Damn .... I remember this thread. This is an individual thing. Correct me if I am wrong .. but wasnt that the whole purpose as to why Deca was created in the first place? To produce a steroid that gave the same effects as test (better imo), but without the test side effects?
Anyways, this thread is waaay outdated. Personally for me, test I feel side effects more than gains. The balance dosent weigh out right for me. I have never ran either alone, but I have ran them both without each other before. The reason why people experience problems with Deca, ... is because they dont know how to properly, or effectively, or safely run it. Most people run Deca at too high of a dosage, or too long, or without anything for prolactin, and most importantly in the absense of HCG.
As someone mentioned early ... the ideal way to take nandrolone is as NPP. If you are wanting to experiment with nandrolone, try it as NPP. Read BigAndys thread on NPP. It states MANY reasons why this is a better choice. It is a more effeicient way to cycle, no "dead" time while waiting for long acting depots to kick in or clear. You can stop if run into sides. You also avoid the the cummulative effect of the Deca ester, which compounds when running it for long .. and WHICH GIVES YOU PROBLEMS. This is why I agree with others in that Deca Durabolin is a drug that should be tapered. Its pretty much the only drug that a few people do a pyramid taper with still. These are the people that never complain of Deca sides or loss of libido. Years ago, when most people used a pyramid taper with deca, no one really complained about nasty libido sides from deca. Ask any old school lifter (.. and they have all used it). The wave of complains rained in when people recommended the same dosage throughout the whole cycle, without a taper. The cummulative effect with the Deca ester over time will fuck you.
So ... for many obvious reasons, NPP is a much better choice. The next best thing you can do when running NPP, is run some cabergoline with it. My last run with NPP, my mojo was higher than average while taking the NPP. I added some cabergoline to the mix, and it went through the roof! I have stopped it now (off for about 6 wks), and I feel like it has increased my sex drive for good. I feel like i actually have a healthier sex drive now after running the cabergoline and NPP, than before I even started. Maybe I had high prolactin levels before, and the cabergoline leveled them out, who knows, but I am running stronger than ever now. I was more than impressed with cabergoline.
Last but not least .. use HCG for PCT with NPP. Make it the pivitol focus in your PCT, and use SERMS as a supportive role at best. HCG can even be used during the cycle.
I am willing to bet that almost EVERYONE who got fucked up from Deca either ..
1. did not run it as NPP (how many people have you heard of get sides from NPP? I have yet to here ONE!).
2. Ran deca for a long period of time.
3. Ran deca at a high dosage (no tapering)
4. Did not include HCG usage.
5. Did not take anything for prolactin.
6. Or .. they were using other stuff and could not necessarily pin point their problems on Deca.
I am a big advocate of NPP now, and I thank BA69 for introducing me to it. It will be in all my cycles from now on. Most people recommend test only for a first cycle. I think that you can make just as good, if not better gains from using NPP to start. Stacked with dbol and you should be loving life.
For a first cycle besides the "test only" cycle that almost everyone recommends, I would try an NPP/dbol cycle for a first cycle. THese are my favourite combination of two drugs period. Someone posted a cycle like this the other day, and I think that it would be a very impressive, low side effect cycle.
Wk1-8
NPP: 100mg/eod
Dbol: 20mg/day
wk1-9: Cabergoline 0.5mg/e4d
wk10: PCT with HCG, (standard PCT like the one drjmw suggests)
A newbie with everything in check should do quite well with this cycle, and should'nt experience side effects. If they did, it would more than likely be from the dbol. They could always substitute the dbol for Winstrol or var if they wanted, but they wont be as effective as dbol.
My vote goes to NPP. The only test that I will run in my cycles from here on out, will be a very small base dosage (like 250/wk), if I even decide to run it again.
Mavy