JimiThing
Moderator
So I have been in this game for a long time and I am still learning all the time. Over the years though I have picked up quite a bit of knowledge and experience, much in the form of mistakes I personally made. One of the realizations I have come to over time is that the Steroid Cycle itself is a very small portion of the equation. There is, of course diet, training and rest, the importance of none of which can be overstated. Those things aside however, leaves an important aspect to cycling that can make a huge difference in both the outcome & the overall enjoyment of the experience; Ancillaries.
I view ancillaries as things I take in addition to steroids that can minimize and manage side effects as well as improve both the outcome and enjoyment of the entire steroid experience. When it comes to the evolution of using steroids this very well may be the area that has seen the most growth as far as knowledge and application goes. The compounds both available and used has changed dramatically and has definitely in my opinion improved things substantially. While many of the concerns of aas users have not changed, how they are managed or handed definitely has.
Many ancillaries are actual pharmaceutical compounds, some are over the counter supplements. The purpose of this post is go over the ancillaries I use, why i use them, and the difference they have made for me personally. Now that is not to say that these are things every single person should use but I think we will all agree the reasons i am using them are issues we all, as steroid users, face. By all means feel free to share what you use or how you handle certain situations as far as side effects etc go, these are simply the compounds I have put in place to help to maintain both my health and maximize my enjoyment of the entire experience.
I have been trying to figure out what an easy way to lay out this write up would be so it is easy to understand and follow along with as well as comprehensive enough to cover everything I use with all cycle types and why I use them. In doing so I started to make it a bit confusing so I decided to simply jump in and start writing!
(HCG):Lets start with something that occurs with every aas cycle; being "shut down". When we take aas our HPTA stops functioning. This is fine when we are on cycle, but when we stop cycling the goal should be for the HPTA to resume function as quickly as possible as well as ideally functioning at its maximum pre cycle capacity. One of the things I do with every cycle is use HCG. The reason for this is simple, while on cycle the body ceases production of Leutenizing Hormone. Leuteninzing Hormone is converted to testosterone in the testis by the leydig cells. Allowing the leydig cells to remain non functional is in my opinion not very prudent. First of all the "if you dont use it you lose it" mantra comes to mind, but second of all why try to get something to resume functioning if you could maintain function throughout your cycle? This is exactly what HCG does, it maintains leydig cell function throughout your entire cycle. For me this has made my recovery of HPTA function much smoother than in the pre hcg days. There are many benefits to this, both gains retention as well as the overall health benefits, but there is also a psychological benefit to this. The sooner I resume normal hormonal function post cycle, the sooner I feel normal. When I use hcg on cycle I utilize a low dose protocol. My goal is to use the lowest amount of hcg while maintaining leydig cell function. It has been shown that HCG in higher doses can actually cause leydig cell desensitization (ie- they do not respond to leutenizing hormone the way they should), so this low dose protocol make sense for a lot of reasons. I take 250iu's of HCG, 2x/week on cycle. I stop HCG 3 days pre PCT. A mistake often made or mentioned is using HCG IN pct. This is a mistake IMO. HCG in and of itself can actually suppress HPTA function. Anything that does so has no place in my PCT in my opinion.
(PCT): Since we just mentioned it lets jump right into PCT. PCT, or post cycle therapy, is designed to get the HPTA to resume its normal function as quickly and fully as possible. It is a protocol run at the end of your steroid cycle that is usually a combination of serms. You see serms trick or cause the body into producing LH and FSH. These compounds trigger the production of testosterone and induce spermatogenesis. When you start your PCT depends on what compounds you are running. You have got to make sure the steroid levels have dropped below suppressive levels or the serms will be unable to carry out this function. My serm choice for PCT has been Nolvadex and Clomid combined. I take them for anywhere from 4-6 weeks depending on my cycle The most common and most proven pct in my opinion would be as follows:
Nolvadex 40mg/20mg/20mg/20mg & Clomid 100mg/50mg/50mg/50mg/50mg
These are daily dosage amounts broken down per week so for example: week 1-100mgs clomid and 40mgs nolvadex per day, week 2-50mgs clomid and 20mgs nolvadex per day, and so on.
A successful PCT will allow your body to resume HPTA function as quickly and thoroughly as possible while by doing so assist in both gains retention and psychological well being. I see people mention the use of ai's in pct more and more in recent years and I have to say I am of the belief that an AI has no purpose in your pct, PCT is best accomplished via the use of SERMS IMO.
