Description

Structure of Tamoxifen Citrate (Nolvadex)

Since Nolvadex was originally created as a breast cancer treatment drug, as you would expect, it plays a powerful role in reducing estrogen levels which allows cancer to progress in the area. breast.

It does this by binding to estrogen receptors in that particular part of the body, so that estrogen is unable to bind, thereby reducing or eliminating the effect of estrogen on breast tissue – and it turns out that this exact effect is what men using steroids are looking for to prevent the growth of breast tissue due to increased estrogen activity when using anabolic steroids.

Nolvadex does not directly reduce estrogen levels in the body. Instead, it binds to specific estrogen receptors so that estrogen itself cannot bind and therefore estrogen cannot act as it otherwise would. Although it works very well in the breast area, Nolvadex can actually be an estrogen agonist in other parts of the body, which means it can act like estrogen, and this mainly affects the liver.

But before you worry about estrogen activity: this particular form is considered positive because there is a cholesterol benefit when estrogenic activity in the liver occurs, and with certain steroids having a negative effect on cholesterol , this bonus effect of Nolvadex is welcome. by steroid users.

Nolvadex for gynecomastia

In its function as an anti-estrogen drug for the treatment of breast cancer, Nolvadex targets the breast tissue, which means that it is very useful for the prevention of the dreaded gynecomastia in male anabolic steroid users. Since estrogen can cause cancer to progress in the breast area, when Nolvadex binds to estrogen receptors in that part of the body, it effectively stops the action of estrogen there.

This is exactly what we need to prevent gynecomastia from occurring as an estrogen-related negative effect of many AAS. Nolvadex has proven effective in this task which is why it is so popularly used with steroids and after a steroid cycle.

Using Nolvadex on cycle to protect against male breast enlargement is an established anabolic steroid user protocol. This drug works well for many people who use it for this purpose, but not everyone will experience the same positive results.

Using steroids that strongly aromatize or are particularly sensitive to gyno may mean that Nolvadex alone will not keep you from experiencing gyno as a steroid side effect; in these cases, you may need to turn to aromatase-inhibiting medications instead.

Although Nolvadex used on cycle is important for controlling gyno, it will not have a positive effect on testosterone when confronted with the powerful testosterone suppressing effects of most steroids and that is only during Post cycle therapy Nolvadex is used for the purpose of boosting testosterone function.

Nolvadex for Post Cycle Therapy (PCT)

Nolvadex is very commonly used in post cycle therapy so that natural testosterone can be boosted again after being suppressed by the use of anabolic steroids.

Nolvadex is known for its excellent ability to boost testosterone levels while blocking the effect of estrogen, allowing greater amounts of luteinizing hormone (LH) to be released from the pituitary gland.

This hormone is essential for the production of testosterone and it is here that Nolvadex is so powerful in kick-starting your normal testosterone function so that you can avoid the symptoms of low T and allow your gains made during the cycle to be maintained. .

Most users will need 4 weeks of Nolvadex for PCT, but longer or stronger steroid cycles often need to be followed by 8 weeks of post cycle therapy combining Nolvadex with other medications, including steroid inhibitors. aromatase.

Although it may be tempting for new users to make the mistake of increasing the dose of Nolvadex during post cycle therapy above the recommended maximum of 20mg per day, it is well proven that it does not there is no benefit to your testosterone levels from doing so. This is why an aromatase inhibitor and HCG are usually combined with Nolvadex during post cycle therapy to cover all the bases.

Dosage of Nolvadex while using anabolic steroids

The main, and for most of us, the only reason to use Nolvadex during a steroid cycle is to protect against enlargement of male breast tissue – aka gynecomastia. Any anabolic androgenic steroids you take that have flavoring properties will need gyno to process and Nolvadex provides a cheap, easy and safe way to do this.

It only takes a low dose of 10mg to 20mg per day of Nolvadex to protect against gyno because it works to bind to receptors in breast tissue so that estrogen cannot exert its effects here. If you find that the aromatizing effect of the steroids you are taking is too strong for Nolvadex to be effective at this dosage, aromatase inhibitor medications will likely be needed instead.

Dosage of Nolvadex for Women

When women use Nolvadex to improve their performance, it is often used for just that: to improve performance due to increased testosterone levels. This may make Nolvadex a viable alternative for women who do not want the stronger effects of steroids that come with a high risk of masculinizing side effects.

In addition to performance enhancement, women can use Nolvadex for physique enhancement with this drug resulting in a leaner and tighter physique without the risks associated with steroids. For all these effects, women need a very low dose of Nolvadex, only 10mg per day is sufficient.

Dosage of Nolvadex for PCT and increase in endogenous testosterone secretion

During PCT we use Nolvadex at higher doses to stimulate the release of natural testosterone after severe suppression of normal function after during and after steroid use.

A 4-8 week cycle is always advised for post cycle therapy, and often other compounds will be used alongside Nolvadex, including an aromatase inhibitor and often human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

When it comes to Nolvadex dosage for post cycle therapy, whether you are undertaking a 4 or 8 week cycle or something in between, the recommended dose for the majority of men is 40mg per day for the first half. of your PCT cycle, dropping this down to 20mg per day for the second half of PCT.

When to start your post-cycle therapy depends on the active life of your steroids: short-ester steroids will require you to start PCT just a few days after your steroid cycle ends, while short-acting steroids prolonged cause you to wait up to two or three weeks before starting post cycle therapy with Nolvadex and other compounds.

Nolvadex Side Effects

As a SERM treating breast cancer in women, most of the side effects recorded for Nolvadex apply to its use in this area and in women. But, since this is a long-standing drug used by male anabolic steroid users, there is enough anecdotal evidence and personal experience to identify some of the side effects that tend to be more common in men. when the drug is used for this purpose, while in other cases we can eliminate many of the side effects listed for Nolvadex for women who use it to treat breast cancer.

Not only does the female body react differently to the drug, but when used as a cancer drug, it is a much longer term use compared to men who use it to reduce the side effects of estrogen when they are on steroids or during post cycle therapy to restore testosterone function. Therefore, these long-term side effects can also be virtually eliminated when it comes to your use of Nolvadex.

So what are some of the main possible long term side effects you should look out for when using Nolvadex while on cycle or during post cycle therapy?

• Acne – Although not particularly common in terms of the number of people, acne from Nolvadex is considered the most likely of all potential side effects. This is because of how your testosterone will start to rise and acne is just a natural effect of increased testosterone levels in some men; Not all men are prone to acne and if you are not, you are unlikely to experience this side effect. Those who suffer from acne find that it is usually mild and goes away once the medication is stopped.
• Nausea or abdominal cramps – This is considered a very rare side effect that the vast majority of men will never experience with Nolvadex, but the small possibility is there.
  Side effects known to affect women using Nolvadex for cancer drugs include impaired cognitive function, hot flashes, and even other types of cancer; but these are not at all known to be a risk factor for men using this drug for performance enhancement purposes.

The best way to reduce or basically eliminate your risk of long-term side effects when using Nolvadex is to keep the dosage to reasonable levels. Since there is no benefit to consuming higher than established doses when using Nolvadex for bodybuilding purposes, maintaining the right dose is the greatest benefit to your results and health.