Section 1 of 9Overview
Overview
Dymethazine (DMZ; also mebolazine or dimethazine) is an oral anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) — it is not a SARM and not a peptide. This is the single most important fact about it. It is routinely sold and grouped under "SARM" and "prohormone" branding, framing that is designed to imply a mild, selective profile. That framing is misleading: dymethazine is a full anabolic-androgenic steroid, chemically a 17alpha-alkylated derivative of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) — the opposite of mild.
Structurally, dymethazine is an azine dimer: two methasterone (methyldrostanolone) units — each a 17alpha-methylated DHT derivative — joined by a nitrogen-nitrogen (azine) bridge at the A-ring 3-position. It behaves as a prodrug: after ingestion it splits into two molecules of methasterone, the same potent 17alpha-alkylated oral steroid sold as "Superdrol." In other words, taking dymethazine is essentially taking a delivery vehicle for two doses of a well-documented liver-toxic anabolic steroid.
It has never been an approved medicine. It is an unapproved designer steroid that appeared in the "prohormone" supplement market. Its active metabolite methasterone is a US Schedule III controlled anabolic steroid (DEA, 2012), and the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014 broadened Schedule III to capture designer AAS of exactly this type.
It is a controlled anabolic steroid with documented liver injury — not a mild SARM
Dymethazine is a 17alpha-alkylated oral anabolic-androgenic steroid and a prodrug of two 17alpha-alkylated methasterone molecules. That structure is directly linked to drug-induced liver injury: there is a documented human case of deep cholestatic jaundice at the manufacturer-recommended dose (total bilirubin to 45.9 mg/dL, biopsy-proven cholestasis — PMID 26425606). It is not a SARM, not a peptide, and not "milder than steroids" — it is a steroid. Its active metabolite is a US Schedule III controlled substance, and DMZ is a known undeclared adulterant in products sold as "SARMs." This page is strictly educational — not medical, legal, or dosing advice — and check your own jurisdiction.
Section 2 of 9Chemistry and structure
Chemistry and structure
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Dymethazine (mebolazine / dimethazine) |
| Class | Anabolic-androgenic steroid — a 17alpha-alkylated DHT derivative. NOT a SARM, NOT a peptide |
| Structure | Azine dimer: two methasterone (methyldrostanolone) units joined by a nitrogen-nitrogen (azine) bridge at the A-ring 3-position |
| In-vivo behaviour | Prodrug — splits into two molecules of methasterone ("Superdrol") |
| Molecular formula | C42H68N2O2 |
| Molecular weight | 633.0 g/mol |
| CAS number | 3625-07-8 |
| PubChem CID | 66847280 |
| Half-life | Not established / not found in sources |
The 17alpha-methyl group is what makes the molecule orally active — it resists first-pass hepatic breakdown — and it is the same structural feature that drives liver toxicity. Both the parent dimer and its two methasterone metabolites are 17alpha-alkylated, so the hepatotoxic liability is present at every step.
The names dymethazine, DMZ, mebolazine, dimethazine, D-Zine, and di(methasterone) azine all refer to the same compound. "Methasterone" (methyldrostanolone), the molecule DMZ converts into, is itself a well-known 17alpha-alkylated oral steroid marketed as Superdrol.
Section 3 of 9Mechanism of action
Mechanism of action
Dymethazine acts as a full androgen-receptor (AR) agonist — the defining action of an anabolic-androgenic steroid. It is not a selective androgen receptor modulator, and it has no peptide chemistry.
- 17alpha-alkylated DHT-derivative AR agonist [Human]. Mebolazine/dimethazine is a synthetic, orally active AAS and a 17alpha-alkylated derivative of DHT. The 17alpha-methyl group makes it orally bioavailable (resisting first-pass metabolism) and is the same feature that drives its liver toxicity. (Source: PubChem CID 66847280; Wikipedia "Mebolazine".)
- Prodrug / azine dimer of methasterone [Human]. DMZ is a conjugate/dimer of two methyldrostanolone (methasterone) residues joined at the A-ring 3-position by an azine group; it is described as a prodrug that converts after ingestion to two methasterone-type AAS molecules. Methasterone is itself a potent 17alpha-alkylated oral anabolic steroid (Superdrol). (Source: Wikipedia "Mebolazine"; DEA Federal Register 2012.)
- HPTA / endogenous testosterone suppression [Animal]. Suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and lowering of endogenous testosterone is a class effect of exogenous AAS. Compound-specific human suppression data for dymethazine were not located, so this is extrapolated from the AAS class and marked class-level, not DMZ-specific human data.
A "prohormone" or "SARM" label does not change the pharmacology. Mechanistically this compound is an anabolic-androgenic steroid that ends up as two molecules of a 17alpha-alkylated oral steroid — treat it as such.