(Estrogen Management): Having just mentioned AI's, or aromatase inhibitors, now is good time to get into their appropriate on cycle use. AI's limit the aromatization of testosterone to estrogen. Their introduction into the steroid world may very well be the biggest advancement I have seen in my years of aas use. You see years ago we didnt have a way to manage the levels of estrogen, just manage some of the sides estrogen can cause. From a health standpoint this is far from optimal. Estrogen is a funny thing, its not all bad but it most certainly is not all good. The key in my opinion is estrogen management. You see the base of our cycles comes in the form of testosterone and the result of these elevated testosterone levels is elevated levels of estrogen as well. Many of the effects estrogen exerts are undesirable and unhealthy in males. That being said it also performs some functions that are important from a health s well as gains standpoint. The key for me has become keeping estrogen within the clinically normal range while on cycle. This affords us the benefits estrogen has to offer, without the adverse sides that can come from elevated estrogen or an out of balance androgen/estrogen ratio. For me the use of either exemestane or arimidex on cycle has been a god send. Letrozole is too powerful an AI for me to manage but many do use it successfully as well. How do you determine what is an appropriate dose of which AI you use? There is only one true way as I seeit, tha is on cycle blood work. By getting blood work mid cycle you can determine what dosage of AI is appropriate for you. The BW results along with effects you may be feeling can be combined to optimize your e2 levels for you personally. One important thing to remember is this. quite often the side effect most associated with unmanaged or elevated estrogen is Gyno. While this may be a side effect it is far from the most dangerous side effect elevated estrogen can cause in males. If you reach the point where Gyno is rearing its head, other more serious side effects are and have been taking place. Its time to take care of your estrogen levels right away if you reach this point!
(SERMs On Cycle): This transitions right into the use of SERMS on cycle and when it is prudent. You see serms used to be what we used to keep estrogen related side effects at bay, but with the incorporation of AI's they do not need to be manditorily run on cycle. So if we have AI's why use a SERM on cycle at all? Well lets say you are running your AI and for whatever reason Gyno does start to rear its head? If this should occur the answer in my opinion is a SERM. Preferably raloxifene or my second choice is tamoxifen. You see while SERMS will not lower estrogen levels they will prevent estrogen from binding to estrogen receptors in selective tissue, most important of which in this case is the estrogen receptor in breast tissue. Raloxifene is extremely effective at blocking estrogen from acting on breast tissue followed closely by tamoxifen. I always have raloxifene on hand just in case gyno should occur. If this were to happen I would immediately get blood work (before I do anything) and make necessary adjustments in my ai dosage to properly manage my e2 levels if required, and start raloxifene at 60mgs/day. This will prevent the formation of gyno and has even been shown effective at reversing it as well.
Dopamine Agonists: So above I mentioned getting gyno even when managing e2 with an AI in the unlikely situation that it may occur. Well some things DO increase our sensitivity to what might nrmall be considered "normal" levels of estrogen and create an environment where the formation of gyno is possible. One of these seems to occur when we throw a 19nor steroid, such as Tren or Deca (or NPP) into the mix. I still feel estrogen management is the total key to gyno prevention however this does bring up another ancillary I keep on habd when I run cycles that include a 19 nor. That ancillary is Pramipexole. Prami is a dopamine agonist. You see it seems that for whatever reason when you run a 19 nor that prolactin or prolactin related sides can rear their head. Dopamine and prolactin have an inverse relationship. That is the higher the levls of one, the lower the levels of the other. By elevating dopamine you can effectively lower the levels of prolactin. When I run a 119nor if I start to get sides of a sexual nature or in an extreme case lactation from the nipple, a dopamine agonist such as prami is incorporated. I dose prami ultimately at .5mg-1mg/day but normally at .5mg/day. I start off taking it at .25mg/day for a week. Then I up it to .5mg/day. I take it at night before bed as it makes me tired. This will effectively lower prolactin and its associated sides that a 19 nor seems to cause. I always have prami on hand when I run a 19 nor.
Cilais: Having just touched on 19 nors one of the sides that cycles cause for me, especially tren, is elevated blood pressure. I take advantage of low dose daily cialis on cycle to effectively lower my blood pressure. It also lessens symptoms of an enlarged prostate and has the normal cialis like benefits as well. It has been a great addition to my cycles and has effectively helped to lower my BP on cycle. Normal daily doses are around 5mg/day.
