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A Superdrol cycle is a short course of methasterone (also called methyldrostanolone), an oral anabolic steroid that was sold over the counter as a “supplement” in the mid-2000s before US regulators banned it. It has a reputation for fast, dramatic strength and size gains in just a few weeks, with little of the water retention seen with other oral mass builders. It is also one of the oral steroids most often named in published case reports of severe liver injury.
Commonly reported Superdrol cycles run 10 to 20mg per day for 3 to 4 weeks. Those figures come from user practice: methasterone was never approved as a medicine and has never been tested in controlled human studies, so there is no evidence-based dose and no known safe one.
This guide covers how cycles are commonly run, what users report, the liver and heart risks, and what research says about recovery. Nothing here is a recommendation to use it. Methasterone is a Schedule III controlled substance in the US, and products sold under its name often do not contain what the label says.
Key Takeaways
- Superdrol is methasterone, a 17-alpha-methylated form of drostanolone (Masteron). It does not convert to estrogen, but it was never approved as a medicine or tested in human trials.
- Commonly reported doses are 10-20mg per day for 3-4 weeks. These figures come from user practice, not clinical research, and they are not a recommendation.
- Its biggest danger is the liver. Published case reports describe severe cholestatic jaundice, and in some cases kidney failure, in people taking methasterone products.
- Like other 17-alpha-alkylated oral steroids, it worsens cholesterol (lower HDL, higher LDL), can raise blood pressure and shuts down natural testosterone production.
- In a 2023 study of 641 men who had stopped anabolic steroids, only 48% had fully recovered their hormone levels. A short cycle does not guarantee a full recovery.
What Is Superdrol?
Superdrol is the original brand name for methasterone, also known as methyldrostanolone. Chemically, it is drostanolone, the steroid sold as Masteron, with an added methyl group at the 17-alpha position. That change lets it survive the liver when swallowed, and it is also what makes it hard on the liver.
Methasterone was first made by drug researchers in the 1950s but was never developed into an approved medicine. It resurfaced in the mid-2000s as an over-the-counter “supplement” called Superdrol, which is why it is often called a designer steroid: it was marketed to sidestep steroid laws.
It is sometimes called a prohormone or even a SARM. It is neither: methasterone is an active anabolic steroid as swallowed, with no conversion needed. After a string of liver injury reports and FDA warnings about bodybuilding products containing steroid-like substances, it was placed in Schedule III of the US Controlled Substances Act in 2012.
How Superdrol Works
Methasterone binds to the androgen receptor, like other anabolic steroids. In muscle, androgen receptor activation raises protein synthesis and helps the body retain nitrogen, which supports muscle growth when training and food intake allow it.
Because it is derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT), it is not converted to estrogen by the aromatase enzyme. This is why users describe its gains as “drier” and harder-looking than those from Dianabol or Anadrol.
Its commonly cited anabolic rating is 400 and androgenic rating 20, against oral methyltestosterone at 100. These come from old animal assays and do not predict effects in people, but they explain its reputation as one of the strongest orals per milligram.
Superdrol Cycle: What Users Report
The tables below describe how Superdrol cycles are commonly run, based on user reports. They are not clinical doses and they are not recommendations. No controlled study has tested methasterone in humans, so there is no evidence-based safe dose.
Two features stand out. Doses are low, because methasterone is potent per milligram. And cycles are short, usually 3 to 4 weeks, because liver injury from 17-alpha-alkylated steroids is thought to rise with dose and duration. A short cycle lowers that risk; it does not remove it. Guides that describe 6-week runs at 30-40mg per day sit well above what most users report tolerating.
Commonly Reported First Cycle (Oral Only, 3-4 Weeks)
| Weeks | Superdrol (Methasterone) | Afterward |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | 10mg/day | PCT, usually started within a day or two of the last dose |
This is the classic cycle from Superdrol’s over-the-counter days: Superdrol on its own, followed by post-cycle therapy. Many users report that 10mg per day gives most of the strength gain with fewer side effects than higher doses.
