Before Using This Medicine
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the
medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is
a decision you and your doctor will make. For anabolic
steroids, the following should be considered:
Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual
or allergic reaction to anabolic steroids or androgens (male
sex hormones). Also tell your health care professional if you
are allergic to any other substances, such as foods,
preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy—Anabolic steroids are not recommended during
pregnancy. They may cause the development of male features in
the female fetus and premature growth and development of male
features in the male fetus. Be sure you have discussed this
with your doctor.
Breast-feeding—It is not known whether anabolic steroids
can cause problems in nursing babies. There is very little
experience with their use in mothers who are breast-feeding.
Children—Anabolic steroids may cause children to stop
growing. In addition, they may make male children develop too
fast sexually and may cause male-like changes in female
children.
Older adults—When elderly male patients are treated with
anabolic steroids, they may have an increased risk of enlarged
prostate or cancer of the prostate.
Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be
used together at all, in other cases two different medicines
may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In
these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other
precautions may be necessary. When you are taking anabolic
steroids, it is especially important that your health care
professional know if you are taking any of the following:
* Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) (with long-term, high-dose
use) or
* Amiodarone (e.g., Cordarone) or
* Androgens (male hormones) or
* Anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for
infection) or
* Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
* Carbamazepine (e.g., Tegretol) or
* Carmustine (e.g., BiCNU) or
* Chloroquine (e.g., Aralen) or
* Dantrolene (e.g., Dantrium) or
* Daunorubicin (e.g., Cerubidine) or
* Disulfiram (e.g., Antabuse) or
* Divalproex (e.g., Depakote) or
* Estrogens (female hormones) or
* Etretinate (e.g., Tegison) or
* Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
* Hydroxychloroquine (e.g., Plaquenil) or
* Mercaptopurine (e.g., Purinethol) or
* Methotrexate (e.g., Mexate) or
* Methyldopa (e.g., Aldomet) or
* Naltrexone (e.g., Trexan) (with long-term, high-dose use) or
* Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) containing
estrogen or
* Phenothiazines (acetophenazine [e.g., Tindal],
chlorpromazine [e.g., Thorazine], fluphenazine [e.g., Prolixin],
mesoridazine [e.g., Serentil], perphenazine [e.g., Trilafon],
prochlorperazine [e.g., Compazine], promazine [e.g., Sparine],
promethazine [e.g., Phenergan], thioridazine [e.g., Mellaril],
trifluoperazine [e.g., Stelazine], triflupromazine [e.g.,
Vesprin], trimeprazine [e.g., Temaril]) or
* Phenytoin (e.g., Dilantin) or
* Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
* Valproic acid (e.g., Depakene)—Taking anabolic steroids with
any of these medicines may increase the chances of liver
damage. Your doctor may want you to have extra blood tests to
check for this if you must take both medicines
* Anticoagulants, oral (blood thinners you take by
mouth)—Anabolic steroids can increase the effect of these
medicines and possibly cause excessive bleeding
Other medical problems—The presence of other medical
problems may affect the use of anabolic steroids. Make sure
you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems,
especially:
* Breast cancer (in males and some females)
* Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes)—Anabolic steroids can
decrease blood sugar levels
* Enlarged prostate or
* Prostate cancer—Anabolic steroids may make these conditions
worse by causing more enlargement of the prostate or more
growth of a tumor
* Heart or blood vessel disease—Anabolic steroids can
worsen these conditions by increasing blood cholesterol levels
* Kidney disease
* Liver disease
* Too much calcium in the blood (or history of) (in
females)—Anabolic steroids may worsen this condition by
raising the amount of calcium in the blood even more
Proper Use of This Medicine
Take this medicine only as directed. Do not take more of it
and do not take it more often than your doctor ordered. To do
so may increase the chance of side effects.
In order for this medicine to work properly, it is
important that you follow a diet high in proteins and
calories. If you have any questions about this, check with
your health care professional.
Dosing—
The dose of these medicines will be different for different
patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the
label. The following information includes only the average
doses of these medicines. If your dose is different, do not
change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The number of tablets that you take depends on the strength
of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day,
the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you
take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you
are taking the anabolic steroid.
* For nandrolone decanoate For injection dosage form:
o For treatment of certain types of anemia:
+ Women and girls 14 years of age and older—50 to 100
milligrams (mg) injected into a muscle every one to four
weeks.
+ Men and boys 14 years of age and older—50 to 200 mg injected
into a muscle every one to four weeks.Your doctor may want to
continue treatment for up to twelve weeks. After a four-week
rest period without receiving this medicine, your doctor may
want you to repeat the cycle.
+ Children up to 2 years of age—Dose must be determined by
your doctor.
