Steroid Responsibly

PCT

PCT is usually essential for recovering from a steroid cycle and getting your natural testosterone levels back to where they should be. SARMs and other PEDs can also be suppressive and may require post cycle therapy or on-cycle mitigation to prevent side effects.

Three factors are critical to determine your PCT, these are:

  • Your age and genetics
  • Length of your cycle
  • Which compounds were used with what dosage

If you are young in your late teens or mid-20’s, you’ll probably recover quickly and if your cycle at low doses with moderate-length, usually minimal PCT will be enough.

Doing post-cycle therapy focuses on the following:

  • Restoring your natural testosterone production
  • Maintaining hard-earned muscle mass after anabolic state of your body stopped at the end of a cycle.

The ultimate goal is to be able to come out of your steroid cycle while maintaining as much of your muscle gains as possible with normal functioning hormonal system.

Categories of PCT Compounds

In order of importance, categories of PCT compounds are:

  • Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs)
  • Aromatase inhibitors (AI)
  • Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)
  • Dopamine agonists
  • 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors

SERMs are designed to block the effects of estrogen. As they are “selective”, they don’t provide complete mitigation agaist estrogen. While the effects of estrogen might be blocked in some areas of your body, in the other areas SERMs may increase estrogen effects. The main benefits of SERMs are:

  • Stimulate the production of natural testosterone
  • Reduces and block the effects of estrogen
  • Help keep cholesterol low

While AI’s can reduce overall estrogen levels, SERMs don’t reduce your level of circulating estrogen because they are targeted. SERMs are usually not as effective at preventing and reversing all estrogenic side effects in the way that AIs can.

Most commons are:

  • Clomid (Clomiphene Citrate)
  • Nolvadex (Tamoxifen Citrate)
  • Raloxifene (Evista)
  • Toremifene (Fareston Citrate)
  • Enclomiphene (Androxal)

Aromatase Inhibitors also mitigate the effects of estrogen when normal levels rise as result of being converted from the higher testosterone levels present from steroid use. Unlike SERMs, which work to block estrogen in the tissue cells, AIs reduce the amount of estrogen circulating in the body by inhibiting the conversion of androgens into estrogen, resulting in higher estrogen levels and lower testosterone levels. At first AIs were developed to treat breast cancer for women and while they’re still used for that purpose they also have great value for male steroid users as well. The main benefits of aromatase inhibitors include:

  • Block the enzyme aromatase to stop androgen converting to estrogen
  • Bring about an increase in testosterone by lowering estrogen
  • Prevent or reduce Gynecomastia
  • Mitigate estrogenic effects of HCG

Most commons are:

  • Arimidex (Anastrozole)
  • Aromasin (Exemestane)
  • Letrozole (Femara)
  • Arimistane (1,4,6-Androstatrien-3,17-dione or ATD)

HCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone that can help reverse or prevent some of the more serious side effects we see with steroid use, like the shrinking of the testicles and the potential infertility that comes along with reduced sperm production. Medically, it is used by men who have low testosterone and infertility. When it comes to steroid use, HCG is used in post-cycle therapy to perform the same task due to the reduction in normal testosterone production activity. Benefits of using human chorionic gonadotropin include:

  • Prevents the breakdown of the muscle tissue you’ve gained
  • Restores and increases the natural production of testosterone
  • Returns testicles to normal size and function
  • Increases sperm production

HCG can bring on some estrogenic and androgenic side effects at higher doses. So, if you need to take higher HCG doses, you should consider using an AI alongside it, with Aromasin being the superior choice.

Usually the cycle length of HCG is 4 to 6 weeks. 2500iu weekly for two weeks is generally considered an effective dosage for steroid users who want to make quick use of HCG to get luteinizing hormone levels back to where they should be. When you use HCG on cycle, the typical dose is between 500iu and 1500iu twice weekly. Start at the lower dose, and only increase if you need more support. 

Dopamine agonist drugs will stimulate the dopamine receptors and have the effect of lowering prolactin levels. While there are a high number of dopamine agonist drugs, there are two primary ones that bodybuilders like to use:

  • Cabergoline (Caber)
  • Pramipexole (Prami)