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5 Dianabol Side Effects (And How to Combat them)

Dianabol (methandrostenolone) is one of the most potent anabolic steroids on the market — appropriately nicknamed the ‘grandaddy of anabolic steroids‘.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and classic bodybuilders from the 1970’s were prime examples of just how potent dianabol is — in regards to adding size and strength.
Dianabol’s benefits certainly aren’t in doubt, with it remaining just as popular 50 years later. Its benefits are well known in the fitness and bodybuilding community, however its side effects are sometimes downplayed; with beginners commonly taking dianabol during a first cycle.
Below are the most common dianabol side effects users experience, so you can understand the risks and whether it is worth enduring such (in order to reap the benefits).

Dianabol Side Effects
Cholesterol & Blood Pressure
Dianabol has a marked negative effect on blood pressure and cholesterol, due to increased plaque build up. Users can expect a hefty rise in LDL cholesterol levels, with an equally devastating drop in HDL. Consequently, this will spike a user’s blood pressure notably, increasing the risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack).
Dianabol is one of the more damaging anabolic steroids from a cardiovascular perspective, due to it being an oral steroid and thus passing through the liver.
Consequently, it stimulates hepatic lipase — an enzyme that exacerbates the lowering of HDL (good cholesterol).
Furthermore, dianabol causes significant water retention, due to the aromatase enzyme being present. This in turn increases blood viscosity — impeding blood flow to and from the heart.
To reduce cardiovascular strain on dianabol, bodybuilders may supplement with fish oil (4g/day). This can help to stabilize blood pressure, particularly in hypertensive individuals (1).
Regular cardio/aerobic exercise can also reduce elevations in blood pressure on dianabol (2), due to an increase in nitric oxide (N.O) production — released from endothelium cells.
N.O essentially relaxes the blood vessels, improving blood flow throughout the body.
Regular cardiovascular activity can be particularly benefical for bodybuilders, as weight lifting has the opposite effect on blood vessels (being constrictive).
Note: Anyone who has high blood pressure or has heart disease in their family should avoid dianabol. 
Gynecomastia
Mild case of gynecomastia (on the left)
Dianabol is estrogenic due to the aromatase enzyme being present, thus it has the potential to cause gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia is when breast tissue accumulates in males, due to excessive estrogen levels. In mild cases, this may merely result in swollen nipples and in extreme cases — the chest region can resemble female breasts.
Swollen nipples are often reversible and thus disappear post-cycle; once hormones regulate back to normal (and estrogen levels drop).
However, breast tissue expansion in moderate/aggressive cases may only be corrected with surgery.
To prevent gynecomastia, an aromatase inhibitor (AI) or selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) may be taken. An aromatase inhibitor blocks the conversion of testosterone into estrogen, however this can also exacerbate cholesterol levels; as estrogen increases good (HDL) cholesterol. Thus, blood pressure may worsen using an AI.
Alternatively, a SERM can prevent gynecomastia by blocking estrogen-like effects at a receptor level, thus not affecting the conversion of testosterone into estrogen (and keeping healthier cholesterol ratios).
Two popular SERMs used by bodybuilders are: nolvadex and clomid. These may be utilized if nipples begin to swell, effectively preventing aggressive breast tissue formation.
Note: Combining dianabol with other estrogenic compounds, such as: testosterone or anadrol will also increase the risk of gynecomastia.
Water Retention
Water retention is the byproduct of estrogen levels rising, causing users to gain 10lbs or more in fluid.
This causes a smooth, soft and less defined look to the muscles, hence how dianabol is referred to as an off-season bulking steroid. It can also cause a person’s midsection to increase due to bloating, which may also be visible in the face.
Water retention in itself is not an issue for most users, considering it is temporary and beneficial for muscular strength — due to extra intracellular fluid.
If a person wants to reduce water retention on dianabol, a diuretic may be used, such as furosemide. This will enhance aesthetics, at the expense of less full muscles and a small decrease in strength. Diuretics may also improve blood pressure, due to the blood becoming less viscous and thus easier to circulate.
Generally, if a person wants to avoid water retention whilst building muscle, they may be more suited to cycling: trenbolone, superdrol or winstrol — rather than trying to treat water-related dianabol side effects.
Liver Toxicity
As with other oral steroids, dianabol is c-17 alpha alkylated and thus hepatotoxic. Dianabol will cause AST/ALT liver enzymes to shoot up, marking significant liver stress until cycle cessation.
To many bodybuilders such hepatotoxicity is not alarming, as the liver is a very resilient organ, often recovering after extensive abuse.
However, cholestasis is still possible and thus it is wise to take precautions, such as eiminating alcohol consumption and refraining from taking hepatotoxic medications (such as certain anti-depressants). Bodybuilders may take a liver support supplement such as TUDCA (tauroursodeoxycholic acid), which has shown to drastically reduce AST/ALT scores (3), reducing inflammation and the risk of steroid-induced cholestasis.
Note: If someone has an unhealthy liver, taking dianabol may be dangerous. Also stacking dianabol with other hepatotoxic steroids, such as: winstrol or anadrol should be avoided. 
Testosterone Suppression
All anabolic steroids are forms of exogenous testosterone, which cause a shut down of endogenous testosterone — due to damage to the HPTA axis.
During a cycle this is not initially problematic, however once a cycle ceases, users can often experience side effects of low testosterone.
Signs of low testosterone are:

