Presser here is this weeks topic I will start it...

Pharmaceutical Name: Clomiphene (as citrate)
Molecular weight of base: 405.9663
Molecular weight of ester: 192.125 (citric acid, 6 carbons)





Effective dose: 100-150 mg/day orally
Average Street-price: $1 - $4, prices can vary heavily
Available Doses: 25 and 50 mg tabs
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Pharmaceutical Name: Tamoxifen (as citrate)
Molecular weight of base: 371.5212
Molecular weight of ester: 192.125 (citric acid, 6 carbons)




Effective dose: 20-40 mg / day orally
Average Street-price: $30 for 300 mg (30 tabs of 10)
Available Doses: 10,20,30 and 40 mg tabs


Characteristics:

While practically similar compounds in structure, few people ever really consider Clomid and Nolva to be similar. Its not just a common myth in steroid circles, but even in the medical community. This misconception originates from their completely different uses. Nolvadex is most commonly used for the treatment of breast cancer in women, while clomid is generally considered a fertility aid. In bodybuilding circles, from day one, clomid has generally been used as post-cycle therapy and Nolvadex as an anti-estrogen.

But as I intend to demonstrate this is in essence the same. I believe the myth to have originated because Nolva is clearly a more powerful anti-estrogen, and the people selling clomid needed another angle to sell the stuff, so it was mostly used as a post-cycle aid. But few users really understand how clomid (and also Nolvadex, logically) works to bring back natural testosterone in the body after the conclusion of a cycle of androgenic anabolic steroids. After a cycle is over, the level of androgens in the body drop drastically. The body compensates with an overproduction of estrogen to keep steroid levels up. Estrogen as well inhibits the production of natural testosterone, and in the period between the return of natural testosterone and the end of a cycle, a lot of mass is lost. So its in everybody's best interest to bring back natural test as soon as humanly possible. Clomid and Nolvadex will reduce the post-cycle estrogen, so that a steroid deficiency is constated and the hypothalamus is stimulated to regenerate natural testosterone production in the body. That's basically how the mechanism works, nothing more, nothing less.

Both compounds are structurally alike, classified as triphenylethylenes. Nolvadex is clearly the stronger component of the two as it can achieve better results in decreasing overall estrogen with 20-40 mg a day, than clomid can in doses of 100-150 mg a day. A noteworthy difference. Triphenylethylenes are very mild estrogens that do not exert a lot, if any activity at the estrogen receptor, but are still highly attracted to it. As such they will occupy the receptor and keep it from binding estrogens. This means they do not actively work to reduce estrogen in the body like Proviron, Viratase or arimidex would (by competing for the aromatase enzyme), but that it blocks the receptor so that any estrogen in the body is basically inert, because it has no receptor to bind to.

This has advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is that when use is discontinued, the estrogen level is still the same and new problems will develop much sooner. The advantage is that it works much faster and has results sooner than with an aromatase blocker like Proviron or arimidex. Therefor, when problems such as gynocomastia occur during a cycle of steroids one will usually start 20 mg/day of Nolva or 100 mg/day of clomid straight away, in conjunction with some Proviron or arimidex. The proviron or arimidex will actively reduce estrogen while the clomid or Nolvadex will solve your ongoing problem straight away. This way, when use is discontinued there is no immediate rebound.

So which one should you use? Well personally, I'd have to say Nolvadex. Both as an on-cycle anti-estrogen and a post-cycle therapy. As an anti-estrogen its simply much stronger, demonstrated by the fact that better results are obtained with 20-40 mg than with 100-150 mg of clomid. For post-cycle, this plays a key role as well. It deactivates rebound estrogen much faster and more effective. But most importantly, Nolvadex has a direct influence on bringing back natural testosterone, where as clomid may actually have a slight negative influence. The reason being that Tamoxifen (as in Nolvadex) seems to increase the responsiveness of LH (luteinizing hormone) to GnRH (gonadtropin releasing hormone), whereas clomid seems to decrease the responsiveness a bit1.

