Oxandrolone is an Androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication which is used to help promote weight gain in various situations.
It helps offset protein catabolism caused by long-term corticosteroid therapy, supports recovery from severe burns, treats bone pain associated with osteoporosis, aids in the development of girls with Turner syndrome.
It 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.
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 oxandrolones low hepatotoxicity relative to most other orally active AASs.
