As we've mentioned many times already, Anavar has been considered by athletes and bodybuilders for decades to be a very 'mild' anabolic steroid with few side effects, and this is generally true.
This androgen can be considered the closest thing to a 'perfect' anabolic steroid in the sense that users can experience powerful anabolic effects with little to no undesirable side effects.
However, this is only partially true, meaning that it is not without undesirable side effects and flaws, but these undesirable anavar side effects and flaws are of a much lower caliber than most other anabolic steroids.
In fact, there is no such thing as a 'perfect' anabolic steroid, but Oxandrolone comes pretty close.
Estrogenic side effects
Anavar and Oxandrolone have previously been identified as belonging to the DHT derivative family of anabolic steroids.
DHT is an androgen that cannot aromatize into estrogen, so all derivatives of this parent hormone tend to have (mostly) the same properties.
Anavar is one of the analogs of DHT that has inherited these properties, so there is no measurable estrogenic activity associated with Anavar, nor is there any binding affinity for the aromatase enzyme.
As a result, side effects do not include those associated with elevated estrogen levels due to aromatization.
Users are free to use it at any dose without experiencing water retention, bloating, fat retention/gain, or gynecomastia.
Anavar side effects also do not include progestogenic activity[1].
An aromatase inhibitor is not required during use, but users should always keep in mind that it is possible to stack aromatizable anabolic steroids that may require the use of an aromatase inhibitor despite the fact that an aromatase inhibitor is not required.
Androgenic Side Effects
Although the chemical structure of Anavar has been modified to give it an androgenic rating that is actually much lower than testosterone (24 for oxandrolone and 100 for testosterone), Anavar side effects still include androgenic side effects.
Users, especially female users, are at much less risk of androgenic side effects (this is why Anavar is commonly used among women and why it is the best anabolic steroid for female users).
Androgenic side effects that still pose a potential risk include increased sebum secretion (oily skin), increased acne (associated with increased sebum secretion), body and facial hair growth, and an increased risk of inducing male pattern baldness (MPB) in individuals who have the genetic traits necessary for the condition to manifest.
Anavar side effects associated with masculinization also include masculinizing side effects in women, including the development of male characteristics (body hair growth, deeper voice), clitoral enlargement, and menstrual irregularities.
Because the compound does not interact with 5-alpha reductase (the enzyme that converts testosterone into the much more masculine dihydrotestosterone), there is no risk of Anavar converting to a stronger androgenic form.
Therefore, the androgenic strength associated with anavar is one that should be experienced fairly consistently over the duration of use.
HPTA and Endogenous Testosterone Production Side Effects
While Anavar is generally touted as an anabolic steroid that mildly suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA), this is actually only true for the lowest common medical prescription doses (e.g. 5 mg daily in children).
Bodybuilding doses (such as those previously recommended) actually demonstrate a large amount of endogenous natural testosterone suppression.
In one study involving six young male subjects, Anavar at a dose of 15mg daily for 5 days significantly reduced the subjects' testosterone levels from 449 ng/dl to 282 ng/dl on day 5, a 37% decrease in testosterone in 5 days [2].
Seeing this significant suppression in just 5 days at a dose of 15mg per day gives you an idea of the degree of suppression seen when used for bodybuilding (at least 30mg per day).
This indicates that Anavar is indeed a very suppressive compound in HPTA, and indicates that a very strong post cycle therapy (PCT) program should be included after the end of a cycle in which testosterone stimulating compounds are used.
As demonstrated in the studies mentioned, rumors in the steroid use community that Anavar is a 'mild' anabolic steroid when it comes to HPTA suppression should not be taken seriously.
All users should constantly be aware that it has side effects, including suppression of endogenous testosterone to the same degree as most other anabolic steroids.
Hepatotoxicity side effects
Anavar side effects include liver toxicity due to the nature of oral anabolic steroids.
In order for anabolic steroids to be effective through oral administration, they must be modified at the 17th carbon, known as C17 alpha alkylation.
This allows the anabolic steroid to survive liver metabolism, allowing a high percentage of the anabolic steroid to enter the bloodstream.
Although Anavar is one of the C17 alpha alkylated compounds, it is known to be less hepatotoxic than most other oral anabolic steroids, as demonstrated by various studies.
For starters, according to the manufacturer's original recommendations, Anavar is actually not metabolized in the liver as much as other oral anabolic steroids, and experts believe that this is one of the main factors behind its low impact on liver toxicity.
Studies conducted have shown that Anavar has the lowest levels of sulfobromophthalein (BSP), a marker of liver alteration/toxicity, when compared to the following oral anabolic steroids: methyltestosterone, norethandrone, fluoxymesterone, and methandriol [3].
Regardless of its status as a 'mild' anabolic steroid where liver toxicity is concerned, Anavar is not recommended to be taken for more than 8-10 weeks (which is longer than most other anabolic steroids such as Dianabol or Anadrol-50, which are recommended to be taken for no more than 4-6 weeks at a time).
It is also highly recommended to supplement with proven liver support and supplements such as TUDCA/UDCA while using oral anabolic steroids.
Cardiovascular and Lipid Side Effects
Cardiovascular tension is included in the list of Anavar side effects.
Cardiovascular tension and negative cholesterol changes are common side effects of all anabolic steroids, especially oral anabolic steroids.
These include a decrease in HDL (good cholesterol) and an increase in LDL (bad cholesterol).
The result of these changes is an increased risk of atherosclerosis, and the degree to which these changes are exacerbated is generally dose dependent (higher doses increase the negative changes and risk).
Other factors that influence these negative cholesterol changes include duration of use and route of administration.
In terms of route of administration, oral anabolic steroids are known to have a much worse negative effect on cholesterol compared to injectable anabolic steroids.
This is because the liver acts as the body's cholesterol processing center, and the increased liver toxicity associated with anabolic steroids exacerbates the negative changes in cholesterol.
In this case, it is important for all users of anabolic steroids, regardless of the formulation (oral or injectable), to take appropriate precautions to properly adjust their dietary habits to favor positive cholesterol maintenance and change, especially when running an anabolic steroid cycle, including supplementation with cardiovascular health support supplements.
Medical references
[1] Saunders FJ (April 21, 1961) published a reference personally forwarded to the author of Methyltestosterone, related steroids, and liver function. Arch Int. Med 116 (1965):289-94
[2] Short-term Oxandrolone Administration Stimulates Lean Muscle Protein Synthesis in Young Men. Melinda Sheffield-Moore, Randall J. Urban, Steven E. Wolf, J. Jiang, Don H. Catlin, David N. Herndon, Robert R. Wolfe, and Arny A. Ferrando. Sheffield-Moore et al. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. August 1, 1999; 84(8): 2705
[3] Methyltestosterone, related steroids, and liver function. DeLorimier, Gordan G, Lowe R. et al. Arch hydrostatic Med 116(1965):289-94.
