Dicana - the good, the bad, and the ugly

bodybuilder45 · 07-23-2006, 01:16 PM

ok, let me start off by thanking the thermolife reps who were awesome at answering any questions i had about dicana very quickly. there were many questions i had regarding this supplement and i thought i had it all straightened out months before starting. anyways, i used dicana for 3 weeks to aid my contest prep. im on beasts diet/training program although ive tweaked the training portion quite a bit.

dosing: days 1-3:3 caps 4-6:4 caps 7-9:5 caps 10-14:6 caps
15-16:5 caps 17-18:4 caps 19-21:3 caps
each dose was 1 pill taken on an empty stomach either 1st thing in the morning or between meals.

the good: this product is extremely effective for weight loss. i dropped a considerable amounts of lbs in this time and feel i lost more weight than i would have through diet alone. my diet is low carbs, i get carbs in the morning and all other carbs come from green veggies (10g with each meal). dicana worked well with this type of diet.

the bad: notice that i typed this is good for WEIGHT loss as oppose to FAT loss. it seems to be mildly catabolic as i strength loss was noticeable. my strength remained consistent and stable throughout my cutting until this point. i used x factor also in an effort to counterbalance but muscle wasting still occurred.

the ugly: let me state that i think most supplements that are effective will have side effects. the body does not like sudden changes especially with hormones and this supp is like a T3/T2 precursor. lethargy became a major issue and it got to the point where EC would not help. i felt hypoglycemic for hours on end on some days but keep in kind, im on low carbs and i take ALA with 1 carb meal in the morning so insulin output is extremely low. also, this gave me a really flat look to my muscles which wasnt desired but i have regained fullness since coming off. however, this can be a good sign that youre in a fat burning state as glucose metabolism is enhanced. lastly, i became somewhat depressed while on dicana. in all fairness, this may be due to interaction of a host of other supps im currently on but ive felt better since stopping.

final thoughts: great supplement if you can tolerate the sides. id imagine everyone is gonna react differently but for me, 5-6 caps was too much. it will be catabolic at this high of a dose. i think 3-4 caps would be my sweet spot. maybe i could possibly experience the anabolic effects from dicana with the higher protein turnover. i think this supp is ideal for those overweight instead of those of us who are already lean (i may be way off on this thought though). if already lean, it would be best used along with some type of anabolic supplement such as one of AX's designers. I AM NOT RECOMMENDING USING THIS WITH STEROIDS!!!

bodybuilder45 · 07-23-2006, 01:20 PM

also, i think anybody using this should do extensive research before starting. i researched many hours and think some more knowledge concerning dicana would have done me better. also, i noticed when people report sweating and increase in appetite. i experienced a little extra sweating but nothing too uncomfortable and this had no impact at all on my appetite. but then again, beasts diet contains lots of food.

kabukirocks · 07-23-2006, 02:04 PM

what is your BW? I'm currently on Dicana at 4/caps day and will be going to 5/day this week.

I'm also taking retain which may hopefully counteract the muscle wasting effects. my strength is down some..but it always is when I'm cutting.

what I'm concerned about is this next week I will only be training for 2 days then I will be out camping and 4wheeling over an extended weekend for my bachelor party, where there will likely be alcohol consumed.

I'm wondering if I should End the Dicana cycle or just continue through the weekend as I have 2 weeks left with my 6 week cycle. I'm concerned with the raised cortisol levels from the alchohol combined with the dicana my create a muscle wasting enviorment. The retain should counteract that however.

Lonny · 07-23-2006, 05:44 PM

Most of the "catabolism" people see is almost total glycogen depletion which they aren't used to. Creatine can be used to counteract this look, and increased carbs can help with the lethargy.

At least this is what my experience with thyroid boosters has lead me to believe. Almost all of the lbm lost seems to return when going off the booster.

kabukirocks · 07-23-2006, 06:49 PM

Thanks for the info on the 'catabolism'

what's interesting is that I have not expereinced any Lethargy. which I certainly expected as I was also taking 3caps sesamin and 6caps melting point a day.

