If you’re reading this article, the chances are that you want to know if you’re going to need a PCT for your SARMs cycle. We get asked this question more than 3 times a day, so we thought it would be good to make a short article about anything you need to know when it comes to SARMs PCT.
First, let’s start with the basics.
What is a PCT (Post Cycle Therapy)? Why Do I Need Post Cycle Therapy For SARMs?
Most of you probably already know what PCT is (Post cycle therapy), but let’s explain that shortly as well.
PCT takes place after the cycle with the specific goal of giving your body a break from the cycle and restoring your natural testosterone production.
SARMs are anabolic and work on the androgen receptors in the body. While they are selective (hence the name – Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators), they still target the androgen receptors in the hypothalamus, which signals the body to produce less testosterone (See the chart below to see exactly how it works).
Usually, this means that at the end of your cycle, you will be “suppressed”, which means that your HPA axis (Hypothalamic–pituitary-gonadal axis) is suppressed because of the introduction of SARMs to your body.
Signs of being “suppressed” at the end of a cycle:
- Reduced sex drive and ED.
- Insomnia.
- Having low testosterone, low LH, and low FSH in a blood test.
What Should I Take for PCT? (SERMs)
So now that we understand what happens when we take SARMs and how the suppression happens, let’s talk about our options. In bodybuilding, it’s common to use SERMs (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators) for PCT. There are also other options, like AI’s (Aromatase Inhibitors), HCG. In this article, we will focus on SERMs which are commonly used for PCT.
Those are the SERMs that you can use for your PCT:
- Tamoxifen (“Nolva”, Nolvadex) – is the king of SERMs and probably the safest of all of them. It is being used for more than 60 years and is considered very reliable with minimal side effects.
- Clomiphene (Clomid) is also a classic drug for PCT – but is notorious for the vision side effects. Clomiphene is made out of 2 isomers. Zuclomiphene and Enclomiphene. Zuclomiphene is more estrogenic and causes more side effects than the other isomer. Zuclomiphene also got a very long half-life.
- Enclomiphene – similar to Clomid but doesn’t contain Zuclomiphene. It is considered better than Clomiphene for that reason, but it’s a quite new drug.
- Toremifene – Another SERM which is around since 1997 but is not very commonly available.
There is also Raloxifene, which sadly doesn’t raise testosterone (through LH and FSH, see the chart) like the other mentioned SERMs. For that reason, Raloxifene cannot be used for PCT.
How do SERMs Work?
Remember the last chart? well, it’s a bit more complicated than that. The receptors in the hypothalamus don’t only sense androgens, but they can also sense estrogen. In fact, estrogen plays a vital role in the HPA axis. Low estrogen levels in the blood signal the hypothalamus to produce more GnRH (which will then raise testosterone). The reason for that is simple – excess testosterone will convert to estrogen and will signal the hypothalamus that the body already has enough testosterone. That also means that low estrogen will do exactly the opposite. Low estrogen will signal the hypothalamus to produce more testosterone as the body thinks it lacks in testosterone.
SERMs like Tamoxifen and Clomiphene block estrogen from binding to the receptors in the hypothalamus which will signal the body to produce more GnRH, LH, FSH, and ultimately more testosterone. (See the chart below)
Do You Need PCT With SARMs?
Like many things, it depends.
If you can’t afford a blood test after the cycle (since it’s the only way to tell if you are suppressed or not) then it’s recommended to take PCT after SARMs cycle (You will find below which SARMs require it and what is the protocol).
With that being said:
- It depends on the SARM you are using. Some SARMs are more suppressive than others.
- It also depends on the dosage. 5mg of Ostarine ED will not suppress you the same as 25mg of Ostarine ED.
- Every individual is different. Some may be more suppressed than others while taking the exact same SARM in the exact same dosage.
Which SARMs Require PCT
The following SARMs will most likely suppress you, and it’s advisable to take a PCT after using them. Disclaimer: Keep in mind that not a lot is known about SARMs, the information you see here is just a recommendation, you are advised to do your own research before deciding!
- LGD-4033 (Ligandrol)
- RAD-140 (Testolone)
- S4 (Andarine)
- YK-11
- S-23
- Ostarine (Debatable. Probably less suppressive than other SARMs)
You do not need a PCT for MK677, Cardarine, and Stenabolic as those are not SARMs and won’t have an impact on your HPA axis.
PCT for SARMs – Protocol & Dosage for PCT after SARMs
Because SARMs don’t cause a shut down of the HPA axis like steroids, you can start taking the PCT directly after finishing the cycle. That means you can start your PCT one day after finishing your SARM cycle.
Nolvadex PCT Dosage after SARMs
Tamoxifen is considered one of the best SERMs for PCT because it’s potent and barely has any side effects.
The most common protocol is 10/10/5/5 (See the image below). That means you take 10mg every day (ED) for the first week another 10mg every day for the second week and then drop it to 5 mg every day for the next 2 weeks, such as:
- Week 1: 10mg ED
- Week 2: 10mg ED
- Week 3: 5mg ED
- Week 4: 5mg ED
You can also double your dose if you feel like those doses are low, however, it has been shown that Tamoxifen is effective in raising testosterone even at 5mg. So taking more than 20mg is really not necessary in most cases (Here is a link to one study that confirmed that: Effect of lower versus higher doses of tamoxifen on pituitary-gonadal function and sperm indices in oligozoospermic men)
You can also extend your PCT to 5 or even 6 weeks if your SARM cycle was very long (more than 8-10 weeks).
Clomid PCT Dosage after SARMs
The most common protocol for clomiphene as SARM pct is 25/25/25/25 (See the image below). That means you take 25mg every day (ED) for 4 weeks:
- Week 1: 25mg ED
- Week 2: 25mg ED
- Week 3: 25mg ED
- Week 4: 25mg ED
Enclomiphene PCT Dosage after SARMs
Enclomiphene is another common SARM PCT compound. It is a bit harder to get than Clomiphene and Tamoxifen (we don’t sell it at BuyDeus).
The dosage for Enclomiphene is still debatable, but some studies show its effective from 12.5mg ED.
We would recommend sticking to 12.5mg ED for your SARM PCT, but you can also go as high as 25mg ED (though, it’s really not needed):
- Week 1: 12.5mg ED
- Week 2: 12.5mg ED
- Week 3: 12.5mg ED
- Week 4: 12.5mg ED
What about HCG and SARMs?
You don’t need HCG after a SARM cycle (or during your cycle as well). HCG is common with steroid cycles though.