Clomid in bodybuilding is one of the common pharmacological drugs in the medicine cabinet of bodybuilders on steroids. In this article we will talk about what Clomid is, how the infertility medicine for women got into bodybuilding, we will provide instructions for use during and after a course of steroids (on PCT), and also compare which is better, tamoxifen or Clomid.
Main thoughts:
Clomid has been used in medicine since the 1970s to treat infertility in women.
Taking Clomid while on steroids avoids side effects associated with increased estrogen levels (gynecomastia), but is ineffective in combating fluid retention in the body.
Clomiphene citrate is taken after a course of steroids on PCT to accelerate the restoration of natural testosterone levels
Scientific studies confirm the effectiveness of Clomid in increasing testosterone levels by an average of 2 times, both with short-term use (for 2 weeks) and long-term use (over several years)
Clomid is considered a relatively safe anti-estrogen in bodybuilding. Taking it may cause blurred vision and decreased bone density. Long-term use does not increase the risk of developing cancer
Many athletes note the greater effectiveness of tamoxifen compared to Clomid during and after a course of steroids
Indications for use
Clomid was developed for:
- Stimulating ovulation in women suffering from an anovulatory cycle
- Elimination of amenorrhea caused by insufficient production of gonadotropin
- Treatment of androgen deficiency in men and oligospermia
- Diagnosis of the causes of disorders of gonadotropic function of the brain (pituitary gland).
In addition, Clomid is actively used in bodybuilding and sports to normalize the body’s functioning in the production of endogenous hormones after a course of steroids. This use is not provided by the manufacturers of the medicine, but is the result of the personal experience of men involved in building their bodies. Therefore, few doctors will be able to advise and prescribe a remedy for this purpose.
General disadvantages[edit | edit code]
- Both drugs inhibit the production of insulin-like growth factor-1[8]
- Directly suppress testicular function[9]
- Increase sex hormone binding globulin[10]
- Increase the concentration of estrogen several times
- Causes visual impairment with long-term use[11][12]
- In some cases, when using Clostilbegit (Clomid) for a month at a dosage of 25 mg per day, after 2 weeks after the end of the course, a decrease in total testosterone was observed by 16-17% (while a decrease in estradiol was observed by 13.5%)
- It is important to understand that in some people the pituitary-hypothalamus-testicular (PHT) arc may not respond to stimulation with Clomid (clomiphene) or Nolvadex (tamoxifen).
Medicinal properties
The active component of Clomid is clomiphene citrate, which belongs to the group of antiestrogenic drugs. Use in small doses leads to increased production of gonadotropins: prolactin and hormones with follicle-stimulating and luteinizing effects, which promotes ovulation.
If the body's estrogen content is low, Clomid has a moderate estrogenic effect, and if the level is high, it has an anti-estrogenic effect. Taking large doses activates the production of gonadotropins.
Links[edit | edit code]
- Hormonal effects of an antiestrogen, Tamoxifen, in normal and oligospermic men. Vermeulen, Comhaire. Fertil and Steril 29 (1978) 320-7
- Vermeulen A., Comhaire F., Hormonal effects of an anti-estrogen, tamoxifen, in normal and oligospermic men, Fertil. Ster. 29 (1978) 320-27
- https://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/content/7/2/163.full
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18193254
- Hormonal effects of an antiestrogen, Tamoxifen, in normal and oligospermic men. Vermeulen, Comhaire. Fertil and Steril 29 (1978) 320-7
- Bruning PF, Bronfer JMG, Hart AAM, Jong-Bakker M, tamoxifen, serum lipoproteins and cardiovascular risk, Br. J Cancer 1988 Oct, 58 (4) 497-9
- The effect of Clomiphene citrate on sex hormone binding globulin in normospermic and oligozoospermic men. Adamopoulos, Kapolla et al. Int J Androl 4 (1981) 639-45
- De Leo V. et al. Clomiphene citrate increases insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 and reduces insulin-like growth factor-I without correcting insulin resistance associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome //Human Reproduction. – 2000. – T. 15. – No. 11. – pp. 2302-2305.
- C. WANG, G. F. ERICKSON, B. HOPPER, A. J. W. HSUEH. Direct Inhibitory Effect of Enclomiphene Citrate and Estradiol on Testis Functions in Hypophysectomized Rats. BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 22, 64-653 (1980)
- https://joe.endocrinology-journals.org/content/53/2/261
- https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/78/topic/733162
- https://www.nature.com/eye/journal/v17/n2/full/6700317a.html
Mode of application
Average cost: (20 pcs.) – about 900 rubles.