Section 4 of 9Research and evidence
Research and evidence
There is no legitimate efficacy literature establishing benefit, dosing, or a safety threshold for dymethazine — it was never developed as a medicine. The published human record is dominated by case reports of harm and by the well-documented toxicity of its methasterone metabolite.
| Finding | Model | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| First reported case of cholestatic jaundice from a dymethazine-containing supplement: a 26-year-old previously healthy man took Super DMZ Rx 2.0 (methylstenbolone + dymethazine), 1 capsule twice daily for 30 days at label dose, then developed dark urine, clay-colored stools and jaundice. Total bilirubin peaked at 45.9 mg/dL (direct 25.8); ALT 167 / AST 81 IU/L at presentation; biopsy showed canalicular and hepatocellular cholestasis with dead hepatocytes and portal inflammation. Recovered ~10 weeks after stopping. | Human — single case report | 2014 | Agbenyefia et al., J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep (PMID 26425606 / PMC4528888) |
| 17alpha-alkylated (C-17alpha) androgenic steroids are the AAS class most closely linked to a distinctive acute "bland cholestasis," typically arising 4–12 weeks after starting; AAS overall are implicated in four liver-injury patterns (transient enzyme elevation, bland cholestasis, peliosis hepatis, hepatic tumors). Mechanism: interference with hepatocyte canalicular bile-salt/organic-anion efflux. | Human — authoritative NIH class review | 2020 | LiverTox: Androgenic Steroids (NBK548931) |
| Parent/metabolite class evidence: methasterone (Superdrol), the AAS that DMZ converts to, has multiple published cases of severe cholestasis, hepatotoxicity and acute renal failure from supplement use at label doses. | Human — case reports | 2012 | Superdrol/methasterone case reports; DEA Federal Register 2012 scheduling review |
| Of 44 products marketed as SARMs and analyzed, only 52% actually contained a SARM, 39% contained another unapproved drug, and many had substances not on the label or in different amounts. Designer steroids like DMZ are a known undeclared-adulterant class in this market. | Human — analytical study | 2017 | Van Wagoner et al., JAMA (PMID 29183075) |
Read honestly: the human evidence base for dymethazine is not evidence of benefit — it is evidence of harm (a direct cholestatic-jaundice case) plus authoritative class-level toxicity data for 17alpha-alkylated AAS and for its methasterone metabolite. There is no human trial establishing that it is safe or effective for any use.
Section 5 of 9Status and regulation
Status and regulation
- Never approved. Dymethazine has no approved therapeutic indication, no approved dose, and no established safety threshold. It is an unapproved designer steroid that entered the "prohormone"/"SARM"-branded supplement market.
- Active metabolite scheduled (DEA, 2012). Methasterone — the steroid DMZ converts into — was classified as a Schedule III anabolic steroid in the US in 2012, a decision that cited liver toxicity and associated renal failure.
- Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014. Signed 2014-12-18, DASCA broadened the Schedule III anabolic steroids definition (21 CFR 1308.13(f)) to capture designer AAS of exactly this type.
- WADA — prohibited in sport. Dymethazine is prohibited as an exogenous anabolic androgenic steroid under WADA class S1.1.
Two caveats about the regulatory text. The scheduling that is firmly established is for the parent metabolite methasterone (2012) and via the DASCA 2014 designer-steroid expansion; the exact current CFR line naming "mebolazine"/"dymethazine" verbatim was not confirmed in these sources. The WADA citation is by class (S1.1 exogenous AAS); a WADA document naming dymethazine specifically was not directly retrieved. Controlled-substance status is a separate axis from WADA sport-eligibility.
Section 6 of 9Safety
Safety
Liver injury is the headline risk. As a 17alpha-alkylated oral AAS — and a prodrug of two 17alpha-alkylated methasterone molecules — dymethazine can cause cholestatic "bland cholestasis" with deep jaundice even at manufacturer-recommended doses. In the documented human case, total bilirubin reached 45.9 mg/dL with biopsy-proven canalicular and hepatocellular cholestasis (PMID 26425606). Per LiverTox, onset for this class is typically 4–12 weeks after starting.
Beyond the liver, dymethazine carries the standard hazards of a potent oral 17alpha-alkylated androgen:
- HPTA / endogenous testosterone suppression [Animal / class-level]. Exogenous AAS suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and lower endogenous testosterone. DMZ-specific human suppression data were not located; this is inferred from the steroid class.
- Adverse lipids / cardiovascular harm [Human — class-level]. Oral 17alpha-alkylated AAS characteristically suppress HDL, raise LDL, and are associated with cardiovascular harm. DMZ-specific quantitative data are not established.
