Ermalone

What is Ermalone?

Ermalone is a brand name for mestanolone, an anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) that is a synthetic derivative of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is also known by its chemical name, methylandrostanolone, and other brand names like Androstalone.

Mestanolone is an oral steroid, meaning it is taken by mouth. It is essentially a 17$\alpha$-methylated version of DHT, which makes it resistant to being broken down by the liver, allowing it to be effective when ingested orally. However, this methylation also contributes to potential liver toxicity. Unlike many other steroids, mestanolone is not subject to aromatization, meaning it cannot be converted into estrogen.

Benefits and Side Effects

Benefits (historical and research-based):

• Strong Androgenic Effects: Mestanolone is known for its strong androgenic properties, which can lead to increased strength and aggression.

• Non-Aromatizing: Because it is a derivative of DHT, it cannot be converted into estrogen. This means it does not cause estrogenic side effects like gynecomastia (enlarged male breasts) or water retention.

Side Effects (in humans, based on historical and illicit use observations):

• Hepatotoxicity: As a 17$\alpha$-alkylated oral steroid, mestanolone poses a significant risk of liver damage.

• Androgenic Side Effects: Due to its strong androgenic nature, it can cause severe androgenic side effects such as acne, male pattern baldness, and body hair growth. In women, it can cause virilization, including a deepened voice, clitoral enlargement, and hair growth.

• Cardiovascular Issues: Like other anabolic steroids, mestanolone can negatively impact cardiovascular health, leading to harmful changes in cholesterol levels (decreasing HDL, or "good" cholesterol, and increasing LDL, or "bad" cholesterol).

• Testosterone Suppression: It can suppress the body's natural production of testosterone, which can lead to testicular atrophy and infertility.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Oral Administration: It can be taken orally, avoiding the need for injections.

• Lack of Estrogenic Side Effects: The inability to aromatize makes it appealing to users who want to avoid gynecomastia and water retention.

Cons:

• Hepatotoxicity: The risk of liver damage is a major concern.

• Strong Androgenic Effects: The high androgenic activity can lead to a range of undesirable and sometimes irreversible side effects.

• No Longer Medically Used: It is mostly obsolete in a clinical setting, which means there is no regulated, quality-controlled product for human use.

• Illicit Use Only: Any use in humans is illicit and without medical supervision, posing significant health risks.

Dosage and Frequency

There is no standard or medically approved human dosage for mestanolone as it is no longer used clinically. Information on dosage is derived from illicit use and is not safe to follow.

Half-Life and Detection Time

• Half-Life: The half-life of oral steroids can be relatively short. While a specific, precise half-life for mestanolone is not widely published, oral steroids typically have a half-life of a few hours to a couple of days.

• Detection Time: Despite a short half-life, the metabolites of mestanolone can be detected in drug tests for an extended period. The detection time can vary, but it can be up to several months.

Sterogenic, Progestronic, and Prolactin Effects

• Sterogenic (Estrogenic): As a DHT derivative, mestanolone does not aromatize into estrogen and therefore has no estrogenic effects.

• Progestronic: It has no known progestogenic activity.

• Prolactin: It is not associated with an increase in prolactin levels.

Anabolic-Androgenic Ratio

The anabolic-androgenic ratio of mestanolone is approximately 0.8:1. This means its anabolic activity is less than its androgenic activity. This is an important distinction, as many other anabolic steroids have a higher anabolic rating than their androgenic rating.