Commonly Reported Higher-Dose Cycle (With Testosterone)
| Weeks | Superdrol (Methasterone) | Testosterone Enanthate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | 20mg/day | 300-500mg/week |
| 5-12 | None | 300-500mg/week |
Here Superdrol is a “kickstart” for the first weeks of a longer testosterone cycle. Testosterone covers the drop in natural production but does nothing for the liver or cholesterol, and it adds estrogen-related side effects.
Users commonly report that side effects climb steeply above 20mg per day, often without much extra gain.
Superdrol Dosage (Reported Ranges)
| Group | Daily Dose | Reported Cycle Length |
|---|---|---|
| Men, first cycle | 10mg/day | 3-4 weeks |
| Men, experienced | 20mg/day | 3-4 weeks |
| Men, above 20mg/day | Reported, but rarely described as worth it | 3 weeks or less; side effects rise sharply |
| Women | Rarely reported | Not covered here because of the virilization risk |
Users often split the daily dose in two because methasterone is believed to have a short half-life, though no human data confirms it.
Women rarely report using Superdrol, and even user guides generally advise against it. The risk is virilization: a deeper voice, facial and body hair, and clitoral enlargement. Some of these changes can be permanent.
Superdrol Results: What to Expect
Superdrol’s reputation rests on how fast it works. Users commonly report noticeable strength gains within the first one to two weeks and visible weight gain by the end of a 3-4 week run.
Commonly Reported Results
- Strength: The most consistently reported effect, often within one to two weeks.
- Weight gain: Anecdotal reports often describe 10 pounds or more over a short run. These reports cannot be verified and vary widely.
- Fuller, harder look: Muscles look fuller from glycogen and water stored inside the muscle, without the puffy look of estrogen-driven water retention.
How Much of It Do You Keep?
Part of the weight is glycogen and water held in muscle, and users commonly report losing some of it after a cycle as hormone levels fall. How much muscle is kept depends on training, diet and how quickly natural testosterone recovers. Fast gains from a short oral cycle are also the easiest to lose. All of these figures come from user reports, not trials.
Superdrol and the Liver
Liver injury is the best-documented risk of Superdrol. Oral steroids with a 17-alpha methyl group resist breakdown by the liver, and that puts the liver under strain. Anabolic steroid use is a recognised cause of liver injury, and 17-alpha-alkylated oral steroids carry most of that risk.
Superdrol stands out because it was sold over the counter, often to people who did not know they were taking a steroid. Doctors have published case reports describing severe cholestatic liver injury in people taking methasterone products, including a 2008 case series of five patients. In cholestasis, bile stops flowing properly out of the liver, causing jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), intense itching and dark urine. Other reports describe kidney failure alongside severe cholestasis. Recovery after stopping can take weeks to months, and several patients in these reports needed hospital treatment.
Warning Signs of Liver Injury
- Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes (jaundice)
- Dark urine or pale stools
- Persistent itching
- Loss of appetite, nausea or stomach pain
- Unusual, extreme fatigue
Anyone with these signs should stop and see a doctor straight away, and say exactly what they took. Blood tests for liver enzymes (ALT and AST) and bilirubin are how doctors check liver function. Anyone with existing liver problems is at greater risk.
Does Liver Support Help?
Many users take TUDCA or other “liver support” supplements during a Superdrol cycle. There is no good evidence that they prevent steroid-induced liver injury. A related bile acid, ursodeoxycholic acid, is used by doctors to treat some cholestatic liver conditions, but that is treatment under medical supervision, not a way to make an oral steroid safe.
Other Superdrol Side Effects
Since methasterone has not been studied in trials, the details below come from user reports and from what is known about anabolic steroids as a class.
Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
Oral 17-alpha-alkylated steroids are known to lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol and raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, often sharply, and users commonly report this on Superdrol blood work. Rises in blood pressure are also commonly reported.
