hormoneControlledSchedule III (US, Anabolic Steroids Control Act)Not FDA-approvedPrescription only (US)No FDA-approved indication remains on the current label; historical dermatology and vascular uses shown here were off-labelCase reports document cholestatic liver injury with oral stanozolol, particularly at the higher doses used for physique or performance purposes rather than the studied venous-disease doses
StanozololBenefits, Dosage & Interactions
Also known as: Winstrol, Winny
Stanozolol, commonly known by its brand name Winstrol, is a synthetic anabolic androgenic steroid derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It was first synthesized in 1959 and introduced clinically in the early 1960s by Winthrop Laboratories (now part of Pfizer). Research on Stanozolol focuses on muscle and strength and bone and joint health.
How much Stanozolol do people take?
The randomized lipodermatosclerosis trial used 2 mg orally; the fibrinolytic-enhancement study in venous insufficiency used 5 mg orally. Route reported: Oral tablet in both cited venous-disease trials. Frequency reported: Twice daily (2 mg or 5 mg per dose) in the cited trials. These are amounts documented in the cited studies and labels for Stanozolol — they are reported for reference, not a recommendation. Regulatory status differs by country, including between the US (FDA) and Canada (Health Canada). Confirm any amount with a licensed clinician before you take it.
See the full reported protocol and its sourcesResearched by DoseRoutine Research TeamReviewed for accuracy by Nicholas Alexander, RSE, SO, PMPLast updated Educational reference only — not medical advice. Always confirm dosing and safety decisions with a licensed clinician.
Evidence: Moderate — One published human randomized trial; results not yet replicated.
Evidence strengthModerate · 3/4
PreclinicalStrong human evidence
One published human randomized trial; results not yet replicated.
Plasma half-life
Not established
Default unit
mg
What published protocols report
Ranges documented in the literature, shown for reference. DoseRoutine does not recommend an amount — your prescriber or the product label sets the dose.
Reported for Stanozolol in the cited sources. Published ranges are not dosing advice.
References & evidence
Documents the Stanozolol entry is written from. Each number matches an inline marker above.
- [1]Liver enzymes and lipid levels in patients with lipodermatosclerosis and venous ulcers treated with a prototypic anabolic steroid (stanozolol): a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trialCarson P, Wagner D, Cross A, Farber A, Barron K, Kalish J, Chaikof E, Weinstein M, Iafrati M · The International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds · 2015 · Peer-reviewed · PMID 25652757
- [2]Efficacy of fibrinolytic enhancement with stanozolol in the treatment of venous insufficiencyMcMullin GM, Coleridge Smith PD, Scurr JH · The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery · 1991 · Peer-reviewed · PMID 2018441
- [3]Stanozolol-induced bland cholestasisAmpuero J, García ES, Lorenzo MM, Calle R, Ferrero P, Gómez MR · Gastroenterología y Hepatología · 2014 · Peer-reviewed · PMID 24360796
References & Evidence
Sources on this page that document Stanozolol dosing, timing and safety.
- [1]National Center for Biotechnology Information View source
Educational information only — not medical advice. Dose ranges vary by person, indication and prescriber.
What is Stanozolol studied for?
What is Stanozolol?Sources for this section: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
Stanozolol, commonly known by its brand name Winstrol, is a synthetic anabolic androgenic steroid derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It was first synthesized in 1959 and introduced clinically in the early 1960s by Winthrop Laboratories (now part of Pfizer). Initially, it was approved for various medical applications, including treating osteoporosis, promoting growth in children, and managing aplastic anemia and hereditary angioedema. As an anabolic steroid, stanozolol promotes tissue building, which can lead to increased lean body mass and bone density. However, its use has become highly restricted due to potential adverse effects and its classification as a controlled substance in many countries. Today, its legitimate medical use is very limited, primarily for hereditary angioedema, where it can reduce the frequency and severity of attacks by increasing C1-esterase inhibitor levels. In other contexts, its use is often non-medical and considered illicit. (MedlinePlus, DrugBank)
What does the research say about Stanozolol?
Tap a section to expand.
