Test Taper: My Experience

Pharma / TRT
1

A little while ago there was a heated debate over PCT Protocol. The first method is one which i have used for all my previous cycles other than this one. It involved the use of Nolvadex, Clomid or a combination of both after your body had cleared all your cycles substances. Meaning you go cold turkey and boost your natural test back into gear with the Nolva/Clomid. The Test Taper, for those who don’t know, is simply tapering of the testosterone within your cycle, letting your body gradually recover its natural testosterone while exogeneous test is being reduced.

Why i chose the taper:

Coming off had become something i dreaded. During pct i was a psycological mess from the fluctuation in hormones. So much so that it was putting serious stress on my relationships with loved ones. Before this last cyle my longest one had been 8 weeks. This last one was 17 weeks i needed a serious new approach to PCT.

My Cycle:

Over the 17 weeks i was “ON” I ran Test Tren and D-bol, test being the only substance i was on the whole duration.

PCT Protocol:

At the 12 week point of my cycle i was running
80mg Test Propionate ED
70mg Tren Acetate ED
30mg D-bol ED
.6 mg Letro ED
Almost 1.4 grams a week of gear

Week 13
100mg Test Prop EOD
.6mg Letro ED

Week 14
50mg Test Prop EOD
.6mg Letro EOD

Week 15
25 mg Test Prop EOD
.6mg Letro EOD

Week 16
25mg Test Prop E3D
.6mg Letro E3D

Week 17
10mg Test Prop E3D
.3mg Letro E3D

Week 18
OFF

Results:

At week 16 things started to happen. It was odd i was coming off but it actually felt like my sex drive was increasing. Now the most important thing about this PCT is i noticed absolutely nothing at all. It was seemless. I didnt lose a single pound since the end of my cycle and its been 3 weeks since my last 10mg shot of Prop.

My sex drive has been fantastic through the entire thing. Other than some anxiety that i get with hormone manipulation i haven’t noticed anything in the realm of my usual PCT emotions, I.E. Severe mood swings, depression (sp), lethargy, In general feeling like a psycotic bag of shit.
In closing this has obviously been the most successful PCT i have ever had. Even though it took a 4 week taper to come off, if i had been doing a traditional PCT i would still have been administering drugs for those 4 weeks to bring back my rock bottom test levels.

I will never go back to my previous method of pct again, without the taper i don’t think i would go near aas again.

1 Like
2

Awesome post! With all the arguements and bashing between two particular members its cool to see someone stepped up to try out the taper (yes I realize people have been tapering for ever). In the future when I get back on im definately taking the tapered approach though I think I will play with EQ instead of tren :wink:

3

I’ve never used AAS, but I am intrigued by their usage. I’ve read a lot about PCT, and it just seems like tapering makes the most sense. Take away all the variables, and logically it would be easier on the body to slowly wane off of exogenous hormones, than to suddenly, for example, go from 500mg of Test to 0mg.

I’m not a endocrinologist or a veteran AAS user, but from a logic standpoint tapering just makes sense. Although completely different, think of a heroine addict in detox. They don’t completely fuck the guy and have him go through withdrawal without any methadone to ease the transition. Seems like it would be no different than tapering Test. Like I said I’m no expert by any means, but am interested to hear what people have to say.

5

You nailed it cortisol is the number one culprit for me also.

I’m interested in seeing how the primo works for you. I know that the next time I taper the only difference will be the addition of masteron to the taper. I think further control of estrogen will make the transition even smoother.

6

No one has conviced me yet that tapering has in value when using long estered test.

You taper naturally given the half life of the ester. Maybe tapering has some benefit in the propionate ester, or with test suspension.

Maybe delaying the begining of PCT would have more benefit with the longer esters than tapering.

Not trying to start anything…well… maybe I am trying to bust Bushy’s balls, but only because I love him.

7

T1gNal1,

Very good post. I’m glad you went out there and did this.

The logic behind this seems right. I have discussed this in depth with others before laying out a guinea pig cycle.

If you remember, you PMed me on this, A while back I was going to do the same with a totally different cycle in P22 fashion but had to put it off due to shoulder injury.

At present I’m running a similar cyle as you laid out (minus the Dbol)and I will attempt the same. As a matter of fact my dosages are a little higher than yours but increments are the same that I have laid out.

Very good post and I’m glad that worked for you.

JW

8

Cool post. If ever I do a cycle in the future, I will do something very similar. Good to see it worked out for you. Keep us posted posted in the up comming weeks in terms of gains kept and things of that nature (said with an Arnold accent of course.)

9

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Great info TigNal, thank you. I too have to agree with the logic of tapering to a certain extent. I just can’t see that a body that has been running on over 1000mg of aas/wk (usually considerably more) can just stop, cold-turkey, with acceptible results, re both physical and psychological components.

All the androgen receptors are going to be supersaturated, and then BAM! nothing.

Yes, I know that long esters are self tapering, but it just doesn’t seem ‘enough’ to me. Plus you have the phychological stress of waiting whilst the esters clear, before starting pct.

Personally, at the moment, I’m leaning towards a kind of taper/bridge. Switch to a non-aromatising steroid (like primo) at a lowish dose (300 mg /wk) for about 8 weeks, while any and all exogenous test clears. Then stop the primo and use something like toremefine (or nolva) to kickstart the HPTA.