Anabolic steroid use more broadly is linked to heart muscle damage, worse lipids and faster artery disease, according to a 2017 American Heart Association scientific statement.
Testosterone Suppression
Superdrol suppresses the body’s own testosterone production, and users commonly describe it as strongly suppressive even over 3-4 weeks. After a cycle, low natural testosterone can bring low libido, fatigue, low mood and loss of gains. Some men who use anabolic steroids are left with long-lasting low testosterone that needs medical care, sometimes including testosterone replacement therapy.
Lethargy, Appetite Loss and Back Pumps
These are among the most common user complaints: feeling tired and flat, losing appetite (which works against a bulk), and painful cramping “pumps” in the lower back during training. Marked fatigue and appetite loss can also be early signs of liver trouble.
Gynecomastia
Methasterone does not convert to estrogen, so it should not cause estrogen-driven gynecomastia on its own. Some users still report sensitive nipples, for reasons that are not well understood. In a stack, testosterone is the more likely cause.
Hair Loss, Acne and Mood
As a DHT derivative, methasterone can speed up male pattern hair loss in men who are prone to it. Finasteride does not help, because methasterone does not go through the enzyme it blocks. Acne, irritability and mood changes are also commonly reported.
Superdrol PCT: What the Research Shows
Post-cycle therapy (PCT) means taking drugs such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex) or clomiphene (Clomid) after a cycle to help restart natural testosterone production. Neither drug is approved for this use.
What Users Typically Run
After an oral-only cycle, users commonly report starting PCT within a day or two of the last dose. In a testosterone cycle, timing is set by the testosterone, not the Superdrol. The most commonly reported protocols are:
| PCT Drug | Commonly Reported Protocol | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) | 40mg/day weeks 1-2, 20mg/day weeks 3-4 | 4 weeks |
| Clomiphene (Clomid) | 50mg/day weeks 1-2, 25mg/day weeks 3-4 | 4 weeks |
SERMs & AIs
Overview
- Form: Oral Capsules
- Dosage: 25-40 mg daily for PCT or for gyno flare-ups
- Typical Cycle: 4-6 weeks
- Cost: $81.95
- Stacking Options: Higher testosterone doses or post-cycle recovery
Pros
- Large mortality benefit in ER-positive breast cancer; five years of adjuvant treatment cuts recurrence roughly by half and breast cancer mortality by about a third, with the effect persisting well past the treatment period
- Works in premenopausal and postmenopausal women alike, unlike aromatase inhibitors, which makes it the default for younger patients
- Bone-protective in postmenopausal women, since it acts as a partial estrogen agonist in bone — the reverse of anastrozole's main liability
Cons
- Endometrial hyperplasia and a two-to-three-fold increase in endometrial cancer risk in postmenopausal women, requiring investigation of any abnormal bleeding
- Elevated risk of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism, particularly around surgery or immobility
- Hot flashes, vasomotor symptoms and mood effects are common; CYP2D6 status and strong inhibitors such as certain SSRIs can reduce conversion to the active metabolite
SERMs & AIs
Overview
- Form: Oral capsules (25 mg each, 60 capsules)
- Researched Dosage: 25 mg to 50 mg daily for PCT
- Typical Cycle: 4-6 weeks
- Cost: $69.95
- Stacking Options: Tamoxifen, HCG, Enclomiphene
Pros
- A SERM that blocks estrogen at the hypothalamus, prompting the body to make more LH, FSH and its own testosterone.
- Studies in men with low testosterone found it raised testosterone while preserving sperm production, unlike TRT.
- It is oral, inexpensive and has been in medical use since 1967, so its effects are well documented.
Cons
- About a third of each dose is zuclomiphene, a long-lasting isomer linked to mood swings, irritability and low mood.
- Blurred vision, floaters and light sensitivity have been reported; visual symptoms are a reason to stop.
- It is FDA-approved only for female infertility, so use in men is off-label, and this product is sold for research use only.