Stanozolol exerts its effects by binding to androgen receptors in target tissues, such as muscle and bone. This binding initiates a cascade of genetic transcription leading to increased protein synthesis and nitrogen retention, which are key processes in muscle growth and repair. Unlike some other anabolic steroids, stanozolol is known for its relatively low affinity for sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), which may result in a higher proportion of free, biologically active steroid in the bloodstream. It also possesses a C17 alpha-alkylation, a structural modification that allows for oral bioavailability but is also associated with hepatotoxicity. Stanozolol has been shown to reduce SHBG levels, which can also increase the levels of other free steroids, including testosterone. Its androgenic effects are generally considered to be lower than its anabolic effects, meaning it promotes tissue building with less direct masculinizing activity compared to some other steroids. However, androgenic effects are still prominent and dose-dependent. Another key mechanism involves its ability to stimulate erythropoiesis, the production of red blood cells, which can improve oxygen-carrying capacity. In the context of hereditary angioedema, stanozolol increases the synthesis of C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) and C4 components of the complement system, thereby helping to prevent angioedema attacks. (DrugBank, PubChem)
Source for this section: Sources for How does Stanozolol work?: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
Historically, stanozolol was studied for and prescribed in various medical conditions where its anabolic properties could be beneficial. Research indicated potential benefits in the treatment of aplastic anemia, where it could stimulate red blood cell production, and in certain types of osteoporosis, by promoting bone density. Its most consistent medical application has been in the management of hereditary angioedema, a genetic disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of severe swelling. For this condition, stanozolol has been shown to effectively reduce the frequency and severity of attacks by modifying complement cascade components. (DrugBank) In older clinical trials, patients with chronic debilitating diseases sometimes demonstrated improved weight gain and muscle preservation when administered stanozolol. However, these benefits must be weighed against the significant side effect profile and the availability of safer, more targeted therapies. Outside of these specific medical contexts, and particularly in non-medical settings, individuals may seek stanozolol for perceived benefits such as increased lean muscle mass, enhanced strength, and improved athletic performance, often attributing these to its anabolic properties and its purported ability to promote 'dry' gains (muscle gain without significant water retention). These uses are largely unapproved and carry significant health risks. (MedlinePlus)
Evidence for stanozolol's efficacy in specific medical conditions primarily stems from historical clinical trials and case series. For hereditary angioedema, multiple studies and clinical practice guidelines, such as those reviewed by the Hereditary Angioedema International Workgroup, support the use of attenuated androgens like stanozolol to increase C1-INH levels and reduce attack frequency. (Cochrane, NIH) In the past, research in conditions like aplastic anemia indicated that anabolic steroids, including stanozolol, could stimulate erythropoiesis and improve hematological parameters in some patients, though these therapies have largely been supplanted by newer treatments. (PubMed historical data) Regarding non-medical use, while anecdotal reports are widespread, robust, peer-reviewed clinical evidence from independent sources supporting long-term safety and efficacy for muscle building or performance enhancement in healthy individuals is extremely limited and generally not found in regulated medical literature. Studies that do exist in athletic populations often highlight adverse effects rather than sustainable benefits. The significant regulatory restrictions and ethical considerations surrounding anabolic steroids limit the scope of current clinical research into their unapproved uses. (World Anti-Doping Agency research, FDA warnings)
Stanozolol can cause a range of serious side effects, affecting multiple organ systems. Common side effects often include lipid abnormalities, such as decreases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and increases in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which can heighten the risk of cardiovascular disease. Liver toxicity is a significant concern, as stanozolol is 17-alpha alkylated, making it prone to causing cholestatic jaundice, peliosis hepatis, and, in rare cases, liver tumors. Hormonal side effects in males can include testicular atrophy, reduced sperm count, gynecomastia (enlargement of breast tissue) and priapism. In females, virilization effects are common, such as voice deepening, hirsutism (increased body hair), clitoral enlargement, and menstrual irregularities. Psychiatric effects like mood swings, aggression ('roid rage'), depression, and anxiety have also been reported. Other potential side effects include acne, hair loss (androgenic alopecia), fluid retention, and hypertension. In adolescents, premature epiphyseal closure can lead to stunted growth. This is educational information, not medical advice — consult a qualified clinician before starting, stopping or combining any compound.
Individuals should exercise extreme caution with stanozolol due to its significant potential for adverse effects. It carries a black box warning from regulatory bodies regarding its hepatotoxicity, including the risk of liver cell tumors and peliosis hepatis, which may be life-threatening. Regular monitoring of liver function tests and lipid profiles is essential during treatment. Stanozolol can also worsen pre-existing cardiovascular conditions by altering cholesterol levels and increasing blood pressure. Diabetic patients may experience changes in glucose tolerance and require adjustments to insulin or oral hypoglycemic medications. Patients with prostate hyperplasia or prostate cancer should avoid stanozolol due to its androgenic effects. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should strictly avoid stanozolol due to the risk of fetal harm and potential effects on infants. Any signs of jaundice, dark urine, or unusual abdominal pain while using stanozolol warrant immediate medical attention. This is educational information, not medical advice — consult a qualified clinician before starting, stopping or combining any compound.
