Post Cycle Therapy do’s and dont’s

Hello all, I have been around a little while and one of the questions often posed to me is “what is the best PCT.” Now, aside from some preliminary and unofficial data online, there is no citation we can refer to in the literature to answer this question comprehensively. There are 1000 ways to skin a cat and the answer is likely that there are a number of protocols to restore HPTA function post cycle that will work. There are however, a couple of “rules” if you will, that I find most valuable for users who are unsure:

1.) Time your PCT according to not only the esters of the medications you are running, but also the dose of the medications you are running too as the ester and the dose affect the pharmacokinetics.

In layman terminology, this means that your PCT start date will be determined on your specific cycle. For example:

If John is using 500 mg of testosterone enanthate weekly and Timothy is using 1000 mg of testosterone enanthate weekly, the timing of their PCT would differ from one another because of the difference in the dose they are taking. Now, if you use the biological half life or the MRT (mean residence time), the estimated start dates for John and Timothy will also differ. Lets use the half life for this example:

The half life for enanthate esters is approximately 4.5 days. Keep in mind these are mean estimates and so the best we can do here is guesstimate. I will explain shortly how we can mitigate this unknown factor also.

John’s dose of 500 mg halves every 4.5 days which means that in around 10 days there will be 125 mg of testosterone enanthate still floating in his system. This is usually a good time to begin HCG if that is your intended first medication to use on PCT because it allows for a “cross over” period so that you never experience 0 testosterone levels.

Timothy’s dose of 1000 mg halves every 4.5 days which means that in around 14 days there will be 125 mg of tesosterone enanthate still floating in his system. As you can see, the timing here is different.

What then if these users were using longer esters such as deca or boldenone in their cycle? Well, this needs to be accounted for in advance and it makes the most sense to stop the longest esters far in advance so there is no cross over issues that can be difficult to math. It is for this reason, I suggest that only one ester is left at the end of your cycle as to best guesstimate.

2.) Control for only ONE ester at the end of your cycle if you are unsure.

As stated above, it is easier to worry about the elimination time of only one ester. As I explained, because half lives and MRT being estimates at best, unless you are getting daily lab work to see where your serum levels are, estimating is the best we can do.

3.) Titrate down your aromatise inhibitor dose accordingly.

This is a tricky one. As your steroid esters clear you will likely be aromatising less and that means you may also need a lesser dose of your aromatise inhibitor too. For those prone to gyno and other high estrogen related sides, I suggest to keep the same AI dose in until you begin PCT. For those not prone or prone to low estrogen related sides, you may want to consider also reducing the dose of your aromatise inhibitor based on the math. Keep it simple and do not overthink this one. Whether you end up too high or too low on the estrogen scale, it is important to remember this will be temporary.

4.) Use medications that are known to work in the vast majority before experimenting with novel approaches.

It is no doubt that HCG at 1000-3000 iu every other day or every three days, then the addition of clomid and nolva at varied doses, has been seen in many users to be an effective combination to completely restore the HPTA if they have timed the PCT correctly. These medications have been well researched and it is my suggestion to play with these medications first before trying some of the other emerging medications we see talked about. Do not try and fix what is not broken.

5.) Temporary feelings of not being at your best are to be expected.

As you transition from a whole host of hormonal fluctuations both up and down, it is most important to remind yourself that if you are not feeling the best, that this is temporary. I want you to remind yourself every time you feel off, “this is temporary.” PCT effects people very differently from one to the other. It will all be over soon. If you are someone that suffers deep depressive states during PCT, it may be advisable that cycling just is not for you. You may want to consider blast and cruising or not using at all.

6.) You are not “all recovered” just because your libido and testicular fullness has returned. You need blood work.

Although these two are positive indicators, it is important to be aware that only very low levels of endogenous (natural) testosterone are required for libido and testicular fullness in some subjects. The only way for you to definitely confirm you have restored your HPTA is to test for:

Total Teststerone
Testosterone
Estradiol (LC-MS)
SHBG
LH
FSH

And to test these serum markers AFTER ALL PCT DRUGS HAVE CLEARED. Please allow for 2-4 weeks after using SERMS to get these tests. If you feel really off at any point during your PCT, you may want to check these labs sooner to see if you are responding to the PCT medications.

I do hope these rules or guidelines help anyone who has made it this far.

– Au Steroids Team