About a month half ago after doing some test propi and d's I noticed my nipps get puffy, swollen chest/nipps, looked like I needed a braw. I started Nolvadex but did not help. I thought it was gyno and stopped my cycle and went to a doc.
After seeing the doc 2X (endocrinologist) and doing lots of homework this is what I learned:

I did not have gyno! Gyno is defined by swelling of the glands due to excess estrogen. What I had is feminization symptoms (fat/water/breast tissue retention) in my chest due to estrogen buid-up from the propi, which aromatizes the quickest out of all the tests! The doc assured me it will go away once my hormones balance out, test becomes more dominant.

What had happened was part of the propi and D's aromatized into estrogen while I was not taking any ani-estrogens. I was doing 600mg/week of the propi and 30mg of D's/day. When I started doing Nolvadex it was only 10mg/day (was not enough to block all the receptors). By the time I started 20mg/day it was too late, the test had already aromatized. So I got screwed.

The feminization symptoms, as the doc calls them, is combined water,fat and breast tissue build up from the excess estrogen. However it is NOT permanent because I stopped the cycle right away. As a result of me stopping the cycle abruptly, I crashed and estrogen became the dominant hormone. My test level at the time I stopped was high (synthetic only), but the hormone (signal) level controlling the production of test was 0. After a 1 1/2 months now, my test is under normal, but the signal level to the testees is normal. That is thanks to Nolvadex, which not only blocks estrogen, but stimulates natural test production (not to the same degree as HCG or Clomid). I use Nolvadex because it's hard to get Clomid (or vary expensive) here Toronto, Canada.

In a blood test they cannot tell the difference between natural test and synthetic, but can tell if your body is producing any test by the amount of signal the testees are getting from the brain.

My symptoms are better, not 100% yet. Once test becomes normal and dominant (estrogen goes to normal). Until then I will keep taking Nolvadex to block-out estrogen. I should loose the symptoms (mostly water) completely in another month. If you look at me now you cannot tell I had the fem symptoms, but I can.

Here are some important observations/opinions on estrogen affects from my doc and from my personal experience:

1-If you are sensitive to estrogen build up (like me) protect yourself thoughout the cycle with an anti-estrogen (Armidex, Nolvadex, Proviron or Clomid) to avoid any problems.

2-If you have gyno or had it recently, make sure you take anit-estrogens during the entire cycle with anything that can aromatize. As per the doc, gyno which has not formed any scar-tissue and is not affected by an increased estrogen level again, will/can go away. If you have had gyno you will get it again, even if you had an operation (unless they took out the gland, and in that case you would not have any sensation in your nipple). If you have it now and are doing gear which aromtizes then the gyno will not get better, but worse, becoming more permanent. That is why you need to protect the gland tissue from increased estrogen level.

3-A friend of mine got gyno 6 months ago from HCG (did not use any anit-estrogens during the shots). It got worse during a suspension cycle. I told him to start taking Nolvadex. He has started doing susten and is taking Nolvadex throughout his cycle. His gyno has gotten much smaller (it was like an egg before and now like a small marble).

4-By taking Nolvadex throughout the cycle you may loose some gains, but you will be leaner due to less fat and water (by blocking out the affect of estrogen).

5-The estrogen which is blocked by an anti-estrogen such as Nolvadex, you will piss out, i.e. it will not affect your body!

6-Something that I never thought of is the more fat you become the higher your estrogen level will become through aromatization in the fat cells. An example is men that become fat, you can see they start gaining fat in the same areas as women, i.e. get fat in the chest so it looks like they have tits, ass, even thighs. That's why even the doc said try to stay as lean as possible, you will keep your fat and water retention low.

7-Fat cells are cancerous! Yes it is true and that is why fat men/women are more prone to cancer. Therefore another reason to stay lean, and live longer!

8-It's better to take testee stimulants (HCG, Clomid) periodically in the cycle, like every 3-4weeks to make sure your natural test level does not get suppressed for long, which among other things will affect your sex drive! I know a few guys that have been on test for years and they don't care for sex. Very important factor.

Like I mentioned above this was a FYI post based on my personal experience to help other bro's who are estrogen sensitive (easily retain fat/water) and steroid "virgins" to learn from my mistake/experience.
Because, unless you are a professional BB who makes a living from it, it's not worth risking to have to wear a bra or get irreversible gyno for a few lbs which will not just be muscle but also fat and water.

If estrogen does not affect you much then you have nothing to worry about and can disregard this post. Also, the information above I gained was either from a book (WAR, Anabolics 2000, and other) or from the doc, so it is factual.

I will continue to use gear, but will protect myself if using test or any other which have good aromatizing properties. It's almost like sex, you have to wear a condom to protect yourself from STD's.

Can you back that one up? Cancerous would be something already having cancer or a growth. A carcinogen is something that would cause cancer - and this isn't because it has some magical cancer particle associated with it, it is because it would cause an increase in cell turnover and raise the likelyhood of a dna screw up - or it does something to actively manipulate your dna to promote the changes.
now, fat cells are just little chambers filled with... well, fat. oil and such. fat in itself isn't a carcinogen, and it isn't cancerous by nature - so that comment puzzles me. people that are fat are more likely to get cancer b/c of the stress that it puts on their system, but I'm not certain that you can actually get cancer in a fat cell.

Thats what I come to this to this site for

I thought the same thing by reading the WAR book which said it is safer then most tests.

What I am thinking is this:
Since I was taking 600mg/week in 2 shots of 300mg, my body did not use up all the test in between shots and a large amount got aromatized into estrogen.
If I took a lower dose (150mg/shot) and did it more frequent (3x/week) maybe it would not have happened.
In any case next time I will take precautions.
Take a look in Anabolics 2000 under propi and see what they say.

Later

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"If you believe in yourself & have dedication & pride, and never quit, you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards."
-Paul "Bear" Bryant, Alabama Crimson Tide

Suspension realeases quicker than prop, casuing more estronic conversions.

Nolvadex will only stop estrogen based gyno/feminization....it will do nothing for drugs like Deca, remember that guys.