Stanozolol is strictly contraindicated in several conditions including, but not limited to: severe liver disease or liver tumors, known or suspected prostate cancer, male breast cancer, hypercalcemia, and in women who are pregnant or may become pregnant due to the risk of fetal masculinization. It is also contraindicated in individuals hypersensitive to stanozolol or any component of its formulation. Patients with significant cardiovascular risk factors, including poorly controlled hypertension, dyslipidemia, or a history of cardiovascular events, should avoid its use. Due to its potential to stunt growth, it is generally contraindicated in children and adolescents where growth is still a concern, except in very specific, carefully monitored medical contexts where the benefits clearly outweigh the risks, such as certain cases of aplastic anemia. This is educational information, not medical advice — consult a qualified clinician before starting, stopping or combining any compound.
Stanozolol should not be mixed with other hepatotoxic medications, including certain antifungals (e.g., ketoconazole) and highly metabolized antibiotics, as this can significantly increase the risk of liver damage. Concurrent use with anticoagulants, such as warfarin, can enhance their effects, increasing the risk of bleeding. Close monitoring of international normalized ratio (INR) and prothrombin time is necessary if co-administered. The combination with other steroids, including corticosteroids or other anabolic steroids, necessitates careful consideration due to additive side effects on the liver, lipids, and hormonal systems. For individuals with diabetes, concomitant use with insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents may necessitate dosage adjustments due to altered glucose metabolism. Always disclose all medications, supplements, and illicit substances to a healthcare provider before contemplating stanozolol use. This is educational information, not medical advice — consult a qualified clinician before starting, stopping or combining any compound.
For legitimate medical uses, the dosing regimen of stanozolol is highly individualized and must be set by a licensed clinician based on the specific condition being treated, the patient's response, and tolerance to side effects. For hereditary angioedema, typical approaches involve long-term, low-dose therapy. Due to its relatively short half-life of approximately 9 hours when orally administered, medical dosing may involve daily administration to maintain therapeutic levels. The compound can be taken either with or without food. In unauthorized contexts, various dosing strategies are anecdotally reported, but these are not medically sanctioned and carry significant health risks.
Source for this section: Sources for When should you take Stanozolol?: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
Put it into practice
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What interacts with Stanozolol?
| Interacts with | Severity | Type | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any peptide + hormone | Note | Category ruleConfidence: theoretical | Injectable peptides plus hormones can have overlapping or compounding effects that aren't always well characterized.Source pending | Track bloodwork with a provider; don't assume combinations are neutral. |
Frequently asked questions about Stanozolol
Stanozolol is a controlled substance in many countries, including the United States (Schedule III anabolic steroid). Its non-medical use or possession without a valid prescription is illegal and can carry severe penalties. (DEA, FDA)
Stanozolol is available in both oral and injectable forms. The oral form is 17-alpha-alkylated, allowing it to survive first-pass metabolism in the liver. Both forms carry the risk of hepatotoxicity, though the oral form is often considered to have a more direct impact on liver enzymes. The injectable form (Winstrol Depot) is an aqueous suspension, which accounts for its distinctive appearance and absorption characteristics. (DrugBank)
While stanozolol itself does not aromatize (convert to estrogen), it can contribute to gynecomastia in certain individuals, particularly when used in combination with other aromatizing steroids. Additionally, by suppressing natural testosterone production, it can create a hormonal imbalance where the estrogen-to-androgen ratio shifts, potentially leading to estrogenic side effects even without direct aromatization. (MedlinePlus)
The onset and severity of stanozolol's side effects can vary widely among individuals and depend on the dose, duration of use, and individual susceptibility. Some effects, such as mood changes or lipid alterations, can manifest relatively quickly within weeks, while more serious issues like significant liver damage may take longer to develop or become apparent. Virilization in females can develop rapidly and be irreversible. (FDA label, Mayo Clinic)
Stanozolol is a hormone, and interactions are possible with prescriptions, hormones, peptides and other supplements in the same routine. Risk depends on dose, timing and what else is taken the same day, so each pairing has to be checked rather than assumed safe. The free checker at https://doseroutine.com/interaction-checker covers Stanozolol with no sign-up.
Stanozolol is a controlled substance in some jurisdictions, so the prescribed amount is the only appropriate one. Ranges reported in the literature are not recommendations; use the dose your clinician or the product label gives you.
Combining a hormone like Stanozolol with TRT is usually a question of labs rather than a blanket yes or no: the ester, injection interval and any aromatase inhibitor all change the answer. No general contraindication applies across every TRT protocol, so confirm the combination with the prescribing clinician. See the free TRT interaction reference: https://doseroutine.com/trt-supplement-interactions
Each peptide class carries its own profile against Stanozolol: a healing peptide raises different questions than a GLP-1 agonist or a growth-hormone secretagogue. Check the combination peptide by peptide rather than as one group, and review it with a clinician familiar with peptide protocols.
