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How do I Reduce Anavar® Side Effects?

K. Gierok
K. Gierok

Not all side effects of the anabolic steroid Anavar® are avoidable, but patients are often able to minimize the discomfort they experience by following the dosage instructions exactly, which often involves paying really close attention to when the drug is taken each day and how many hours elapse in between. You should also think about what you’re eating. Certain foods, particularly those like citrus fruits that naturally contain a lot of acid, can make this drug’s side effects even worse. Of course, it’s also usually a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider about tips that you personally can take. Your provider will know more about your individual health, as well as other drugs you’re taking that might be making things worse. It’s not usually a good idea to stop taking Anavar®, no matter how bad things get, without first talking to the person who prescribed it for you.

Most Common Problems

Taking Anavar under medical advice at the correct dosage may reduce side effects.
Taking Anavar under medical advice at the correct dosage may reduce side effects.

Anavar® stimulates muscle growth, and is most commonly prescribed for people who are having trouble keeping on weight or building muscle mass. While the steroid has been found to be highly effective, it does have a number of side effects, including some serious ones. Some of the most common include excessive weight gain, impairments in liver function, and decreased testosterone production. Incontinence and overactive bladder may also result, and some people experience a decrease in their sexual drive, trouble sleeping, and digestive problems like diarrhea.

Importance of Dosing Instructions

Anavar side effects may be reduced by not taking the medication on an empty stomach.
Anavar side effects may be reduced by not taking the medication on an empty stomach.

One of the easiest and most important things you can do to reduce the severity of these side effects is to follow the dosing instructions precisely. In most cases, the drug is recommended in dosages ranging from 10 to 20 milligrams per day. While it may be prescribed in dosages above 20 milligrams, health care professionals typically advise against taking this amount for more than a day or two at a time. If you’re concerned about the strength of your prescription it’s usually a good idea to talk with a health care professional.

Anavar is used to aid in the building of muscle.
Anavar is used to aid in the building of muscle.

Along these same lines, you should never take Anvar® that’s been prescribed for someone else, even if you’ve taken this drug before. Not only is this illegal in many places, it can also lead to an intensification of negative effects. Your body may not be ready for the drug, and it may be at a dosage level that isn’t appropriate for your health.

Timing Concerns

Anavar may cause impairments in liver function.
Anavar may cause impairments in liver function.

Another way to reduce Anavar® side effects involves taking the medication at the same time each day. While the specific time that the medication is taken usually doesn’t matter, consistency can be important when it comes to making sure that you don’t miss doses. Sticking to a schedule can also help regulate the concentration of the active drug in your system at any given time. Taking daily doses close to each other — or significantly less than 24 hours apart — can dramatically increase the amount of the drug that’s in your body, and this can intensify some of the negative effects.

Avoid or Reduce Acids

Patients taking Anavar should avoid eating grapefruit, as can it can worsen the side effects of the drug.
Patients taking Anavar should avoid eating grapefruit, as can it can worsen the side effects of the drug.

Paying attention to the foods you eat while on this drug might also make a difference. In general, most healthcare professionals advise patients to avoid highly acidic foods, at least within an hour or so of taking the medication. Grapefruit juice or other acidic juices are good examples, and they can make Anavar® side effects worse.

Taking Anavar® on an empty stomach isn’t usually good idea, either, as this can cause nausea or gastrointestinal distress. In most cases, a small glass or apple juice, milk, or even a few crackers is enough to reduce these symptoms.

Ask for Guidance

Working with your health care professional and asking questions when you have them is another important piece in the prevention of negative side effects. Your medical provider should consider your health history as well as any other medications that you may be taking. Paying attention to how drugs interact is very important when it comes to avoiding negative and even fatal side effects.

Discussion Comments

anon338978

I am considering taking anavar. I work out hard and diet. I am currently going through menopause, does anyone have experience with this?

wavy58

@kylee07drg - I’m a little surprised to hear that this drug was prescribed to a small teenage girl. I am a nineteen-year-old male, and I am currently taking Anavar to bulk up my small frame. I am 6 feet tall, and this drug made me nauseous, so I can only imagine how sick it must have made your little friend.

However, I was doing a few things wrong. I didn’t get out of bed til 10 in the morning, so I took one dose then and then another at 501 p.m. These were too close together.

Also, I had grapefruit for breakfast. I didn’t know until I called my doctor to complain of the nausea that grapefruit can actually increase the amount of certain drugs in your system. So, I was inadvertently giving myself a higher dosage.

OeKc05

The possible side effects of Anavar in women are so scary that I will never use this drug. My good friend used it in college, and now, she wishes she hadn’t.

She had always been rail thin, but she wanted to be a physical trainer. She had tried bulking up by doing weight lifting and eating protein, but it had not worked. She could not seem to gain muscle mass.

She got her hands on some Anavar and used way too much of it. She used a dose high enough to cause problems for a sizeable man, so it messed her up.

It made her voice as deep as a man’s. She also sounded very hoarse when she talked.

The worst part about all of this is that the side effects are permanent. There is nothing she can do to get her feminine voice back.

kylee07drg

I had a friend in high school who had to take Anavar. She was incredibly underdeveloped, and her doctor recommended the steroid when she turned fifteen and still had the frame of a ten-year-old.

The drug worked wonders for her. I had been nearly twice her size, and she grew to be as big as me.

However, the first few times she took Anavar, she became terribly nauseated. I think that because she was so small, she was very susceptible to the effects of any drug.

The doctor reduced her dosage to the lowest amount feasible, and her side effects lessened. She also ate oatmeal before taking the drug every morning, and I’m sure this helped prevent nausea, too.

ysmina

@simrin-- You're right. Most body builders take too much of Anavar and for too long. It does show great results but many of us forget that there are side effects.

I made the same mistake when I first started out. I took 50mg daily doses of Anavar for 12 weeks which completely messed up my prostate and was probably pretty rough on my liver too although I've never gotten tested for that.

I agree with the article. I wouldn't go beyond 20mg a day and it shouldn't be taken for a long time. I think several weeks should be max, and doctors would say that that's too much. At the end of the day, it's best to follow doctor's directions.

SteamLouis

This is a good article. A friend of mine has just started taking Anavar for greater muscle mass and strength. He told me he is taking 40mg per day and has had some mild side-effects like headaches in the first couple of days but not anymore. I guess he's taking too much then?

I think many people who are using anavar for body building take it around that dose- 40-50mg/day. I've seen several people at my gym gain good mass with it. But I wonder if they're even aware of any damage that they might be doing to their liver or hormone function?

I suppose the best way to reduce these side effects is to take as little as possible. But a few body builders appear to be worried about this. Anavar is often talked about as one of the best oral steroids with the least side effects in my circle of friends.

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    • Taking Anavar under medical advice at the correct dosage may reduce side effects.
      By: Shakzu
      Taking Anavar under medical advice at the correct dosage may reduce side effects.
    • Anavar side effects may be reduced by not taking the medication on an empty stomach.
      By: nebari
      Anavar side effects may be reduced by not taking the medication on an empty stomach.
    • Anavar is used to aid in the building of muscle.
      By: paffy
      Anavar is used to aid in the building of muscle.
    • Anavar may cause impairments in liver function.
      By: snapgalleria
      Anavar may cause impairments in liver function.
    • Patients taking Anavar should avoid eating grapefruit, as can it can worsen the side effects of the drug.
      By: volff
      Patients taking Anavar should avoid eating grapefruit, as can it can worsen the side effects of the drug.