Dr. Mike Jansen
Dr. Mike JansenAre you a researcher looking for information on Nolvadex PCT? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Nolvadex PCT, including:
What is Post-Cycle Therapy (PCT)? What are steroids (and SARMs)? What is Nolvadex PCT? How can Nolvadex be researched safely?
We’ll also get into the side effects, safety concerns, dosage, and benefits of Nolvadex PCT.
Whether you have been researching Nolvadex for a while, or are completely new to PCT, we promise there will be something for you in this guide.
Let’s start with a general overview of PCT…
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What is Post-Cycle Therapy (PCT)?
Anabolic steroids and SARMs both have several properties of interest to medical researchers [1, 2]
In particular, these compounds are renowned for their ability to increase the testosterone levels, muscle mass, bone density, strength, and physical performance of test subjects [1; 3]. This can be hugely beneficial for people suffering from a range of medical issues. It is also the primary motivation behind research conducted by athletes and bodybuilders with these substances.
While steroids and SARMs can be beneficial in certain situations, they are usually not administered to research participants for long periods — normally for a maximum of 8-12 weeks at a time (commonly referred to as a “cycle”).
Experiments are conducted in cycles due to several risks that accompany long-term research. One such risk is hormone suppression.
Hormone Suppression and PCT
After a cycle of research with steroids or SARMs it is very common for the natural testosterone production of study participants to be suppressed [4; 5; 6]. The level of suppression can vary between individuals, but is primarily by the dosages administered and the length of a cycle (worse suppression with higher dosages and longer cycles).
In simple terms, hormone suppression is the body’s response to artificially increasing testosterone levels with steroids and SARMs. While the compounds are being administered regularly, the body reduces (or completely shuts down) natural testosterone production.
This isn’t a huge problem during the cycle. But once the experiment is finished, test subjects can be left with devastatingly low testosterone levels.
However, it’s not just low testosterone levels that are a concern…
Testosterone and estrogen (the female sex hormone) are produced in a balanced ratio by the body. During a steroid or SARMs cycle, the estrogen production in study participants can ramp up significantly to compensate for the increased testosterone.
This means that after a cycle, test subjects don’t just have low testosterone to worry about —they also have high estrogen levels.
Research participants in this situation are likely to experience several negative side effects, including:
- Erectile dysfunction and low sex drive [7]
- Loss of gains in strength and muscle mass during the cycle [8]
- Depression and fatigue [9]
- Swelling and enlargement of men’s breast tissue, known as “gyno”, or gynecomastia [10]
With this overview in mind — when talking about post-cycle therapy, or PCT — we are referring to treatment that can alleviate hormone suppression in test subjects after a cycle of steroids or SARMs.
The two main aims of PCT are to increase natural testosterone production and to reduce the oversupply of estrogen.
To help get the full picture of how Nolvadex works for PCT, here is a brief refresher on what steroids and SARMs actually are.
What are Steroids (and SARMS)?
To give a proper description of steroids and SARMs, we first need to define the term androgen.
Androgen is a term that refers to any steroid hormone that is involved in the development of male characteristics. Androgens bind to receptor sites throughout the human body to exert their effects. For this article, the main androgen we are discussing is testosterone.
Most of the physical changes that occur in teenage boys during puberty are caused by an increase in testosterone [11]. Adequate testosterone levels are required for good health in men (and women) of any age. This important hormone regulates bodily functions like muscle mass, strength, sex drive, and bone density.
There are A LOT of different types of steroids and SARMs. While each has different research applications, they all share one common characteristic — they increase the levels and/or activity of testosterone in the human body.
Steroids are very effective at increasing overall testosterone levels in research subjects. However, they come with several side effects and safety concerns, including reduced testicle size, acne, stress on the liver, and prostate issues [12]. Many of these side effects are caused by the fact that steroids increase testosterone levels throughout the body, not just in specific areas.
SARMs (aka Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators) were developed with this issue in mind [2]. Most SARMs have a targeted effect on certain androgen receptors (ie. in the bones or muscles), with reduced activity in undesirable areas (such as the liver and heart).
Even so, SARMs — just like steroids — can result in heavy hormone suppression in research participants [4; 5; 6].
With all of this in mind, we can see why it is essential for steroid and SARMs researchers to have a solid plan for administering PCT to test subjects.
While Nolvadex isn’t the only option for PCT, it is one of the best.
Let’s take a closer look to see why…
Nolvadex PCT | The Ultimate Guide
The generic name for Nolvadex is Tamoxifen. It is an FDA-approved prescription medication that is approved for use in the treatment of breast cancer. Nolvadex is classed as a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator, or SERM [13].
In some ways, Nolvadex’s mechanism of action is similar to SARMs. The main difference is it acts on estrogen rather than androgen (testosterone) receptors.
Essentially, Nolvadex occupies estrogen receptors in certain tissues, artificially signaling that they are already saturated with excess estrogen. This blocks the action of estrogen in these tissues. It also triggers a variety of downstream hormonal effects that increase endogenous (natural) testosterone production [14].
SERMs like Nolvadex and another closely related compound, Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid), are increasingly being recognized as viable treatments for low testosterone levels [15].
In fact, some researchers suggest that they may be superior —due to their good efficacy, low side effect profile, and affordable cost [16].
Side Effects and Safety Concerns for Nolvadex
Nolvadex has been used for decades in the treatment of breast cancer in women. It is generally considered safe and reasonably well-tolerated, with treatment lasting as long as five years in some cases [17].
