Recently, a large number of counterfeits have appeared on the steroid market. How you can recognize them is the topic of today's conversation. In some countries, there is a very negative opinion about steroids, and the fight against their distribution has become almost a matter of national importance.
With regret we have to admit that Russia followed the path of the United States, and put all hormonal-type drugs on a par with narcotic drugs. At the same time, no one considered it necessary to understand this issue thoroughly. It should be admitted that this problem is very serious and controversial.
Counterfeit steroids on the Russian market
It is currently prohibited to use funds that are related to WADA. This move created a whole black market that is now flourishing. It is clear that in such conditions there can be no talk of any quality control. Accordingly, there were many who wanted to cash in on the sale of counterfeit drugs.
This problem cannot but worry the athletes. Indeed, their health and even life depends on the quality of a particular drug. Most of the fakes are made in unsanitary conditions. There is nothing to say about the composition - what substances may be in the preparation, only their clandestine manufacturers know. But we can say for sure that the content of the label does not correspond to these ingredients.
Undoubtedly, it is not only the ban on the use of hormonal drugs that is to blame for this situation. The economic factor also played an important role here. In fact, it became possible to make money with minimal investment. All counterfeit substances can be divided into two main groups:
- The popularity of the drug.
- High rate of production profitability.
There is also a third group called "underground". This includes those drugs that were previously produced unofficially. It is difficult to call them a fake, but you cannot refer to pharmaceutical products either. No self-respecting athlete should even look towards such means. For this reason, it is no longer worth talking about them. So what are the most common counterfeit steroids?
Methandrostenolone
Without a doubt, the most popular among clandestine manufacturers is Methandrostenolone, produced by the domestic company Akrikhin. It is very common in many countries, and the main income from its counterfeiting comes from high sales volumes. At the same time, the cost of the original is low.
You can find a fairly large number of variants of an illegally produced drug: scattering in plastic cans, packing in blisters or packaging in containers of the old design. To find out what the real packaging looks like, just go to the official web resource of the Russian manufacturer.
Sustanon-250
Sustanon-250 is no less popular with clandestine manufacturers. It is also a very popular drug and is known to a large number of athletes. The rights to this tool belong to the "Organon" company, and it is produced in many countries at the enterprises of the company.
Now there are cases when drugs made in Turkey, Holland and Egypt were counterfeited. It should be noted that the products of the company "Invar", located in India, used to be the most popular among counterfeiters.
So far, the most reliable are those produced in Pakistan. If we compare Pakistani and Egyptian funds, then you can immediately notice the difference in the shape of the ampoules, the way the name is applied.
Glass printing is used on licensed products, while counterfeiters use simple paint for these purposes, which is well scraped off with a fingernail. There are also differences in the location of the information on the ampoules.
Omnadren-250 and Retabolil
"No luck" and Omnadren-250, which is an analogue of the previous drug, but produced by the Polish concern "Elfa". Moreover, the scale of counterfeiting turned out to be so large that the company's products were completely discredited.
Also, due to the large number of fakes, Retabolil, produced in Romania, was almost completely erased from use. The quality of falsification turned out to be very high, and it is almost impossible to distinguish fake products from the original.
Nandrolone Decanoate and Deca-Durabolin
Next in line were Nandrolone Decanoate and Deca-Durabolin. The first is produced by Norma Ellas under the same name, and the second brand is owned by Organon. These drugs are bottled in 2 mg bottles, and have received several versions of fakes.
Thus, Norma's products can be falsified in a very primitive way, or it can turn out to be a high-quality fake. According to the available information, high-quality counterfeit products are produced on the territory of Bulgaria.
The only factor by which you can identify low-quality drugs is the lack of packaging. Vials with the product are sold in bulk.
The situation is identical with Deca-Durabolin, right down to the place of production. The only difference here is the quality of the falsification. Counterfeit Organon products can be recognized by the inscription on the sticker. There is also no packaging.
Another domestic manufacturer that suffered from counterfeiters was the PharmaDon company. Almost all of its products are on the black market. The exception was testosterone propionate. All fakes, as a rule, are packaged in old-style packaging. On the drug label, gullible buyers are told that the product was created at one of the company's branches.
Primobolan depot
Among the drugs that make money even with a low sales volume is Primobolan Depot of Shering AG. The products of the company located in Turkey are popular. True, in this case it is quite simple to distinguish a fake from an original. The counterfeiters have not yet been able to repeat the font of the inscriptions on the sticker and the clarity of their printing.
Anabol and Androlic
You can find a lot of counterfeit drugs Anabol and Androlik. These names are owned by British Dispensary and are produced by the Taiwan subsidiary. In the absence of any serious means of protection, it is almost impossible to distinguish a fake from high-quality drugs.
Somatotropin
Well, in conclusion, I would also like to draw your attention to Growth hormone. This drug was previously quite popular and effective. It was produced by an enterprise from Kaunas.
After Lithuania was admitted to the European Union, the production of pharmacological products was discontinued in the country, but the drug continues to appear now. Counterfeits are made both in Lithuania and on the territory of Russia. It is highly discouraged to use it, as it can lead to serious, often incurable diseases.
The listed drugs are very popular among athletes. But now their use is difficult due to the large number of fakes. As you can see, some of them are very easy to distinguish, and some are almost impossible. Undoubtedly, this fact complicates the life of athletes, and it is necessary to warn about the presence of falsifications.
Video review of the original and fake Deca-Durabolin:
