Nolvadex
(Tamoxifen Citrate)
Perhaps most well-known in the performance enhancing world and its not a steroid, Nolvadex was originally developed with anything but performance enhancement in mind. Tamoxifen Citrate was originally brought to the market place by Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) and introduced to the world as a suitable Morning After pill but in the end this would prove to be far from its positive purpose. Shortly after its inception is was discovered Nolvadex provided a formidable opponent against breast cancer but as is common soon performance purposes were found too. This is not an uncommon phenomenon, not by a long shot; many performance enhancing drugs start out as anything but performance enhancing drugs but so many in the end find this to be their primary purpose. However, unlike many anabolic steroids that have been found to fit this same bill Nolvadex does not actually enhance performance to a great degree but rather allows the individual to enhance more thoroughly as we will see; in-fact, Nolvadex has proven to be one of the more irreplaceable items in the arsenal of most performance enhancers.
Nolvadex
Comprised of the active compound Tamoxifen Citrate but more well-known by its most common trade name Nolvadex and often referred to simply as Nolva Nolvadex belongs to a class of drugs known as Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs.) In many ways this compound is very similar to another famous SERM Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid) with Nolva being more powerful on a milligram for milligram basis. Nolvadex exists as an antagonist of the estrogen receptors thereby preventing estrogen from binding and binding in its place. For this reason many often refer to this SERM as an anti-estrogen but this is a little off base. Nolvadex doesnt have the ability to reduce estrogen in the body nor does it have the ability to prevent it from forming and building up; for such an affect to occur one would need an Aromatase Inhibitor (AI.) AIs actively reduce estrogen in the body, most commonly Arimidex and Letrozole come to mind but they also aid in preventing the estrogen from existing in the first place and this is and can be very useful to most any anabolic steroid user. Nolvadex does not carry this nature with it; it merely blocks the estrogen from taking action to a degree; make no mistake, while not as powerful as an AI this trait can be very useful and it is hardly its only trait. Another thing to consider is the estrogen hormone itself, the very hormone it binds; sometimes reducing estrogen or limiting its existence really isnt a good thing; we actually need some estrogen in our system in order to be properly functioning human beings. Even so, when estrogen levels increase this can be a problem and this is when remedy must often take place.
As estrogen binding is an important trait in-which this SERM possesses it is not the most important one, as Nolva has been proven to have a strong positive effect on natural testosterone production. When present in the body Nolvadex actively stimulates the release of Luteinizing Hormones (LH) a very important hormone, for it is its release that stimulates natural testosterone production. Without LH (among other things) there is no testosterone production in the body and as anabolic steroids greatly suppress our natural testosterone production, again, this is where Nolvadex can prove to be very useful; in-fact, it is in this regard where we may find it to be the most useful of all.
The Benefits of Nolvadex:
As Nolvadex by nature performs two very specific actions it will have two very specific uses for the anabolic steroid user and each comes at a different time and serves its own unique purpose. No, the hormone does not change when we use it for one purpose rather than the other, regardless of use its very nature remains unchanged but it is the purpose of use that may vary and we will find the purpose of use to be while on cycle or during the Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) plan.
For most anabolic steroid users Nolvadex will be part of a PCT supplemental plan and it is here that the SERM will serve its greatest purpose; so great we may aptly label Nolvadex as the single most important PCT medication of all time. As eluded to before anabolic androgenic steroids suppress natural testosterone production; regardless of the steroids used this will occur. It is true; some steroids will suppress more than others and while dosing and duration will play a large role suppression to some degree will exist. Once a cycle of anabolic steroids has come to an end the first order of business is to ensure natural testosterone production begins again and as fast as possible; even if your cycle included exogenous testosterone (which we highly recommend) your natural levels will still be suppressed and far from optimal. Restarting production is important largely for two reasons; what should be the most obvious is normalizing returning the body to its natural function in order to maintain proper health. Further, the faster we can restart natural production; thereby ensuring adequate testosterone is in our body the more gains we will hold onto that we earned through the cycle. It is very important to note while Nolvadex therapy is very useful for this purpose a simple PCT plan that includes the SERM will not by itself bring natural levels back to normal. Yes, it will greatly speed up the process but a standard 3-4 week PCT plan is not going to have you where you were before your cycle began.
As PCT purposes are perhaps its greatest trait it is another purpose that first made the SERM quite popular among performance enhancers and this was as an on cycle side-effect preventer and most notably as a Gynecomastia fighting agent. They do not all possess this trait but many anabolic steroids convert to estrogen via the aromatase process and as estrogen increases so can its negative effects; there is truly a fine line when it comes to the total amount of estrogen you want and can tolerate. As estrogen levels increase Gynecomastia can become very problematic but if the estrogen cannot bind to the receptors as Nolvadex will prevent, the odds of incurring Gyno as it is commonly known greatly reduce. While a very powerful Gyno preventer, for some Nolva will not be enough and many will find they need to actively reduce estrogen and inhibit it from forming in the first place; for this individual only an AI will do.
The Side-Effects of Nolvadex:
Without question Nolvadex is one of the milder and most highly well-tolerated items any performance enhancer will ever use with its greatest adverse side-effect being its absence. Nevertheless, as discussed some estrogen is needed in the body and thankfully Nolvadex wont bring your levels down for if nothing else estrogen is essential to a functioning immune system among many other things. However, some have speculated that by its binding ability it may prohibit estrogen from doing its job to too much of a degree; however, this appears to be mere speculation by those of an anti-performance enhancing nature as there is no proof that this problem could ever exist. There have also been issues of metabolic function that have arose in the past but again, the evidence to support such claims is found very lacking and it is very rarely an issue brought up in the first place. There is also a possible side-effect regarding on cycle use that is linked to growth and many anabolic steroid users report their growth is somewhat diminished when Nolva is present. It is true, as estrogen is important to the growth or the gaining process this could be a problem when certain items are used but as Nolva doesnt actually reduce estrogen and presents very little action in this regard that would lend to such a problem as we are confirmed in our thinking that is largely in ones head; the evidence simply isnt there.
Nolvadex and Clomid:
In the world of performance enhancing there are very few items as similar as Nolvadex and Clomid and both can serve a PCT plan equally as well but in many circles this is often argued but it is an argument often lacking in weight. It is true, on a per milligram basis Nolvadex is far more powerful than Clomid and automatically most will assume Nolvadex is the better SERM. However, all things considered equal, if an individual used Clomid for his PCT and another used Nolvadex adjusting the doses to match up in milligram potency, again, all things equal the results would be fairly close to the same. Some studies have shown however that recovery might be a little faster with the Nolvadex SERM but it is not to a massively large degree and in the end either is fine. However, most will not use enough Clomid to match the power of Nolva for to match 40mg of Nolvadex you will need approximately 150mg of Clomiphene Citrate but the good news is both are cheap, almost never faked and in the end either will do.
Nolvadex Cycles & Doses:
Depending on the period of use will determine how we cycle and dose our Nolvadex to a very large degree. For the performance enhancer while on cycle generally 10mg per day the entire duration is well-suited for the prevention of Gynecomastia but some may need a little more. However, if you need more than 10mg per day theres a good chance youre going to need something stronger than Nolva to begin with and in this case an AI is going to be in your future. While total cycle use may sound concerning to some recall from our side-effects discussion; adverse effects are not of a great concern here and extended use is very well-tolerated.
For PCT use, Nolvas absolute best period of use, the total dosing will be much higher than on cycle use and the duration of use rather short lived. In most cases the dosing will start at 40mg per day for almost any individual regardless of the extent of his cycle and in most cases two total weeks of this dosing is advised. After the first two weeks have passed a good two weeks at 20mg per day will generally be warranted and for many this will be the end of their PCT. For many this will be all the therapy they need and if you feel you need a little more time another week or two of low dose Nolva may not be too bad of an idea; it is one of those things you may have to play around with a little bit over the course of a few cycles to find what works best for you. Further, for ultimate PCT help you will find Nolvadex works very well with HCG; in-fact, in almost any PCT plan we highly recommend hCG with Nolva use, beginning and completing hCG use right before Nolvadex therapy begins. Not all cycles will require a PCT such as this; mild cycles and newbie cycles may be fine without it but even in a mild cycle such precaution will not hurt and will greatly aid you in the end.