Winstrol (Stanozolol): Medical History, Legal Status and Risks

Winstrol is the brand name for stanozolol, a steroid pill. It is one of the most commonly misused steroids for "cutting," the phase when people try to lose fat while keeping muscle. This page covers its medical history, its current status and what is known about its risks.

Key facts: Stanozolol is a steroid pill. It was used in medicine to treat hereditary angioedema, a rare swelling disorder. Its US brand, Winstrol, is now listed as discontinued. It is a Schedule III controlled substance.

What stanozolol is

Stanozolol is a lab-made steroid based on DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a form of testosterone. Its structure includes an extra ring that contains nitrogen, called a pyrazole ring. Like other steroid pills, it is 17α-alkylated, which lets it survive the liver but makes it toxic to the liver, according to the Endocrine Connections review.

Medical history

Stanozolol was used to treat hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare inherited condition that causes sudden swelling of the skin, gut and airway. A 1987 study reported 10 years of treating 37 people with HAE using stanozolol. Doctors aimed for the lowest dose that controlled attacks, and side effects eased when the dose was reduced.

In the United States, stanozolol was sold as Winstrol tablets. The brand is now listed as discontinued in the FDA's Drugs@FDA database.

How it is misused

Doctors who study steroid users call stanozolol a typical "cutting" steroid. Users pick it because they believe it does not turn into estrogen, which they assume adds body fat. The review stresses that this is an assumption and that most of these steroids "have not been extensively studied in humans." In a Dutch study of 100 steroid users, 29% reported using stanozolol during a cycle.

Health risks

As an oral 17α-alkylated steroid, stanozolol carries the liver risks of its class. The Endocrine Society states that almost all steroid-related liver damage is linked to these oral steroids. The NIH's LiverTox database says these steroids can block the flow of bile, cause liver tumors and cause blood-filled cysts in the liver.

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.

In one forensic case report, stanozolol was among several steroids found in a 34-year-old man who collapsed and died after a gym workout.

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, stanozolol 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 Winstrol used for medically?

It was used to treat hereditary angioedema, a rare inherited disorder that causes episodes of serious swelling.

Is Winstrol still sold in the United States?

No. The Winstrol brand is listed as discontinued in the FDA's drug database.

Is Winstrol legal?

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

Why is Winstrol 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

• Sheffer AL, et al. Hereditary angioedema: a decade of management with stanozolol. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1987
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Drugs@FDA, NDA 012885 (Winstrol)
• Pope HG Jr, et al. Adverse health consequences of performance-enhancing drugs: an Endocrine Society scientific statement. Endocr Rev. 2014
• National Institutes of Health, LiverTox: Androgenic steroids
• Lehmann S, et al. Death after misuse of anabolic substances (clenbuterol, stanozolol and metandienone). Forensic Sci Int. 2019
• 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