POST CYCLE THERAPY ADVICE. 

STANDARD NOLVA PCT FOLLOWING AN EPIDROL/EPITHIN-E CYCLE. TO START THE DAY AFTER LAST DAY OF TAKING EPIDROL/EPITHIN-E.

DAY 1, 60MG NOLVA

DAYS 2-10, 40MG NOLVA EACH DAY

DAYS 11-21, 20MG NOLVA EACH DAY.

STANDARD CLOMID PCT FOLLOWING AN EPIDROL/EPITHIN-E (SUPERDROL) CYCLE. TO START THE DAY AFTER LAST DAY OF TAKING EPIDROL/EPITHIN-E (SUPERDROL).

DAY 1, 150MG CLOMID

DAYS 2-10, 100MG CLOMID EACH DAY

DAYS 11-21, 50MG CLOMID EACH DAY.

COMBINED NOLVA AND CLOMID PCT AS ABOVE BUT FOR HEAVIER CYCLES WHERE OTHER STEROIDS OR PRO HORMONES/STEROIDS HAVE BEEN USED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE EPISTANE.

DAY 1, 150MG CLOMID AND 60MG NOLVA.

DAYS 2-10, 100MG CLOMID AND 40MG NOLVA EACH DAY

DAYS 11-21 50MG CLOMID AND 20MG NOLVA

EITHER CLOMID AND OR NOLVA CAN BE USED AND BOTH ARE EFFECTIVE FOR PCT.

PCT PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FROM WWW.AG-GUYS.COM or www.inhousepharmacy.co.uk we are not connected in any way to either site but both sites have a very good reputation for customer service and discretion.

PROVIRON USE DURING AND AFTER A CYCLE, PROVIRON CAN BE USED ALONGSIDE ANY STEROID CYCLE INCLUDING EPISTANE, IT IS ALSO USEFULL AT IMPROVING LIBIDO POST CYCLE AND MAY ALSO HELP WITH RETAINING GAINS DURING AND AFTER PCT. (PROVIRON ARTICLE BELLOW FOR FULL DETAILS).

DURING CYCLE, 25 OR 50MG EACH DAY THROUGH OUT THE CYCLE.

THROUGH PCT, EITHER CONTINUE AS ABOVE IF YOU HAVE RUN PROVIRON THROUGH THE CYCLE OR RUN PROVIRON FOR 1 MONTH FROM THE FIRST DAY OF PCT AGAIN 25 TO 50MG ED IS USUALLY SUFFICIENT.

Clomid
(Clomiphine Citrate)

Clomid is a drug given to women for use as a fertility aid. It is a SERM (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator) which acts by actually binding to the estrogen receptor and thereby blocking estrogen from doing the same. Clearly, this is advantageous when it binds to breast tissue, and prevents estrogen from binding there to cause gynocomastia (although it is not nearly as effective as nolvadex for this purpose). It also opposes the negative feedback loop that the body has with regards to estrogen and the HPTA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular-Axis), and this in turn stimulates LH (Leutenizing Hormone) and FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone). LH and FSH, in turn stimulate the release of testosterone. Clearly this is advantageous to bodybuilders and athletes coming off of a cycle, and beginning their post-cycle-therapy. What we have in Clomid is essentially a drug that acts as a preventative measure against gynocomastia, as well as a drug that acts to raise endogenous (natural) testosterone levels. Usually, it is compared with another SERM, Nolvadex, for those reasons.

Clomid, however, is much weaker than nolvadex in a mg for mg comparison, with roughly 150mgs of clomid being equal to 20mgs of nolvadex (1).It should be noted, however, that 150mgs of clomid will still raise testosterone levels to approximately 150% of baseline value(1). You don’t have to use 150mgs, however; In my research, I’ve found that doses as low as 50mgs will show improvements and elevations in testosterone levels (4). In fact, my original Post-Cycle-Therapy regime (as suggested by Dan Duchaine in the original Underground Steroid Handbook) was 100mgs per day for a week and 50mgs/day for a week. Don’t laugh…for the late 90’s,when most anabolic steroid users didn’t even know how to use Clomid, it was considered a “state of the art” PCT routine. I suspect that Duchaine originally introduced this compound to the steroid using community.

Clomid, just like nolvadex, is very safe for long term treatment of lowered testosterone levels (2), with some studies showing it’s safety and efficacy for up to four months. And post-cycle, when steroid users are suffering form lowered testosterone levels, is when clomid is most effective.

