Nandrolone

Nandrolone is a synthetic anabolic steroid made from testosterone. Nandrolone decanoate was approved in the US for anaemia caused by kidney failure, but the original branded products are no longer marketed in the US or UK.

What it is

Nandrolone, also called 19-nortestosterone, is a synthetic anabolic–androgenic steroid closely related to testosterone. It has been made as two injectable esters: nandrolone decanoate, which is longer acting, and nandrolone phenylpropionate, which is shorter acting. Both were sold by Organon under the brand names Deca-Durabolin and Durabolin ^{[1, 3]}.

How it works

Like other androgens, nandrolone binds to androgen receptors inside cells. The receptor then moves to the cell nucleus and switches on genes involved in growth and development, including in muscle and the bone marrow ^[8]. In people with kidney disease, nandrolone decanoate has been shown in small trials to raise haemoglobin and haematocrit ^[5].

Approved medical uses

• United States. Deca-Durabolin (nandrolone decanoate) was approved in 1962 to treat anaemia linked to kidney disease. Organon stopped marketing it in 2002, and the FDA later confirmed it was not withdrawn for reasons of safety or effectiveness ^[1].
• United Kingdom. Deca-Durabolin injection is listed as discontinued in the NHS Dictionary of Medicines and Devices, with an end date in 2022 ^[4].
• Nandrolone phenylpropionate. Durabolin was licensed in Ireland from 1979 and the licence was withdrawn in 1994 ^[3]. We could not confirm any current UK, US or EU licence for this ester.

What the research shows

• Anaemia in chronic kidney disease. A Cochrane review found 8 small randomised trials with 181 adults. Some studies suggested nandrolone decanoate raised haemoglobin and haematocrit, but the evidence was of low quality and the authors found "insufficient evidence to confirm that use of androgens for adults with CKD-related anaemia is beneficial". Side effects were poorly reported ^[5].
• Weight loss in HIV. A Cochrane review of anabolic steroids, including nandrolone decanoate and oxandrolone, for weight loss in people with HIV found small increases in lean body mass and body weight compared with placebo, with no clear difference in deaths or withdrawals due to side effects. Most trials were small and short ^[6].
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A 2022 meta-analysis of 8 randomised trials with 520 people, several using nandrolone decanoate, found small increases in body weight, fat-free mass and peak exercise workload. There was no improvement in lung function or walking distance, and the effect on quality of life was uncertain. The trials were small and short ^[7].
• Overall, the human evidence for nandrolone comes mostly from small, short trials in people with chronic illness ^{[5, 6, 7]}.

Known risks and side effects

• Liver problems. Anabolic steroids can cause cholestatic liver injury (bile flow problems and jaundice), peliosis hepatis (blood-filled cysts in the liver), liver adenomas and, after long-term use, liver cancer ^[8].
• Heart and circulation. Anabolic steroid misuse is linked to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke ^[10].
• Effects in men. Reduced sperm count, shrunken testicles and breast development ^[10].
• Effects in women. Excess facial and body hair, a deeper voice and smaller breasts ^[10].
• Mental health. Aggression, mood swings and paranoia have been reported with misuse ^[10].
• Nandrolone is prohibited at all times in sport under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List ^[9].

Nandrolone should only be used under medical supervision. Talk to a doctor about any concerns.

Blood tests commonly monitored

There are no current official monitoring guidelines specific to nandrolone. For the closest approved medicines in the class, testosterone injections, product labels and guidelines advise monitoring:

• Haemoglobin and haematocrit ^{[2, 11]}.
• Cholesterol (lipid profile) ^[2].
• Liver function tests ^[2].
• PSA (prostate-specific antigen) in men for whom prostate monitoring is appropriate ^[11].

Sources

1. US Food and Drug Administration. Determination That DECA-DURABOLIN (Nandrolone Decanoate) Injection Was Not Withdrawn From Sale for Reasons of Safety or Effectiveness. Federal Register, 10 August 2010. Federal Register via Justia
2. Pfizer. DEPO-Testosterone (testosterone cypionate) injection: US prescribing information, revised 2025. Pfizer labeling
3. Health Products Regulatory Authority (Ireland). Durabolin Syringe (nandrolone phenpropionate): withdrawn medicine record. HPRA
4. NHS Business Services Authority. Deca-Durabolin solution for injection ampoules (Aspen Pharma Trading): Dictionary of Medicines and Devices record. dm+d browser
5. Yang Q, Abudou M, Xie XS, Wu T. Androgens for the anaemia of chronic kidney disease in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2014. Cochrane Library
6. Cochrane Clinical Answers. In HIV-infected individuals, what are the effects of anabolic steroids for treating weight loss? Based on Johns K, Beddall MJ, Corrin RC, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2005. Cochrane Library
7. Liu Y, Huang C, Du J, et al. Anabolic-androgenic steroids for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Medicine, 2022. Frontiers
8. National Library of Medicine. Androgenic Steroids. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury, NCBI Bookshelf, updated 2020. NCBI Bookshelf
9. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, International Standard, as published in the Treaty Series of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Tractatenblad 2026, No. 25). Officielebekendmakingen.nl
10. NHS. Anabolic steroid misuse. NHS
11. Bhasin S, Brito JP, Cunningham GR, et al. Testosterone Therapy in Men With Hypogonadism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2018. Endocrine Society

Related

Last reviewed 7 October 2026. General information, not medical advice. Found a mistake? Email [email protected].