Clomid in Post Cycle Therapy (PCT)

One of the most frequently asked questions is how to properly use the Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) drugs Nolvadex, Clomid and HCG correctly.

Why Bodybuilders Use Clomid
Clomid is a generic name for Clomiphene Citrate and is a synthetic oestrogen. It is prescribed medically to aid ovulation in low fertility females. Another generic name is Serophene.

Most anabolic steroids, especially the androgens, cause inhibition of the body's own testosterone production. When a bodybuilder comes off a steroid cycle, natural testosterone production is zero and the levels of the steroids taken in the blood are diminishing. This leaves the ratios of catabolic : anabolic hormones in the blood high, hence the body is in a state of catabolism, and, as a result, much of the muscle tissue that was gained on the cycle is now going to be lost.

Clomid stimulates the hypothalamus to, in turn stimulant the anterior pituitary gland (aka hypophysis) to release gonadotrophic hormones. The gonadotrophic hormones are follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH - aka interstitial cell stimulating hormone (ICSH)). FSH stimulates the testes to produce more testosterone, and LH stimulates them to secrete more testosterone. This feedback mechanism is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-testes axis (HPTA), and results in an increase of the body's own testosterone production and blood levels rise, to, in part, compensate for the diminishing levels of exogenous steroids. This is vital to minimise post cycle muscle losses.

Not all steroids do cause shut down of the feedback mechanism. Everyone is different and you must also take into account how long you have been using a certain steroid and at what dose in order to determine if you need Clomid or not.

Clomid also works as an anti-oestrogen. As it's a weak synthetic oestrogen, it binds to oestrogen receptors on cells blocking them to oestrogen in the blood. This minimises the negative effects like gynecomastia and water retention that may be a result of oestrogen that has aromatised from testosterone.

It's effect as an anti-oestrogen are quite weak though, and it should not be relied upon if you are going to be using androgenic steroids that aromatise at a rapid rate, or if you are pre-disposed to gynecomastia. Arimidex and Nolvadex (Tamoxifen) are far more effective anti-oestrogens.

Important note: Clomid does not, as is often thought, stimulate the release of natural testosterone, but rather works at reducing the oestrogenic inhibition caused by the steroid cycle. It does this in a similar manner to the way it and Nolvadex block oestrogen receptors in nipples to combat gyno development, i.e. by blocking the oestrogen receptors in the hypothalamus and pituitary thus reducing the inhibition from the elevated oestrogen. This allows LH levels to return to normal, or even above normal levels, and in turn, natural testosterone levels to also normalise.

Inhibition of the HPTA is caused by either elevated androgen, oestrogen or progesterone levels. On cessation of the steroid cycle, androgen levels begin to fall and Clomid dosing is normally commenced according to the half-life of the longest acting drug in the system (see below).

This may also explain the reason individuals often find post-deca recovery more difficult, as the progesterone presence is untouched by the Clomid. We know that Clomid and Nolvadex (being very similar chemically) are both ineffective with regard to reducing progesterone related gyno, so it is reasonable to assume that Clomid has little effect against progesterone levels.

Clomid During A Cycle
When we use anabolic steroids, the level of androgens in the body rises causing the androgen receptors to become more highly activated, and through the HPTA, a signal tells our testes to stop producing testosterone. During a cycle the body has far higher than normal levels of androgens and, as long as this level is high enough, Clomid will not help to keep natural testosterone production up. It will be almost all but completely shut off, in theory.

Some heavy androgen users, however, do advocate a small burst of Clomid mid-cycle, though it must be hard for them to say if it really of any benefit, due to the amount of gear they are using. Therefore, the only purpose of Clomid during a cycle is as an anti-estrogen.

When To Take Clomid
The correct time to commence Clomid depends on the type and cycle of steroids you have been using. Different steroids have different half-lifes (indicates the time a substance diminishes in blood), and Clomid administration should be taken accordingly.

As we have seen above, Clomid taken when androgen levels in our blood are still high will be a waste. It is crucial to wait for androgen levels to fall before implementing our Clomid therapy. However, if taken too late we could possibly lose gains.