Red Yeast Rice: Another side of tren is that my lipids get trashed. In fact my lipids will get out of wack on varied cycles so a supplement I have incorporated is Red Yeast Rice. Red Yeast Rice (if it is imported) contains statins, the very ingredient many pharmceutical cholesterol meds contain. It is important that you get your RYR from an overseas source as the FDA has mandated that US manufactured or distributed RYR have the statins removed (got to love the corruption of the US government). I get powdered red yeast rice and take 1 gram-2x/day for a total of 2grams per day on cycle. It works wonders on my lipids.
NAC & UDCA: When I run orals I rely on 2 supplements. I takere NAC at 1200mgs /day on cycle. This is an excellent anti oxidant that I take at 600mg/day even off cycle. On cycl I up the dose to 1200mgs/day. This dose effectively keeps my liver enzymes within the clinically normal range in 90% of all cases. Now should my liver enzymes become elevated in spite of my NAC usage I rely on UDCA as a treatment for this. I continue to take my NAC and add in UDCA initially at 250mgs eod. If 250mgs eod doesnt lower the liver enzymes sufficiently i up it to 250mgs ED. This combination IMO is by far the most effective liver prevention and treatment option for on cycle.
That pretty much wraps up my list of Add Ons to my cycles. As you can tell some are incorporated into every cycle, some I just have on hand. These have all proven to have made a significant difference in my cycles. Side effects are dramatically reduced or eliminated, recovery is vastly improved, overall health markers are significantly better. All in all they have made a dramatic impact on the steroid experience. I do not consider them optional and actually consider them just as important as any one steroid component to any cycle. These are all compounds I have IN HAND before I start any cycle. I dont wait or rely on my ability to get them if needed. Been there done that years ago - never again.
If you guys have any additions you might like to add or want to discuss any of the above please post. I hope this helps someone out. This protocol has evolved over 20+ years of aas use and in 5 years it may evolve even more who knows, but I have to say I am now using and enjoying steroids more safely than I ever have. It is also nice that the majority of the items I mentioned are readily available from the site sponsor. It used to be hard as hell to even get things that were new in this game but thanks to RUI not only can I get most of the things I mentioned very easily, I can also get them in a high quality product. Doing both was a real crap shoot in years past believe me. Guys that say it used to be easy to get legit pharma this and pharma that- well I dont know where they were from but it must not have been from my neck of the woods! Now a days availability of top quality ancillaries is at an all time high so there are no excuses not to take care of yourself as optimally as possible while on (and recovering from) a cycle.
I view ancillaries as things I take in addition to steroids that can minimize and manage side effects as well as improve both the outcome and enjoyment of the entire steroid experience. When it comes to the evolution of using steroids this very well may be the area that has seen the most growth as far as knowledge and application goes. The compounds both available and used has changed dramatically and has definitely in my opinion improved things substantially. While many of the concerns of aas users have not changed, how they are managed or handed definitely has.
Many ancillaries are actual pharmaceutical compounds, some are over the counter supplements. The purpose of this post is go over the ancillaries I use, why i use them, and the difference they have made for me personally. Now that is not to say that these are things every single person should use but I think we will all agree the reasons i am using them are issues we all, as steroid users, face. By all means feel free to share what you use or how you handle certain situations as far as side effects etc go, these are simply the compounds I have put in place to help to maintain both my health and maximize my enjoyment of the entire experience.
I have been trying to figure out what an easy way to lay out this write up would be so it is easy to understand and follow along with as well as comprehensive enough to cover everything I use with all cycle types and why I use them. In doing so I started to make it a bit confusing so I decided to simply jump in and start writing!
(HCG):Lets start with something that occurs with every aas cycle; being "shut down". When we take aas our HPTA stops functioning. This is fine when we are on cycle, but when we stop cycling the goal should be for the HPTA to resume function as quickly as possible as well as ideally functioning at its maximum pre cycle capacity. One of the things I do with every cycle is use HCG. The reason for this is simple, while on cycle the body ceases production of Leutenizing Hormone. Leuteninzing Hormone is converted to testosterone in the testis by the leydig cells. Allowing the leydig cells to remain non functional is in my opinion not very prudent. First of all the "if you dont use it you lose it" mantra comes to mind, but second of all why try to get something to resume functioning if you could maintain function throughout your cycle? This is exactly what HCG does, it maintains leydig cell function throughout your entire cycle. For me this has made my recovery of HPTA function much smoother than in the pre hcg days. There are many benefits to this, both gains retention as well as the overall health benefits, but there is also a psychological benefit to this. The sooner I resume normal hormonal function post cycle, the sooner I feel normal. When I use hcg on cycle I utilize a low dose protocol. My goal is to use the lowest amount of hcg while maintaining leydig cell function. It has been shown that HCG in higher doses can actually cause leydig cell desensitization (ie- they do not respond to leutenizing hormone the way they should), so this low dose protocol make sense for a lot of reasons. I take 250iu's of HCG, 2x/week on cycle. I stop HCG 3 days pre PCT. A mistake often made or mentioned is using HCG IN pct. This is a mistake IMO. HCG in and of itself can actually suppress HPTA function. Anything that does so has no place in my PCT in my opinion.
