Oxymetholone is making headlines after former Lions player Rhys Mathieson copped a three-year ban from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) for testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug.
Mathieson tested positive for oxymetholone — a drug that’s banned in and outside of sport — last year while playing QAFL.
Here’s what you need to know about oxymetholone, also known by its brand names Anadrol or Anapolon.
What is oxymetholone?
Oxymetholone is a synthetic (man-made) anabolic steroid that mimics the effects of testosterone, binding to androgen receptors to stimulate protein synthesis and increase muscle mass.
Its primary medical applications include treatment of anemia (thanks to its ability to stimulate red blood cell production), osteoporosis, and muscle-wasting disorders. It’s been abused by bodybuilders and athletes as it increases muscle mass significantly and quickly.
What are the side effects of oxymetholone?
Oxymetholone has serious side effects, including liver damage and cardiovascular events. Other side effects of oxymetholone include:
People can become dependent on steroids like oxymetholone, and stopping use can be tough. Not only do they go through normal withdrawal symptoms (like fatigue, headache, musculoskeletal pain, insomnia), but also symptoms of androgen deficiency (such as low libido, poor concentration, hot flushes, sweating) and regression of the muscle and performance changes that occurred during use.
When taking steroids, you’re overriding your body’s production of testosterone. When you stop steroid abuse, it takes your body weeks to months to get back to making its own testosterone.
Does oxymetholone affect sperm?
Oxymetholone can impair sperm production and reduce male fertility.
Is oxymetholone legal in Australia?
No. Oxymetholone is not listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), which means it can’t be prescribed or sold because it has no approved uses. That also means it’s illegal to possess or supply it without a prescription or permit in Australia.
Oxymetholone is classified on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list under S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS), making it prohibited at all times. There are no medical circumstances that would allow an athlete to get permission to use oxymetholone.
Although Mathieson refers to “supplement use” when discussing his doping ban, oxymetholone is an illegal drug that comes with serious side effects. Its abuse shouldn’t be normalised.
