Overview and
History of PROVIMED 25 (Mesterolone)
PROVIMED 25 is the brand name for
the androgen known as Mesterolone. This compound is not considered an anabolic
steroid, because unlike other steroids, Mesterolone features very weak or
even zero anabolic activity. PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is administered orally thus
no mesterolone injection. This product was developed by
Schering in 1934. This fact makes it one of the oldest steroids used alongside Methyltestosterone
and TESTOMED
P 100 (Testosterone Propionate) which manufactured and marketed for medical use. Methyltestosterone was created
in 1935, while TESTOMED
P 100 (Testosterone Propionate) in 1937. Those two compounds are best known, while PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is not so famous. The reason could be because the former two anabolic steroids were demonstrated as being very strong
anabolic agents, while PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is not.
Despite the fact, that PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is known for a long time it is still a compound
that is very effectively used in medicine. Besides, it can be proud of its
impressive history of safety and tolerance among patients. In the medical PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) was used for the treatment of
declining well-being in older males due to declining androgen levels, libido
dysfunction in males, and infertility. PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is especially good as a fertility
aid and this fact was outlined in the medical literature. This is so because
while almost all anabolic/androgenic steroids are known to cause temporary
infertility, PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) in normal therapeutic dosages barely suppresses
endogenous gonadotropins (LH and FSH) when utilized. Anyway, PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is poorly misunderstood as a compound that
increases LH, which it does not do. Opposite, research has demonstrated that PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) provides the androgenic effects necessary for
spermatogenesis in specific areas in the testes.
Schering still manufactures Mesterolone and remains a major global supplier. Mesterolone is sold worldwide under different brand names. PROVIMED 25 is one of them, other
brand names include Pluriviron (in Germany by Asche),
Vistimon (in Germany by Jenepharm), and Restore (in India, by Brown and Burke).
A very interesting fact is that PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) was never approved for use on the prescription market in the United
States.
Chemical
Characteristics of PROVIMED 25 (Mesterolone)
PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is a modified derivative of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) via the addition
of a methyl group on its first carbon (1-methyl dihydrotestosterone). Being an extremely weak anabolic, PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is almost always referred to as an androgen (or androgenic steroid).
Studies have shown the reason for its weak anabolic effects: PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) shares a similar property with its parent compound (DHT) – it is
rapidly metabolized and broken down into inactive metabolites once it enters
into muscle tissue. This is a common problem with dihydrotestosterone
itself – once it enters muscle tissue, the enzyme 3-hydroxysteroid
dehydrogenase (where it is in very high concentration in muscle tissue) binds
to it and renders it inactive by converting it into a compound that has no
anabolic effects.
There has been false information about PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) weak anabolic nature in circulation among
bodybuilding communities that PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) “blocks the androgen receptor in muscle tissue”,
but that is not so. The great benefit of PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) use is its ability to have a high affinity for
SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin), which is a protein that binds to anabolic
steroids in the bloodstream (namely, Testosterone) and renders them completely
inactive once bound. The use of PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) in such cases together with other anabolic
steroids may strengthen the activity and effects of other anabolic steroids
through this pathway, leaving more unbound and free Testosterone to perform its
job in the body.
Another well-known benefit of PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is also its ability to act as an
anti-estrogen via its activity as an aromatase inhibitor. It should be
outlined, that its activity as an aromatase inhibitor is not regarded as strong
as other Als, such as AROMAMED
25 (Exemestane), ARIMIMED
1 (Anastrozole), and Letrozole, but it still works and can be
successfully used. Its strength as an aromatase inhibitor can be compared to ARIMIMED
1 (Anastrozole), but slightly lower in terms of strength.
PROVIMED 25
(Mesterolone) Side Effects
PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is a DHT-derivative, meaning it carries with it
no risks at any dosage for estrogenic side effects. Instead, PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) acts as an anti-estrogen via its activity as an
aromatase inhibitor in the body. This can result in the mitigation of estrogenic
side effects from other compounds via the reduction of total circulating plasma
levels of Estrogen.
According to research, because of this effect of PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone), it has been utilized medically in the treatment
of gynecomastia and breast cancers because of its strong androgenic nature
combined with its anti-estrogenic capabilities. PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is primarily an androgen, meaning
it does carry with it the risk of androgenic side effects, and they are more
present with higher dosages.
