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Review
. 2020 Mar;9(Suppl 2):S186-S194.
doi: 10.21037/tau.2019.11.03.

Nandrolone decanoate relieves joint pain in hypogonadal men: a novel prospective pilot study and review of the literature

Alexander J Tatem  1 , Levi C Holland  2 , Jason Kovac  1 , Jonathan A Beilan  3 , Larry I Lipshultz  4
Affiliations
Review

Nandrolone decanoate relieves joint pain in hypogonadal men: a novel prospective pilot study and review of the literature

Alexander J Tatem et al. Transl Androl Urol. 2020 Mar.

Abstract

Testosterone is an archetypal androgenic-anabolic steroid (AAS), while its exogenous administration is considered to be the gold standard for the treatment of male hypogonadism. The benefits are not due to its intrinsic nature alone but are due to the result of its interactions with the androgen receptor (AR). As the management of hypogonadism continues to advance into the modern era, it would be preferable for modern andrologists to have multiple tools at their disposal to influence AR activity. Nandrolone, or 19-nortestosterone, is one such compound. In the following review of the literature, we examine the history, pharmacology, and clinical applications of this medication. We also present the results of our novel pilot study examining the favorable effects of nandrolone on joint pain for hypogonadal men.

Keywords: Nandrolone; andrology; arthritis; hypogonadism; joint pain; testosterone; testosterone deficiency.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The focused issue “Contemporary Issues and Controversies in Men’s Health” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. LIL serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Translational Andrology and Urology from Nov 2019 to Oct 2021 and served as the unpaid Guest Editor of the focused issue. Dr. Kovac: Abbvie (Consultant). Dr. Lipshultz: American Medical Systems (Speaker); AbbVie (Consultant); Lipocine (Consultant); Aytu Bioscience (Consultant); Endo Pharmaceuticals (Speaker/Consultant). The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparative organic structure of testosterone and nandrolone (13).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean RAPS scores before and after ND treatment. *, P<0.05. RAPS, Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain Scale; ND, nandrolone decanoate; SD, standard deviation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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