Farestos (active agent – toremifene citrate) is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) derived from triphenylethylene. Toremifene was patented and approved in Europe in the mid 1990’s to treat metastatic ER+ breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
In bodybuilding, toremifene citrate is used by men as a drug for post-cycle therapy (PCT) to counteract and/or block some of the effects of excessive estradiol in the body obtained through aromatization of various androgens used. Toremifene is used particularly to restore levels of endogenous testosterone in blood, as well as to prevent the estrogen-related side effect of gynecomastia.
Toremifene stimulates the hypothalamus which in turn stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to release gonadotrophic hormones. The gonadotrophic hormones are the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). FSH stimulates (in males) the spermatogenesis and LH stimulates the leydig cells of testicles to secrete more testosterone. This feedback mechanism is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-testes axis (HPTA). This results in an increase of the body’s own testosterone production causing blood levels to rise, as to compensate for the diminishing levels of exogenous steroids. This is vital to minimize post cycle muscle losses.
