Methyltestosterone, sold under the brand names Android, Metandren, and Testred among others, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication which is used in the treatment of low testosterone levels in men, delayed puberty in boys, at low doses as a component of menopausal hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, osteoporosis, and low sexual desire in women, and to treat breast cancer in women. It is taken by mouth or held in the cheek or under the tongue.Side effects of methyltestosterone include symptoms of masculinization like acne, increased hair growth, voice changes, and increased sexual desire. It can also cause estrogenic effects like fluid retention, breast tenderness, and breast enlargement in men and liver damage. The drug is a synthetic androgen and anabolic steroid and hence is an agonist of the androgen receptor (AR), the biological target of androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It has moderate androgenic effects and moderate anabolic effects, which make it useful for producing masculinization.Methyltestosterone was discovered in 1935 and was introduced for medical use in 1936. It was made shortly after the discovery of testosterone and was one of the first synthetic AAS to be developed. In addition to its medical use, methyltestosterone is used to improve physique and performance, although it is not as commonly used as other AAS for such purposes due to its androgenic effects, estrogenic effects, and risk of liver damage. The drug is a controlled substance in many countries and so non-medical use is generally illicit.
It is also available under the brand names Metandren and Oreton Methyl for use specifically by buccal or sublingual administration. Methyltestosterone is available in the form of 2, 5, 10, and 25 mg oral tablets. It was also available in combination with estrogens as esterified estrogens/methyltestosterone (0.625 mg/1.25 mg, 1.25 mg/2.5 mg) and conjugated estrogens/methyltestosterone (0.625 mg/5.0 mg, 1.25 mg/10 mg). Contraindications
Methyltestosterone should be used with caution in women and children, as it can cause irreversible virilization. Due to its estrogenicity, methyltestosterone can also accelerate epiphyseal closure and thereby produce short stature in children and adolescents. It can worsen symptoms in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Methyltestosterone should not be used in men with prostate cancer, as androgens can accelerate tumor progression. The drug should be used with caution in patients with pre-existing hepatotoxicity, due to its own potential for hepatotoxicity. Side effects
Adverse effects of methyltestosterone include androgenic side effects like oily skin, acne, seborrhea, increased facial/body hair growth, scalp hair loss, increased aggressiveness and sex drive, and spontaneous erections, as well as estrogenic side effects like breast tenderness, gynecomastia, fluid retention, and edema. In women, methyltestosterone can cause partially irreversible virilization, for instance voice deepening, hirsutism, clitoromegaly, breast atrophy, and muscle hypertrophy, as well as menstrual disturbances and reversible infertility. In men, the drug may also cause hypogonadism, testicular atrophy, and reversible infertility at sufficiently high dosages.Methyltestosterone can sometimes cause hepatotoxicity, for instance elevated liver enzymes, cholestatic jaundice, peliosis hepatis, hepatomas, and hepatocellular carcinoma, with extended use.