Nolvadex vs Clomid for PCT

It seems like everyday questions come up about PCT and should you use either Clomid or Nolva or a combination of both. I hope this article from BigCat can help clear up some misunderstandings.

Although Clomid and Nolva are virtually similar in structure, few people consider them similar. It is not only a common myth in steroid circles but also in the medical community. This misunderstanding comes from their completely different uses. Nolvadex is most commonly used to treat breast cancer in women, while Clomid is generally considered a fertility aid. In bodybuilding circles, Clomid was generally used as a post-cycle therapy and Nolvadex as an anti-estrogen from day one.

But as I will demonstrate, this is essentially the same thing. I think the myth arose because Nolva is clearly a stronger anti-estrogen, and the people selling Clomid needed a different angle to sell the stuff, so it was mostly used as a post-cycle aid. But few users truly understand how Clomid (and logically Nolvadex) returns natural testosterone to the body after completing a cycle of androgenic anabolic steroids. After a cycle, the androgen level in the body drops dramatically. The body compensates for this by overproducing estrogen to maintain steroid levels. Estrogen also inhibits the production of natural testosterone, and a lot of mass is lost in the time between the return of natural testosterone and the end of a cycle. It is therefore in everyone’s best interest to have a natural test as soon as possible. Clomid and Nolvadex reduce estrogen after the cycle so that steroid deficiency is corrected and the hypothalamus is stimulated to restore natural testosterone production in the body. This is how the mechanism works, nothing more and nothing less.

Both compounds are structurally the same and are classified as triphenylethylene. Nolvadex is clearly the stronger component of the two, as it can produce better results in lowering total estrogen at 20-40 mg per day than Clomid at doses of 100-150 mg per day. A remarkable difference. Triphenylethylenes are very mild estrogens that exert little or no activity on the estrogen receptor, but are still strongly attracted to it. As such, they occupy the receptor and prevent it from binding estrogen. This means that they do not actively work to reduce estrogen in the body like Proviron, Viratase or Arimidex would (by competing for the aromatase enzyme), but rather it blocks the receptor so that any estrogen in the body is basically inert because it has no estrogen receptor to bind to.

This has advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is that the estrogen level is still the same when you stop using it and new problems develop much sooner. The advantage is that it works much faster and produces results faster than an aromatase blocker like Proviron or Arimidex. Therefore, if problems such as gynecomastia occur during a steroid cycle, one usually starts immediately with 20 mg/day of Nolva or 100 mg/day of Clomid in conjunction with some Proviron or Arimidex. The Proviron or Arimidex actively reduces estrogen, while the Clomid or Nolvadex solves your current problem immediately. In this way, when you stop using it, there will be no immediate rebound.

So which one should you use? Well personally I have to say Nolvadex. Both as cyclic anti-estrogen and post-cycle therapy. As an anti-estrogen it is simply much stronger, as evidenced by the fact that 20-40 mg produces better results than 100-150 mg of Clomid. This also plays a key role after the cycle. It deactivates rebound estrogen much faster and more effectively. Most importantly, Nolvadex has a direct impact on restoring natural testosterone, whereas Clomid may actually have a minor negative impact. The reason for this is that Tamoxifen (as in Nolvadex) appears to increase the sensitivity of LH (luteinizing hormone) to GnRH (gonadtropin releasing hormone), while Clomid appears to decrease the sensitivity somewhat1.

Another notable fact about Nolvadex is that it works more powerfully than estrogen in the liver. If you remember, I mentioned that clomiphene and tamoxifen are basically weak estrogens. Well, apparently tamoxifen is still quite effective in the liver. This offers us the positive benefits of this hormone in the liver while avoiding its negative effects elsewhere in the body. Therefore, Nolvadex can have a very positive impact on negative cholesterol levels2 in the body and should therefore be considered a better choice than Clomid. It will not solve the problem of bad cholesterol levels during steroid use, but it will help curb the problem to a greater extent.

Another reason I promote the use of Nolvadex compared to Clomid post-cycle (as if being 3-4 times stronger and having a more direct effect on restoring the natural test wasn’t enough) is that it is much safer. Not only because it improves lipid profiles, but also because it simply doesn’t have the intrinsic side effects that Clomid does. Clomid certainly causes more acne, but that’s mainly because you need a 3-4 times higher dose. However, Clomid also appears to affect vision. Long-term therapy with Clomid leads to irreversible changes in vision in users3. Irreversible. That alone is reason enough for me to prefer Nolvadex.

Finally, one should be aware that the use of these compounds can reduce the gains achieved on steroids. Nolvadex more than Clomid simply because it is stronger. Estrogen is responsible for a number of anabolic factors such as increasing growth hormone production, improving androgen receptor and improving glucose utilization. That’s why aromatizing steroids like testosterone are still best for maximum muscle building. Therefore, when we lower estrogen levels, we reduce potential gains. For this reason, you can try Clomid instead of Nolvadex during a cycle. Although I would imagine that the problem being solved is more significant, nolva remains the weapon of choice in this case. It is a clear fact that there is a high correlation between gains and side effects. Either you aim for maximum gains and tolerate the side effects, or you reduce the side effects and therefore the gains. That’s life, nothing is free.

Stack and Use:

If problems with gynocomastia or other estrogen-related symptoms occur during a cycle, daily use of 20-30 mg of Nolvadex or 100 mg of Clomid should easily resolve the problem and can be used until a few days after the problem has resolved. For best results and the least number of problems after termination, it is best stacked with Proviron (50 mg) or Arimidex (0.5 mg) for this duration. It is not recommended to use these products along with the steroid for the entire duration of the stack as it will reduce your gains. Instead, stop using antiestrogens once the problem is resolved. If the problem reoccurs, simply restart the products in the manner described above.

Once a steroid cycle is completed, post-cycle therapy should always be initiated to restore natural testosterone as quickly as possible. This will help you retain the mass you’ve gained. How this is done depends greatly on the type of steroid used. If taken only orally, therapy should begin immediately, including on the last day of the batch. If short-acting esters or water-based injectables were used, therapy should begin within 4 to 7 days after the last injection, and if long-acting esters were used, it should begin 1.5 to 2 weeks after the last injection. The duration of therapy also varies from 3-5 weeks. The longer the product works, the longer therapy should be continued to ensure that all suppressive factors are eliminated before Clomid/Nolvadex is discontinued.

For best results, it is best stacked with HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin), which acts as an LH analog and helps restore testicle size. HCG use begins in the last week of a cycle and continues every 5-6 days from then on (usually 1500-3000 IU) and is discontinued 1.5 to weeks before discontinuing Nolvadex/Clomid. The reason for this is that HCG itself suppresses natural testosterone and should be removed from the body before stopping therapy, otherwise it will interfere with natural testicular function. However, I cannot emphasize enough that HCG may play a more important role in post-cycle therapy than Clomid/Nolvadex. For Clomid and Nolvadex, doses are usually reduced. It is best to start with 40-50 mg Nolvadex or 150 mg Clomid in the first week or two weeks and finish the program with 20-25 mg Nolvadex or 100 mg Clomid for another two weeks.

References

1 Vermeulen A., Comhaire F., Hormonal effects of an antiestrogen, tamoxifen, in normal and oligospermic men, Fertil. Ster. 29 (1978) 320-27

2 Bruning PF, Bronfer JMG, Hart AAM, Jong-Bakker M, Tamoxifen, serum lipoproteins and cardiovascular risk, Br. J. Cancer 1988 Oct, 58 (4) 497 & ndash; 9