Liver Defense - How to use oral AAS safely?

Hepatotoxicity (fusion of words: Hepatic Toxicity) - liver damage induced due to the usage of drugs that worsens the liver's condition. Anabolic steroids and prohormones are two examples of drugs that can worsen liver conditions. In this article, I'm going to elaborate on this phenomenon.

To maintain their bioavailability, many steroids must undergo the methylation process. Otherwise, the liver enzymes would completely detoxify the active substance, making it inactive in the body. Methylated steroids are characterized by the 17-alpha alkylated group in their chemical symbol. For instance, stanozolol is commonly known as 17α-Methyl-2'H-5α-androst-2-eno[3,2-c]pyrazol-17β-ol.

The most popular highly hepatotoxic steroids/prohormones:

- Dianabol (Metanabol)

- Stanozolol (Winstrol)

- Oxymetholone (Anapolon)

- Oxandrolone (Anadrol)

- Methasterone (Superdrol/Mdrol)

- Methylepitiostanol (Epistane)

The list of all hepatotoxic steroids is much longer.

To complete the cycle safely, it's important to only use one methyed agent at a time and keep a regular check on the liver, stomach, and kidneys. The first sign of any problem can be observed by checking the color of urine. Although the typical cycle of hepatotoxic steroids should not exceed 8-12 weeks, you can take them for as long as your liver remains healthy. However, it's crucial to get regular blood tests and check the AST (aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase), GGTP (gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase), and Bilirubin levels. If any of these measures point to a result beyond the referential range, it's important to discontinue the cycle shortly.

Advice: To avoid liver damage and use hepatotoxic steroids, you can cycle them: 1 month on / 1 month off. Nevertheless, the liver's condition should still be checked before every next cycle ("on").

Remember: Injectable versions of hepatotoxic steroids aren't safe for the liver! Still, injectable steroids have several advantages over oral versions: they are usually much better bioavailable for the organism, will last longer, and shouldn't put grain on the stomach.

While everything is clear, we may hit the second subject - liver defense

There are different substances that can help protect the liver, but not all of them are suitable for those taking oral steroids or prohormones. It's important to note that liver defenders containing silymarin, such as milk thistle, can actually reduce the effectiveness of oral steroids. Studies have shown that their bioavailability can decrease by around 50%. However, if you stop taking methylated agents, you can safely use silymarin-based defenders.

N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) is one of the most effective supplements to protect your liver while using liver-damaging steroids. It helps to detoxify your body and improve liver function. It's best to take a 1g dose at least twice daily. However, take it with the time interval (4-6h) from your workout sessions since it's a powerful antioxidant.

Additionally, you can add supplements based on choline (500mg/day) or lecithin (1-2g/day).

There come the most potent liver defenders. The first of them is BPC157. Its effects are incredibly beneficial for the liver. It can successfully protect the liver against damage induced by steroids and firmly support its regeneration and detoxication processes. Dosage: 200mcg twice a day. It can be taken sublingual.

The next very potent liver defender is injectable TAD-600 (glutathione), which is way more effective than taking NAC orally, while having a relatively similar mechanism of action. It should be dosed 500mg e5d. Like BPC-157 it has a broad specturm of positive benefits on the organism, especially for the liver.