Substance: testosterone undecanoate
Trade Names:
Andriol 40 mg caps.; Organon CH, NL, PL, G, A, PT HU, Thailand; Ravasin
Androxon 40 mg caps.; Organon NO, Brazil
Panteston 40 mg caps.; Organon FI, FR
Restandol 40 mg caps.; Organon DK, GB, GR
Undestor 40 mg caps.; Organon B, 5, BG, CZ
Virigen 40 mg caps.; Organon TK

Andriol is a revolutionary steroid because, besides methyltestosterone, it is the only effective oral testosterone com-pound. Testosterone itself, if taken orally, is ineffective since it is reabsorbed through the portal vein (1) and immediately deactivated by the liver. The substance testosterone undecanoate contained in Andriol, however, is reabsorbed from the intestine through the lym-phatic system, thus bypassing the liver and becoming effective. The liver function is not affected by this. Andriol aromatizes only minimally, meaning that only a very small part of the substance can be converted into estrogen, since the dihydrotestosterone does not aromatize. The users of Andriol therefore do not experience femi-nization symptoms such as gynecomastia or increased body fat. Andriol's non-aromatizing quality consists of the fact that the body's own hormone production is only affected after a long-term administration of very high dosages. Andriol should be the perfect steroid; however, this is not the case.

The disadvantage of Andriol is that it only becomes effective if taken in high doses. Even if a dose of 200 mg of Andriol/day is taken, the testosterone level in the blood is still too low for a bodybuilder to gain strength and muscle growth. The capsules, therefore, are effective for only a few hours so that 6-7 capsules, that is 240-280 mg (mini-mum), must be taken daily to achieve good results comparable to those of injectable compounds. This, however, puts the athlete in a dosage range which begins to influence the hormone production and the compound now more readily converts into estrogen. Such a dose can also manifest itself in a higher retention of sodium and water. This is one factor which competing athletes must consider. Another disadvantage is Andriol's high price. A package with 60 capsules costs approximately $80 and the minimum daily dose of 6-7 capsules thus costs almost $8. For those athletes who would like to try Andriol 8 capsules (320 mg daily) should be taken. The capsules should be taken three times daily (approximately every 8 hours) after meals so that the substance can be properly reabsorbed. However, even this high dosage does not guarantee satisfactory re-sults. Those of you who believe that you need even higher doses should then consider that it might be more sensible to switch to the injectable testosterone. The Andriol/ Oxandrolone stack gives athletes who do not yet have much experi-ence with steroids a fairly large strength increase and also often substantial muscle growth. Andriol is quickly eliminated by the body it should also be considered for use before competitions requir-ing doping tests. Women should avoid Andriol since the androgenic component-common with testosterone-is also strongly developed in this compound. Andriol intake can occasionally lead to high blood pressure, retention of fluids, acne, sexual overstimulation, and, in women, the well-known virilization symptoms.

Andriol should be stored in a cool place (6 - 15º C), preferably in the refrigerator. Since the capsules are extremely sensitive to heat they can easily melt into an undefinable shape if left in direct sunlight, e.g. in a car.