Masteron and Winstrol Stack for Performance Enhancement
Using a Masteron (drostanolone) and Winstrol (stanozolol) stack for performance enhancement is medically inadvisable and carries substantial cardiovascular, hepatic, and endocrine risks that outweigh any perceived benefits.
Critical Safety Concerns
Cardiovascular Toxicity
- Fatal cardiovascular events have been documented with stanozolol use in combination with other anabolic steroids. A forensic case report documented a 34-year-old male who died from cardiovascular failure after long-term use of stanozolol combined with other anabolic agents, showing left ventricular hypertrophy and coronary artery compromise 1.
- Drostanolone was detected alongside stanozolol in this fatal case, demonstrating the real-world danger of combining these specific agents 1.
- The pathological cardiac changes from chronic anabolic steroid use create a substrate for sudden death, particularly when combined with physical exertion 1.
Severe Lipid Profile Disruption
- Stanozolol causes dramatic reductions in HDL cholesterol—the protective cholesterol—by 33% overall and 71% in the HDL2 subfraction specifically 2.
- This oral 17-alpha-alkylated steroid increases LDL cholesterol by 29% while simultaneously reducing apolipoprotein A-I by 40%, creating an extremely atherogenic lipid profile 2.
- Stanozolol increases hepatic triglyceride lipase activity by 123%, fundamentally altering lipid metabolism in ways that promote cardiovascular disease 2.
Hepatotoxicity Risk
- Both stanozolol and drostanolone are 17-alpha-alkylated androgens, which carry well-documented hepatotoxic potential 3.
- Common hepatic complications include cholestatic jaundice, peliosis hepatis (blood-filled cysts in the liver), and hepatocellular adenoma (benign liver tumors that can rupture) 3.
- Liver enzyme elevations occur frequently even at therapeutic doses used for hereditary angioedema 3, 4.
Endocrine Disruption
- Stanozolol suppresses testosterone production by 55% in healthy males, accompanied by reductions in free testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin, and luteinizing hormone 5.
- Thyroid function is affected, with decreases in total T4, T3, and thyroxine binding globulin 5.
- Vitamin D metabolism is disrupted, with falls in 25-hydroxycholecalciferol and vitamin D binding globulin 5.
- These hormonal changes are reversible upon stopping treatment but indicate profound disruption of multiple endocrine axes 5.
Additional Adverse Effects
Virilization and Androgenic Effects
- Weight gain, acne, altered libido, muscle cramps, headaches, depression, and fatigue are common 3.
- In females, menstrual abnormalities, virilization, hirsutism, and masculinization of female fetuses during pregnancy occur 3.
- In males, elevation of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) indicating muscle damage has been documented 4.
Lack of Legitimate Medical Indication
- Stanozolol's only FDA-approved indication is hereditary angioedema, where it is considered second-line therapy due to its adverse effect profile 3.
- Even for this legitimate medical condition, guidelines emphasize using the lowest possible dose and note that newer agents are preferred due to stanozolol's toxicity 3.
- Performance enhancement is not a recognized medical indication, and the risk-benefit ratio is unequivocally unfavorable 3.
Clinical Context
The evidence base for stanozolol comes exclusively from therapeutic use in hereditary angioedema at doses of 0.5-6 mg daily 3, 4. Even at these relatively low therapeutic doses, significant adverse effects occur frequently 3, 4. Performance-enhancing doses typically far exceed therapeutic ranges, exponentially increasing toxicity risk. The combination with drostanolone (Masteron), another 17-alpha-alkylated androgen, compounds hepatotoxicity and cardiovascular risk through additive mechanisms 1.
The documented fatal case specifically involving stanozolol and drostanolone together underscores that this exact combination has resulted in death 1.