Another noteworthy fact about Nolvadex is that it acts more potently as an estrogen in the liver. As you remember, I mentioned that clomiphene and tamoxifen are basically weak estrogens. Well, tamoxifen is apparently still quite potent in the liver. This offers us the positive benefits of this hormone in the liver, while avoiding its negative effects elsewhere in the body. As such Nolvadex can have a very positive impact on negative cholesterol levels2 in the body, and therefore too should be considered a better choice than clomid. It will not solve the problem of bad cholesterol levels during Steroid use, but will help to contain the problem to a larger degree.

Another reason why I promote the use of Nolvadex over Clomid post-cycle (as if being 3-4 times stronger and having more of a direct effect on restoring natural test wasn't enough) is because it's a lot safer. Not just because it improves lipid profiles, but also because it simply doesn't have the intrinsic side-effects that Clomid has. Clomid causes more acne for sure, but that's mainly because you need to use a 3-4 times higher dose. But Clomid seems to also affect the eyesight. Long-term clomid therapy causes irreversible changes in eyesight3 in users. Irreversible. For me that alone is reason enough to prefer Nolvadex.

Lastly, one should be aware that use of these compounds can reduce the gains made on steroids. Nolvadex more so than clomid, simply because it is stronger. Estrogen is responsible for a number of anabolic factors such as increasing growth hormone output, upgrading the androgen receptor and improving glucose utilization. This is why aromatizing steroids like testosterone are still best suited for maximum muscle gain. When reducing the estrogen levels, we therefore reduce the potential gains being made. For this reason one may opt to try clomid during a cycle instead of Nolvadex. Although I would imagine that the problem that needed solved would be of more concern, in which case Nolva remains the weapon of choice. It's a plain fact that there is a high correlation between gains and side-effects. Either you go for maximum gains and tolerate the side-effects, or you reduce the side-effects, and with it the gains. That's life, nothing is free.

Stacking and Use:

If problems of Gynocomastia or other estrogen related symptoms tend to pop up during a cycle the use of 20-30 mg of Nolvadex or 100 mg of Clomid daily should easily contain the problem, and be used until a few days after the problem subsides. For best results and the least amount of problems upon cessation it is best stacked with Proviron (50 mg) or arimidex (0.5 mg) for this duration as well. Its not advised that these products be ran concomitantly with the steroid for the entire duration of the stack, as this will reduce your gains. Instead cease the usage of anti-estrogens once the problem is contained, and should the problem resurface, simply recommence the use of the products in the same manner as described above.

Once a cycle of steroids is concluded one should always initiate a post-cycle therapy to help bring back natural testosterone as soon as possible. This will help you to retain the mass you gained. How this is done depends highly on the type of steroid used. If only orals were used, therapy should start immediately, even the last day of the stack. If short-acting esters or water-based injectables were used, therapy should commence within 4-7 days after last injection, and if long-acting esters were used then it should commence 1.5 to 2 weeks after the last injection was given. The length of the therapy will vary as well, from 3-5 weeks. The longer acting the product was, the longer therapy should be continued to make sure all suppressive factors are cleared before use of Clomid/Nolvadex is discontinued.

For best results, it is best stacked with HCG (Human Chorionic gonadotrophin), which functions as an LH analog and can help bring testicle size back up. HCG use starts the last week of a cycle, and on from there every 5-6 days (usually 1500-3000 IU) and discontinued 1.5 to weeks prior to the cessation of Nolvadex/clomid. The reason being that HCG itself is also suppressive of natural testosterone and should be out of the body before therapy is over, or it will inhibit natural testicle function. But I can not stress enough that HCG possibly plays a more important role in post-cycle therapy than clomid/Nolvadex. For Clomid and Nolvadex, doses are usually tapered down. Its best to start with 40-50 mg of Nolvadex or 150 mg of Clomid for the first week or the first two weeks, and then finish the program with 20-25 mg of Nolvadex or 100 mg of Clomid for an additional two weeks.

