Ethylestrenol (Maxibolin, Orabolin) is an anabolic steroid with some progesterone-like activity, and little androgenic activity. It is a nandrolone derivative and lacks the 3-keto functional group. (From Wikipedea)
From another site:
Orabolin® is a trade name for the oral anabolic steroid ethylestrenol. This compound is manufactured by the international drug firm Organon, and was once available in the United States under the name Maxibolin. This drug was phased out many years ago however, in a wave of growing disinterest toward anabolic steroids. Today this steroid is a rare find, as it is only manufactured in small number of countries. The compound ethylestrenol is structurally similar to the anabolic steroid nandrolone (19-nortestosterone), although here the design is that of an oral steroid. This is the reasoning behind its given trade name of Orabolin, as this is the compressed appearance of "Durabolin®-Oral". It was first marketed (obviously) as an oral alternative to the injectable compound Deca¬Durabolin®.
Similar to Deca, Orabolin is classified as an anabolic with mild androgenic properties. It aromatizes only slightly, so estrogen related side effects are rarely a concern. Water retention and gynecomastia are likewise not common occurrences, even when sensitive individuals take this drug. Androgenic side effects are also extremely slight with Orabolin, so one should not be concerned with hair loss and acne (etc.) unless unusually high doses are taken. This compound is actually well tolerated by w6men, who were actually a main focus of its design. Virilization symptoms are therefore highly unlikely, again barring the use a high daily dosage. Also of note is that ethylestrenol is a c17 alpha alkylated compound, containing the same ethyl substitution we see with the oral steroid Nilevar. Administration may therefore place some level of strain on the liver, particularly when it is taken for longer periods of time. Those who take this compound would be best served by remaining conservative with the daily dosage, and limiting intake to no more than 6 to 8 weeks.
The comparison of Orabolin to Deca-Durabolin® is really not a fair one in a practical sense. While clinically the relationship is clear, athletes find the action of Orabolin to be worlds apart from Deca. The fundamental difference is that the activity of ethylestrenol is tremendously weaker in comparison. When we look at Deca, we see a drug with a distinct anabolic and (lesser) androgenic tendency. It is likewise an efficient compound for muscle buildup. But the extreme mildness of Orabolin makes its anabolic activity very slight. This is clearly not due to poor bioavailability, as c17 alpha alkylation will efficiently protect the structure from first-pass metabolism. Ethylestrenol simply has a low tendency to bind with the androgen receptor, and therefore requires higher amounts to receive any type of notable anabolic response. In fact structurally ethylestrenol much more closely resembles Nilevar (norethandrolone) than nandrolone. The two differ only by the absence of an oxygen atom at the c3 position of ethylestrenol, and in the body Orabolin actually has some affinity to convert to Nilevare7. This path of metabolism may be responsible for some of the androgenic activity, and estrogenic buildup, we see with this compound.
Overall the level of muscle growth obtained with ethylestrenol should be much less noticeable than that expected with either Nilevar or Deca-Durabolin®. It is even weaker than both Winstrol® and oxandrolone on a milligram for milligram basis, this drug likewise gathering little attention with athletes. The only group that usually finds an appreciation for Orabolin is female athletes, who find the mild nature of this drug quite favorable when wishing to avoid the virilizing side effects of steroid use. Here it may actually be a better option than an injectable nandrolone preparation, as blood hormone levels are obviously much easier to control with an oral steroid. While Nilevar may be too androgenic to recommend for this purpose, Orabolin seems to fit the build quite nicely.
Experienced steroid users (especially men) will again most likely be disappointed with the effect of Orabolin. Those who have experimented with this compound have generally found that a considerable amount of tablets are needed for a noticeable benefit. The recommended dosage for an athlete is therefore in the range of 20-40mg (10-20 tablets) per day for men and 12-16mg (6-8 tablets) for women. Men can up this dosage a bit more (supply provided) for added effect, but it will be accompanied by an increased intensity of estrogenic side effects (and of course level of strain placed on the liver). As with most milder steroids, it is usually much easier to just addition a second steroid to enhance the effect of therapy than it is to keep raising the dosage. For men, the effect of Orabolin is really two week for it to be used alone effectively, so stacking is probably a very good recommendation. Women can use it alone to good benefit, but should begin to worry about androgenic activity if the dosage goes above 8 tablets.
Since the demand for Orabolin is so low, it does not make its way to the black market very often. When found it can be considered a safe buy, but is probably a poor choice in the face of many other available items. Since such a high dose is generally recommended, this compound can be quite costly as well. It should also be noted that in Mexico, the drug preparation Maxibol is sometimes confused with the old American preparation Maxibolin. This is purchased in the belief that it is a steroid, a notion commonly enforced by unscrupulous pharmacy workers. Mexican Maxibol is in fact a vitamin supplement, containing only a coenzyme of vitamin b12.
