Recently, we have noticed a large number of annoyed reviews about Tamoxifen Citrate (Nolvadex) as a preference over Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid), which people use in all cases in the field of bodybuilding as anti-estrogens that support good cholesterol and testosterone stimulation.
In any case, most people use Nolvadex instead of Clomid for combating gynecomastia. As for cholesterol, most people do not pay attention to this important issue. But when it comes to using Nolvadex for raising the endogenous production of testosterone, most bodybuilders do not want to hear about it. They apparently only want to take Clomid.
We can only guess that it is based on a profound misunderstanding of the effect of these drugs. In this article you will find some research about Nolvadex that proves it can not only be used for the same purposes, but in fact should be the preferred drug of the two.
CLOMID AND NOLVADEX IN BODYBUILDING
We don’t know why Clomid and Nolvadex became so different in the minds of bodybuilders. They are definitely not completely unique from one another. Clomid and Nolvadex are structurally similar and are both anti-estrogens belonging to the same group. They are classified as Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) with a mixture of agonistic and antagonistic properties. This means that they block the action of estrogen in certain tissues by binding to receptors, whereas in other tissues, they can activate receptors by acting as real estrogen.
In males, both drugs have anti-estrogenic effects which inhibit the negative effects of estrogen on the hypothalamus and stimulate the production of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH). This results in the increased production of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) by the pituitary gland, which increases the production of testosterone by the testes.
This makes both drugs effective at increasing testosterone levels, however, for some reason bodybuilders still believe that only Clomid is effective at testosterone stimulation.
CLOMID BENEFITS
When studying the benefits of Clomid over Nolvadex, we’ll start with the fact that, although both drugs are “Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators”, Clomid is more “selective” than Nolvadex. By this we mean that Clomid acts only in certain areas of the body. It acts in the pituitary gland in both males and females, the testes in men and the ovaries in women. Nolvadex on the other hand, acts in all areas of the body (minus bone tissues), so the argument here is that the effects of Nolvadex are distributed throughout the body so its effects are not as strong as Clomid within the pituitary gland and testes where testosterone stimulation is present.
Likely the main reason for Clomid’s preference by most bodybuilders, is that in most people, it will cause less side effects. Nolvadex is considered a toxic drug in terms of the amount of side effects it causes most users, and when the aim of the drug is to prevent side effects, dealing with other side effects is simply inconvenient.
Another benefit of Clomid is that it can be used as a post-cycle therapy drug after any steroid. It can be included in any Trenbolone, Nandrolone, Boldenone and Testosterone cycle logs, as well as with Winstrol, Anavar, Dianabol, and Turinabol oral pills. However, Nolvadex cannot be used as a PCT drug after progestogenic steroids like Trenbolone, Nandrolone, or Oxandrolone, were used in the steroid cycle.
CLOMID SIDE EFFECTS
Negative effects from the use of this drug are rare and mild, but the most common side effects of Clomid include headaches, nausea, dizziness, burry vision, and breast tenderness. If any of these side effects do occur, they should subside after you discontinue using the drug.
NOLVADEX BENEFITS
We have researched studies to clarify the advantages of Nolvadex over Clomid in raising testosterone levels. For bodybuilding purposes, we are obviously most interested in the effects of these drugs on healthy men. In one study, quite useful results found that when Nolvadex was used for 10 days at a dosage of 20mg per day, it increased the level of serum testosterone up to 142% of the original value. This was compared to the effect of Clomid in a dosage of 150mg per day for the same period of time. The results found that the increased testosterone levels were only slightly more with the use of Clomid, and this was the effect of 3 tablets of Clomid 50mg. If you consider that fact that 20mg of Nolvadex and 50mg of Clomid are roughly the same price, we can conclude that the results of Nolvadex compared to the price is greater than Clomid.
Within the same study, researchers delved deeper into the action of the drugs on the stimulation of GnRH, which measured the production of LH before and after use of Nolvadex and Clomid. The results showed that after 10 days of Nolvadex use, pituitary sensitivity to GnRH increased slightly which means LH production was slightly accelerated. However, after the 10 days of Clomid use, there was a reduction in sensitivity to GnRH, which meant that LH was being produced slower.
The researchers concluded that the LH production was slower during Clomid use due to the fact that the drug increases levels of Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG), whereas Nolvadex does not cause this. Although both are similar antiestrogens, they act very differently in different places. Apparently Nolvadex is a potent anti-estrogen in the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, unlike Clomid, which is a strong anti-estrogen in the hypothalamus, but seems to exhibit a weak estrogenic effect in the pituitary gland.
NOLVADEX SIDE EFFECTS
As mentioned, Nolvadex does have a slightly longer list of side effects than Clomid which are also said to be more common. The potential side effects of Nolvadex include hot flashes, nausea, muscle cramps, muscle aches, hair thinning, headaches, and numbing of the skin.
REVIEWS ON CLOMID
Obviously, the fact that Clomid produces less side effects than Nolvadex is a regular comment in Clomid reviews. Bodybuilders who have use both drugs individually, will compare the two drugs based on the number of side effects received, generally disregarding the effectiveness of the drugs at restoring testosterone levels.
Because of this, most reviews of Clomid will be positive and explain that minimal side effects is the reason why it is the preferred choice of anti-estrogen.
NOLVADEX REVIEWS FROM BODYBUILDERS
Positive reviews about Nolvadex will generally be by bodybuilders who are experienced at dealing with side effects and can assess their hormone levels well. These bodybuilders realize that the use of the drug can be better for testosterone stimulation in certain situations.
CLOMID OR NOLVADEX: WHICH OF THEM SERVES PCT BETTER?
Of course, both agents are effective anti-estrogens to prevent gynecomastia and raise the level of endogenous testosterone.
Nolvadex is basically a purer anti-estrogen of the two drugs, at least in regard to the hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axis, which gives an advantage of Nolvadex over Clomid in male bodybuilders. This is especially true when they want to balance hormones in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis but don’t want to reduce the sensitivity of the pituitary to GnRH in the process. The use of Clomid will raise LH to the same level, but to some extent, may slow down the recovery, as the pituitary gland will need large quantities of GnRH from the hypothalamus.
For long-term use, Nolvadex is definitely preferable since it would provide a better and more stable increase in testosterone levels, which means it would be more beneficial during a steroid cycle than Clomid would.
Also, those who are on a tight budget would benefit from buying Nolvadex over Clomid, due to gaining similar effects for less money. They might decide that the damage that Nolvadex might do to the body is far less than the damage Clomid would do to their bank account.
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