The list below determines when you should start Clomid. Select from the list any steroids you've used in your cycle and whichever one has the latest starting point is the time to commence Clomid. For example, if Dianabol, Sustanon and Winstrol were cycled, the time for administering Clomid should be 3 weeks post cycle, as Sustanon remains active in the body for the longest period of time.
Steroid                              Time after                                         Length of
                                          last administration                           Clomid Cycle
                                                                                                   Anadrol50/Anapolan50:    8 - 12 hours                                       3 weeks
Deca durabolan:                3 weeks                                             4 weeks
Dianabol:                           4 - 8 hours                                         3 weeks
Equipoise:                          17 - 21 days                                       3 weeks
Finajet/Trenbolone:           3 days                                                3 weeks
Primabolan depot:             10 - 14 days                                       2 weeks
Sustanon:                           3 weeks                                             3 weeks
Testosterone Cypionate:    2 weeks                                             3 weeks
Testosterone Enanthate     2 weeks                                             3 weeks
Testosterone Propionate:   3 days                                               3 weeks
Testosterone Suspension:   4 - 8 hours                                        2-3 weeks
Winstrol                              8 - 12 hours                                      2-3 weeks

How To Take Clomid
Clomid has a long half-life (possibly 5 days), so there is no need to split up doses throughout the day. If Sustanon has been used and Clomid is commenced 3 weeks after the last injection, I would estimate that androgen levels are low enough to start sending the correct signals. If androgen levels are still a little high, we need to start at a high enough amount that will work or help, even if androgen levels are still a little high. Try 300mg on day 1; then use 100mg for the next 10 days; followed by 50mg for 10 days.

Female Steroid Cycles

Anabolic steroid use where females are concerned is a very seldom touched upon topic within the anabolic steroid using community. This is because the majority of anabolic steroid users land in the male gender category, as well as the fact that almost all of the clinical data in regards to anabolic steroid use in females is in reference to the medical applications, which in and of itself is very different from the use of anabolic steroids for the purpose of performance and physique enhancement. This particular section of this article is by no means designed to be a comprehensive guide to female anabolic steroid use. Instead, only the most immediate concerns and topics in regards to proper female steroid cycles will be covered.

The majority of the questions, concerns, and issues where female use is concerned will be explored upon in a later article. For the time being, the considerations as to the potential side effects in female anabolic steroid users can easily be accessed by reading a comprehensive article on anabolic steroid side effects in general, which would include the potential side effects for female users.

When female anabolic steroids cycles are considered, there are vast differences to be understood and considered in comparison to the average anabolic steroid cycle, which almost always is structured and designed for male users. The fact is that the majority of anabolic steroid use information, cycle protocols, PCT (Post Cycle Therapy) considerations, and many more common guidelines simply do not apply to female anabolic steroid users.

In summary, there are various advantages that female anabolic steroid users hold over male users, and there are various advantages that male users hold over female users. There also exist disadvantages that are different pertaining to both genders. These must be understood first.

Assuming the majority of preliminary considerations for all users have been noted (listed in the introduction of this article), the preliminary considerations for female anabolic steroid users is for the most part very straightforward and short in its explanation.

All female anabolic steroid users must understand the base fundamentals of what they are doing with their bodies: Anabolic androgenic steroids are synthetic analogues and derivatives of the male hormone Testosterone (or simply Testosterone itself). As stated, this is the male sex hormone, and females engaging in anabolic steroid cycles are simply inserting Testosterone (or related analogues) into themselves  in an effort to increase muscle mass and reduce body fat levels. Using common sense, any female understanding this will realize the potential for the development of male secondary sex characteristics (properly known as virilization). Virilization effects can include the development of male secondary sex characteristics (deepening of the voice, growth of body and facial hair), clitoral enlargement, and menstrual irregularities. It is also strongly advised to abstain from anabolic steroid cycles during pregnancy, as this is a particularly important hormonal period for the development of a fetus, and the inclusion of supraphysiological levels of androgens have been linked to birth defects in newborn babies.

It is also necessary to gain a proper understanding of which anabolic steroids are suitable, which are less suitable, and which should be not used under any but the most essential circumstances. These details will be covered shortly.