The androgenic
side effects of PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) include: an increase in oily skin (as a result of increased sebum
production/secretion), increased facial hair and bodily hair growth, as well as
the increased risk of triggering MPB (Male Pattern Baldness) in those that are
genetically sensitive or predisposed to it. Women users are also prone to
virilization during the use of PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone), such as the development of male characteristics in females (i.e.
deepening of the voice, facial hair growth, enlargement of the clitoris, etc.).
It is also
important to understand that PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is already a derivative of DHT. Such products like Finasteride,
Proscar, or Dutasteride can’t do absolutely anything to reduce PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) potential androgenic side effects. PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is not C-17 alpha alkylated (it is instead
methylated on its first carbon), current studies have shown that it is not
known to produce hepatotoxic effects, and liver problems are extremely unlikely
with this compound.
PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) side effects include negative
impacts on the cardiovascular system. Studies have shown that if you use 100mg
of PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) daily for 6 months you will experience very
significant negative effects on cholesterol values, both increasing the bad
(LDL) cholesterol and decreasing the good (HDL) cholesterol by 65% and 35%
respectively. It is also very common that PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) may have a suppressive effect on endogenous
natural Testosterone production (though this is considered to be very weak).
Again, according to studies, the PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) daily dosage of 150mg or less is no significant
suppression of Testosterone results. In those same studies, higher dosages
(300mg or higher per day) resulted in significant suppression of Testosterone
levels.
Dosages and
Administration of PROVIMED 25 (Mesterolone)
PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is used in the medical world for
the treatment of insufficient androgenicity, a single tablet of 25mg taken
three times per day (for a total of 75mg per day) is used at the onset of
treatment, followed by a reduction in dose later on to maintenance levels of a
single 25mg tablet per day. During the process of the treatment of male
infertility, the same dosages are usually used, though other fertility-boosting
drugs are also included alongside PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone).
If we are talking about bodybuilders and athletes,
PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is normally used between 50 – 150mg
per day to either control Estrogen levels, reduce water retention (caused by
estrogen), or to increase fertility following the conclusion of a cycle.
PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is not approved for use in females, but some
female users in the athletic and bodybuilding community still use it. In this
case, a single PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) dosage of 25mg per day is enough to alter the
look of the physique. This cycle should be no longer than 4 – 5 weeks,
otherwise, virilization effects will appear.
PROVIMED 25
(Mesterolone) Cycles and Use
Because PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) is not an anabolic steroid and
possesses extremely weak anabolic effects, it is not utilized in the form of
cycles. It is instead normally utilized as an ancillary compound, as an adjunct
to anabolic steroid cycles to minimize or mitigate the effects of Estrogen on
the body. This compound is also used for its aesthetic effects in enhancing the
‘hard’ look of the physique both through its effects as an anti-estrogen, as
well as its effects as a strong androgen. When used as an ancillary, PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) can be taken by male athletes and
bodybuilders throughout their cycle length at 50 – 100mg per day, as there is
no limit to how long it can be utilized for. Some users choose PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) as a PCT (Post Cycle Therapy) drug
to reduce Estrogen levels and boost fertility. Although this still can be done,
there are much better compounds for this purpose with similar (and stronger)
effects for PCT. When the risk of even weak endogenous Testosterone suppression
is thrown into the mix with PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone), it is advised to avoid the use of PROVIMED
25 (Mesterolone) for PCT purposes unless there are no other
options available. During a period in which users are attempting to recover
their natural endogenous Testosterone levels, any threat no matter how minimal
to endogenous Testosterone production should be unwelcome and avoided at all
costs.
Chemical information:
•
[1
alpha-methyl-17 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-androstan-3-one]
•
Molecular Weight: 304.4716
•
Molecular Formula: C20H32O2
•
Melting Point: N/A
•
Manufacturer: Schering
•
Release Date: 1960
•
Effective Dose: 25-200mgs/day
•
Active Life: up to 12 hours
•
Detection Time: 5-6 weeks
•
Anabolic/Androgenic Ratio: 100-150:30-40