Post cycle therapy is a method of employing drugs which work via various mechanisms to go about trying to aid stabilizing and restoring a users hormones back to normal once a suppressive anabolic androgenic steroid cycle has been ceased.

Once a user has ceased use of anabolic androgenic steroids they are left in a situation where their natural testosterone production has been suppressed , sometimes severely by androgens and aromatising drugs. Add this onto the fact the levels of steroids are forever diminishing in their system, this can leave the user in a very catabolic state post cycle, which may reflect in their ability to maintain muscle mass gained whilst on cycle.

It is therefore easy to conclude that we would like to find a way to restore ones natural testosterone production to bring about a better environment for overall health and to maintain muscle tissue.

Clomiphene citrate, also known as clomid, and tamoxifen, also known as the brand name nolvadex, can be employed post cycle to aid restoring the users natural testosterone production. With both abilities to block estrogen at the hypothalamus and pituitary, thus ceasing negative feedback inhibition, we have drugs that can successfully increase FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) in the male body. Increased LH can help to stimulate the Leydig's cells in the testes to produce more testosterone.

Many find just using nolvadex on its own post cycle is efficient enough to recover from their anabolic androgenic steroid cycles. Some however prefer to use both drugs to cover all angles. It is worth noting nolvadex is more profound in stimulating the increase of LH over time, on a milligram to milligram standpoint compared to that of clomid. Also many users complain of side effects from clomid such as visual implications and mood swings.

When analysing the methods in which both drugs work to bring about raises in natural testosterone production it is easy to conclude some old-school approaches are flawed. Many users would use a burst of clomid mid cycle in the hope of it causing an increase in testosterone production to minimise shut down. The only use of clomid during use of a heavy androgenic cycle is as an anti-oestrogen, as the heighten levels of androgen will cause a feedback to the testes to cease production of testosterone. Therefore, if androgen levels are high clomid will do very little in aiding production of natural testosterone. It will a lot more effective starting a PCT protocol when the androgen levels of the steroids drop, and this will be dependent on the half life of the compounds the user used during their cycle.

Due to the half life of clomid and nolvadex there is little need in splitting the dosages of the drug, just take when its most continent.

Dosages of nolvadex for PCT protocol
Day 1 100mg
Following 10 days 60mg
Following 10 days 40mg

The above outline is a sample protocol which could be employed. Obviously the cycle and other parameters may alter the dosages and duration of your post cycle protocol.
As said above, many users like to use both nolvadex and clomid post cycle to cover all angles.

Dosages of nolvadex and clomid combined for PCT protocol
Day 1 Clomid 250mg + Nolvadex 60mg
Following 10 days Clomid 100mg + Nolvadex 40mg
Following 10 days Clomid 50mg + Nolvadex 20mg

This method should prove effective. As with the nolvadex only protocol however, it is not set in stone. More suppression cycles may require higher doses or longer duration of use to bring about the desired effects.

When we start the PCT protocol will depend on the compounds that were administrated in the users cycle. Look up all steroids you used during your cycle, and whichever steroid has the latest point in which to start the PCT protocol we choose. This is so that we do not start a PCT protocol when their may potentially still be high levels of androgen in the system, which would make the PCT be a waste until the levels dropped.

See below for when to start your PCT protocol after ceasing your cycle:

Steroid When to start after last administration Length of PCT

Testosterone Enanthate 2 weeks 3 weeks
Testosterone Cypionate 2 weeks 3 weeks
Testosterone Propionate 3 days 3 weeks
Testosterone Suspension 6-8 hours 3 weeks
Sustanon 3 weeks 3 weeks
Winstrol 12 hours 2/3 weeks
Dianabol 6-8 hours 3 weeks
Trenbolone 3 days 4 weeks
Deca durabolan 3 weeks 4 weeks
Primabolan depot 14 days 2 weeks
Anavar 8-10 hours 2 weeks
HCG

HCG, or Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin, is a peptide hormone which can be useful to bodybuilders who suffer from testicular atrophy whilst on cycle.

It was once commonly used during PCT in the belief it will aid testosterone restoration, however this is flawed due to its mechanism action. The drug mimics the effects of LH in the body, stimulating the Leydig cells to produce testosterone in the testes. This can be fruitful in rectify existing, or avoiding testicular atrophy on cycle. It will not aid the process of recovery in the post cycle phrase however, as the drug will bring about heightened estrogen levels due to the greater aromatising of the testosterone being produced in the testes, thus bringing about greater inhibition of the HPTA.

It is therefore wise to use HCG for rectify existing, or avoiding testicular atrophy on cycle, and possibly prior to PCT to help bring the testes back up to condition so they are more effective at producing testosterone. We should leave about a week prior to PCT, with any HCG administration occurring before this.
It is wise to use HCG in smaller frequent amounts over the course of two weeks to help minimize side effects and give more fruitful results. This is usually accompanied by nolvadex at 20-40mg each day to avoid estrogen related side effects becoming pronounced due to the greater aromatisation occurring. 500-1000IU over a two week period should prove effective interms of results and minimizing estrogen related side effects.