Proper PCT Protocol
PCT should only begin when the body is in an environment to stimulate LH and FSH secretion. In the case of testosterone this environment is achieved once TT begins to dip below pre cycle TT levels. Therefore not only to judge when pct has been successful but also to determine when pct should begin Pre-cycle blood levels should be taken.
How do we determine when TT levels fall below baseline aside from experiencing side effects or getting blood drawn every week?
As we know TT is directly related with the amount of exogenous testosterone we administer. In TRT studies it is generally excepted that a 100mg shot of testosterone enanthate/cyp will put blood levels at around 800-900ng/dl.
We can thus use this conversion with decent accuracy to judge at what mg TT levels will fall below baseline. (The conversion ratio somewhat lessens as doses increase therefore we should air on the side of caution when determining the optimal test mg target)
For example if pre-cycle levels are 500ng/dl then PCT should only begin when exogenous test falls to roughly 50mg. This will put TT in the 400-500ng/dl range and thus in a state where HPTA stimulation of FSH and LH release begins to become possible.
Now that we understand how to determine optimal Mg range of ex Test for HPTA restoration we must now find the length of time required to reach said levels after the last injection. To do this we must first understand Half lives of the varying esters and the variation they can have with each individual's physiology. Some users metabolize AAS more quickly or more slowly than others therefore we can only identify an average. Ill give one practical example of the commonly used ester Enanthate.
Enanthate has a half life of 5 days +/- 2.5 days (I will use a 7 day calculation to air on the side of caution)
A 12wk cycle of test e at 500mg per week will put ex Test at around 1000mg
(500mg+250+125+62.5+31.25 etc = 1000mg)
This means it will take 5 half lives to reach ex test at or below 50mg therefore time between last injection and start of PCT is 35 days.
It would be worthwhile to determine your own metabolization rate by taking a blood test after the 4th AVERAGE half life has passed. (In this case it would be at 20 days) If TT levels are significantly above or below 400-500ng/dl you can determine YOUR half life.
Now that we understand how to accurately calculate a PCT start date based on our own physiology, what should an effective pct consist of?
Here is Dr. Scally's PCT protocol. (His experience and expertise speaks for itself)
Days
1-20 HCG 2000 IU EOD
1-35 Clomiphene 50mg morning and night
1-45 Tamoxifen 20 mg morning and night
This PCT will give you the best chance at achieving and maintaining pre cycle TT levels after cessation of treatment for any and all AAS cycles. This is a protocol he uses for his TRT patients.
( this is not part of the the post, Dr Jim do you believe this protocol is essentially overkill for the average AAS user considering this was designed for TRT patients? I have a feeling you could perform an equally effective pct with half those doses and slightly less time. Dr scaly actually mentioned that most AAS users would only need a 1000iu dose. I do not want to stray from this pct without your approval. What would you recommend for pct considering a max cycle length of 18 weeks? Ok back to the post!)
Post pct bloods should be taken approximately 2 weeks after cessation of treatment. (not part of the post, I'm not entirely sure on this what would you recommend Dr. ?) to ensure restoration has been achieved without further aid from SERM's. If restoration has not been achieved extend Clomiphene and Tamoxifen treatment another 30 days. (This is just a suggestion I'm not exactly sure on this either)
A largely overlooked factor that can greatly aid in maintaining gains, reducing HPTA shutdown length or extending a cycle without lengthening HPTA shutdown is switching from Long ester AAS to short ester AAS toward the end of the cycle. When done correctly this reduces the amount of time that users must wait to start PCT and increases the amount of time TT levels stay supra-physiological.
Here is a practical example of how to perform a switch to Test P from Test E
for a 12 week cycle.
First we must calculate our pct start date. For this example we will be using 750mg test e a week. With Ex test at about 1500 5 half lives have to pass to reach below 50mg. A PCT start date of 35 days is again warranted. Therefore we will start test p injections 35 days or 5 weeks before the end of the cycle.
Week 1-7 Test e 750mg
Week 8 Test p 400mg
Week 9 Test p 600mg
Week 10-12 Test p 700mg
Test p half life 2 days +/- 18hours (I will use a 2.5 day calculation)
PCT start 7 days (28 days shorter!!!)
Tapering the test p injections upward in this fashion will ensure that TT levels do not spike dramatically when the shorter more quickly metabolized half life is introduced.
One compound that should be taken into extreme consideration for pct start dates is Deca-Durabolin. Deca is somewhat unique in the fact that a normal half life calculation cannot be used.
Deca has a half life of 10 days +/- 5days BUT studies have shown that Deca's suppressive metabolites will impair HPTA function long after the parent hormone has cleared.
The Study: Two hypogonadal former anabolic steroid users were studied. Normal levels of LH are >3.6 IU/L and Testosterone are 300-1000 ng/dl. Former anabolic steroid users often have suppressed levels of both.
The Results: Subject #1 is a 6', 206lb former user of 500-2000+ Milligrams per week of anabolics. His baseline numbers were: LH<1IU/L, Test=191ng/dl. This suject underwent a 32 day treatment of 2500 IU of HCG every 4 days, 50 mg of clomid 2 times per day, and 10 mg nolvadex per day. 15 days after treatment his numbers were: LH=5.2IU/L, Test=1072 ng/dl.
Subject #2 is a 5'10", 184lb male who used 400 mg per week of nandrolone . His baseline numbers were: LH<1IU/L, Test=45ng/dl. This subject's 32 day treatment consisted of 2500 IU of HCG every 4 days, 50 mg of clomid 2 times per day, and 10 mg nolvadex per day. There was no change. He underwent another treatment consisting of 60 days of 5000 IU of HCG every 4 days for 4 injections, then 2500 IU every 4 days for 4 injections, 50 mg of clomid 2 times per day, and 10 mg nolvadex per day. Still, no change. For the next 32 days, this subject received 5000 IU of HCG every other day for 6 injections, then 2500 IU every other day for 6 injections given with 150 IU of menotropins, 50 mg of clomid 2 times per day, and 10 mg nolvadex 2 times per day. 15 days after treatment his numbers were: LH=9.8IU/L, Test=507 ng/dl.(20)
Over 150 days of aggressive pct and TT levels barely surpass 500ng/dl with an LH value that is 3x higher than normal?
This is indicative of continued suppression even after such extreme treatment over an incredible length of time.
If you must include deca in your cycle and I cannot convince you otherwise a period of at least 12 weeks should pass between last injection and PCT even at minimal doses such as 250mg per week.
Ok so what do you guys think? What am I missing?
)]). Start reading folks otherwise you have no business using AAS. with the use of AAS comes great responsibility.
