Epistane: the most underrated cutting AAS
Epistane (also known as methylepitiostanol and “Havoc”) is the oral, 17-alpha-alkylated version of epitiostanol, a DHT derived steroid that was used in Japan for the treatment of breast cancer due to its anti-estrogenic properties.
The most interesting thing about the history of Epistane, is that it was legally sold over-the-counter by supplement stores all over the western world during the 2000s and even early 2010s. In fact, it was available on Amazon for a while too.
What to expect from Epistane
Even though there is very little scientific information on Epistane, it was so widely used during the 2000s that we have plenty of anecdotal information to go by.
I’ve personally tried it, and I agree with most people who have used it when they say that Epistane feels like a mix between Winstrol and Proviron.
It is similar to Winstrol in that it is a strong lean mass builder that causes 0 water retention and brings out the vascularity, muscle hardness and striations, and it remind me of Proviron because it acts as an aromatase inhibitor (so it will reduce estrogen) while also improving sex drive and mood significantly.
This is an excellent cutting drug that can be stacked with Testosterone and replace an AI like Arimidex or Aromasin. With epistane, one can actually prevent gynecomastia and even shrink it if it’s small and recently developed.
Side-effects of Epistane
In terms of side-effects, you can expect the typical testosterone shut down, liver toxicity and dyslipidemia to occur. That is a given with pretty much any oral AAS.
Besides that, you will experience dry joints as well as hair loss and acne (if you are prone to these two). Something worth pointing out about Epistane is that its anti-estrogenic nature makes it unsuitable for “oral only cycles”. You will absolutely need to use a Testosterone base with Epistane, and a regular TRT dose may not be enough…
You need to run Testosterone at a dose where you can still have a healthy estrogen level (because Epistane will lower them) in order to feel OK, so chances are you will need to run at least 200mg of Testosterone a week with it.
How to dose it
The typical Epistane dose is 20 to 30mg a day, for 4 to 6 weeks at a time. Besides the Testosterone base, you should be running Epistane with, at least, NAC and Ezetimibe to mitigate its negative impact on liver enzymes and the lipid panel.
If your joints feel too dry and stiff on Epistane, you can increase the Testosterone dose (to have more estrogen and better lubricated joints) and add fish oil and/or collagen powder to your stack.
Epistane is not something I would recommend to someone who is just getting started with AAS because many things can go wrong if one does not know how to handle it. If you have some experience and you understand how it works, you may consider using it in cutting cycles as a replacement for Winstrol or Anavar.