I just dropped the MP yesterday after working in the heat 100+deg I got dehydrated and cramped up badly...But I was already halfway through my second bottle of that with no sides till then.

I definetly don't have the same energy in the gym due to the glycogen depletion but feel fine through the day.

Lonny · 07-23-2006, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kabukirocks

Thanks for the info on the 'catabolism'

what's interesting is that I have not expereinced any Lethargy. which I certainly expected as I was also taking 3caps sesamin and 6caps melting point a day.

I just dropped the MP yesterday after working in the heat 100+deg I got dehydrated and cramped up badly...But I was already halfway through my second bottle of that with no sides till then.

I definetly don't have the same energy in the gym due to the glycogen depletion but feel fine through the day.

I also get no lethargy sides from thyroid boosters, and usually my energy levels go up a bit. The strength loss can be offset by creatine as well.

kabukirocks · 07-23-2006, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonny

I also get no lethargy sides from thyroid boosters, and usually my energy levels go up a bit. The strength loss can be offset by creatine as well.

good to know. I normally use creatine but I havnt been for the last couple months now. It's no biggie. I'll be bulking again this fall and preparing for competing again...that's when I need to be strong. As for now just getting leaned out before the bulk.

bodybuilder45 · 07-23-2006, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kabukirocks

what is your BW? I'm currently on Dicana at 4/caps day and will be going to 5/day this week.

I'm also taking retain which may hopefully counteract the muscle wasting effects. my strength is down some..but it always is when I'm cutting.

what I'm concerned about is this next week I will only be training for 2 days then I will be out camping and 4wheeling over an extended weekend for my bachelor party, where there will likely be alcohol consumed.

I'm wondering if I should End the Dicana cycle or just continue through the weekend as I have 2 weeks left with my 6 week cycle. I'm concerned with the raised cortisol levels from the alchohol combined with the dicana my create a muscle wasting enviorment. The retain should counteract that however.

i weighed in at 172 lbs yesterday 1st thing in the morning. im sittin around 6.5% bodyfat and right on schedule IMO.

so you are running dicana for 6 weeks? there is no way i could handle that. i barely made it through 3 with my cut diet. retain is a good idea as i hear it is beneficial to the thyroid. as for your bachelors party, i would keep the dicana during this time for damage control purposes. im sure it will be difficult keeping diet in check during this time and alcohol is definitely a necessity for any bachelor party so enjoy yourself and keep the dicana to limit fat gain at this point. congrats on your future marriage

bodybuilder45 · 07-23-2006, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonny

Most of the "catabolism" people see is almost total glycogen depletion which they aren't used to. Creatine can be used to counteract this look, and increased carbs can help with the lethargy.

At least this is what my experience with thyroid boosters has lead me to believe. Almost all of the lbm lost seems to return when going off the booster.

i was using MAN clout before and during the cycle. i still looked flat at all times. my muscles have regained fullness since coming off but strength has certainly suffered. do you think my strength will return? ive only been off for 3 days so its difficult to tell at this point but im really not expecting it to return, especially since im still in a caloric deficit.

lonny, how would you compare dicana to thyrocuts? i know youre a SAN rep but an unbiased answer would be appreciated. also, how are the thyrotabs working?

Lonny · 07-23-2006, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodybuilder45

i was using MAN clout before and during the cycle. i still looked flat at all times. my muscles have regained fullness since coming off but strength has certainly suffered. do you think my strength will return? ive only been off for 3 days so its difficult to tell at this point but im really not expecting it to return, especially since im still in a caloric deficit.

lonny, how would you compare dicana to thyrocuts? i know youre a SAN rep but an unbiased answer would be appreciated. also, how are the thyrotabs working?

No volumization? Maybe you weren't getting enough creatine. I usually use 10 grams of monohydrate when on a thyroid booster and that works for me. Im not currently using any creatine while on thyrotabs.

