Clomid - Clomiphene Citrate
Pharmaceutical Name: Clomiphene Citrate
Drug Class: Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator
Active Life: 5-7 days
Originally developed as a female fertility aid, clomiphene citrate has been
popular among steroid users for quite some time now as a post-cycle therapy
compound used to help recover natural testosterone production. The compound
works by partially or completely blocking the effects of estrogen in the body.
This is due to the fact that it is a synthetic estrogen with both agonist and
antagonist properties (1). With a similar structure to that of tamoxifen
citrate, clomiphene citrate blocks the ability of estrogen to bind with
receptors in certain tissues (2,3), these being located in the hypothalamus
and being suprapituitary (4), although this is a somewhat contentious claim.
Tamoxifen citrate is selective to those receptors in the liver, breast, and
bone. So in terms of use as a fertility drug in women, clomiphene citrate
helps to eliminate the negative feedback of estrogens on the
hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and increases the production of
luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone. This induces ovulation.
Therefore if these results can be translated to strength athletes and
bodybuilders, this ability to raise the levels of luteinizing hormone and
follicle stimulating hormone should be quite impressive. An increase in these
hormones will result in an increase in testosterone production in users (5,
6). This of course is something that is desperately desired when coming off of
anabolic steroids. If testosterone levels can be raised quickly after a cycle
a user is much more likely to maintain more of his gains than if he suffered
through a crash in testosterone levels and his natural production came back
slowly, all the while having to combat the increased levels of estrogen and
cortisol.
While it is true that clomiphene citrate has many "anti-estrogen" properties,
there are a multitude of better options. It's is relatively weak in comparison
to tamoxifen citrate and the anti-aromatase compounds that are available are
much more potent in terms of controlling and/or eliminating estrogenic side
effects that are likely to develop. The primary duty of clomiphene citrate
should be left to post-cycle therapy.
Use/Dosing of Clomid - Clomiphene Citrate
Of course due to the fact that there is little research to do with the use of
clomiphene citrate as it relates to steroid users, much of what we know about
the dosing of it has been from anecdotal reports. For the most part users will
maintain doses of the drug between 25mgs to 150mgs per day on a consistent
basis. Often times users will "frontload" the compound using doses of between
200-300mgs on the first day of their post-cycle therapy and then reduce the
subsequent doses. However the side effects associated with large doses of the
compound may hinder some individuals' abilities to do this.
Some users also advocate tapering the dose of clomiphene citrate during the
last few weeks of administration. However this is more a practice that is
based upon theory rather than solid medical evidence of it's productivity.
In terms of dosing length it seems that at least 3 weeks of clomiphene citrate
therapy is recommended by users. Of course each has their own preferences
along with individual recovery schedules. Also the types of compounds used and
the duration of a cycle will of course influence the time it takes for a user
to recover and the need for a lengthy post-cycle therapy. Due to the lack of
serious side effects associated with the drug, as well as the fact that there
is no risk of toxicity with the clomiphene citrate, users are able to use the
compound for months on end with seemingly no significant negative
consequences.
Risks/Side Effects of using Clomid - Clomiphene Citrate
Despite these rather inconvenient side effects, for the most part clomiphene
citrate can be run for extended periods of time with no worries of serious
negative consequences (7, 8). Potentially things such as hot flashes, nausea,
dizziness, and headaches may occur but anecdotally users report that these
symptoms are quite rare. However emotional side effects along with vision
problems are frequently reported with use of this drug. Visual tracers or
blurry vision are often reported by users, even some who use extremely low
doses of the compound. These are often reported to become more pronounced at
night. However if this symptom becomes unbearable, it quickly dissipates after
administration of the compound is ceased.
In terms of the emotional side effects associated with clomiphene citrate,
some users complain that they become depressed, irritable or more emotional in
general when using the drug. This can primarily be explained by way of
clomiphene citrate being a synthetic estrogen. By introducing a type of
estrogen into a user's system some effects should be expected. Coupled with
the fact that the natural testosterone production of the user is already
suppressed this obviously could lead to some difficulties. Of course some
users find these effects much more pronounced than others, with many finding
clomiphene intolerable while others have little to no side effects.
Another possible effect of use of the compound is increased acne. This is a
direct result in the shifting hormonal balance that a user would be
experiencing while coming off of anabolic steroids and the introduction of
clomiphene citrate to their system. An increase in production of seminal fluid
may also be experienced by some users and therefore the volume of ejaculate
may well noticeably increase as well.
References
1. Llewellyn, William, Anabolics 2004, 2003-4, Molecular
Nutrition, pp. 188-9
2. Vermeulen A, Comhaire F. Hormonal effects of an antiestrogen, tamoxifen, in
normal and oligospermic men. Fertil Steril. 1978 Mar;29(3):320-7.
3. Guay AT, Jacobson J, Perez JB, Hodge MB, Velasquez E. Clomiphene increases
free testosterone levels in men with both secondary hypogonadism and erectile
dysfunction: who does and does not benefit? Int J Impot Res. 2003
Jun;15(3):156-65
4. Winters SJ, Troen P. Evidence for a role of endogenous estrogen in the
hypothalamic control of gonadotropin secretion in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab
1985 Nov;61(5):842-5
5. Winters SJ, Troen P. Evidence for a role of endogenous estrogen in the
hypothalamic control of gonadotropin secretion in men.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1985 Nov;61(5):842-5
6. Tenover JS, Bremner WJ. The effects of normal aging on the response of the
pituitary-gonadal axis to chronic clomiphene administration in men. J Androl.
1991 Jul-Aug;12(4):258-63
7. Purvin VA.Visual disturbance secondary to clomiphene citrate. Arch
Ophthalmol. 1995 Apr;113(4):482-4
8. Bruning PF, Bronfer JMG, Hart AAM, Jong-Bakker M, tamoxifen, serum
lipoproteins and cardiovascular risk, Br. J. Cancer 1988 Oct, 58 (4) 497-9
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