I used to run Clomid for about 3 weeks post cycle, at 100-150mgs. Any more than that, and I experience emotional side effects (no, really…) due to the excess amount of circulating estrogen I have in my body. All of that extra estrogen tends to make me moody, and it gets hard to squeeze workouts and cardio in-between reruns of “Sex & the City” (ok, I’m exaggerating).

A problem arose during a very aggressive Clomid PCT routine once. I was taking pretty high doses (150mgs/day) of clomid for an extended time (over a month) and was having vision issues. When I looked into the subject more closely, this was a common occurrence with steroid.com members. Upon further investigation, I found out the optic neuropathy (a fancy way of saying “vision problems”) was actually very common with clomid usage (5)(6).Since I already wear contact lenses, I’ve had to remove Clomid from my PCT routine.

Clomid as of late has fallen out of favor for post-cycle routines, but if you aren’t prone to vision problems or emotional issues, then it is just as good as nolvadex for raising testosterone when appropriate doses are used. I recommend using 150mgs/day for ten days, and decreasing the dose by 50mgs every ten days until you’re finished at day 30. Many of the bodybuilders and athletes I've spoken to have used it in a similar fashion and found that it restores their testosterone levels to normal.

This drug is widely available from many research supply companies, generally in liquid form, as well as from most Underground Labs who produce their own version of it in capsules. In either case, you shouldn't be paying more than $1 per 50-100mgs of it (generally this is 2 caps or 1-2mls of the liquid stuff).

References:
1. Fertil Steril. 1978 Mar;29(3):320-7.
2. Int J Impot Res. 2003 Jun;15(3):156-65.
3. Understanding sex biases in immunity: effects of estrogen on the differentiation and function of antigen-presenting cells.
Immunol Res. 2005;31(2):91-106.
4. The effects of normal aging on the response of the pituitary-gonadal axis to chronic clomiphene administration in men. J Androl 1991 Jul-Aug;12(4):258-63
5. Optic neuropathy associated with clomiphene citrate therapy.
Fertil Steril. 1994 Feb;61(2):390-1
6. Visual disturbance secondary to clomiphene citrate.
Arch Ophthalmol. 1995 Apr;113(4):482-4

Nolvadex

(Tamoxifen Citrate)

This drug is used as a first line defense against breast cancer. In the late 80’s, Dan Duchaine speculated that it could also be used by bodybuilders to halt the development of another type of tumor in the mammary gland…Gynocomastia. He introduced this find to the Steroid-using-community in his “Contest Prep” issue of the UnderGround Steroid Handbook Update Newsletters (the contest prep-issue was actually 3 issues in one, for those who had a subscription to the newsletter).

Nolvadex is commonly referred to in quite a few ways: as a SERM (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator), as an anti-estrogen (that is actually incorrect, as we will later see), and finally as a triphenylethylene. I happen to stick with calling Nolvadex a SERM, because out of my three options, it happens to be correct (as we know that calling it an anti-estrogen is incorrect), and pronouncable (as we know that I have no idea how to say "triphenylethylene") . Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) act as either estrogen receptor agonists or antagonists in a tissue-selective manner…lets see what that means to us…

Nolvadex actually has quite a few applications for the steroid using athlete. First and foremost, it’s most common use is for the prevention of gynocomastia. Nolvadex does this by actually competing for the receptor site in breast tissue, and binding to it. Thus, we can safely say that the effect of tamoxifen is through estrogen receptor blockade of breast tissue (1)…especially since total body estradiol increases with use of tamoxifen. Clearly, if you are on a cycle which includes steroids which convert to estrogen, you may want to consider nolvadex as a good choice to run along side them.
Nolvadex, however, is not the most potent ancillary compound we can use on a cycle, but it is probably the safest considering it doesn’t actually reduce estrogen in your body Keeping some estrogen floating around could have many benefits on muscle growth, as well. Estrogen is also important for a properly functioning immune system, and not only that, but your lipid profile (both HDL and LDL) should also show marked improvement with administration of tamoxifen (4). Many bodybuilders actually use this stuff during their cycle for the health benefits provided by it. If, however, you are preparing for a bodybuilding contest, you need to use something which will suck most (if not all) of the estrogen out of your body. I am speculating that you may be able to use Nolvadex for the majority of a contest prep cycle, to keep yourself relatively healthy, and then switch over to Letrozole for the last 8 weeks.