Published frequency for Stanozolol varies by protocol and formulation, so the label or prescription is what sets it. Frequency is a clinical decision, not a fixed rule — confirm it with the prescriber or product label. Comparison of apps that keep a schedule like this: https://doseroutine.com/best-dose-tracking-apps
The effect of a missed dose of Stanozolol depends on the protocol and formulation you are on. Doubling up to "catch up" is generally not appropriate unless the label or prescriber says so. Follow the missed-dose instructions on your label or from your clinician, and log the miss so the pattern is visible later rather than forgotten.
For Stanozolol the useful record is the dose, the time it was actually taken, and what else was taken in the same window. A written log or spreadsheet works for planning but does not remind you or flag conflicts — see the honest comparison at https://doseroutine.com/vs/spreadsheet and the wider roundup at https://doseroutine.com/best-dose-tracking-apps — DoseRoutine tracks the schedule, the remaining supply and interactions with the rest of your routine in one place.
The randomized lipodermatosclerosis trial used 2 mg orally; the fibrinolytic-enhancement study in venous insufficiency used 5 mg orally. Route reported: Oral tablet in both cited venous-disease trials. Frequency reported: Twice daily (2 mg or 5 mg per dose) in the cited trials. These are amounts documented in the cited studies and labels for Stanozolol — they are reported for reference, not a recommendation. Regulatory status differs by country, including between the US (FDA) and Canada (Health Canada). Confirm any amount with a licensed clinician before you take it.
Sources cited on this page
Specific documents referenced by the numbered markers above. Each number matches the marker in the text.
- PubChem CID 25249(opens in a new tab)National Center for Biotechnology Information · pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/25249
Verify at
Publisher search links for Stanozolol. These are places to check the information — they are not citations, so they are not numbered.
- DrugBank(publisher search, opens in a new tab)DrugBank Online · publisher search
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements(publisher search, opens in a new tab)National Institutes of Health · publisher search
- FDA-approved labeling (DailyMed)(publisher search, opens in a new tab)U.S. Food and Drug Administration · publisher search
- Cochrane Library(publisher search, opens in a new tab)Cochrane · publisher search
- Mayo Clinic(publisher search, opens in a new tab)Mayo Clinic · publisher search
- PubMed literature search(publisher search, opens in a new tab)National Library of Medicine · publisher search
- Wikipedia entry(publisher search, opens in a new tab)Wikipedia · publisher search
DoseRoutine compiles summaries from publicly available scientific and regulatory references. Always verify important decisions with a licensed clinician. How we source and review this information.
What is the short answer on Stanozolol?
Plain-text summary, safe to quote verbatim:
Stanozolol, commonly known by its brand name Winstrol, is a synthetic anabolic androgenic steroid derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It was first synthesized in 1959 and introduced clinically in the early 1960s by Winthrop Laboratories (now part of Pfizer). Research on Stanozolol focuses on muscle and strength and bone and joint health.
Source: DoseRoutine — https://doseroutine.com/library/stanozolol
Stanozolol cheat sheet
DoseRoutine cheat sheet · Hormone
Stanozolol
Stanozolol, commonly known by its brand name Winstrol, is a synthetic anabolic androgenic steroid derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It was first synthesized in 1959 and introduced clinically in the early 1960s by Winthrop Laboratories (now part of Pfizer).
Evidence
Moderate
One published human randomized trial; results not yet replicated.
Studied range
The randomized lipodermatosclerosis trial used 2 mg orally; the fibrinolytic-enhancement study in venous insufficiency used 5 mg orally
Route
Oral tablet in both cited venous-disease trials
Frequency studied
Twice daily (2 mg or 5 mg per dose) in the cited trials
Schedule III (US, Anabolic Steroids Control Act)Not FDA-approvedPrescription only (US)No FDA-approved indication remains on the current label; historical dermatology and vascular uses shown here were off-labelCase reports document cholestatic liver injury with oral stanozolol, particularly at the higher doses used for physique or performance purposes rather than the studied venous-disease dosesMuscleBone Joint
Key references
- Liver enzymes and lipid levels in patients with lipodermatosclerosis and venous ulcers treated with a prototypic anabolic steroid (stanozolol): a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial (2015)
- Efficacy of fibrinolytic enhancement with stanozolol in the treatment of venous insufficiency (1991)
- Stanozolol-induced bland cholestasis (2014)
Studied ranges, not dosing advice. Not medical advice — talk to a clinician. doseroutine.com/library/stanozolol
Cite this page
Using this in an article, AI answer, or research note? Please attribute:
DoseRoutine. (2026). Stanozolol — Overview, Benefits & Side Effects. Retrieved from https://doseroutine.com/library/stanozolol
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