Originally Posted by DR_C
OK guys, I warned you this is about a textbook. I hope it dosen't bore you to tears.
I’ve had thousands of questions asked of me over the years regarding PCT. My history with PCT is a long and ever evolving story (even as I type this). So I’ll outline my history in the domain of PCT for you in a rather curt few pages.
The Beginning
Back in 1985, yes, you read that correctly, 1-9-8-5, I was introduced to the topic of Post Cycle Therapy, by Dr. Fred Hatfield, PhD. If you don’t know the name, look him up. He is perhaps the grandfather of the notion, even, pre-Dan Duchaine (if you don’t know that name look him up, too).
Anyhow, I quickly digested the concpt of PCT – it is an insurance policy to help you restore your natural hormone level and **hopefully** help you keep a greater percentage of what you have earned on-cycle.
Back in 1985, Fred Hatfield (AKA Dr. Squat b/c at a body weight of 255 pounds performed a world record squat of 1,014 pounds) authored a book – Bodybuilding a Scientific Approach. In this classic publication, in a chapter entitled “Drugs,” Hatfield discusses the notion of maintaining testicular function while on-cycle and restoring testicular function post cycle. Now, as a young man, this section of the book not on fascinated me but actually alleviated some of my fears regarding the use of steroids. You see, at this point in my life I had not “used.” One of my principal concerns was that by using steroids, I would do some irreparable harm to my, ah-hum, “manhood” that would not allow me to someday have happy heathly children – boy I was naive back then!
So what did Dr. Squat have to say about PCT that intrigued me so. Well, by today’s standards its not ground breaking but remember this was 1985.
1. HCG should be use at various points on-cycle to maintain testicular function.
2. HCG should be used post cycle to restore testicular function.
His recommendation was implement as follows…
Weeks 1-6
Injectable steroids in sufficient amount to promote muscle gain.
Weeks 7-8
HCG injected every other day
Weeks 9 – 14
Injectable steroids in sufficient amount to promote muscle gain.
Weeks 15 – 16
HCG injected every other day
Well, there it is. I told you it wasn’t ground breaking but it is what I had from a knowledgeable source in 1985.
Now, over the next couple of years, I continued to research the topic of PCT. I visited at least half a dozen endocrinologist and urologist in my home state and when I discussed the concept of HCG as a means of maintaining testicular function for steroid using athletes, without exception, every doctor told me they didn’t have a clue about what I was talking.
Imagine the scene now, me an 18 year old kid, asking a practicing endocrinologist, about the mechanisms through which HCG – a drug produced through refining the piss of pregnant women – can stave of nut shrinkage in bodybuilders who are on the juice!
Go this Sunday and fart loudly in the pew in your church. That’s the kind of reaction I was getting.
Ok, so I kept up my quest for knowledge and stumbled across another suggestion from Dan Duchaine that involve the use of Clomid as a means of mimic LH in the body to stimulate the testicular function. Well, Dan wasn't exactly correct about this but it was a start.
Same scene, half a dozen doctors, my question now about the use of Clomid – a female fertility drug – as a means of reducing nut shrinkage in bodybuilders who are on the juice!
See fart in church analogy above!
You get the picture. I was getting nowhere fast. I even wrote Dan Duchaine a letter. Believe it or not, he wrote me back and here is a quote:
“There is no sense in using HCG after the first six weeks of your cycle if your (sic) going to do another six weeks. Just run the HCG and Clomid at the end of your cycle for 2 weeks.”
Now, I can tell you there is more to this part of the story. I have recommend, as dose Hatfield the use of HCG during cycle. I have not seen it to be particularly useful however. In most cases, the same degree of PCT was still necessary at the completion of the cycle EVEN WITH THE ON-CYCLE USE OF HCG. There is another problem as well. HCG only last a short time once it has been reconstituted. Its shelf life is about 20 days max when it is kept in a fridge. If you are trying to administer 200iu daily every couple of weeks , as is suggested by some protocols, during a long cycle, 15+ weeks, you are going to have a lot of your HCG go bad on you before for it get used. Most of the HCG I have seen as of late comes in 5000iu amps. If you are using 200iu daily for a week here and a week there over a 15 week cycle, you are going to tossing a lot of you money out the window.