My reasoning behind this is that the primo offers enough anabolic support to maintain mass while the test clears. The non-aromatising nature of the primo won’t mess with E levels and will allow fluctuations in E caused by the exoT to normalise (over the 8 weeks). The 8week period following on from the ‘cycle proper’ gives the body a chance to become ‘accustomed’ to the new mass. The other thing that should be taken care of by the primo useage, is the cortisol ‘bounceback’ from stopping the intake of 1g plus of steroids each weak. If you are naturally a type A, stresshead, adrenanline-fueled ecto like myself, then cortisol has to be one of your biggest enemies to retaining mass IMO.

Hey, I’m by no means an expert on PCT, these are just the issues as I see 'em :slight_smile:

bushy[/quote]

Though it seems your rationale for using Primo is sound as far as maintenance of lean tissue is concerned, I believe the reason why testosterone is more preferable here is due to the “other” things testosterone gives you physiologically as well as mentally that other substances don’t.

I have also been interested in using Primo as part of PCT though, and was thinking along your lines. If you do decide to follow this protocol, please let us know how you felt with respect to libido, feeling of well being, etc.

11

Thanks TiG.
Others have tried this protocol and experienced the same results.

I hope all are beginning to realise the fighting and bashing that went on from my side was all due to the fact I want all of you out there to have the best experience possible with cycling, and to do it with your health as #1 priority. It never was ever about me.

It doesn’t matter how big you get, or how rich you are, if you don’t have your health - both mentally and physically you’ve got nothing.

Life is all about health, and enjoying it to the fullest with your loved ones.

Now this guy on here is on the boards pushing all kinds of ‘experimental’ methods of physique enhancement, that are clearly not with your long term health in mind.

I urge you to keep this in mind every time you read one of his posts and articles.

and as for Bushidobadboy: Try the protocol! you don’t need hrt just do a nice long taper and you will be fine!

But I also urge you to stop playing around with all those exotic growth agents, because sooner or later, they are going to turn around and bite you in the ass! Then all that hard work on studying for a carreer, building a life for you and your fiance, will be for not.

stay healthy bro

P-22

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[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:

"Perhaps, without the three most difficult and important exams to come, I would have carried on with the plan, however I just said “I don’t need this shit” and took a ‘maintenence dose’ (200mg) of test to see me through.

“It’s just the thought of going back to my pretest days where I was stressed and adrenaline fueled, uptight and unhappy. I don’t want to experience those days again. I only realise how unpleasant they were, now that I have lived my life (for the last 2 years) in the way that I feel I always ‘should’ have been able to. Testosterone make me feel ‘complete’ as a person and I am loth to forgoe that completeness.”

My 2 cents: So, now that you’re sort of starting PCT over with 200 mg of Test, following P-22’s idea of tapering from there (WITH TEST!!!) will probably work pretty well for you with regards to getting your own endogenous T back up to what is normal for you. As P-22 also cautions, the taper should be a lengthy one, considering how long your last cycle was.

“I am currently weighing up the pros and cons of putting myself on TRT for life. Sure I’m ‘only’ 32 and I haven’t made anyone pregnant yet (to the best of my knowlege, LOL), but neither I nor my GF are too bothered about that. Personally, I would rather risk a possibly childless life, but one packed with vitality and quality and my GF agrees…”

Again, I agree with P-22 (I’m sortof sounding like a broken record now…). I don’t think you need to consider TRT; just begin the taper now (since you are sort of doing it) nice and slow.

Bushy: thanks for the spilling of your guts. I think many of us who had gone off of a cycle during periods of outside stress can commiserate.

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[quote]Prisoner#22 wrote:
Thanks TiG.
Others have tried this protocol and experienced the same results.

I hope all are beginning to realise the fighting and bashing that went on from my side was all due to the fact I want all of you out there to have the best experience possible with cycling, and to do it with your health as #1 priority. It never was ever about me.

It doesn’t matter how big you get, or how rich you are, if you don’t have your health - both mentally and physically you’ve got nothing.

Life is all about health, and enjoying it to the fullest with your loved ones.

Now this guy on here is on the boards pushing all kinds of ‘experimental’ methods of physique enhancement, that are clearly not with your long term health in mind.

I urge you to keep this in mind every time you read one of his posts and articles.

and as for Bushidobadboy: Try the protocol! you don’t need hrt just do a nice long taper and you will be fine!

But I also urge you to stop playing around with all those exotic growth agents, because sooner or later, they are going to turn around and bite you in the ass! Then all that hard work on studying for a carreer, building a life for you and your fiance, will be for not.

stay healthy bro

P-22[/quote]

Hope things are going well with your studies.

I will post my results in time, more than likely with the same results.

Best of luck.

JW

14

[quote]JWpushheavy wrote:
I will post my results in time, more than likely with the same results.

Best of luck.

JW
[/quote]

Actually Final Exam is tommorrow morning, or should I say in about 5 hours time :slight_smile:

15

Tapering is based on flawed reasoning.

16

[quote]Anthony Roberts wrote:
Tapering is based on flawed reasoning.[/quote]

Well if flawed reasoning makes me healthier stronger and look better after a cycle so be it.

I just know i won’t be purchasing those products that you have made a business of anymore.

18

I’ve thought about the test taper but there is still one thing that I do not understand about the theory. Conventional wisdom is that even 200 mg a week of test will completely suppress your ability to generate natural test. Am I correct in assuming those who believe in the test taper approach do not believe this conventional wisdom regarding natural test production being suppressed.

20

Missed this one, great post… I will post my own on this PCT protocol before the year is out.

Thanks