Many of the side effects from female breast cancer patients do not apply to male test subjects, so we will focus on studies using Nolvadex in men in this section.
Nolvadex is used “off label” to treat a variety of medical issues in men, including infertility, low testosterone, gynecomastia, and male breast cancer. In most of these situations Nolvadex is well tolerated, with only about 5% of men stopping treatment because of adverse events (a lower amount than in studies on women) [18].
In 2016, a comprehensive review of most of the high-quality studies on Nolvadex treatment in men was conducted. They found that there were only a small number of side effects and safety concerns, including [18]:
- Gastrointestinal upset (diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, nausea)
- Sleep disturbance
- Mood changes and irritability
- Cardiac issues (very rare but should still be noted)
Interestingly, the study commented that many of the men who experienced side effects continued with treatment, as they found that the benefits outweighed the minor discomforts.
Compared to other options for post-cycle therapy, test subjects generally report fewer side effects with Nolvadex.
Benefits of Nolvadex PCT
By definition, any effective option for PCT should help treat hormonal suppression and restore the body’s natural production of testosterone. Nolvadex does this, as do several other evidence-based options for PCT [14].
There are some unique benefits of Nolvadex that researchers should be aware of—we will detail them below. Weighing these against other PCT options can help decide which option is best for study participants.
Helps Manage Gynecomastia
One of the most feared side effects experienced by test subjects in steroids and SARMs research is gynecomastia, or “gyno.”
As overall testosterone levels increase in test subjects, their body produces more estrogen in an attempt to achieve hormonal balance. This has some benefits, but because estrogen is the female sex hormone, it can lead to swollen and enlarged breast tissue — not a good situation for men!
Perhaps most concerning, is that gyno can be permanent if not managed properly. Once it is established, surgery is the only treatment option.
Fortunately, Nolvadex can be effective for managing gynecomastia both during a research cycle and as PCT [19, 20].
Nolvadex works for gyno because, being a drug designed specifically to treat breast cancer in women, it specifically acts on estrogen receptors in the breast tissue.
Reduces the Effects of Circulating Estrogen
The side effects experienced by test subjects after a research cycle with steroids or SARMs aren’t just to do with low testosterone — they are also caused by higher than ideal levels of estrogen.
Nolvadex PCT helps to address this issue by occupying estrogen receptors, thereby reducing the effect estrogen has on a test subject’s body [14].
This helps reduce the impact of hormone suppression on research participants, making them more comfortable until natural testosterone production returns to normal.
Upregulates Natural Testosterone Production
Nolvadex leads to an increase in serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) [15]. Both of these hormones are directly involved in the body’s natural production of testosterone.
In addition to increasing LH and FSH, Nolvadex PCT impacts several other biochemical processes to upregulate testosterone production.
While we can’t get into a detailed breakdown of all these processes in this guide. We can say with confidence, that there is solid scientific evidence Nolvadex PCT is effective at increasing natural testosterone production in men [16].
Improves Fertility
Fertility isn’t generally something associated with PCT. But is worth noting that male test subjects can experience problems with fertility after a research cycle of steroids or SARMs [21, 22].
Nolvadex is an excellent option for PCT for research participants concerned about this, with several high-quality studies showing it is an effective treatment for male infertility [18].
Now that we’ve covered all the benefits of Nolvadex PCT, it’s time to look at dosage.
Nolvadex PCT Dosage Guide
We could have included ease of administration as one of the benefits of Nolvadex PCT.
Overall, it is one of the simplest PCT options available to researchers.
Nolvadex PCT can be administered to test subjects in the form of a tablet that is swallowed with or without food.
Doses used in clinical studies with men generally range from 10mg — 40mg per day [18].
It is recommended that when the total dosage is over 20mg per day it be split in half. For example, a total dosage of 40mg would be administered 20mg in the morning and 20mg at night.
As with steroids and SARMs research, PCT is administered to test subjects in cycles. A PCT cycle of between 4—8 weeks is most common, although researchers will need to calculate the ideal cycle length for each subject.
For post-cycle therapy (PCT) after a research cycle of steroids or SARMs, the recommended dosage of Nolvadex PCT is:
- 40mg per day for the first half of the PCT cycle (20mg, 2 x per day)
- 20mg per day for the second half of the PCT cycle (can be taken in a single or split dose)
To prevent gyno and maintain fertility, Nolvadex can be administered to test subjects during a research cycle of steroids or SARMs. In this instance, 10mg – 20mg once per day is generally sufficient.
Administering doses in the lower ranges can reduce the risk of side effects in test subjects.
Higher doses of Nolvadex PCT are only recommended after a particularly long or high-dose steroids or SARMs experiment. Or where hormone testing shows inadequate results with lower Nolvadex PCT doses.
Overall | Nolvadex PCT
A lot of researchers are interested in steroids and SARMs for one reason—when it comes to increasing testosterone levels in research participants, they just work.
However, because they are so effective, steroids and SARMs research often leave test subjects with severe hormone suppression.
This means that having a solid plan for administering post-cycle therapy (PCT) to test subjects is an essential safety measure. Responsible steroids and SARMs researchers should not neglect this.
Nolvadex isn’t the only option for PCT, but it is one of the best.
In our opinion, every steroid or SARMs researcher should understand how Nolvadex PCT works, and know how to safely administer it to test subjects.
To make it easy for everyone, we’ve covered everything you need to know about Nolvadex PCT in this guide.