Oral Steroids Misconceptions

The topic of oral steroids is perhaps the most popular topic among especially newcomers and prospective anabolic steroid users. There exists no greater attraction to those looking into using anabolic steroids for the first time than the attraction of the convenience of anabolic steroids in a very convenient easy to swallow pill or capsule format. It is very important to first clarify several misconceptions about oral anabolic steroids that seems to propagate the uneducated general public. They are the following:

 Misconception 1: Oral steroids are safer than injectables.
 Misconception 2: Oral steroids are less effective/strong or more effective/strong than injectables.
 Misconception 3: Oral steroids are easier to obtain.
 Misconception 4: Oral steroids are cheaper.

Misconception 1: Oral steroids are safer than injectables.
This is perhaps the largest misconception among oral anabolic steroids, and is perhaps the second overall largest misconception in regards to anabolic steroids in general (with the first largest misconception/myth/rumor being that anabolic steroids will generate massive muscles without any hard work, training, or diet). The real truth is that both injectable and oral steroids both contain various risky compounds in each category. There exist oral steroids that present a higher risk of various dangers to the body, while there are also injectable steroids that present higher risks as well. When it comes down to it, oral steroids are both harsher on the body’s subsystems than the majority of injectables, and although there are one or two ‘milder’ and ‘safer’ oral steroids, the majority of them present issues of hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity) and negative cholesterol alterations that are far more impacting than most injectables. This is not a problem present with the majority of injectables with the exception of a select one or two, as the majority of injectable compounds are well tolerated by the body. The specific details in regards to why this is the case will be explained shortly in this article.

Misconception 2: Oral steroids are less effective/strong or more effective/strong than injectables.
Oral steroids are not stronger than injectable steroids, nor are they weaker. The anabolic strength rating (the determined measurement of how effective an anabolic steroid is in terms of the promotion of muscle growth) of various oral anabolic steroids does indeed match or surpass the anabolic strength rating of many injectable compounds, while several oral anabolic steroids fall short when compared to injectable compounds as well.

Misconception 3: Oral steroids are easier to obtain.
Simply put, this is not true. There exists highly popular anabolic steroids in both categories that are very easy to obtain, but it just so happens to be that the most popular anabolic steroid of all time is an oral steroid (Dianabol, AKA Methandrostenolone). Aside from this, the next two most popular anabolic steroids of all time are both injectables: Nandrolone (Deca Durabolin) and Winstrol (Stanozolol). All anabolic steroid sources and vendors should carry all types of oral steroids and injectable steroids in equal amounts available for purchase.

Misconception 4: Oral steroids are cheaper.
This is also not true. Within both categories (oral and injectable), there are both more expensive compounds as well as less expensive compounds, all related to factors such as popularity of the compound, ease of manufacture, ease of access, and so on and so forth. The overall price of an anabolic steroid cycle will also normally end up being the same in general, as anabolic steroid cycles should ideally be pre-planned and all costs and dosages calculated prior to purchase. At the end of the day, the overall cost of the amount of oral steroids to run in any given cycle is often almost the same price as any other injectable compound, with the exception of various more expensive compounds as mentioned prior. However, when compared to many injectable compounds, simple cycles, for example, of an injectable format of Testosterone ends up being far more cost effective than oral steroid cycles.

Post Cycle Therapy for Female Steroid Users?

Even men are the most popular users of steroids, women also tend to use them, especially those women who are professional bodybuilders. There are more men than women in this sport so almost every research is based on men’s organism. But consequences that steroids can produce in a female body are bigger and more significant that one’s appearing with men. But, women, just like men, use steroids to gain body mass and strength faster than they would get it without using steroids.

How are steroids used?

Steroids are not used constantly, there are periods of usage and periods of resting. Your doctor should decide how long periods will be and how high dose you will take. There are no universal rules because there are no two same persons. One cycle can be 6-12 weeks long and it considers that you take steroids every day during those weeks. After each cycle you must make a brake, so your body won’t get used to steroids.
Post cycle therapy is something that started to be usual practice just recently. It’s very important not to avoid it if you are using or planning to use anabolic steroids. PCT is used to help you preserve effects you gained during the steroid usage period. Steroids have big effect on our endocrine system and it’s important to help him recover from such a big shock. When you suddenly stop using steroids your body will be in some sort of shock. In medicine it’s called hormonal crash or post cycle crash. PCT is different for a man and a woman.