+ Children 2 to 13 years of age—25 to 50 mg injected into a
muscle every three to four weeks.
* For nandrolone phenpropionate For injection dosage form:
o For treatment of certain breast cancers in women:
+ Adults—25 to 100 milligrams (mg) injected into a muscle once
a week for up to twelve weeks. After a four-week rest period
without receiving this medicine, your doctor may want you to
repeat the cycle.
+ Children—Dose must be determined by your doctor.
* For oxandrolone For oral dosage form (tablets):
o For treatment in rebuilding tissue after a serious illness
or injury:
+ Adults and teenagers—2.5 milligrams (mg) two to four times a
day for up to four weeks. Your doctor may increase your dose
up to 20 mg a day.
+ Children—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined
by your doctor. The usual dose is 0.25 mg per kilogram (kg)
(0.11 mg per pound) of body weight a day.
* For oxymetholone For oral dosage form (tablets):
o For treatment of certain types of anemia:
+ Adults, teenagers, children, and older infants—Dose is based
on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The
usual dose is 1 to 5 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) (0.45
to 2.3 mg per pound) of body weight a day.
+ Premature and newborn infants—Dose is based on body weight
or size and must be determined by your doctor. The usual dose
is 0.175 mg per kg (0.08 mg per pound) of body weight once a
day.
* For stanozolol For oral dosage form (tablets):
o To prevent hereditary angioedema, which causes swelling of
the face, arms, legs, throat, windpipe, bowels, or sexual
organs:
+ Adults and teenagers—At first, 2 milligrams (mg) three times
a day to 4 mg four times a day for five days. Then, your
doctor may slowly lower the dose to 2 mg once a day or once
every other day.
Missed dose—
If you miss a dose of this medicine and your dosing
schedule is:
* One dose a day—Take the missed dose as soon as possible.
However, if you do not remember it until the next day, skip
the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule.
Do not double doses.
* More than one dose a day—Take the missed dose as soon as
possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose,
skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing
schedule. Do not double doses.
If you have any questions about this, check with your
doctor.
Storage—
To store this medicine:
* Keep out of the reach of children.
* Store away from heat and direct light.
* Do not store the tablet form of this medicine in the
bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat
or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
* Keep the liquid form of this medicine from freezing.
* Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of
children.
Precautions While Using This Medicine
Your doctor should check your progress at regular visits to
make sure that this medicine does not cause unwanted effects.
For diabetic patients:
* This medicine may affect blood sugar levels. If you
notice a change in the results of your blood or urine sugar
tests or if you have any questions, check with your doctor.
Side Effects of This Medicine
Tumors of the liver, liver cancer, or peliosis hepatis, a
form of liver disease, have occurred during long-term,
high-dose therapy with anabolic steroids. Although these
effects are rare, they can be very serious and may cause
death. Discuss these possible effects with your doctor.
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some
unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may
occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the
following side effects occur:
* For both females and males
o Less common
+ Yellow eyes or skin
o Rare (with long-term use)
+ Black, tarry, or light-colored stools; dark-colored urine;
purple- or red-colored spots on body or inside the mouth or
nose; sore throat and/or fever; vomiting of blood
Also, check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of
the following side effects occur:
* For both females and males
o Less common
+ Bone pain; nausea or vomiting; sore tongue; swelling of feet
or lower legs; unusual bleeding; unusual weight gain
o Rare (with long-term use)
+ Abdominal or stomach pain; feeling of discomfort
(continuing); headache (continuing); hives; loss of appetite
(continuing) ; unexplained weight loss; unpleasant breath odor
(continuing)
* For females only
o More common
+ Acne or oily skin; enlarging clitoris ; hoarseness or
deepening of voice; irregular menstrual periods; unnatural
hair growth; unusual hair loss
o Less common
+ Mental depression; unusual tiredness
* For young males (boys) only
o More common
+ Acne; enlarging penis; increased frequency of erections;
unnatural hair growth
o Less common
+ Unexplained darkening of skin
* For sexually mature males only
o More common
+ Enlargement of breasts or breast soreness; frequent or
continuing erections; frequent urge to urinate
* For elderly males only
o Less common
+ Difficult or frequent urination
Other side effects may occur that usually do not need
medical attention. These side effects may go away during
treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. However, check
with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue
or are bothersome:
* For both females and males
o Less common
+ Chills; diarrhea; feeling of abdominal or stomach fullness;
muscle cramps; trouble in sleeping; unusual decrease or
increase in sexual desire
* For males only
o More common
+ Acne
o Less common
+ Decreased sexual ability
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some
patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your
doctor.
