bharper
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Benzyl Benzonate Toxicity in Humans
Just to start off, I am not a chemist (although I would like to go back to school for it).
I am curious about the use of benzyl benzonate (BB) in the production of steroids. Pharmaceutical companies such as Sheiring (sp) and Upjohn use a
concentration of 20% volume of BB, Benzyl Alcohol (BA), oil and the API (testosterone enanthate).
Now, BA is used in concentrations of 1% in human grade steroids and up to 5% in veterinary steroids. The BA and BB are used to keep the hormone in a
solution as it can often "crash" or come out of solution without these chemicals. I have read that BB is added at the percentage that it is because
it bonds to the hormone and slows the absorption into the body, while the BA is carried away very quickly by the blood.
Now, a dose (1ml) of testosterone Enanthate is usually 250mg/ml and is administered every 7-10 days. This is how Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
works. So the person who is prescribed the medication is getting .2ml BB every week or so.
Now what about the people who use these steroids for other purposes than HRT? Some people administer 4cc' weekly of testosterone plus other hormones
that contain BB. I would say that the average steroid user may inject an average of 1ml of BB per week.
How can this effect the persons health and in what quantities is it harmful? Are there other solvents that can be used that could bind to the
hormone? Ethyl Oleate is also used in steroid preparation and I have questions about it's safety as well.
So what would BB damage? Liver, kidneys? Can you tell me if there are long term side effects to using BB?
Please, any information here will be used to help an entire community that may be poisoning themselves. The average steroid user looks just like
anyone else, not a massive hulking freak. You could save the health of many good people by helping me figure this out. Thanks a lot!
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MagicJigPipe
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I'm pretty sure BnOH (benzyl alcohol) is used to preserve (make bacteriostatic) the solution and probably has little to do with solubility. Also, I'm
pretty sure you mean benzyl benzoate which is the ester of BnOH and benzoic acid.
Although BnOH is known to be toxic to neonates in larger doses I doubt "BB" or BnOH will cause any problems especially at 1mL a week. I mean, "BB" is
used in food for artificial flavoring. Also, it doesn't accumulate.
The only thing I can think of is that some people may be allergic to it. I believe it is used in fragrances so if you are allergic to perfume or
cologne then I would be careful.
[Edited on 5-14-2008 by MagicJigPipe]
"There must be no barriers to freedom of inquiry ... There is no place for dogma in science. The scientist is free, and must be free to ask any
question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors. ... We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it and
that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. And we know that as long as men are free to ask what they must, free to say what they think,
free to think what they will, freedom can never be lost, and science can never regress." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
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not_important
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Both benzyl alcohol and benzyl benzoate could help increase solubility.
The way to get the answer to the toxicty question is to do a search for the MSDS on each compound, perhaps with a "LD0 OR LD50" thrown in as well.
I'll bet that the LD50 for all of those isn't below a gram per kg of body weight. I think you'll find that the toxicity of the steroids is higher
than of the carriers.
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MagicJigPipe
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I know they will increase solubility of certain compounds but I doubt that is BnOH's main purpose. "BB" is more likely to be used for that.
"There must be no barriers to freedom of inquiry ... There is no place for dogma in science. The scientist is free, and must be free to ask any
question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors. ... We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it and
that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. And we know that as long as men are free to ask what they must, free to say what they think,
free to think what they will, freedom can never be lost, and science can never regress." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
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Nicodem
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Being worried about the toxicity of something relatively as innocuous as benzyl benzoate while poisoning oneself with something as toxic as anabolic
steroids does not make any sense whatsoever.
At least you will never get scabies if you take benzyl benzoate regularly.
…there is a human touch of the cultist “believer” in every theorist that he must struggle against as being
unworthy of the scientist. Some of the greatest men of science have publicly repudiated a theory which earlier they hotly defended. In this lies their
scientific temper, not in the scientific defense of the theory. - Weston La Barre (Ghost Dance, 1972)
Read the The ScienceMadness Guidelines!
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MagicJigPipe
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Anabolic steroids aren't toxic per se. They have medical uses. However, when someone abuses them they become toxic to that person. It's that way
with any medication.
[Edited on 5-15-2008 by MagicJigPipe]
"There must be no barriers to freedom of inquiry ... There is no place for dogma in science. The scientist is free, and must be free to ask any
question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors. ... We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it and
that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. And we know that as long as men are free to ask what they must, free to say what they think,
free to think what they will, freedom can never be lost, and science can never regress." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
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JohnWW
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The medical or sporting use of all androgenic anabolic steroids, for ANY purpose, should be banned! Because they cause excess retention in and
incorporation into the body of proteins, their physiological and physical effects are extremely difficult (and costly, e.g. surgically or
cosmetically) to undo. This is unlike estrogens, which cause retention of fats which are relatively easy to get rid of simply by means of more
physical exercise and reducing carbohydrate intake. To increase muscle mass, the answer is simply to eat more protein, which by itself does not
deposit in the body in the characteristically masculine pattern in the absence of androgens (including testosterone). Anabolic steriods, including
testosterone, are highly carcinogenic,; the protein retention caused by them greatly accelerates the growth of tumors.
[Edited on 16-5-08 by JohnWW]
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unionised
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When men get old their production of androgens decreases. This is accompanied by a loss of muscle mass etc.
The idea that the effects of anabolic steroids on muscle mass are irreversible is at odds with a zillion observations of elderly men.
There are effects, like premature ending of the growth of bones, that are difficlt or impossible to undo but muscle growth isn't one of them.
There are conditions for which androgens are an effective and reasonably safe treatment.
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MagicJigPipe
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Unionised is right. Why would you want to ban a drug whose, for some people, benifits outweigh it's risk? Just seems like you have some personal
agenda. Although steroid abuse is bad to those who don't need it, you shouldn't buy in to all the hype about them being toxic and therefore not
beneficial.
Would you really deny the benifit they provide to some AIDS and cancer patients? Shame on you!
Also, I never used nor do I support the use of anabolic steroids for building muscle, however, eating more protein cannot accomplish as much growth as
steroids can. Do you think body builders don't know about protein? They base their daily lives around protein consumption. For some people, if they
used any more protein then they already do (sometimes 400-500g a day) it would actually cause health problems. My point is, more protein will not
accomplish the same thing. In order for the protein to be used the person would have to do more work. And it is impossible to do enough work to use
any more than a few hundred grams of protein a day. However, IMO, the negative effects of anabolic steroid use definitely outweigh the benifits when
they are used for building muscle.
[Edited on 5-15-2008 by MagicJigPipe]
"There must be no barriers to freedom of inquiry ... There is no place for dogma in science. The scientist is free, and must be free to ask any
question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors. ... We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it and
that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. And we know that as long as men are free to ask what they must, free to say what they think,
free to think what they will, freedom can never be lost, and science can never regress." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
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