceloux)). 

Bulking and strength

Dianabol (Methandienone) is great for bulking and strength trainers.  It does this well because it is a wet compound, quickly filling the muscles with lots of water like filling up a water balloon.  Remember the muscles are made up of mostly water. 

Athletes can enjoy a boost in protein synthesis and a fast rise in nitrogen because the steroid works so fast.  I can confirm that within a week on it, my weight had jumped many pounds even without increasing my food intake.  It also prevents muscle eating hormones like cortisol to rise, making it much easier to gain lots of mass. 

Powerlifters report a fast rise in all their lifts and I personally can remember my bench going up 15 pounds within days on it after I was stuck at a plateau for months. 

During the golden era, guys would use handfuls of Dianabol (Methandienone) daily to help them with strength and size¹. 

Other advantages over other steroids

Mood:

Dianabol (Methandienone) is part of a class of steroids that tend to make people happier.  I can confirm this having tried it a few times.  You can expect to feel motivated to start your day and be in a much better mood across the board.  Mentally, your libido and confidence will be higher.   The science for this is that it causes a rapid rise in male hormones in the body and a rise in estrogen, without causing crankiness like other steroids. 

Pumps:

This can be a bad thing too, but usually weight lifters will enjoy the amazing Dianabol (Methandienone) pumps especially with their biceps and calves.  It is the amazing feeling of having your muscles seem like they are about to explode with veins popping out of them.  You will leave the gym feeling amazing.  If the pumps get too bad you can use Taurine. 

Half-life

Dianabol (Methandienone) has a short half-life of 5-6 hours.  This is why dosing it twice a day is recommended. 

Detection times

The detection time is listed as about 6 weeks, however, testing has become more sophisticated in the past few years so you should aim to stop using it 2-3 months ahead of time to be safe.  It is obviously banned in every major league or federation. 

Side effects of Dianabol

Dianabol (Methandienone) is most known for its estrogen side effects as mentioned earlier.  These side effects can manifest themselves as gynecomastia (bitch tits), water retention, bloat, high blood pressure, and insomnia. This can be helped with the use of anti-estrogen drugs.

It can also cause androgenic side effects, especially when used at high dosages.  Those side effects include heart strain, aggression, and prostate issues.²

Finally, as also mentioned it is liver toxic, so we recommend N2guard with it.

Dianabol Dosages in bodybuilding and stacking

Dianabol (Methandienone) is very versatile and can be used for different types of goals in many different situations.  You can use it by itself, stack it, use as a kickstart, and much more.  Generally, the dosages range from 10mg a day up to 50mg a day.  Here are the main ways bodybuilders use it to their benefit:

• Mass builder: Guys have been depending on it for decades to build lots of muscle mass quickly. 
• Powerlifting:  Using it solo or as part of a stack with Testosterone or Trenbolone will rapidly increase strength.
• Bodybuilding:  Stacking it in with a mild steroid such as Primobolan can add a nice androgenic kick to your cycle.
• Use as a kickstart:  This is the most classic and old school way to use it.  You simply run it at the start of a longer injectable cycle to give you results while the longer ester is building up in the body. 

Female use

We don’t approve of females using Dianabol (Methandienone) due to its properties.  Choose Anavar instead. 

3 biggest myths about Dianabol (Methandienone) and what guys on forums are saying

1.  You cannot run Dianabol (Methandienone)solo in a cycle:  During the golden era and into the 1990s guys have always run it solo and produced great results.  Stacking it has advantages but in no way do you have to run it with other steroids.  It is one of the best steroids to run by itself.  Discuss here. 

2. Dianabol (Methandienone)by itself adds lots of muscle: If you were to take it and not workout or eat well you would not grow very much muscle.  For best results, it is important to get on a strong workout program and eat a nutritious diet full of muscle-building foods and protein.  Discuss here.

3.  You cannot run Dianabol (Methandienone)for more than 4 weeks because of its toxicity:  As long as your liver is healthy and you aren’t taking other drugs nor consuming alcohol you can run it longer than 4 weeks.  There are plenty of guys who have done cycles of 8 weeks with no problems.  Discuss here.

4.  You can bridge with Dianabol (Methandienone):  This myth was started during the late ’90s by online gurus who claimed you can run it between cycles at a low dose and it would not cause suppression.  This was proved false years later with simple bloodwork.  Discuss here.

Popular brands, our opinions on how to choose, cost and availability

Dianabol (Methandienone) is one of the cheapest steroids of all time.  When it first was on the market it was cheap and the price has stayed low due to the cost of raws to produce it.  You can buy 100 tabs of 10mgs each for under $45, enough to last you a month.  That is cheaper than getting your car professionally washed. It is rarely faked so you won’t have much of a problem finding the real stuff, however, you should still get high quality if you want the very best results. 

There are 4 brands that we recommend that shine well. 

• Zhengzhou Pharmaceuticals (ZPHC)
• Balkan Pharmaceuticals
• Pharmacom Labs
• Alpha Pharma healthcare

1. Read more: The effect of anabolic–androgenic steroids on aromatase activity and androgen receptor binding in the rat preoptic area by Charles E. Roselli [↩]
2. Read more: Breast Development Induced by Methandrostenolone (Dianabol) by Zvi LARON [↩]