.Introduction



Heavy steroid using athletes, particularly weight lifters, bodybuilders, football players, hockey players, shotputters etc., are subject to many adverse consequences from continuous steroid use without a break. Adverse cardiovascular effects, liver stress, HPTA downregulation, excessive virilization (women) and psychological disturbances or dependency, are some of the major problems that may develop in these individuals. Additionally, users may develop a tolerance for anabolic steroids that can only be overcome by increasing the dosage or by ceasing the use altogether. The latter, of course, is a much healthier course of action than the former.

Coming off of steroids, particularly long-term usage, is certainly not easily done without considerable loss of muscle mass. Additionally, there can be psychological effects that include depression and loss of motivation. For many athletes, especially those with schedules that do not allow prolonged periods away from competition completely coming off of steroids is not considered an option. However, if these athletes knew how to take the right approach they just might be able to cycle off and have a good chance at maintaining much of their physical condition. This could enable them to increase their ultimate potential in their sports as well as their longevity in the competitive arena.



The Strategy
The off cycle regimen must consist of proper drug, nutritional, and training protocols. The primary goals to achieve are the following:

Minimization of protein catabolism

Maintenance of muscle glycogen levels

Maintenance of high-normal red blood cell levels

Minimization of fat deposition

Avoidance of injury, or injury aggravation

Maintenance of healthy attitude and psychological state



Drugs
This is an off steroids cycle and most certainly not an off drugs cycle. In fact, the proper use of non-steroidal drugs is the mainstay of this program and is vital to its success. I will describe the drugs to be used, why they are used, and how they should be used.



Growth Hormone

GH is probably the single most important drug to maintain muscle mass and bodyweight off of steroids. While GH is not known to be great for anabolic effects, it is very effective for anti-catabolism. Anti-catabolism, or minimization of muscle mass loss, is after all what we are most interested in here. GH has an overall anti-proteolytic effect on the body and shifts the body’s metabolism away from the utilization of amino acids and glucose for energy, and towards the use of fat. The end result will be a protective effect upon muscle protein and glycogen, and a mobilizing effect upon body fat.

Many bodybuilders have discovered how wonderful GH, at the proper dosages, is in maintaining their muscle mass off of steroids. Former IFBB pro Gary Strydom once commented that he didn’t care if the IFBB tested for steroids, as long as they didn’t test for GH.

Notice how I said “at the proper dosages”. That’s right, small dosages just won’t cut it. For most people a minimum of 4 i.u. a day is required to impart a proper metabolic response in the body. Some may go as high as 18 i.u. a day but at this levels many problems can occur (i.e. edema, nerve impingement).

There probably is no great advantage to taking GH more than once a day, though some may inject twice a day. GH primarily works through its conversion to IGF-1 and the half-life of IGF-1 in the body is plenty long (8-16 hours). So once a day administration will be good enough to maintain pretty constant levels of IGF-1 in the blood. Furthermore, evidence is also mounting that GH breaks down to certain active peptide fragments with specific biological functions (i.e. lipolysis) and that these have prolonged half lives. Therefore, the active lifetime of the intact GH molecule itself in the blood might be pretty irrelevant.

GH is not cheap through most channels. However, good GH can be obtained from Asia at a fraction of the cost (10 – 20%) that it is available elsewhere.

I think I should also mention now that there is a big misconception amongst people as to what the shelf life of GH is, and that most people grossly underestimate it. The Journal of Chemical Technology states that freeze dried GH products (unreconstituted) are quite stable under refrigerated conditions, and a 24-month shelf-life is typical at this temperature. Also, although solutions of GH at neutral pH readily deamidate (lose ammonia group from end of molecule), and storage of the reconstituted product is limited to a few weeks under refrigerated conditions, biological activity is relatively unaffected even after prolonged storage. So the stuff really stays pretty active in the ‘frig for a considerable time. By the way, reconstituted solutions of GH should NEVER be frozen (this will be the death of it).



