healthOverSize
New member
Good day colleagues! It's been noticeable that a lot of people starting their first cycle are using extremely high doses of aromatase inhibitors (AI) right from the beginning. It seems that many are either not reading the pinned guides or not fully researching AIs before jumping into their cycles. I’ve seen users starting their first testosterone-only cycles with AI doses like 0.5mg of Arimidex (Adex) every day (ED), and I’ve even come across 1mg ED, as well as 25mg of Aromasin daily. These doses are excessive and, for most people, are likely to crash their estrogen levels, causing unwanted side effects. I hope these ideas aren't being shared by experienced members on this forum, but if they are, we need to re-educate some users on appropriate AI dosages for a first cycle.
Approaches to Using an AI in a First Cycle
There are two main schools of thought when it comes to incorporating an AI:
1. Keep an AI on hand and only use it if signs of high estrogen (estro) show up, or if blood work shows elevated estrogen levels.
2. Start with a low dose of AI around week 4 and adjust based on blood work, usually taken at week 6 of the cycle.
Personally, I prefer the second method, and here's why:
During my first cycle, I made the mistake of following method #1. I kept the AI on hand, waiting to see if any estrogen-related side effects showed up before taking it. My reasoning was: why take something I might not need? This was in line with method #1, but it quickly turned into a lesson I won't forget. About 4.5 weeks into my cycle, I woke up at 3am, feeling like my nipples were on fire. And I mean *on fire*—it wasn’t just a little discomfort; it was as if someone had set them ablaze. At that point, I immediately took 1mg of Adex, but the relief didn’t come quickly. For the next 2 days, the burning sensation persisted. By day 3 and 4, the pain started to subside, but it wasn’t until a full week later and a few more doses of AI that my nipples started to feel somewhat normal again. Even then, the puffiness didn’t fully go away.
My Recommendation for First-Cycle Users
For those new to cycles and uncertain about their AI dosage, I strongly recommend starting with a low dose of AI at the beginning of week 4 and then adjust based on blood work around week 6. This approach is safer and will help you avoid the kind of discomfort I experienced. A low dose won’t crash your estrogen, but it will help prevent issues before they become too severe. It also allows you to gauge how your body reacts to testosterone and determine your optimal AI dosage for future cycles.
This first cycle is a learning experience. I wouldn't recommend adding compounds like Dbol (or any other additional substances) to your first cycle, as it will complicate things further. Focus on determining your AI dosage in relation to your testosterone dose first, and don’t make things more complicated than they need to be.
What Is a Good Starting AI Dose for a First Cycle?
- Arimidex (Adex): I recommend starting at 0.25mg every 3 days (E3D). This works well since you can take it on the same days you administer your bi-weekly testosterone injections. So, technically, you'll be dosing AI every 3.5 days.
- Aromasin (Exemestane):A good starting dose would be 12.5mg per day (ED).
Whatever you do, don’t start with high AI doses unless blood work shows you need it. Going too high too soon can lead to estrogen crash, which is a whole different set of problems you don’t want to face.
While some will continue to advocate waiting for high estrogen symptoms to appear before using an AI (and there’s nothing inherently wrong with this approach), I’d caution that estrogen sides can sometimes show up suddenly and aggressively. If you wait too long to act, you might find yourself scrambling to get your AI dosage right, and that’s not ideal. It's always better to be proactive with a low dose from the beginning.
Share your experiences below—did you start AI early, or did you wait for symptoms to show up? How did you adjust your dosage, and what were the results?
Approaches to Using an AI in a First Cycle
There are two main schools of thought when it comes to incorporating an AI:
1. Keep an AI on hand and only use it if signs of high estrogen (estro) show up, or if blood work shows elevated estrogen levels.
2. Start with a low dose of AI around week 4 and adjust based on blood work, usually taken at week 6 of the cycle.
Personally, I prefer the second method, and here's why:
During my first cycle, I made the mistake of following method #1. I kept the AI on hand, waiting to see if any estrogen-related side effects showed up before taking it. My reasoning was: why take something I might not need? This was in line with method #1, but it quickly turned into a lesson I won't forget. About 4.5 weeks into my cycle, I woke up at 3am, feeling like my nipples were on fire. And I mean *on fire*—it wasn’t just a little discomfort; it was as if someone had set them ablaze. At that point, I immediately took 1mg of Adex, but the relief didn’t come quickly. For the next 2 days, the burning sensation persisted. By day 3 and 4, the pain started to subside, but it wasn’t until a full week later and a few more doses of AI that my nipples started to feel somewhat normal again. Even then, the puffiness didn’t fully go away.
My Recommendation for First-Cycle Users
For those new to cycles and uncertain about their AI dosage, I strongly recommend starting with a low dose of AI at the beginning of week 4 and then adjust based on blood work around week 6. This approach is safer and will help you avoid the kind of discomfort I experienced. A low dose won’t crash your estrogen, but it will help prevent issues before they become too severe. It also allows you to gauge how your body reacts to testosterone and determine your optimal AI dosage for future cycles.
This first cycle is a learning experience. I wouldn't recommend adding compounds like Dbol (or any other additional substances) to your first cycle, as it will complicate things further. Focus on determining your AI dosage in relation to your testosterone dose first, and don’t make things more complicated than they need to be.
What Is a Good Starting AI Dose for a First Cycle?
- Arimidex (Adex): I recommend starting at 0.25mg every 3 days (E3D). This works well since you can take it on the same days you administer your bi-weekly testosterone injections. So, technically, you'll be dosing AI every 3.5 days.
- Aromasin (Exemestane):A good starting dose would be 12.5mg per day (ED).
Whatever you do, don’t start with high AI doses unless blood work shows you need it. Going too high too soon can lead to estrogen crash, which is a whole different set of problems you don’t want to face.
While some will continue to advocate waiting for high estrogen symptoms to appear before using an AI (and there’s nothing inherently wrong with this approach), I’d caution that estrogen sides can sometimes show up suddenly and aggressively. If you wait too long to act, you might find yourself scrambling to get your AI dosage right, and that’s not ideal. It's always better to be proactive with a low dose from the beginning.
Share your experiences below—did you start AI early, or did you wait for symptoms to show up? How did you adjust your dosage, and what were the results?
