Masteron (Drostanolone): Medical History, Legal Status and Risks

Masteron is a common name for drostanolone, an injected steroid. In the United States it was once sold for breast cancer. Today it is used mainly by bodybuilders during "cutting" phases. This page covers its medical history, its legal status and its risks.

Quick facts

Key facts: Drostanolone, also called dromostanolone, is an injected steroid. Its US brand, Drolban, was made by Eli Lilly and is now listed as discontinued. It is a Schedule III controlled substance and is banned in sport.

What drostanolone is

Drostanolone is a lab-made steroid based on dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a form of testosterone. It carries a methyl group at position 2, which is why it was also described as 2α-methyldihydrotestosterone. It is usually used as drostanolone propionate, an ester form that is injected.

Medical history

Drostanolone propionate was studied in the 1960s as a treatment for advanced breast cancer. A 1963 clinical report described its use to treat advanced breast cancer.

In the United States, it was approved as Drolban injection, made by Eli Lilly. The FDA's Drugs@FDA database lists Drolban as discontinued, and no drostanolone product appears in the NIH's DailyMed label database.

How it is misused

Doctors who study steroid users call drostanolone a typical "cutting" steroid. In a Dutch study of 100 steroid users, described in the Endocrine Connections review, 39% reported using it during a cycle. As with other cutting steroids, users choose it because they believe it does not convert to estrogen. The review notes that this belief has not been properly tested, and that most of these steroids "have not been extensively studied in humans."

Health risks

There is little modern clinical research on drostanolone itself. What is known comes from studies of steroid users, who usually combine several steroids.

The FDA label for testosterone enanthate lists the serious problems reported in people who misuse steroids. They include heart attack, heart failure, stroke, liver damage and serious mental health problems such as major depression, mania, paranoia and aggression. Men can get shrunken testicles and become infertile. Women can get a deeper voice, more facial and body hair, male-pattern baldness and changes to their periods. In teens, bones can stop growing too early.

Large studies back this up. In a Danish study, men who tested positive for steroids had three times the death rate of similar men. A heart study found weaker heart muscle and more plaque in the arteries of long-term users.

Illicit products carry another risk. When Dutch researchers tested steroids used by 100 people, only about half held the drug named on the label, according to a review in Endocrine Connections. Some held no active drug at all.

Legal status

In the United States, drostanolone is a Schedule III controlled substance. It is named in the federal list of anabolic steroids, 21 CFR 1308.13. It is a federal crime to have or sell it without a valid prescription.

In sport, it is banned at all times, in and out of competition, by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Frequently asked questions

What was Masteron used for medically?

Drostanolone propionate was used to treat advanced breast cancer. In the United States it was sold as Drolban, which is now discontinued.

Is Masteron legal?

Not in the United States without a prescription, and no product is currently marketed. Drostanolone is a Schedule III controlled substance.

Is drostanolone the same as dromostanolone?

Yes. Dromostanolone is the name used in FDA records for Drolban. Drostanolone and Masteron refer to the same compound.

Why is Masteron called a cutting steroid?

Users believe it does not convert to estrogen and so suits fat-loss phases. Researchers note this belief has not been tested in proper human studies.

Sources

• Di Pietro S, Salvadori B. Treatment of advanced breast cancer with 2 alpha-methyldihydrotestosterone propionate. Tumori. 1963
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Drugs@FDA, NDA 012936 (Drolban)
• FDA-approved label: testosterone enanthate injection (Drug Abuse and Dependence)
• de Ronde W, Smit DL. Anabolic androgenic steroid abuse in young males. Endocr Connect. 2020
• Horwitz H, et al. Health consequences of androgenic anabolic steroid use. J Intern Med. 2019
• Baggish AL, et al. Cardiovascular toxicity of illicit anabolic-androgenic steroid use. Circulation. 2017
• U.S. Code of Federal Regulations: 21 CFR 1308.13, Schedule III
• World Anti-Doping Agency: Prohibited List