Oxandrolone vs Nandrolone decanoate
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
The short answer
The two anabolic steroids with real medical trial records, from unexpected places. One was given for two years to severely burned children, in a trial. The other was used in dialysis, burns and bone loss after menopause. Nandrolone was pulled from most markets anyway.
- Oxandrolone people
- 0
- Oxandrolone nulls
- 0
- Nandrolone decanoate people
- 0
- Nandrolone decanoate nulls
- 0
Dose
No human dose established
No published study on this page has given this compound to people and reported a result.
1 human study where nobody was given it
Dose
No human dose established
Amounts that were given in studies sit in Human evidence on this page. None of them is a personal dose.
3 completed trials, 0 people given it
First-hand reports are counted on each profile and never added together. This page sets two published records side by side. It does not pick a winner.
Column A
OxandroloneOxandrolone, oral 17-alpha-alkylated anabolic androgen
The steroid with the best medical record, from a place you would not guess. Badly burned children took it for up to two years, and it helped their bones and their growth.
Column B
Nandrolone decanoateNandrolone decanoate, injectable 19-nortestosterone ester
Tested in people on dialysis, in burn patients, and in women with thin bones after menopause, in a review that pooled several studies. The medical record is real, and it was pulled from most markets anyway.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| What we compare | Oxandrolone | Nandrolone decanoate |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Muscle & Performance | Muscle & Performance |
| FDA status | Was FDA-approved as Oxandrin to help people regain weight lost after major surgery, long-term infection, severe injury and some other wasting conditions. A Schedule III controlled substance. The brand was discontinued in the United States, so today it mostly comes from compounding pharmacies or the grey market. | Was FDA-approved for anaemia, too few red blood cells, caused by kidney disease. Withdrawn from the United States market. A Schedule III controlled substance. Still licensed in some other countries. |
| Half-life | Roughly 9 hours, short for an androgen, which is why it is dosed once or twice daily rather than weekly. | Roughly 6 to 12 days as the decanoate ester, so it is dosed weekly or less often. Detectable metabolites persist far longer, which matters for anyone subject to drug testing. |
| Molecular weight | 306.4 Da. A steroid, not a peptide. | 428.6 Da for the decanoate ester. A steroid ester, not a peptide. |
| How it works | Oxandrolone is a man-made steroid built from DHT, a strong form of testosterone. It has a small chemical change that lets it survive the liver and work as a pill. That same change is what makes this group of steroid pills hard on the liver. It attaches to the testosterone receptor, which tells muscle to build protein and hold on to protein. The body cannot turn it into estrogen. That is why people say it causes less water retention and less breast growth than testosterone. But that is not all good. In men, estrogen helps bones, mood and sex drive, so a steroid that cannot become estrogen takes those away. | Nandrolone is testosterone with one small piece removed. A long chemical tail is added so it releases slowly from an oil shot. It attaches strongly to the testosterone receptor. The body turns very little of it into estrogen. In some parts of the body, like the scalp and prostate, it gets turned into a weaker hormone. With testosterone, the opposite happens: it gets turned into a stronger one. That is why nandrolone is milder on scalp hair and the prostate. It is also part of why it is well known for causing sex problems, which surprises people since it is a steroid. |
| Studies in people | 1 | 3 |
| Evidence | Preliminary: 1 human study where nobody was given it | Limited: 3 completed trials, none stating how many people |
| Legal status, US | Approved use exists; brand discontinued. Schedule III | Withdrawn from the market; Schedule III |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Oxandrolone and Nandrolone decanoate?
Oxandrolone: The steroid with the best medical record, from a place you would not guess. Badly burned children took it for up to two years, and it helped their bones and their growth. Nandrolone decanoate: Tested in people on dialysis, in burn patients, and in women with thin bones after menopause, in a review that pooled several studies. The medical record is real, and it was pulled from most markets anyway.
Which has stronger research evidence, Oxandrolone or Nandrolone decanoate?
Each compound gets a band worked out from facts we counted, with the math shown. Oxandrolone is Preliminary (1 human study where nobody was given it). Nandrolone decanoate is Limited (3 completed trials, none stating how many people). That counts how much has been done in people. It does not rate whether either one works, and neither one is called the winner.
Are Oxandrolone and Nandrolone decanoate FDA-approved?
Oxandrolone: Was FDA-approved as Oxandrin to help people regain weight lost after major surgery, long-term infection, severe injury and some other wasting conditions. A Schedule III controlled substance. The brand was discontinued in the United States, so today it mostly comes from compounding pharmacies or the grey market.. Nandrolone decanoate: Was FDA-approved for anaemia, too few red blood cells, caused by kidney disease. Withdrawn from the United States market. A Schedule III controlled substance. Still licensed in some other countries..
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page puts two published records side by side. It is for learning, and it is not medical advice. When this site shows a dose, it is the dose a trial or a clinic actually used, or what people say they did, with the source attached. None of it tells you what to take.