Fatigue
Tiredness
Testicular atrophy
Decreased well-being
Diminished libido and sexual function

Users can experience the above for several weeks or months, depending on the severity of damage to the HPTA axis. Thus, bodybuilders will commonly utilize a post cycle therapy (PCT), to shorten this recovery period, and recover endogenous testosterone to normal levels.
Common and effective PCT medications taken by bodybuilders are: nolvadex, hCG and clomid.
A dianabol-only cycle may only require one of these, however dianabol stacked with other potent steroids, may need 2 or all 3.
Dianabol-only cycle PCT:

Nolvadex – 2 x 20mg for 45 days

More powerful PCT for dianabol stacks:

hCG – 2000 IU administered every other day for 20 days
Nolvadex – 2 x 20mg for 45 days
Clomid – 2 x 50mg for 30 days

The PCT trio (above) was a protocol used by Dr. Michael Scally, an expert in hormone replacement therapy. He used hCG, nolvadex and clomid in these doages to succesfully treat 19 men, with 100% endogenous testosterone recovery within 45 days.
Summary
Dianabol is one of the better steroids for avoiding androgenic side effects such as: acne vulgaris or male pattern baldness.
However, dianabol certainly presents risks to users — particularly from cardiovascular and hepatic perspectives.
Therefore, it is essential that if someone is going to use dianabol — they take all the necessary precautions (as mentioned in this article) to limit damage during a cycle.
If anyone is experiencing excessively high blood pressure, or other troublesome symptoms on dianabol — ring for an ambulance immediately and discontinue use.

Dianabol Results: With Before and After Pictures

Dianabol (methandrostenolone) is a bulking steroid, used by bodybuilders to significantly increase muscle hypertrophy and strength.
Dianabol is the most popular oral steroid, due to its potent effects on mass gain and Arnold Schwarzenegger popularising its use; with it believed to have sculpted his Mr. Olympia-winning physique of the 70s.
Dianabol is sometimes taken as a first steroid cycle, due to beginners wanting results thick and fast (literally). However, dianabol is perhaps more suitable for intermediate steroid-users, due to its adverse effects on cholesterol and liver enzymes.
For the best steroids for beginners: read this post. 

Dianabol Results: Before and After Pictures

The above user took dianabol as his first steroid cycle, with his size gains being typical of what a beginner can expect when taking moderate dosages (15mg-20mg/day) for 5-6 weeks.
For intermediate users who have already taken anabolic steroids (such as testosterone), dianabol won’t produce as impressive results — with their body already being accustomed to past steroid-use. However, notable improvements in muscularity will still occur, with dianabol generally viewed as a more potent bulking compound compared to testosterone.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Before and After Dianabol