I can't comment on Dicana as i've never used it. Theres a great post on it at muscle gurus where Ron Kramer and BK exchange thoughts. I do like thyrocuts on its own or as an addition to a stimulant based stack at 3 caps daily. 3 tabs of Thyrotabs daily is more effective than 3 thyrocuts. I've never been any higher than 3 tabs of t2, so I can't really comment above that. It is definitely a strong thyroid booster and im really sweating when i eat carbs. What really interests me is how things will go when i come off, and if theres any suppression.

bodybuilder45 · 07-23-2006, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonny

No volumization? Maybe you weren't getting enough creatine. I usually use 10 grams of monohydrate when on a thyroid booster and that works for me. Im not currently using any creatine while on thyrotabs.

I can't comment on Dicana as i've never used it. Theres a great post on it at muscle gurus where Ron Kramer and BK exchange thoughts. I do like thyrocuts on its own or as an addition to a stimulant based stack at 3 caps daily. 3 tabs of Thyrotabs daily is more effective than 3 thyrocuts. I've never been any higher than 3 tabs of t2, so I can't really comment above that. It is definitely a strong thyroid booster and im really sweating when i eat carbs. What really interests me is how things will go when i come off, and if theres any suppression.

the volumization wasnt a big concern for me. i was ashamed to wear tanktops though because i looked small. i suspected they would fill out again when dicana was finished and they did. however, the strength losshas me worried a bit. i think a lesser dose might have allowed me to retain more mass with similar fat burning effects.

btw, just read your thyrotabs log. good work and keep it up. this has caught my attention and i know i can trust your feedback. not to mention, you actually know what you are doing and have experience with these types of supps

Stomp · 07-24-2006, 02:00 AM

I used Dicana during my diet before summer and found it to be extremely effective. I`ve read that some people use up to 6 capsules per day (3 x 2) but for me it worked quite nicely with one capsule three times per day.

Also, I did not get any sides except increased sweating.

bodybuilder45 · 07-24-2006, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stomp

I used Dicana during my diet before summer and found it to be extremely effective. I`ve read that some people use up to 6 capsules per day (3 x 2) but for me it worked quite nicely with one capsule three times per day.

Also, I did not get any sides except increased sweating.

yeah, i truly think 3-4 caps would have been more beneficial for me. you were smart to stick with that dosage. im the type of person who always thinks more will be better and that most certainly isnt the case with a lot of supps. i like to push limits and i now realize the potential dicana has but it didnt spare as much muscle as i would have liked. oh well, now i know better if there is ever a "next time." what type of results did you get stomp, and how long did you use it?

kabukirocks · 07-24-2006, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodybuilder45

i weighed in at 172 lbs yesterday 1st thing in the morning. im sittin around 6.5% bodyfat and right on schedule IMO.

so you are running dicana for 6 weeks? there is no way i could handle that. i barely made it through 3 with my cut diet. retain is a good idea as i hear it is beneficial to the thyroid. as for your bachelors party, i would keep the dicana during this time for damage control purposes. im sure it will be difficult keeping diet in check during this time and alcohol is definitely a necessity for any bachelor party so enjoy yourself and keep the dicana to limit fat gain at this point. congrats on your future marriage

yes 6 weeks. I'm going to go ahead and bump my dosage up to 6 caps 2morrow which will have me ending around 5.5 weeks. I'm guessing I'm not getting an sides other than some slight sweating due to the higher BW/BF.

I'm at 237lbs around 12%. Down from 255@18% in last 3.5 months. I would like to get to 10% and stabalize before my next bulk.

goali2 · 02-05-2007, 07:19 AM

Hey, sorry to hijack this thread as I didnt want to create a new thread as this relates to Dicana. I am planning on using Dicana, first of all can it be stacked with a stimulant such as Scorch Also how much gap should be kept between using Ephedra and Dicana. I m planning on Dicana starting this month and Ephedra starting September, is ther any to worry. Will my receptors get worn out?

Thank you