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| Consumer Review: Andro Is Baiscally A Legal Steroid. I'm A Pharmacist And I Believe It Will Soon Take A Prescription To Get Andro Products. |
| I am a Pharmacist who has gotten back into serious weight training after being away from it for a while. I am amazed at the sport supplements which can be sold at the present time.
The Andro, Nor-Andro products are basically legal anabolic steroids. Androstenedione/Androstenediol are converted by the body to testosterone. Nor-Androstenedione/Nor-Androstenediol are converted by the body to Nortestosterone (Nandrolone). Try going down to your local pharmacy to buy testosterone or nandrolone. Without a prescription you will leave empty handed since both of these androgenic/anabolic drugs are schedule III controlled substances (the DEA put them in this class of addictive or abused drugs not too long ago due to widespread abuse by athletes).
The reason that these can be sold legally at the present time is because of a loophole in the food supplement act which allows natural substances to be sold over the counter. Androstenedione is found in meat and also scotch pine pollen, I think. My opinion is that the FDA and/or DEA will get wise to this shortly. Within two years all these products will require a prescription. Personally, I think that these products are not so harmful when used in an intelligent way. Unfortunately, not everyone has a pharmacy background.
So, if you feel that you must use these pro-hormones, here are some guidelines. The two most powerful prohormones/prodrugs right now are 4-androstenediol and 19-nor-androstenediol. The first converts to testosterone, the second to nortestosterone. Nortestosterone has less androgenic effects, such as acne, hair loss, prostate hypertrophy, masculinization. Take breaks from prohormone supplementation (8 weeks on, 4 weeks off) to allow your testicles to get somewhat back to normal. Heavy prohormone supplementation can cause male hormone production to shut down, thus shrinking the testicles. There have been cases with long term steroid abuse where the testicles were permanently damaged.
Women athletes who use any of these products are risking masculinization -- not recommended. Persons under the age of 18 should not use these products. The reason is that testosterone closes the growth areas in the long bones of the body. Puberty basically puts an end to vertical growth (height). If a person were to take anabolic steroids in a big way prior to reaching his full normal height, vertical growth would cease. It would stunt his growth.
Most oral anabolic steroids are very hard on the liver and kidneys. Unfortunately, since the food supplement industry is currently unregulated, there are no long term studies on the prohormone products in this area. I wish someone would put some test subjects on a high dose of these products (600mg/day) for a few months, then do blood work looking for indications of liver/kidney problems. Also testicular size/mass. That would give us an idea about safety. The point is moot anyway, since all these products will probably be on a prescription only basis soon. Until then, if you must use the prohormones, consider what I have written here. Use caution. Be informed. This is by no means a recommendation for prohormone use. For optimum health, you should avoid these products.
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Response #1
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I've taken androstene and by no means is this product to be considered a steroid. Its effects are little if any. And the reason why this shouldn't be looked as a steroid is because it only promotes the body make more testosterone. Andro does not enter more testosterone into the body. If you think this is any kind of "hardcore" supplement you are definitely wrong. That BS this pharmacist wrote is just that, BS.
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Response #2
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| I am also a pharmacist, diplomated at the first autonomous pharmacy school of the Americas (since 1839), here in Ouro Preto, Brazil. If we all want to keep prohormones selling without a prescription, we shouldn't think so linearly. Just because, at the present time, we know only two forms of classifications of substances for human use, it doesn't mean we must keep using them (supplement vs. prescription drug). We must find some new denomination in between which would regard aspects of safety and mentionable attributes to these substances.
In my personal opinion, OTC andros differ a great deal from exogenous steroid intake mainly because it is basically a substrate technology. As substrate (as the famous basic biochemistry adage goes), it does not have the power to govern metabolism because that task is governed by enzymatic disponibility, which is a genetic individual characteristic. Even though my mind does not follow what I consider to be a feeding habit paradigm, which I think is mainly what influences people to categorize ingestable vs. administerables or whatever form of use for a given substance (when you take out some naturally occurring elements of your diet is OK, for instance lactose free milk, cholesterol or fat free meals etc).
I really wonder what makes America ban whatever has to do with anabolic. Do you want a catabolic degenerative society for us in the the underdeveloped world to follow or what? By the way, the symbol of pharmacy shows a snake and a cup which means, depending on the dose, any substance can become a poison or cure. Good sense dictates whatever dose someone should take, and mere regulation would not resolve this individual choice. Neither would any medical prescription because anyone can take whatever prescription drug at once if someone wants to.
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