Teslac (Testolactone)
Testolactone is a first generation non selective steroidal aromatase inhibitor, used clinically to treat estrogen dependant breast cancer. Its exact mode of funciton is unkown, but it is believed to inhibit the aromatase enzyme in a noncompetitive and irreversible manner. If so, this would be an activity that is very similar to that of Lentaron. This might also explain why cessation of the drug does not provide an immediate restoration of normal estrogen production. Like formestane, it takes several days after ceasing use for the body to replenish its enzyme levels. Testolactone was first approved by the FDA as a prescription drug back in 1970. It was an early anti estrogenic drug, exhibiting a moderately pronounced effect but failing to reach levels of high clinical success. As other more successful medications began to surface for the treatment of breast cancer, testolactone would not see the success that had been planned for it. Currently, the United States is the only country where the product has not been discontinued. Testolactone is most commonly supplied in tablets of 50mg.
Even though the drug no longer being utilized for its originally intended purpose, testolactone still offers several unique advantages for steroid users. First, research has shown that the compound can effectively treat and prevent gynocomastia. This is seemingly accomplished by way of aromatase inhibition as opposed to the estrogen agonist/antagonist mechanism that tamoxifen citrate accomplished this effect with. The second benefit that strength athletes, bodybuilders and other who make use of performance-enhancing drugs could experience by taking testolactone is the ability of the compound to help increase the natural testosterone production of users. This increase is prompted by several physiological mechanisms. In several studies it has been demonstrated that not only is the level of testosterone increased in users significantly, but that this is likely caused by the ability of the compound to also increase the levels of androstenedione, leutenizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone in the body. Obviously all of this would suggest that testolactone offers several advantages to those with suppressed natural testosterone production, with male steroid users coming off of anabolic steroids clearly being this group. Returning to the aromatase inhibition action of testolactone, the effects of this drug are similar to those of other aromatase inhibitors. That is to say that testolactone can help to minimize aromatization and lowers the levels of circulating estradiol. However the level to which testolactone can accomplish this is somewhat clouded due to contradictory research. For example, one study indicated that administering one gram of testolactone to a group of healthy men for nine days resulted in only a twenty five percent decline in the level of circulating estradiol. However another study found that users taking one gram of the compound over only six days cut their estradiol levels in half. So while it can be concluded that testolactone will lower the level of circulating estadiol, there is no definitive answer as to exactly how effective it truly is. As for controlling aromatization, testolactone has been shown to reduce it by up to ninety five percent in some cases.
While testolactone has been shown to be an effective compound for the treatment and prevention of gynocomastia, the main benefit it can offer users is during post-cycle therapy when they are trying to regain natural testosterone production by the body. The ability to help increase the natural production of testosterone, as well as the precursors to testosterone, would undoubtedly serve a user well when he is attempting to re-start and raise his hormonal production to their regular levels.
