Clomid and Tamoxifen: Differences, Uses, and Recommendations for Post-Cycle Therapy

Ivan Vlasov project creator

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Clomid and Tamoxifen

Not long ago, I was gently criticized for lumping Clomid together with Tamoxifen in my book "How to Raise Your Testosterone," despite them being different drugs, although both belong to the class of SERMs. This criticism is fair. Even though the distinction wasn't crucial in the book, I've decided to clarify it here.

The information in this article is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice, and should not replace consultation with a healthcare professional. Any decisions regarding the use of pharmaceutical agents are a personal choice and are taken at your own risk.

Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators

As I mentioned, both Clomid (clomiphene, actually, but I will call it Clomid out of habit) and Tamoxifen belong to the class of SERMs - Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators.

This means that these drugs act selectively: in some tissues, they bind to estrogen receptors and activate them, while in others they also bind but block them.

Clomiphene selectively blocks estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, whereas Tamoxifen can be an antagonist of estrogen receptors in all organs and tissues.

But that's ideally; in practice, Clomid can block receptors in the liver or mammary gland, and Tamoxifen in the hypothalamus and pituitary. To save space, I won't cite studies confirming this, so please take my word for it.

As a result, the use of both Clomid and Tamoxifen leads to an increase in estrogen levels in the blood – this is the body's natural reaction to reduced tissue sensitivity to these hormones.

That's why I didn't emphasize the differences between these two drugs in the book. But now I'll make it right.

What Are Clomid and Tamoxifen Used For?

By reading the instructions for Clomid (clomiphene) and Tamoxifen, you can learn that the former is a gonadotropin secretion stimulator prescribed for inducing ovulation, while the latter is considered an anti-cancer agent used to treat breast, kidney, ovarian cancer, and more.

But if you think Clomid is used exclusively for ovulation problems and Tamoxifen only as an anti-cancer agent, you are mistaken.

The former can be prescribed to fight tumors, although in practice this is rare since Clomid's effectiveness in this area is significantly lower than that of Tamoxifen.

As for Tamoxifen, it is used to stimulate the release of a mature egg from the ovarian follicle into the abdominal cavity much more often. However, in this case, it is less effective than Clomid.

Incidentally, the instructions state that both Clomid and Tamoxifen can be prescribed to men – the former to combat oligospermia, the latter to address issues with malignant breast tumors (this last point only applies to castrated men).

Again: in medical practice, oligospermia is treated not only with Clomid – Tamoxifen in this area proves to be just as effective.

Key Differences

There aren't many differences between Clomid and Tamoxifen, but they do exist. I'll start with Tamoxifen: its unequivocally positive trait is its ability to increase the level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which always decreases when using anabolic steroids.

Unfortunately, the positives end there and the problems begin. First, Tamoxifen raises SHBG levels, reducing the amount of free testosterone in the blood (though sometimes this can be a desirable outcome).

It's definitely bad that using Tamoxifen reduces IGF-1 levels, but even worse is the increase in progesterone receptors.

This means that using Tamoxifen after a cycle with nandrolone or trenbolone will enhance the progestogenic activity of both drugs, worsening issues (risk of gynecomastia, oligospermia).

Clomid does not reduce IGF-1 levels and does not increase progesterone receptors, but its use comes with another issue. The usual daily dose of this drug is 50 mg, but it is most effective when taken at 100 mg per day.

Hence, the protocols suggesting starting Clomid at 100 or even 150 mg per day and only after some time reducing the daily dose to 50 mg.

Now, about the issue. The fact is that taking 100 mg of Clomid daily can easily make you emotionally unstable: many – very many! – report increased irritability or even frequent panic attacks, making the drug's use practically impossible.

Also, don't forget that prolonged use of Clomid can lead to reduced pituitary sensitivity to gonadoliberin. This means there's a risk of reducing LH production instead of increasing it, so it's probably not advisable to use the drug for more than three consecutive months without a break.

Should You Combine Clomid and Tamoxifen Together?

In conclusion, I'll answer the question of whether Clomid and Tamoxifen should be used together, in a "bundle." The answer is positive: in most cases, they should. You remember that the daily dose of Clomid at 100 mg can lead to problems, but it is also effective.

So, the solution could be taking 50 mg of Clomid daily along with ten milligrams of Tamoxifen. This combination will be quite effective while minimizing the negative traits of both drugs.

However, if you tolerate Clomid well, I would recommend using it at a dose of 100 mg per day – at least for the first week or ten days, then reducing the dose to 50 mg per day. In this case, Tamoxifen may not be necessary.