PCT for women

Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) for Female Steroid Users?There are so many post cycle therapies and so many people take it on their own, without knowing consequences they can have in the end. If you take PCT without consulting your doctor, you can make more damage than good to your organism.

With women it’s really important to determine their age and stage of life. Pre-menopausal females who have used anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) can gradually decrease amount they are taking as they come close to end of a cycle. Because steroids affect hormones, the best way that shows to a woman that her treatment is going well is her period return. Anabolic-androgenic steroids cause some kind of menopausal side-effects. It’s recommended to decrease AAS use until period appears. Also, women can do blood tests to see if her hormone levels are getting back to normal.

What PCT is not recommended for women?

Highly inadvisable post cycle treatment for women is SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulators) or ALS (aromatize inhibitors). These two kinds of treatments cause intense menopausal symptoms, so even very young women can face with that problem. They are literally pushing women into menopause. And menopause symptoms are really hard and strenuous even for women who naturally experience it. With men this is different, but women should avoid this kind of post cycle therapy.

SERM medications like Nolvadex and Anastrozole (Arimidex) sometimes are use in breast cancer curing, so they have really large and massive effect on female body. A woman shouldn’t expose herself to so strong medications if she doesn’t have to.

What PCT women can use?

HPGA and HPTA are highly recommended for post cycle therapy for women. HPTA is the hypothalamic pituitary testicular axis and affects brain and helps your endocrine system to control production of testosterone, the male hormone. How your body will react of this treatment depends on:

    individual characteristics;
    anabolic-androgen steroids that you used;
    how long your cycle lasted.

Today everybody can find different types of recommendations for post cycle therapy on the internet, but you shouldn’t listen to them all. Many of those treatments are written for male users and that not even indicated in the text. It’s important to see how wrong post cycle therapy can have harmful consequences in a female organism and go and consult a doctor before deciding to apply some therapy on yourself.

Dianabol - The First Ever Anabolic Steroid

Dianabol was the first ever anabolic steroid that was a potent mixture of both anabolic and androgenic properties, and that's what made it one of the strongest and the most popular drugs of its time. Dianabol certainly is considered as one of the groundbreaking anabolic steroids. It was first produced by John Ziegler with collaboration with the Ciba Laboratories in 1956.

Dianabol was introduced in the United States in 1958. The anabolic steroid became extremely popular in the States. It virtually became the favorite supplement of bodybuilders and weightlifters. The drug is said to be the favorite of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Dianabol is known for its ultimate potential of improving muscle size with least fluid retention. It also helps in suppressing or choking up signals which keep your muscles intact. It is also known as D-Bol or methandrostenolone in the pharmaceutical field. It is referred to as a muscle growth hormone. It has a 17a methyl group formula which helps it to pass through the liver and slow down the rate of conversion to estrogen. The drug has the capability of water retention which further helps in gaining great muscle mass and strength. It also promotes protein synthesis, enhances glucogenolysis and stimulates strength in a very fast-acting way.

However, the drug has some serious kind of side effects, which really compelled the US FDA to ban it. Some of the side effects generally linked with Dianabol include - acne, hair loss, headache, masculinising effects in women, increased blood pressure, and strain on the liver.

Dianabol was scaling the peaks of popularity when the FDA banned it in the year 1990. People however continued to use this drug even after it was banned. The drug is not really prescribed for women, but for men its dose is 15-50mg/daily orally or 50-150mg/week by injection. Nowadays, the drug is being produced by the Mexican pharmaceutical companies and is sold under the name Reforvit - b. 

Testosterone Propionate

Testosterone Propionate is an esterified form of the base steroid testosterone, much like enanthate, cypionate and sustanon 250. It's a superlipophillic, oil-based injectable that slows the release of the steroid into the blood stream. But compared to enanthate and cypionate, testosterone propionate is a very short ester and is still released quite fast. As such more frequent injections are needed. Levels will peak after 24-36 hours and begin tapering from there on out, making the longest possible time-span between injections, at least or proper results, about 3 days. Most athletes will opt to inject 50-100 mg every day to every other day.