What the Evidence Says
The best recent data comes from a 2023 study of 641 men seen at a UK clinic after stopping anabolic steroids. Only 48% had fully recovered their reproductive hormones (LH, FSH and testosterone back in the normal range). Other findings:
- PCT was linked to faster short-term recovery. Men who used it recovered in a median of 13 weeks versus 26 weeks without, but only among men who had stopped within the previous three months.
- More compounds meant worse odds. Men who had used four different steroids were about a quarter as likely to recover as men who had used one.
- The authors did not endorse PCT. They described it as “illicit, ill-defined, and not recommended.”
A short Superdrol-only cycle may be easier to recover from than a long stack, but no study has measured recovery after methasterone. Blood work before and after is the only way to know.
Common Superdrol Stacks
These are the combinations most commonly reported. Each extra compound adds its own side effects and, based on the 2023 recovery data, lowers the odds of a full hormonal recovery afterward.
- Superdrol alone: The classic short oral cycle, followed by PCT. Nothing replaces the suppressed testosterone, so users often report low libido late in the cycle.
- Superdrol + testosterone: Superdrol for the first 3-4 weeks of a longer testosterone cycle, as in the table above.
- Superdrol + another oral steroid: Stacking two 17-alpha-alkylated orals, such as Superdrol with Dianabol or Anadrol, multiplies the strain on the liver and on cholesterol. It is widely regarded, even among users, as one of the riskiest combinations.
- Superdrol + over-the-counter add-ons: Older guides pair it with laxogenin and arimistane. Laxogenin has no good human evidence, and arimistane, sold as an aromatase inhibitor, does little alongside a steroid that does not aromatize.
Superdrol vs Anadrol vs Dianabol
Superdrol is most often compared with the two classic oral mass builders, Anadrol and Dianabol. All three are 17-alpha-alkylated orals that strain the liver and suppress testosterone. They differ mainly in water retention.
| Superdrol | Anadrol | Dianabol | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical name | Methasterone | Oxymetholone | Methandrostenolone |
| Derived from | DHT | DHT | Testosterone |
| Converts to estrogen | No | No, but estrogen-like side effects are common | Yes |
| Water retention | Low | High | High |
| Medical use | Never approved | Approved for some anemias | Formerly prescribed, no longer sold in the US |
| Liver strain | High, with many case reports | High | High |
| Gyno risk on its own | Low | Reported | Higher |
Superdrol gives a drier look, while Anadrol and Dianabol bring more water weight. None of the three is liver-safe. Claims that one is clearly easier on the liver than another are not backed by comparative data: all have documented cases of serious liver injury. Our Superdrol vs Anadrol comparison covers that matchup in depth.
Legality and Drug Testing
United States: Methasterone has been a Schedule III controlled substance since 2012. No approved methasterone medicine exists, so there is no legal prescription route. Possession is a federal offense, and selling it carries heavier penalties.
Black market: Products sold online as Superdrol may contain methasterone, a different steroid or nothing at all. A 2022 meta-analysis of black-market steroid testing found that 36% of samples were counterfeit and a further 37% were substandard.
Elsewhere: Rules vary, but methasterone falls under anabolic steroid laws in many countries, and importing it by post can be illegal even where possession is not.
Sport: Methasterone is on the WADA Prohibited List as an anabolic agent, banned at all times, in and out of competition.
The Bottom Line
Superdrol delivers fast strength and size gains in a few weeks, but it is one of the oral steroids most clearly linked to serious liver injury, and it has never been tested in human trials.
- Commonly reported cycles are short, 10-20mg per day for 3-4 weeks, because liver strain, cholesterol changes and side effects like lethargy and appetite loss build quickly. Published case reports describe severe cholestatic jaundice and kidney failure.
- It shuts down natural testosterone, and in the largest recent study only about half of men had fully recovered their hormones after stopping steroids, so a short cycle does not guarantee an easy recovery.
- It is a Schedule III controlled substance in the US and banned in sport, and black-market products often do not contain what the label says.
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