(PCT): Since we just mentioned it lets jump right into PCT. PCT, or post cycle therapy, is designed to get the HPTA to resume its normal function as quickly and fully as possible. It is a protocol run at the end of your steroid cycle that is usually a combination of serms. You see serms trick or cause the body into producing LH and FSH. These compounds trigger the production of testosterone and induce spermatogenesis. When you start your PCT depends on what compounds you are running. You have got to make sure the steroid levels have dropped below suppressive levels or the serms will be unable to carry out this function. My serm choice for PCT has been Nolvadex and Clomid combined. I take them for anywhere from 4-6 weeks depending on my cycle The most common and most proven pct in my opinion would be as follows:
Nolvadex 40mg/20mg/20mg/20mg & Clomid 100mg/50mg/50mg/50mg/50mg
These are daily dosage amounts broken down per week so for example: week 1-100mgs clomid and 40mgs nolvadex per day, week 2-50mgs clomid and 20mgs nolvadex per day, and so on.
A successful PCT will allow your body to resume HPTA function as quickly and thoroughly as possible while by doing so assist in both gains retention and psychological well being. I see people mention the use of ai's in pct more and more in recent years and I have to say I am of the belief that an AI has no purpose in your pct, PCT is best accomplished via the use of SERMS IMO.
(Estrogen Management): Having just mentioned AI's, or aromatase inhibitors, now is good time to get into their appropriate on cycle use. AI's limit the aromatization of testosterone to estrogen. Their introduction into the steroid world may very well be the biggest advancement I have seen in my years of aas use. You see years ago we didnt have a way to manage the levels of estrogen, just manage some of the sides estrogen can cause. From a health standpoint this is far from optimal. Estrogen is a funny thing, its not all bad but it most certainly is not all good. The key in my opinion is estrogen management. You see the base of our cycles comes in the form of testosterone and the result of these elevated testosterone levels is elevated levels of estrogen as well. Many of the effects estrogen exerts are undesirable and unhealthy in males. That being said it also performs some functions that are important from a health s well as gains standpoint. The key for me has become keeping estrogen within the clinically normal range while on cycle. This affords us the benefits estrogen has to offer, without the adverse sides that can come from elevated estrogen or an out of balance androgen/estrogen ratio. For me the use of either exemestane or arimidex on cycle has been a god send. Letrozole is too powerful an AI for me to manage but many do use it successfully as well. How do you determine what is an appropriate dose of which AI you use? There is only one true way as I seeit, tha is on cycle blood work. By getting blood work mid cycle you can determine what dosage of AI is appropriate for you. The BW results along with effects you may be feeling can be combined to optimize your e2 levels for you personally. One important thing to remember is this. quite often the side effect most associated with unmanaged or elevated estrogen is Gyno. While this may be a side effect it is far from the most dangerous side effect elevated estrogen can cause in males. If you reach the point where Gyno is rearing its head, other more serious side effects are and have been taking place. Its time to take care of your estrogen levels right away if you reach this point!
(SERMs On Cycle): This transitions right into the use of SERMS on cycle and when it is prudent. You see serms used to be what we used to keep estrogen related side effects at bay, but with the incorporation of AI's they do not need to be manditorily run on cycle. So if we have AI's why use a SERM on cycle at all? Well lets say you are running your AI and for whatever reason Gyno does start to rear its head? If this should occur the answer in my opinion is a SERM. Preferably raloxifene or my second choice is tamoxifen. You see while SERMS will not lower estrogen levels they will prevent estrogen from binding to estrogen receptors in selective tissue, most important of which in this case is the estrogen receptor in breast tissue. Raloxifene is extremely effective at blocking estrogen from acting on breast tissue followed closely by tamoxifen. I always have raloxifene on hand just in case gyno should occur. If this were to happen I would immediately get blood work (before I do anything) and make necessary adjustments in my ai dosage to properly manage my e2 levels if required, and start raloxifene at 60mgs/day. This will prevent the formation of gyno and has even been shown effective at reversing it as well.