It's not the most user-friendly steroid of them all. Frequent injections can be painful to begin with, to a point where users will begin scouting for different locations to stick the needle, in order to not aggravate the same spots all the time. To make matters worse, its not that pleasant to inject either. The injection-site can become irritated and swell, and sometimes give incredible itches or soreness when touched. All these factors combined, you can see that this is the best form of testosterone to start off on for most beginners. And still. As discussed with enanthate and cypionate, a long-acting ester requires some skill with ancillary drugs and familiarity with post-cycle protocol since simple discontinuation will not put a halt to all problems. In that aspect, for those who do not master ancillaries and post-cycle therapy, propionate is perhaps a better product to start off with. Levels of androgens and estrogens will drop within 2-4 days of discontinuation, effectively halting or reducing any occurring side-effects. Nonetheless, this is a testosterone with a high risk of side-effects (the characteristics of testosterone do not change despite the ester, which is just a carrier) so the use of Nolvadex/proviron/Arimidex and so forth is highly advised if you plan to see a cycle through.

What is of note with propionate, is that users have successfully incorporated it into cutting cycles as well. Especially people who tend to lose a lot of mass normally during extreme diet phases find this useful. By injecting every two or three days and using only 50-75 mg each time, no notable water builds up (or at least none that can't be fixed with proviron, arimidex or winstrol) and no fat is deposited, thus allowing a user to stay relatively lean. So this type of testosterone can be used to keep gaining or retaining mass until 2-3 weeks out of contest time with relatively little difficulty. Although most will choose to add Proviron (50-100 mg/day) out of precaution. Its best use is of course still in bulking phases to pack on mass. Testosterone is not the king of the hill of all mass-builders for nothing.

On the American black market propionate is not an extremely available item, its most popular in Europe, where its use is more wide-spread than that of the long-acting esters. Its nonetheless a desired item almost anywhere in the world because it's a very controllable form of what is no doubt the most powerful steroid ever. The cost is quite high too, easily running 2 to 3 times more for a weekly dose than enanthate, cypionate or sustanon 250.

Stacking and Use:

As a short-lived oil based injectable, most will want to opt for doses of 50-100 mg every day to every other day. Those of a lighter stature seeking to use it for cutting purposes may want to make that every 2nd or 3rd day, or add proviron as a precaution instead, 50-100 mg/day sufficing in most cases. The site of injection is best rotated each time, or problem can occur. The compound is irritative and the damage to the skin and underlying tissue can cause some cosmetic problems if it becomes repetitive. Subcutaneously , balls of fat or tissue can build up. In most cases these need to surgically removed. So rotating is wise.

For bulking purposes one is best to stack testosterone with a base compound such as Deca-durabolin (nandrolone) or Equipoise (boldenone), and can addition Dianabol (methandrostenolone) or Anadrol (oxymetholone) for 5-6 weeks, at the beginning, to kickstart the gains a bit. Most will choose for a more user-friendly, longer-acting testosterone for bulking purposes however. For cutting, the best and primary addition is that of Proviron, which will reduce if not stop estrogen build-up, increase muscle hardness and strength and allow for a higher free testosterone level. But naturally other compounds lend themselves quite well too. Base compounds such as Equipoise or Primobolan (methenolone) making a good match for longer stacks, and towards contest time steroids such as Anavar (oxandrolone), finaplix (Trenbolone) or Winstrol (Stanazolol) make the best matches, as they too will help increase muscle hardness and decrease body-fat, while maintaining lean muscle mass. With testosterone, most any combination is possible. Because testosterone is always the stronger compound in a stack.

