Stanozolol

Also known as: stanozolol, Winstrol (branded)

Hormone Restoration

In plain English

Stanozolol is a lab-made anabolic steroid. Its best-established medical use is to reduce attacks of a rare swelling disorder called hereditary angioedema. It has also been used to try to build muscle, though that use is not well supported by high-quality studies. It is a controlled substance and can affect the liver and cholesterol.

The science

Stanozolol is a 17-alpha-alkylated, orally active anabolic-androgenic steroid derived from dihydrotestosterone. Its clearest evidence base is long-term prophylaxis of hereditary angioedema (HAE), where 17-alpha-alkylated androgens increase hepatic synthesis of C1-esterase inhibitor and reduce attack frequency; controlled trials and long-term series support danazol and stanozolol for this indication, though modern guidelines favor newer targeted therapies where available. As a 17-alkylated androgen it carries hepatotoxicity risk (including cholestasis and, rarely, hepatic adenoma/peliosis), lowers HDL, and is virilizing; it is a Schedule III controlled substance. Use for athletic/anabolic purposes is not supported by robust efficacy data and is generally considered misuse. Compounded stanozolol is not an FDA-approved product (the branded oral product was withdrawn from the U.S. market).

References

• Sheffer et al., J Allergy Clin Immunol 1987 (decade of stanozolol in HAE)
• Agostoni et al., J Allergy Clin Immunol 1980 (danazol and stanozolol in HAE)
• Systematic review, BMJ Open 2012 (long-term prophylaxis in hereditary angio-oedema)