Arnold’s dosage was speculated to be 15mg/day (1), based on Frank Zane’s training diary which detailed the typical amount golden era bodybuilders would take. Arnold’s transformation (above) demonstrates the long term results of using dianabol, in combination with steroids such as — deca durabolin and primobolan.
This isn’t to say that users can look like Arnold from simply taking dianabol, as you can see he had impressive muscularity even as a natural bodybuilder. Also Arnold’s training intensity and discipline when dieting was often unrivaled. However, the degree of improvement (not the end result) shown in the above photos can be experienced when taking dianabol for several years — if combined with hard work.
It is worth noting that Arnold and other classic bodybuilders were taking authentic, pharmaceutical graded methandrostenolone prescribed by a doctor. In contrast, taking 15mg/day of dianabol purchased from the black market, may only actually be 5mg/day; due to sellers commonly diluting the product.
Thus, 15mg/day would be seen as a low dosage today, however the golden era bodybuilders proved that with steroids — less is more.
Weight Gain
In terms of weight gain, dianabol will typically add 30lbs to beginners, with 10lbs being water and the majority being lean muscle tissue.
Such temporary water retention can cause bloating and a puffy look to the muscles, hence why dianabol is often utilized in the off-season; where user’s will typically be wearing ample clothing (compared to beach season).
Thus, when taking dianabol, the objective should primarily be to add mass, rather than optimizing for aesthetics.
Muscular Strength
Muscular strength will also reach  new heights on dianabol, with users often adding 40-50lbs to compound exercises (such as: deadlift, squat, bench press). Users also retain these strength gains, should they continue lifting weights regularly post-cycle.
Fat Loss
Dianabol will reduce subcutaenous body fat, due to it essentially being exogenous testosterone (a potent fat burning hormone).
However, the degree of fat loss will be determined by a user’s eating habits. For example, those bulking generally will eat in a generous calorie surplus to assist muscle and strength results. This will contribute to some fat gain and thus blunt dianabol’s fat burning effect.
If user’s do not eat in a calorie surplus when taking dianabol; instead opting for maintenance calories — then they will experience simultaneous muscle gain  and fat loss.
Note: Water retention can also obscure muscle definition and increase waist size (temporarily), thus users will typically appear leaner after coming off a dianabol cycle.
Although dianabol can decrease subcutaneous fat (that is visible externally); it can also increase visceral fat (that wraps around the organs). This occurs due to high estrogen levels causing insulin resistance, resulting in a more bloated or distended midsection.
However, visceral fat gains are unlikely to be observable in cautious dosages, hence how Arnold and other bodybuilders from the golden era were able to maintain tiny, vacuumed waists.
How to Maximize Results on Dianabol
A person’s results on dianabol will be determined by their training, eating habits and the cycle itself.
Thus, for best results, users should train regularly and more often than usual; as dianabol will greatly accelerate muscle recovery (reducing the risk of overtraining). This is why classic bodybuilders were able to train for several hours each day, without burning out.
Following a standard bodybuilding split of training each muscle group 1-2 x per week is the minimum requirement for significant muscle gains.
Eating ample calories is equally important to aid anabolism and protein synthesis, thus a small calorie surplus of 500 (or more) is often adopted on dianabol. A person may choose to eat maintenance calories, particularly if they are conscious of their body fat increasing.
Drinking alcohol should be avoided on dianabol, with it being hepatotoxic and thus increasing the chances of liver injury. When the liver is excessively strained, the body reduces hunger as a self defence mechanism, reducing the load on the organ (as it works to process food). In the incidence of acute liver damage, users will naturally consume less calories; negatively affecting their results when bulking on dianabol. TUDCA may also be used as a supplement to inhibit hepatic inflammation/damage.
Dianabol Stacks for Greater Results
For someone who has never taken dianabol before, it would be wise to run a dianabol-only cycle before stacking it with other steroids; so the body can become accustomed to dianabol first.
After taking dianabol by itself, it can later be stacked with testosterone or/and deca durabolin for greater results when bulking.
An additional 10lbs of mass can be gained when adding testosterone or deca durabolin to a dianabol cycle. 
Testosterone and deca durabolin compliment dianabol well, as they do not increase hepatotoxicity, thus minimizing damage to the liver. Testosterone and deca also are injectable steroids and thus only have a mild effect on cholesterol, making them safer compounds for the heart (compared to other AAS). However, testosterone suppression will worsen by combining other anabolic steroids with dianabol, thus increasing damage to the HPTA axis and extending the duration of endogenous testosterone recovery.
Anadrol and trenbolone are less suitable stacking options, despite them having profound effects on muscle-building and strength. This is due to anadrol exacerbating hepatic and cardiac damage and  trenbolone also causing the latter.