In terms of ancillaries, the use of anti-estrogens is advised. For cutting puposes one will want to run Proviron alongside the testosterone for the length of the stack, which will rarely make the use of other anti-estrogens a necessity. If no Proviron or arimidex is used, you may want to keep some Nolvadex handy. Should problems arise starting on 20-40 mg of Nolvadex until a while after problems subside should be sufficient for all intents and purposes. Testosterone, being a heavily aromatizing compound, is also quite suppressive of natural testosterone (most so, safe for nandrolone) so a post-cycle therapy with Nolva/Clomid and HCG is necessary. Usually one will start HCG the last week or two weeks of a stack and run it about 4 weeks. HCG shots of 1500-3000 IU given every 5th or 6th day. That means during the end of a cycle, one shot of HCG is given per two shots of testosterone. A user should also opt to wait on using clomid or Nolvadex until the androgen is cleared. For longer esters that was 1.5 to 2 weeks, obviously that time-frame should be reduced to 1 week or even half a week for propionate. One will then start on either 40-50 mg of Nolvadex or 150 mg of Clomid per day for a period of two weeks, and then follow it up with 20-25 mg of Nolvadex or 100 mg of Clomid per day for another two weeks. Post-cycle therapy will facilitate the return of natural testosterone and make it more likely for the user to retain most of the mass he gained while on the cycle.

Common Steroid Pills: Types & Effects Of Use

Search Engines, what a luxury they are to Buy steroids! For they are a real comfort to those bootlegging myriad of extrajudicial poppin' pills, which frequently include Steroids! These pills are often based on various male sex hormones that lead to the development of secondary male sexual characteristics, for instance, testosterone. They are medically termed as Androgens & Anabolic Steroids, although on the street, they are better known as - juices, toners or candy!

As their name suggests, these steroids have both anabolic and androgenic effects. Through a combination of these effects, anabolic steroids stimulate muscle formation leading to increased muscle mass and strength. Some of the most commonly used steroids, both medicinally as well as otherwise, include, but are not limited to:

1. Prednisone: It is a dehydrogenated analogue of cortisol which is used as an anti-inflammatory drug in the treatment of arthritis and as an immunosuppressant. Thus, it is used in a wide range of autoimmune diseases such as severe asthma, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, and to prevent and treat rejection in organ transplantation.

2. Nandrolone: It is an androgen (trade names: Durabolin or Kabolin) that is used to treat testosterone deficiency or breast cancer or osteoporosis. The positive effects of the drug include muscle growth, appetite stimulation, increased red blood cell production and increased bone density.

3. Equipoise: It is an anabolic steroid developed for veterinary use, mostly for treatment of horses. It has low androgenic activity and is often used by bodybuilders for adding strength and size because it increases the appetite. It is well known for increasing vasculature.

4. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA): It is the most abundant androgen secreted by the adrenal glands. Some reports are indicative of its role in the aging process as circulating levels of DHEA peak at age 25 and then steadily decline with age. DHEA deficiencies in older individuals have been associated with a number of medical conditions including breast cancer and cardiovascular disorders and thus it has been suspected for potent anti-ageing roles.

5. Anavar: It was designed as an extremely mild anabolic and has been extensively used for treatment of alcoholic hepatitis, Turner's syndrome, and weight loss caused by HIV. This steroid works well for the promotion of strength and duality muscle mass gains; although it's mild nature makes it less than ideal for bulking purposes.

6. Winstrol: The anabolic properties of Winstrol are mild in comparison to many other steroids and thus, it is stacked with other testosterone-based anabolic steroids. It increases strength without excess weight-gain, promotes vasculature and is thus pretty famous amongst body builders.

7. Steranobol: Chemically, steranobol has a chloro- group added at the 4-position of testosterone. It is an artificial, synthetic androgenic steroid with anabolic effects similar to testosterone. It is frequently used illegally to improve physical performance in sports and athletics and thus, is prohibited by many sports authorities, including the International Olympic Committee.

8. Testosterone: Testosterone itself has been taken externally to enhance muscle development, strength, and endurance. They do so directly by increasing the protein synthesis in muscle cells. As a result, muscle fibers become larger and repair faster than they do normally.

9. Tetrahydrogestrinone: It is a structurally modified anabolic androgenic steroid that is prohibited in sports. It was developed to flim-flam the sports authorities via manipulation of another prohibited substance to illicitly enhance sports performance.

10. Clenbuterol: It is a widely used bronchodilator in many parts of the world. In animal studies, clenbuterol has shown to exhibit anabolic activity which is a highly attractive attribute for pixilated sportspersons. It is known to directly stimulate the adipose tissue and accelerate the breakdown of triglycerides to form free fatty acids. It is used as a pre-contest drug.