- Virilization and androgenic effects [Human — class-level]. As a potent DHT-derived androgen, DMZ can cause irreversible virilizing effects in women and androgenic effects generally.
Mislabeling, contamination, and undeclared steroid content. Dymethazine is sold as an unregulated designer steroid, frequently grouped with "SARMs"/"prohormones." Analytical work shows products in this market frequently contain undeclared or different drugs, and wrong amounts — in one analysis of 44 "SARM" products, only 52% contained a SARM and 39% contained another unapproved drug (JAMA 2017, PMID 29183075). Designer steroids are a known undeclared-adulterant class. A label is not a reliable statement of contents: a product may contain DMZ (or a different steroid, or more/less than stated) regardless of what the label says.
17alpha-alkylated liver toxicity — treat as a full oral steroid
The defining danger here is 17alpha-alkylated hepatotoxicity: documented cholestatic jaundice at label dose (bilirubin to 45.9 mg/dL, biopsy-proven). Add testosterone suppression, adverse lipids/cardiovascular risk, virilization in women, and the very real chance the product is mislabeled or adulterated. Do not treat dymethazine as safer than, or different in kind from, a conventional oral anabolic steroid — it is one. Educational only; not medical, legal, or dosing advice.
Section 7 of 9Legal status
Legal status
Regulatory status is jurisdiction-specific, and this page does not assess the legality of any particular use — check your own jurisdiction. What is documented: dymethazine's active metabolite methasterone is a US Schedule III controlled anabolic steroid (DEA, 2012), and the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014 broadened Schedule III to capture designer AAS of this type. On the separate anti-doping axis, dymethazine is prohibited in sport by WADA as an exogenous anabolic androgenic steroid (S1.1) — a sport-eligibility fact distinct from controlled-substance law. Being unapproved, it has no legal medical indication; where it is handled at all, it exists as an unapproved/controlled designer steroid, not a medicine.
Section 8 of 9How it compares
How it compares
Dymethazine is frequently sold alongside — and mislabeled as — SARMs. The honest contrast is that true SARMs are non-steroidal investigational compounds, whereas dymethazine is a full anabolic-androgenic steroid. Even the true SARMs below are unapproved and carry their own risks, but they are a different chemical class from DMZ.
| Compound | What it is | Class | Key contrast with dymethazine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dymethazine | 17alpha-alkylated azine dimer, prodrug of two methasterone molecules | Anabolic-androgenic STEROID (not a SARM, not a peptide) | The reference compound — a full oral steroid with documented cholestatic liver injury |
| Ostarine (MK-2866) | Non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator | SARM | Actually a SARM (not a steroid); still unapproved and WADA-banned — but a different chemical class |
| Testolone (RAD-140) | Non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator | SARM | Actually a SARM; unapproved, WADA-banned, and itself linked to liver-injury case reports — but not a 17alpha-alkylated steroid |
Takeaways:
- Different chemistry. DMZ is a 17alpha-alkylated steroid; ostarine and testolone are non-steroidal SARMs. Sharing a supplement shelf does not make them the same class.
- DMZ is a steroid; the marketing hides it. Whatever the label says, dymethazine is a full anabolic-androgenic steroid and a controlled substance's prodrug, not a "milder" alternative.
- Neither category is "safe." True SARMs are unapproved and WADA-banned; DMZ is worse-framed — a full oral steroid with documented cholestatic hepatotoxicity.
Section 9 of 9Common misconceptions
Common misconceptions
- "Dymethazine is a mild SARM." No. It is a full anabolic-androgenic steroid — a 17alpha-alkylated DHT derivative. It is not a SARM and not selective. The "SARM" framing is marketing.
- "It's a prohormone, so it's safer than steroids." No. It is a prodrug of two molecules of methasterone (Superdrol) — a potent 17alpha-alkylated oral steroid. "Prohormone" here just means it converts into an active steroid.
- "It's a peptide." No. It contains no peptide chemistry. It is a steroid (an azine dimer of two steroid units).
- "It's gentle on the liver." The opposite. Its defining risk is 17alpha-alkylated hepatotoxicity — a documented human case of deep cholestatic jaundice at label dose (bilirubin to 45.9 mg/dL, biopsy-proven).
- "If the label doesn't list a steroid, there isn't one." Not reliable. Designer steroids are a known undeclared adulterant in "SARM"/"prohormone" products; analytical studies repeatedly find undeclared or mislabeled drugs. A label is not a statement of contents.
This entry is strictly educational and encyclopedic. It is not medical, legal, or pharmaceutical advice, and it intentionally does not provide dosing protocols, administration instructions, or sourcing information. Controlled-substance and anti-doping status vary by jurisdiction — verify locally.