Norethandrolone (Nilevar)
One of the earliest commercial oral anabolic steroids, marketed as Nilevar from the mid-1950s. A 17-alpha-ethylated 19-nortestosterone derivative, it was used for wasting and osteoporosis but developed a reputation for pronounced hepatotoxicity, virilisation and progestogenic side effects, and was largely superseded by cleaner agents.
01 Overview
Norethandrolone (17-alpha-ethyl-19-nortestosterone) is a historically important compound: it was among the first steroids marketed specifically for anabolic rather than androgenic purposes, appearing as Nilevar around 1956. Structurally it is a 19-nortestosterone (nandrolone) backbone bearing a 17-alpha-ethyl group for oral bioavailability.
Vintage clinical use covered cachexia, catabolic states, osteoporosis and paediatric growth failure. However, its therapeutic index was poor by modern standards: hepatotoxicity including cholestatic jaundice was common, and the nandrolone-derived structure carried progestogenic and virilising liabilities. It was withdrawn or displaced in most markets decades ago, and human data are limited to older clinical literature and case reports.
02 Mechanism
Acts as an androgen receptor agonist. As a 19-nor compound it has notable progestogenic activity via interaction with the progesterone receptor, and the 17-alpha-ethyl group confers oral activity at the cost of hepatic strain.
03 Dosing
| Tier | Dose | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vintage clinical | 10–40 mg/day | Oral | Historical dosing for wasting/osteoporosis; not a current regimen. |
Ester comparison
| Ester | Half-life | Injection freq. | Testosterone by mass |
|---|
04 Effects
| Effect | Magnitude | Evidence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen retention and weight gainDocumented in older wasting/cachexia literature. | Observational | ||
| Appetite stimulationReported in catabolic and paediatric patients in vintage reports. | Observational |
05 Side effects
| Effect | Severity | Frequency | Evidence | Countermeasures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cholestatic hepatotoxicityCholestatic jaundice and liver enzyme elevation reported in the older clinical literature. | Severe | Frequently reported historically | Observational | |
| VirilisationVoice deepening, hirsutism and menstrual disturbance in female patients. | Moderate | Common in women | Observational | |
| Progestogenic side effectsLibido loss and gynecomastia attributed to progesterone-receptor activity. | Moderate | Inherent to 19-nor | Anecdotal |