Active Life: Less than 8 hours
Drug Class: Anabolic/Androgenic Steroid (Oral)
Average Dose: Men 240-320 mg/day
Acne: Low
Water Retention: Yes, in higher doses - 280-400 mg/day
High Blood Pressure: Yes - Dosage related
Liver Toxic: Low
Aromatization: Low to moderate
DHT Conversion: Yes in higher dosage
Decrease HPTA function: Low, except in higher dosages
Andriol is a unique oral testosterone product, developed by the international
drug firm Organon. One of the more recently developed anabolic steroids,
Andriol first became available in the early 1980's. This compound
contains 40 mg of testosterone undecanoate, based in oil (oleic acid)
and sealed inside a capsule. Subtracting the ester weight, this equates
to a dosage of approximately 25mg of raw testosterone per cap. The
design of this steroid is quite different from that of most oral steroids.
Drugs administered orally generally enter the blood stream through
the liver. When a steroid compound is given this way without some
form of structural protection, it will be quickly broken down during
the "first pass". This process leaves very little steroid
intact, basically deactivating the drug. Adding a methyl group (c-17
AA) to the structure is one way to protect it from this process, however
stress is also placed on the liver as a result. In some instances
this stress can lead to actual damage to liver tissues, so the designers
of this steroid sought another way to protect the testosterone molecule.
With Andriol, this was accomplished by making a form of testosterone
that would be absorbed through the lymphatic system. This is due to
its high fat solubility brought about by the ester, and its suspension
in oil. Having the compound absorbed this way was thought to be very
advantageous, as it allows the steroid to bypass the destructive first-pass
through liver. This should permit the compound to enter the blood
stream intact, without the need for a harsh chemical alteration. The
ester breaks off once it is in circulation of course, yielding free
active Pharmacokinetics of Oral Testosterone. In design this steroid
appears to be undecanoate that of a completely liver safe and orally
active form of testosterone.
On paper this drug seems like a great oral testosterone product.
Clean, safe and worlds apart from other oral testosterone derivatives
like the crude methyltestosterone. But as we always hear in life,
if it looks to good to be true, it probably is. There are definitely
some issues with Andriol. The first problem is that bioavailability,
although clearly worlds apart from trying to take straight testosterone
orally, is probably not significant next to c17alpha alkylated orals.
Athletes typically find that in doses of less than 240mg per day (6
capsules) effects are generally not seen at all. 240mg of testosterone
ester daily, the primary male androgen, and only a meager effect.
When doses go higher, maybe 8-10 capsules (320-400mg), new muscle
growth is slight to moderate at best, but no incredible bulky gains
are ever reported. Logic leads one to believe that only a little testosterone
is making its way into circulation. Testosterone is a powerful hormone
no matter what the ester or form of administration. If it were active
in the blood stream, the results would have to be pronounced. When
one injects an oil based testosterone ester like cypionate, a dosage
of 400mg per week is more than sufficient to see results. 400mg Andriol
per day should be packing on an incredible amount of mass. Where does
it all go? Individual problems with absorption may play a role into
things here. Clearly there is little to be said except that this drug
is unpredictable in its ability to be absorbed and utilized by the
body. While one day you might be getting great absorption, perhaps
the next day you are getting very little. Studies with men were no
better than with women, where again this drug was shown to be unpredictably
absorbed and utilized with blood levels ranging from 11.5 to 60.1
nmol/L with 80mg twice daily.
One might also pay interest to the "mildness" of this compound
as described by other bodybuilding materials. Andriol is often spoken
about as some type of magic product, which to spite being a form of
regular testosterone somehow allows for only minimal estrogen conversion.
You should know that the way a drug is administered includes a number
of factors that can slightly alter its effect, the most predominant
being the speed of release. This effects the time it takes for a peak
blood level to be reached, and likely the length it takes to see results.
The primary reason Testosterone suspension seems more powerful than
enanthate is because more drug is active on day one. At the same time
estrogen builds up faster and side effects become pronounced very
quickly. The ester is also part of the total weight, and 100mg testosterone
contains a much larger quantity of testosterone molecules that testosterone
plus ester, another reason for varying effect. But these changes do
not amount to all that much. The structure of testosterone is what
allows it to break down into estrogen. The only way we can really
prevent an androgen from converting to estrogen is to change the base
molecule, not the ester. Once free in the blood stream we cannot prevent
testosterone from being aromatized without interfering with the aromatase
enzyme itself. The lack of results and side effects often reported
with Andriol must be going hand in hand with poor absorption.
Most athletes today consider Andriol a very poor buy. I know other
references do find use for this drug, which is defendable because
some amount of steroid clearly does enter the blood stream in tact.
Technically it is still an oral testosterone, and definitely does
not carry the same liver-toxicity risks associated with most steroids
designed for this type of administration. Those specifically looking
for a mild oral at times do purchase this product, and occasionally
are even satisfied with their results. But for most its high price
and required high daily dosages usually causes them to avoided it
when crossing it on the black market. Besides, if we want a mild steroid
the last thing we really should shop for is a testosterone.
Steroid Profiles - Andriol (testosterone Undecanoate) - Steroidology.com