Lis-Pro Insulin (Humalog®)

The use of insulin provides a couple of very important functions in the off steroid period. First of all, it helps preserve glycogen storage in the muscle. Steroids are very good at stimulating glycogen storage and this property likely plays an integral part in their performance enhancing benefits. Going off of steroids leads to a reversal of this and the result is muscular weakness, fatigue, and loss of size and bodyweight. The proper use of insulin can help minimize this.

Furthermore, insulin can help to minimize protein breakdown through its anti-proteolytic effects. Insulin is quite potent in regards to its protective effect on muscle protein, unfortunately it also is very potent in regards to its protective effect on maintaining body fat. Insulin therefore has to be used in the proper fashion to maximize the former, and minimize the latter.

The proper usage of insulin requires the fast acting insulin analog known as Lis-Pro insulin, or Humalog®. This altered insulin product is available only by prescription. It differs from other insulin in that it is absorbed quickly into the body after subcutaneous injection. The average time to peak blood levels is 90 minutes and generally it is out of your system in 3 to 4 hours.

Humalog® is to be taken immediately after training. The physiology of the body after intense training is such that the benefits of insulin can be maximized, while drawbacks are minimized. Muscle insulin sensitivity as well as insulin independent glucose uptake will peak in the 2-3 hours or so after training. In this time, insulin will preferentially stimulate glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in muscle over fat. Additionally, high insulin levels at this time will help to counteract the catabolic state that exists in muscles right after they have been damaged by training. A discernible improvement in training recovery (less soreness and injury pain) is often noticed by individuals who utilize this technique.

Humalog® administration must be followed by intake of simple carbohydrates and protein within 20 minutes. A general rule is one unit of Humalog® per ten kilograms bodyweight, and ten grams of carbs and ten grams of protein per unit of Humalog®. That sounds like a lot of carbs and protein but it must be ingested. Whey protein is best, and glucose or maltodextrin can be used for the carbs. 5 grams of creatine can also be added as well as well as 5-10 grams of glutamine.



Erythropoietin (EPO)

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a protein hormone secreted by the kidneys and liver that stimulates red blood cell production (erythropoiesis). Red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues of the body and so obviously are vital to maximal health and athletic performance.

When people take anabolic steroids, particularly some oral ones such as Anadrol®, erythropoiesis is stimulated. The result is an increase in the proportion of blood cells in the blood, also known as the hematocrit. This increase in the hematocrit is partially responsible for the energizing and recovery benefits of steroids. It may also contribute to the blood volume and vascularizing effects of anabolics.

When you go off anabolics, the increase in hematocrit gradually subsides and you return to pre-cycle lower levels (or below). This effect will take its toll on your physical condition and ability to train at high intensity. Therefore, administration of exogenous EPO can have obvious benefits in the steroid withdrawing athlete.

In addition to its effect in increasing hematocrit, there is some evidence that EPO has direct anabolic effects. It has been shown in rat studies to substantially increase weight gain and injury repair after surgery. Furthermore, EPO receptors are present on myoblasts (immature muscle cell progenitors) and may have a potential in muscle development and repair.

EPO is sold in recombinant form (rhEPO) for injection. One popular form is called Epogen®, and it is made for subcutaneous usage. A safe or starting dosage is usually 20 i.u. per kilogram bodyweight, 3 times/week. After two or three weeks, a maintanence dose of 20 iu/kg BW can be taken once a week. One should wait about two weeks after ceasing steroids to commence EPO therapy to avoid any excessive increases in hematocrit which can be quite dangerous. It is also very advisable to have periodic blood tests that include a hematocrit assay while taking EPO just to be safe. Interestingly, I think that this test is automatically done for free everytime you donate blood, and all you need to do is ask the nurse what your hematocrit is reading (just out of curiosity of course).

^ good job.

very nice read...lengthy but good.

Good info - thanks!

great info

good job kid. a bit long, but worth it.

Good Info KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!