Dopamine Agonists: So above I mentioned getting gyno even when managing e2 with an AI in the unlikely situation that it may occur. Well some things DO increase our sensitivity to what might nrmall be considered "normal" levels of estrogen and create an environment where the formation of gyno is possible. One of these seems to occur when we throw a 19nor steroid, such as Tren or Deca (or NPP) into the mix. I still feel estrogen management is the total key to gyno prevention however this does bring up another ancillary I keep on habd when I run cycles that include a 19 nor. That ancillary is Pramipexole. Prami is a dopamine agonist. You see it seems that for whatever reason when you run a 19 nor that prolactin or prolactin related sides can rear their head. Dopamine and prolactin have an inverse relationship. That is the higher the levls of one, the lower the levels of the other. By elevating dopamine you can effectively lower the levels of prolactin. When I run a 119nor if I start to get sides of a sexual nature or in an extreme case lactation from the nipple, a dopamine agonist such as prami is incorporated. I dose prami ultimately at .5mg-1mg/day but normally at .5mg/day. I start off taking it at .25mg/day for a week. Then I up it to .5mg/day. I take it at night before bed as it makes me tired. This will effectively lower prolactin and its associated sides that a 19 nor seems to cause. I always have prami on hand when I run a 19 nor.
Cilais: Having just touched on 19 nors one of the sides that cycles cause for me, especially tren, is elevated blood pressure. I take advantage of low dose daily cialis on cycle to effectively lower my blood pressure. It also lessens symptoms of an enlarged prostate and has the normal cialis like benefits as well. It has been a great addition to my cycles and has effectively helped to lower my BP on cycle. Normal daily doses are around 5mg/day.
Red Yeast Rice: Another side of tren is that my lipids get trashed. In fact my lipids will get out of wack on varied cycles so a supplement I have incorporated is Red Yeast Rice. Red Yeast Rice (if it is imported) contains statins, the very ingredient many pharmceutical cholesterol meds contain. It is important that you get your RYR from an overseas source as the FDA has mandated that US manufactured or distributed RYR have the statins removed (got to love the corruption of the US government). I get powdered red yeast rice and take 1 gram-2x/day for a total of 2grams per day on cycle. It works wonders on my lipids.
NAC & UDCA: When I run orals I rely on 2 supplements. I takere NAC at 1200mgs /day on cycle. This is an excellent anti oxidant that I take at 600mg/day even off cycle. On cycl I up the dose to 1200mgs/day. This dose effectively keeps my liver enzymes within the clinically normal range in 90% of all cases. Now should my liver enzymes become elevated in spite of my NAC usage I rely on UDCA as a treatment for this. I continue to take my NAC and add in UDCA initially at 250mgs eod. If 250mgs eod doesnt lower the liver enzymes sufficiently i up it to 250mgs ED. This combination IMO is by far the most effective liver prevention and treatment option for on cycle.
That pretty much wraps up my list of Add Ons to my cycles. As you can tell some are incorporated into every cycle, some I just have on hand. These have all proven to have made a significant difference in my cycles. Side effects are dramatically reduced or eliminated, recovery is vastly improved, overall health markers are significantly better. All in all they have made a dramatic impact on the steroid experience. I do not consider them optional and actually consider them just as important as any one steroid component to any cycle. These are all compounds I have IN HAND before I start any cycle. I dont wait or rely on my ability to get them if needed. Been there done that years ago - never again.
If you guys have any additions you might like to add or want to discuss any of the above please post. I hope this helps someone out. This protocol has evolved over 20+ years of aas use and in 5 years it may evolve even more who knows, but I have to say I am now using and enjoying steroids more safely than I ever have. It is also nice that the majority of the items I mentioned are readily available from the site sponsor. It used to be hard as hell to even get things that were new in this game but thanks to RUI not only can I get most of the things I mentioned very easily, I can also get them in a high quality product. Doing both was a real crap shoot in years past believe me. Guys that say it used to be easy to get legit pharma this and pharma that- well I dont know where they were from but it must not have been from my neck of the woods! Now a days availability of top quality ancillaries is at an all time high so there are no excuses not to take care of yourself as optimally as possible while on (and recovering from) a cycle.
Last edited:
