oxandrolone oxandrolone oxandrolone, sold under the brand names oxandrin and anavar, among others, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (aas) medication which is used to help promote weight gain in various situations, to help offset protein catabolism caused by long-term corticosteroid therapy, to support recovery from severe burns, to treat bone pain associated with osteoporosis, to aid in the development of girls with turner syndrome, and for other indications. it is taken by mouth. oxandroloneclinical datatrade namesoxandrin, anavar, othersother namesvar; cb-8075; nsc-67068; sc-11585; protivar; 17α-methyl-2-oxa-4,5α-dihydrotestosterone; 17α-methyl-2-oxa-dht; 17α-methyl-2-oxa-5α-androstan-17β-ol-3-oneahfs/drugs.commonographmedlineplusa604024pregnancycategory x routes ofadministrationby mouthdrug classandrogen; anabolic steroidatc codea14aa08 (who) legal statuslegal status ca: schedule iv us: schedule iii pharmacokinetic databioavailability97%protein binding94–97%metabolismkidneys (primarily), liverelimination half-lifeadults: 9.4–10.4 hourselderly: 13.3 hoursexcretionurine: 28% (unchanged)feces: 3%identifiers iupac name (1s,3as,3br,5as,9as,9bs,11as)-1-hydroxy-1,9a,11a-trimethyl-2,3,3a,3b,4,5,5a,6,9,9b,10,11-dodecahydroindenoisoch cas number53-39-4 ypubchem cid5878iuphar/bps7092drugbankdb00621 ychemspider5667 yunii7h6tm3ct4lkeggd00462 ychebichebi:7820 ychemblchembl1200436 ycomptox dashboard (epa)dtxsid8023399 echa infocard100.000.158 chemical and physical dataformulac19h30o3molar mass306.446 g·mol−13d model (jsmol)interactive image smiles c12cc3(1cc2(c)o)cc43(coc(=o)c4)c inchi inchi=1s/c19h30o3/c1-17-11-22-16(20)10-12(17)4-5-13-14(17)6-8-18(2)15(13)7-9-19(18,3)21/h12-15,21h,4-11h2,1-3h3/t12-,13+,14-,15-,17-,18-,19-/m0/s1 ykey:qsljivkcvhqplv-pemputjusa-n y (verify) side effects of oxandrolone include symptoms of masculinization such as acne, increased hair growth, voice changes, and increased sexual desire. the drug is a synthetic androgen and anabolic steroid, hence is an agonist of the androgen receptor (ar), the biological target of androgens such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. it has strong anabolic effects and weak androgenic effects, which give it a mild side effect profile and make it especially suitable for use in women. oxandrolone was first described in 1962 and was introduced for medical use in 1964. it is used mostly in the united states. in addition to its medical use, oxandrolone is used to improve physique and performance. the drug is a controlled substance in many countries, so nonmedical use is generally illicit. medical uses oxandrolone has been researched and prescribed as a treatment for a wide variety of conditions. it is fda-approved for treating bone pain associated with osteoporosis, aiding weight gain following surgery or physical trauma, during chronic infection, or in the context of unexplained weight loss, and counteracting the catabolic effect of long-term corticosteroid therapy.as of 2016, it is often prescribed off-label to quicken recovery from severe burns, aid the development of girls with turner syndrome, and counteract hiv/aids-induced wasting. oxandrolone improves both short-term and long-term outcomes in people recovering from severe burns and is well-established as a safe treatment for this indication. it is also used in the treatment of idiopathic short stature, anemia, hereditary angioedema, alcoholic hepatitis, and hypogonadism. medical research has established the effectiveness of oxandrolone in aiding the development of girls with turner syndrome. although oxandrolone has long been used to accelerate growth in children with idiopathic short stature, it is unlikely to increase adult height, and in some cases may even decrease it . oxandrolone has, therefore, largely been replaced by growth hormone for this use. however, a 2019 systematic review comparing effects of adding oxandrolone to growth hormone treatment to growth hormone alone has found moderate-quality evidence that the addition of oxandrolone leads to an increase in final adult height of girls with turner syndrome, and low-quality evidence showed no increase in adverse effects. when the same review assessed the effects of adding oxandrolone to growth hormone treatment on speech, cognition and psychological status, the results were inconclusive due to very-low quality evidence. children with idiopathic short stature or turner syndrome are given doses of oxandrolone far smaller than those given to people with burns to minimize the likelihood of virilization and premature maturation. a 2021 study found that administration of oxandrolone in transgender adolescents resulted in an increase in adult height. non-medical uses many bodybuilders and athletes use oxandrolone illicitly for its muscle-building effects. it is much more anabolic than androgenic, so women and those seeking less intense steroid regimens use it particularly often. many also value oxandrolone's low hepatotoxicity relative to most other orally active aass. contraindications like other aass, oxandrolone may worsen hypercalcemia by increasing osteolytic bone resorption. when taken by pregnant women, oxandrolone may have unintended effects such as masculinization on the fetus. side effects