Nolvadex solo for PCT - any real reason to add Clomid if you can only source one

9 posts · started by Dutchman · Nov 29, 2024

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Dutchman
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Dutchman
568 posts · joined Apr 2016
#1
Planning PCT after a 14-week test and NPP blast. Have Nolvadex easily available at 20mg per day for 6 weeks. Clomid is harder to source right now and the vision side effects put me off it anyway. For a cycle of this length and intensity, is Nolvadex solo a defensible PCT or is the LH recovery meaningfully weaker without Clomid alongside it? Interested in members who have actually run bloods post-PCT on both approaches.
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BERLINER
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BERLINER
516 posts · joined Sep 2016
#2
I had vision disturbances on Clomid after 10 days - light sensitivity and floaters. Dropped it immediately and finished 6 weeks on Nolva 20mg only. My LH and FSH were back in range at the 10 week check, testosterone at 480 ng/dl which is lower than my pre-cycle baseline of 620 but recovery was still considered good by my doctor. Solo Nolva is defensible, just run it longer - 6 weeks not 4.
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Marc NL
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Marc NL
233 posts · joined Jul 2019
#3
Nolva solo is fine for a standard blast. The mechanism is solid - works at the pituitary to raise LH and FSH directly. The reason people add Clomid is the hypothalamic action gives a stronger LH kick which matters after longer or heavier cycles. For 14 weeks test and NPP I would say Nolva solo at 20mg for 6 weeks is defensible but if you can get HCG, run 500 IU every other day for the 2 weeks before starting Nolva. That makes the Nolva work significantly better on its own.
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NYCgains
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NYCgains
237 posts · joined Nov 2019
#4
Ran Nolva solo after my third blast, 16 weeks test and deca. 20mg for 6 weeks. Bloods at 12 weeks post were testosterone 510, LH 4.2, FSH 3.8 - all in range. My pre-cycle baseline was 580 test so full recovery basically. Did not miss Clomid at all. The vision side effects from Clomid are real and if they hit you mid-PCT and you have to drop it you are worse off than Nolva solo from day one.
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Davo
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Davo
466 posts · joined Mar 2016
#5
HCG is the answer if you can get it. 500 IU every other day for the 2 weeks between last pin and first SERM wakes the testes up properly before Nolva even starts. Makes a noticeable difference to how quickly you feel right again in the first 2 weeks of PCT. Without HCG the Nolva has more work to do. Solo Nolva still works but the HCG bridge makes it significantly more comfortable.
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FLbodybuilder
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FLbodybuilder
1,336 posts · joined Feb 2015
#6
What did your LH and FSH look like at the 8 week post-PCT mark on Nolva solo? That is the number I am most interested in. My last PCT with Clomid had LH at 5.1 at 8 weeks which my doctor said was good recovery. Curious how solo Nolva compares on that specific marker.
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Mick AU
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Mick AU
463 posts · joined Aug 2017
#7
Did Nolva solo after my fourth blast, 20 weeks test and NPP. 20mg for 6 weeks. Used HCG 500 IU EOD for the 2 weeks before starting Nolva as a bridge. Full recovery at the 12 week check - test back to baseline, LH and FSH in range. Would not say Clomid is necessary if HCG is in the protocol. HCG does the heavy lifting and Nolva finishes the job.
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BERLINER
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BERLINER
516 posts · joined Sep 2016
#8
Just to add a data point - I ran Clomid plus Nolva after my second cycle and had the vision disturbance side effect at day 9. Dropped Clomid immediately, finished on Nolva 20mg for 5 more weeks. My LH at 8 weeks post was 3.9 which my doctor said was acceptable though slower than ideal. Solo Nolva works, the HCG bridge suggestion from others here is what I will do differently next time.
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MunichMarc
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MunichMarc
278 posts · joined Dec 2018
#9
I am 31 so the blast and cruise debate is something I am actively thinking about. My current plan is full PCT after each cycle for at least the next few years while I am still building and learning. This thread confirms Nolva solo at 20mg for 6 weeks is viable which is reassuring given Clomid is harder to source here in Germany right now. Will also look into HCG as a bridge based on what others have said here.
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