The dosage of Clomid tablets depends on the purpose of use of the drug.
Regimen for taking Clomid for infertility problems:
- To stimulate ovulation, the instructions for use recommend that women take 50 mg daily (before bed). Therapy begins on the 5th day of the monthly cycle. Course – 5 days. If there is no effect, the drug is repeated (up to 3-6 courses), increasing the dosage to 150 mg or extending the duration of therapy, bringing the course to 10 days. It is important not to exceed the total dose for the entire dosage cycle - 1 g of active substance.
- Infertility in men. Representatives of the stronger sex who experience problems with spermatogenesis are recommended to take 50 mg 1-2 times a day. During the course for men, it is necessary to check the spermogram.
How to take Clomid on PCT
The recovery regimen with Clomid after a course of steroids depends on its duration and the number of stimulants taken. The stronger the dosage of steroids and the longer the cycle lasted, the longer it will take to return body functions to normal.
- After an ultra-light course: 15 days at 50 mg, then the next 15 days at 25 mg
- After a light course: 15 days. X 50 mg, 15 days. X 25 mg, 15 times (once every 2 days) 25 mg each
- After moderate use: 30 days. X 50 mg, 15 days. X 25 mg
- After intensive use: 15 days. X 100 mg, 15 days. X 50 mg, 15 days. X 25 mg
- After overdoses: 3 days. X 150 mg, 12 days. X 100 mg, 15 days. X 50 mg, 15 days. X 25 mg.
To restore the production of your own testosterone, other antiestrogens are also used. Which will work best depends on many factors. Basically, several pairs of drugs are compared:
- Clomid or Tamoxifen? Competing drugs are similar in structure, but the latter drug is stronger. Therefore, less is required to restore testosterone. At the same time, it is believed that the described remedy is the best choice for PCT after taking progestins.
- Proviron or Clomid? Both medications have an antiestrogenic effect, but each of them in its own way. The difference is as follows: Clomid stimulates tissues to release hormones, which helps increase the level of endogenous testosterone, while Proviron suppresses the enzymes responsible for the transformation of steroid hormones into estrogens. Due to this, the process slows down, which leads to the accumulation of testosterone in the plasma. But the effect is temporary, so after some time the level of the male hormone will decrease again.
Should I take Clomid while on steroids?
While taking anabolic steroids, the level of androgens is extremely high, and therefore the body does not need to synthesize its own substances. The hypothalamus stops giving commands to the pituitary gland to produce hormones. Until the concentration of substances received from outside in the body is maximum, Clomid will not be able to stimulate the body. The drug can be taken during a steroid cycle only as an anti-estrogenic agent.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding
The drug is prohibited for pregnant and nursing mothers. Women of reproductive age should make sure that they are not pregnant if they are prescribed Clomid.
Clomid (clomiphene) or Nolvadex (tamoxifen): differences[edit | edit code]
Clomid (Clomid)
acts on estrogen receptors in the pituitary gland and ovaries. By binding estrogen receptors in the pituitary gland, Clomid breaks the negative feedback mechanism, i.e. If usually estrogens, acting on the pituitary gland, reduce the production of FSH and LH, then this does not happen when taking Clomid. Clomid does not directly affect the level of estrogen in the blood.
Nolvadex (tamoxifen)
also does not affect the level of estrogen in the blood, because its mechanism of action also comes down to the blockade of estrogen receptors, including those in the pituitary gland. However, Clomid is a more selective (selective) blocker, and Nolvadex is less selective. If Clomid binds to estrogen receptors mainly in the pituitary gland and testicles, then Nolvadex binds to them almost throughout the body. The exception is bone tissue, where Clomid and tamoxifen, on the contrary, activate estrogen receptors.[3][4]
Thus, Clomid acts as an estrogen antagonist and eliminates their inhibitory effect on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, promoting a more rapid restoration of their function. Nolvadex blocks receptors in almost all tissues, and also helps the body begin to restore its own testosterone. It is important to note that Nolvadex is able to block estrogen receptors in the pituitary gland to a lesser extent than Clomid.
Clomiphene and tamoxifen do not affect the metabolism of estrogen hormones, therefore, while taking these drugs, estrogens continue to be destroyed by liver enzymes and do not accumulate in the body.