Nolvadex also has some important features for the steroid using athlete. In hypogonadic and infertile men given nolvadex, increases in the serum levels of LH, FSH, and most importantly, testosterone were all observed (2)(3). The best (rough) estimate I can give you from my research is that 20mgs of Nolvadex will raise your testosterone levels about 150% (5)...and this would of course greatly aid post-cycle-recovery. What this means to us is that if you take Nolvadex after a cycle, when you are trying to raise your levels of testosterone, LH, and FSH back to normal, it will greatly aid recovery. In fact, if I were limited to just one compound to aid me in post-cycle-recovery, Nolvadex would be my choice. If you want a comparison, it would require 150mgs of Clomid to accomplish that type of elevation in testosterone, but nolvadex also significantly increased the LH (Leutenizing Hormone) response to LHRL (5), after 6 weeks.
Some of the more harsh ancillary compounds available today will give you a more “dry” look that nolvadex can’t, but nolvadex is simply safer to use in long (over 16 week) cycles.

Unfortunately, Nolvadex isn’t perfect. Anecdotally, it has been linked to reduced gains in some bodybuilders. This isn’t due, as previously thought, to its reducing estrogen levels (which it doesn’t), but rather to it’s ability to possibly reduce IGF (Insulin-like-Growth-Factor) levels, which are important for muscle growth.

Personally, I’ve had many successful cycles with nolvadex as well as without, but I can certainly testify to it’s effectiveness in preventing gynocomastia. Back in the late 90’s I purchased 30 tabs of 10mg Nolvadex for $30, and recently I have found it for much less on various internet sites. It’s well worth the money.

References:

1. Klin Padiatr. 1987 Nov-Dec;199(6):389-91.
2. Stimulation of calcitonin secretory capacity by increased serum levels of testosterone in men treated with tamoxifen. Int J Androl. 1987 Dec;10(6):747-51.
3. Hormonal changes in tamoxifen treated men with idiopathic oligozoospermia Exp Clin Endocrinol. 1988 Dec;92(2):211-6.
4. 2 Bruning PF, Bronfer JMG, Hart AAM, Jong-Bakker M, tamoxifen, serum lipoproteins and cardiovascular risk, Br. J. Cancer 1988 Oct, 58 (4) 497-9
5. Fertil Steril. 1978 Mar;29(3):320-7.

OTHER DRUGS OF INTEREST.

Proviron

(Mesterolone)
[1 alpha-methyl-17 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-androstan-3-one]
Molecular Weight: 304.4716
Molecular Formula: C20H32O2
Melting Point: N/A
Manufacturer: Schering
Release Date: 1960
Effective Dose: 25-200mgs/day
Active Life: up to 12 hours
Detection Time: 5-6weeks
Androgenic: Anabolic Ratio:30-40/100-150

Proviron (mesterolone) is basically an orally active DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) preparation. For comparision, we can think of some other orally prepared DHT compounds like Winstrol, Anavar, etc… Those both act very similarly in mechanism to Proviron, but a more accurate way to think of this compound is as something like “Oral Masteron.” As I’m sure you noticed, their anabolic/androgenic ratio is very similar.Remember, DHT is 3 to 4 times as androgenic as testosterone and is, of course, incapable of forming estrogen. Also, Proviron is quite unique in that a simple look at it’s 4-ring structure will show us that it is not going to be too liver toxic, since it is not c17-Alpha-Alkylated, as many orals are…this modification (lacking in Proviron) makes drugs more liver toxic. Proviron has a 1-metyhl group added, instead. Looks pretty great on paper, right? Well, as usual, things tend to look better on paper than they do in the body. Your body has a negative feedback loop which prevents your body from having too much DHT floating around(if you’ve been paying attention up to now from reading my other stuff, you already know this). An excess of DHT will eventually be changed into another (largely not anabolic) compound.

And of course, being a DHT-based compound, this stuff isn't going to be great for female athletes to use. Virilization (development of male sexual characteristics) is going to be a concern for women daring enough to try this stuff. My advice is that there is much better, safer compounds for female athletes and bodybuilders to use.

So lets go back to the comparison with being some sort of “Oral Masteron”…basically since Proviron is 5-alpha reduced and not capable of forming estrogen, and also has a very high affinity for binding to the aromatase enzyme (the enzyme responsible for converting all that good testosterone in your body into all that nasty estrogen). That means if you choose to take proviron with testosterone (and I know you wouldn’t even be doing a cycle without including some form of testosterone) and/or any aromatizable steroid, it should actually serve to prevent estrogen build up by the aforementioned binding to the aromatase enzyme, which prevents aromatase from doing it’s dirty work and making a bunch of estrogen out of the other steroids you are taking. It should also be noted that Proviron also binds very well to SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin…a hormone responsible for reducing the amount of circulating free testosterone in your body)(1). As a matter of fact, in the last study I read, it bound to SHBG better than any other drug studied. Also, I’d like to note that Proviron bound to the Anabolic Receptor better than any oral anabolic (except for the insanely toxic MethylTrienolone), having an ability to bind to the AR better then testosterone, but not as well as Nandrolone (1). Unfortunately, as we know, DHT also has a high affinity for binding to receptors in the scalp and prostate, causing some possible nasty side effects, like male pattern baldness and prostate enlargement. It’s important to remember that DHT and DHT derived compounds are used quite successfully to treat gynocomastia, and in this area, Proviron is no different.

