Halodrol (chlorodehydromethylandrostenediol)
Halodrol (4-chloro-17α-methyl-androst-1,4-diene-3β,17β-diol) is a 17α-methylated designer steroid structurally related to turinabol. Sold as a 'prohormone' but effectively an oral anabolic steroid, it produces lean gains anecdotally at the cost of notable hepatotoxicity and HPTA suppression.
01 Overview
Halodrol emerged in the mid-2000s prohormone market as a close analogue of oral turinabol (chlorodehydromethyltestosterone). Chemically it is a 17α-methylated diol that is thought to convert toward a turinabol-like active steroid, so despite the 'prohormone' label it behaves as a methylated oral anabolic. It gained a reputation for lean, relatively dry gains and strength.
Being 17-alpha-alkylated, it survives first-pass liver metabolism but is hepatotoxic, and elevated liver enzymes and cholestatic case reports are associated with this class. There are no controlled efficacy trials; the compound is characterised through doping-control metabolism studies and user reports. It was swept up in the 2014 Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act and is banned in sport.
02 Mechanism
17α-methylation resists hepatic breakdown, allowing an orally active chlorinated androgen (turinabol-like) to bind the androgen receptor; minimal aromatisation.
03 Dosing
| Tier | Dose | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common (marketed) | 50–100 mg/day | Oral | Historic labelled dosing over 4-6 week runs; higher doses raised hepatotoxicity risk. |
Ester comparison
| Ester | Half-life | Injection freq. | Testosterone by mass |
|---|
04 Effects
| Effect | Magnitude | Evidence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lean, dry gainsTurinabol-like dry lean-mass and strength gains reported over a short cycle. | ~2-4 kg reported | Anecdotal | |
| Increased strengthStrength improvements are a common report for this class. | moderate | Anecdotal |
05 Side effects
| Effect | Severity | Frequency | Evidence | Countermeasures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HPTA suppressionTestosterone suppression requiring post-cycle recovery. | Moderate | Near-universal | Anecdotal | |
| HepatotoxicityElevated liver enzymes and cholestatic injury reported for methylated designer steroids of this type. | Severe | Common | Observational |