Tamoxifen has disadvantages:
quite toxic (sometimes this is manifested by loss of appetite and nausea, and the risk of thrombosis increases). Tamoxifen increases the number of progesterone receptors, so it cannot be used if the course is based on progestin drugs (nandrolone, trenbolone). In this case, clomiphene should be used.
General conclusion[edit | edit code]
Nolvadex (tamoxifen)
is a preferable option compared to
Clomid (clomiphene)
because:
- Despite having less impact on the pituitary gland, Tamoxifen has the same ability to restore testosterone levels as Clomid [5]
- Tamoxifen blocks the action of estrogens throughout the body, including the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, which means that it will not only help restore testosterone secretion, but also prevent fluid retention in the body.
- Tamoxifen is significantly cheaper than Clomid
- Tamoxifen lowers cholesterol levels, which is important when using steroids [6]
- Clomid increases the level of globulin, which binds to testosterone, which negatively affects weight gain. [7]
Contraindications
Clomid is not prescribed to women if at least one of the following factors is present:
- Individual hypersensitivity to constituent ingredients
- Insufficient liver and kidney function
- Intermenstrual bleeding of unknown origin
- Benign ovarian formation (cyst)
- Tumors of the genital organs
- New growth or increased activity of the pituitary gland
- Excessive growth of endometrial tissue (endometriosis)
- Impaired functioning of the ovaries due to increased levels of the hormone prolactin in the blood
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
How and when to take Nolvadex (tamoxifen)[edit | edit code]
It is most rational to use aromatase inhibitors during the course, among which Proviron is especially popular, since this drug does not negatively affect the secretion of growth hormone and increases the concentration of anabolic hormones in the blood by suppressing aromatization. In the last week of the course and 2 weeks after, Tamoxifen should be used as the main component of PCT. In the absence of Proviron, the start of taking Nolvadex occurs in the 2nd week of the steroid cycle, and ends 2-3 weeks after the end of the cycle, the average dose is 10-20 mg per day. I would like to draw special attention to a common misconception when antiestrogens are recommended to be taken after a cycle. Estrogen levels rise at the end of the first week of the cycle, so it is from this moment that you need to start taking it!
If anabolic drugs that are not susceptible to aromatization are used, there is no need for aromatase inhibitors, while tamoxifen is included only at the end of the course. Read more about the best steroid cycles.
Precautionary measures
The use of the medicine should only occur under the constant supervision of specialists.
The drug stimulates superovulation, which creates favorable conditions for the development of multiple pregnancies.
If, after taking it, ovulation presumably occurred, but menstruation did not occur, the woman should be checked for pregnancy. Repeated use of the pills can be carried out only after confirmation of the absence of conception.
Tablets can cause poor alertness, drowsiness, and slower reactions. During treatment, you should avoid potentially hazardous activities: driving vehicles or operating complex machinery.
Like any medication, Clomid should not be taken with alcohol, so as not to reduce its effect.
Side effects
The use of Clomid may be accompanied by undesirable conditions:
- NS: headaches, vertigo, sleep disturbance (drowsiness/insomnia), inhibition of mental or motor reactions, increased nervousness, excitability
- Gastrointestinal organs: nausea, vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain
- Allergic reactions: rashes, dermatitis, vasomotor disorders
- Genitourinary system: pain in the lower abdomen, frequent urination, increased volume of urine excreted, dysmenorrhea, longer and heavier menstruation, increased size of the ovaries (including cystic).
Other side effects include:
- Body weight gain
- Tides
- In rare cases, visual impairment
- Hair loss
- Breast tenderness, soreness.
Analogs
In 2004, the registration of Clomid in Russia was canceled. There are other drugs on the pharmaceutical market with identical effects for the treatment of infertility. In order not to harm the body, the selection of generics should be agreed with the treating specialist.
Klostilbegit
"EGIS Pharmaceutical Plant" (Hungary)
Average cost: (10 pcs.) – 576-640 rubles.
Hormonal agent based on clomiphene citrate. The medicine is used to eliminate infertility caused by problems with ovulation or spermatogenesis. Clostilbegit is also used in bodybuilding to restore the body’s ability to produce testosterone itself.
The drug is produced in tablets. The regimen of use and features of therapy are prescribed by the treating specialist.
Pros:
- Helps when used correctly
- Eliminates ovulation problems.
Flaws:
- Weight gain
- Provokes cystosis.