Lets delve into some of the positive points of this drug before we go any farther. Androgen Receptors are found in fat cells as well as muscle cells(5), and whilethey act on the AR in muscle cells to promote growth, they also act directly on the AR in fat cells to affect fat burning.(9)(3) The stronger the androgen binds to the A.R, the higher the lipolytic (fat burning) effect on adipose (fat)tissue(6)(2). As if that’s not enough good news, some steroids (notably, testosterone) even increase the numbers of A.R. in muscle and fat (9)(7). Thus, if you are taking a simple stack of proviron and testosterone, you’ll have more of the test you shoot as free testosterone floating around building muscle (compliments of the Proviron), more androgen receptors to be bound to (compliments of your testosterone) by your Proviron, thus causing more fat loss. Testosterone and Proviron are a very nice synergistic stack, pretty nearly an “ideal” stack of an oral and injectable, because both drugs will actually act to enhance the effect of the other.

So what we have here is a steroid which can basically make other steroids more effective by preventing their conversion into estrogen, as well as increasing the amount of circulating free testosterone in your body. This of course all provides a more hardened and quality look to muscles. Proviron is very much a “synergistic” drug in this respect, and it’s inclusion in any cycle would definitely make all of the other steroids perform better, and provide better gains. This is all compounded by the fact that proviron is a very lipolytic (fat-burning) drug.

Now, as if all of this weren’t enough, lets talk about how Proviron affects your HPTA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular-Axis)…the thing that regulates the male hormonal system. When a reasonable dose of this stuff is given (100-150mgs/day), it had no depressing effect on low or normal serum FSH and LH levels (6). Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Leutenizing Hormone (LH) are two hormones which send a signal to your testes to produce testosterone. Good news for people considering it for PCT is that it can even raise your LH (10)! Thus, by not suppressing those hormones and maybe even raising some, your normal testosterone levels will remain intact. This points to a novel use for this compound during Post-Cycyle-Therapy for a non-suppressive “bridge” between cycles. In fact, in yet another study, administration of Proviron (basically the same dose as in the last study) produced no changes in steroids, thyroid hormones, gonadotropins nor PRL (Prolactin Levels…you want those to remain low).(8).

Unfortunately, this stuff is not too hot on it’s own. It’s a good drug for inclusion in a cycle containing testosterone and other armoatizable steroids, and it’s a good drug for a possible “bridge” between cycles. Alone, however, as an androgenic or anabolic agent, it’s effects have been very weak in both studies (9), as well as in the experience of everyone I spoke to about it. This may be due to the addition of the 1-methyl-group to DHT, which makes this stuff orally active. Whatever the case, as a stand alone anabolic or androgenic compound, it’s not too impressive.

This drug is a rare find on the American Black Market, and many Underground Labs don't even produce it, but if you can find it, I’d say that you shouldn’t be paying more than .50cents for each 50mg tab.


References:
1. Relative binding affinity of anabolic-androgenic steroids: comparison of the binding to the androgen receptors in skeletal muscle and in prostate, as well as to sex hormone-binding globulin.Endocrinology. 1984 Jun;114(6):2100-6.
2. APMIS. 2000 Dec;108(12):838-46.
3. (Xu X, et al. "The effects of androgens on the regulation of lipolysis in adipose precursor cells." Endocrinology 1990 Feb;126(2):1229 ).
4. J Anim Sci. 1992 Nov;70(11):3381-90.
5. Am J Physiol. 1998 Jun;274(6 Pt 1):C1645-52.
6. The effect of mesterolone on sperm count, on serum follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, plasma testosterone and outcome in idiopathic oligospermic men.Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 1988 Feb;26(1):121-8.
7. J Appl. Physiol.94 1153-61 2003
8. Effect of non aromatizable androgens on LHRH and TRH responses in primary testicular failure.Horm Metab Res. 1984 Sep;16(9):492-7.
9. [Androgen substitution in the andrological disease picture]
Andrologia. 1983 May-Jun;15(3):283-6. German.
10.The effects of mesterolone, a male sex hormone in depressed patients (a double blind controlled study).
Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 1984 Jun;6(6):331-7.