Ok, back the story. Armed with scant knowledge and a solid recommendation (seemed that way at the time) from a knowledgeable source, I was ready for my cycle and PCT was going to be a part of it. Next stop, my family doctor for the needed scripts.
Remember, this was 1988, nothing was Schedule III and doctors would do this for you without any fear of persecution. I explained my entire cycle – dosages, duration, the whole nine yards – to my family doctor. Needless to say he was impressed but reluctant. Then , I played my ace card, I told him, I would get this stuff from a dealer in my local gym if he wouldn’t help me. He agreed on the grounds that I would come in each month for a blood workup. I agreed. At the time, it seemed to me like an inconvenience, but I realized later, how important the blood workups were. I learned more from those 4 blood tests than any other source during my first cycle.
So, we drew my first blood profile and waited for the results. Everything was normal. I filled my scripts and away I went. On Monday, September the 12th, 1988, I began my first steroid cycle. I’ll never forget the moments before I pierced my right delt with the needle. I had sweat beads on my lip. My heart was pounding. I took me a few tries to actually work up the steel to follow through.
I trained twice a day, eat nothing but egg whites, chicken, rice, sweet potatoes, fruit, oatmeal, and protein shakes. For 12 weeks, I never had a cheat day and never missed a workout. It was a glorious time in my life. I was growing like a weed. Twenty pounds of muscle and a significant reduction in body fat to boot. Boy, folks were shocked!
After 12 weeks, I began my 2 weeks of PCT –HCG 1000 IU every other day and 50 mg of Clomid daily.
Two weeks after PCT, I went back to my doctor as required for my blood draw. No surprise to me (actually, I was crossing my fingers the whole time) , my natural test level was slightly higher than my pre-cycle base line. Kudos to the kid! I planned well and all went smoothly! Well, not quite. My estrogen was also high than normal. At this time, I did not key in on the estrogen number. I was just happy that my test was back to normal and I had all this new muscle.
If that last sentence was not forbearance enough for you, then try this. Over the next several weeks, my estrogen continued to rise. I became noticeable softer and layered on some additional body fat. I wasn’t concerned as it was February of 1989 and still cold outside. Long sleeves and jeans were in order for at least another 6 weeks. Who need abs in the winter anyway, right? However, the estrogen became a real problem when a I notice a small lump under my left nipple. I had a feeling I knew what this was, Hatfield mentioned it in his book. Yup, gyno. At this point, I just hoped it would go away. No such luck. It got worse and developed under both nipples. My estrogen was well out of kilter.
Back to my doctor for more blood work. This was now a full 6 weeks after the completion of my cycle. My results showed that my test levels had dipped and my estrogen was elevated. After discussing the enlargements under both of my nipples, my doctor referred me to an endocrinologist. Actually, that was going to be my next stop regardless so he saved me the trouble of asking him to pass me along.
I began a discussion with my endocrinologist about what I had done. He actually seemed to have a clue and explained that my protocol, while effective at restoring my test levels, did have one obvious flaw (obvious to him anyway). The HCG and Clomid spiked my test production very quickly over the two weeks of my PCT, however, once the Clomid was eliminated from the equation, I was left with a high test level that ultimately converted into estrogen. His off the cuff comment still resonates with me to this day “You should have administered the Clomid for another 4 to 6 weeks to help protect some of the estrogen-sensitive tissues in your body.” He also explained that I was lucky that the estrogen levels did not reach such a point to suppress my natural test production. That one threw me for a loop! I had to ask, “So you mean estrogen can suppress test production?” The answer, a resounding yes. We discussed this for some time and I still have the drawing he made for me of the HTPA.
Wow! If I had talked to this guy prior... Ok, so back to my history of PCT. The next two cycles that I did, I concluded with the PCT protocol as follows.
Weeks 1-2
HCG 1000 IU every other day
Weeks 3-6
Clomid 100 mg daily.
You know what, this protocol work for me in 1989 and again in 1990. I had the blood work done to prove it. My test was elevated to a comfortable level each time. Additionally, the estrogen was elevated but nowhere near the levels of my first PCT.
So, this is where the first chapter of my PCT story ends.
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06-25-2008, 01:11 PM
DR_C's HCG PCT Protocol
