Let’s just get to the basics…
What is HCG?
HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. It is medically used to induce ovulation in females and to stimulate testosterone production in males. HCG requires a prescription and is injected into the subcutaneous fat or in the muscle tissue.
How does HCG work?
For this discussion, we will be focusing on the action in males. HCG mimics leutenizing hormone (LH). LH stimulates the Leydig cells in the testicles to produce testosterone. This action also causes the testes to return to normal size and function if they were suppressed due to exogenous (from the outside) testosterone.
Who should use HCG?
Men who currently are on testosterone therapy should use HCG one week on and three weeks off.
What happens if I’m on testosterone and I don’t use HCG?
When your body has enough testosterone, the brain does not send the LH signal to your testicles. Therefore, you will not make any testosterone until your levels drop to below normal and the signal returns, stimulating production. Since you are getting testosterone from an outside source, your brain is most likely not sending that signal to your testicles. Over time, the old adage of “use it or lose it” comes into play and your testicles will shrink in size. The time is different for every man and the amount of “shrinkage” is different for every man. Fortunately, the HCG will quickly restore the size and function.
Will HCG stimulate my own testosterone production?
Yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Using HCG regularly over time will desensitize the Leydig cells to your own LH. So when you stop the HCG, your testicles will not recognize the LH signal from your brain…not good. HCG will increase your own testosterone for about five days after you inject it.
Will HCG stimulate estrogen production?
Yes. When testosterone rises sharply, your body will aromatize the testosterone into estrogen. This can be prevented with a tablet called anastrazole. My patients take anastrazole anyway while on testosterone therapy.
Anything else I should know?
Of course…When you are on testosterone therapy, it is inevitable that your cholesterol level will go up. Cholesterol is the beginning chemical structure for many of our hormones. The enzyme that begins the changes of cholesterol into other hormones is stimulated by LH. When taking testosterone, LH is suppressed. When you inject the HCG, the enzyme is stimulated again and the pathway flows normally.
How to take HCG.
The dose I recommend is 500IU three times a week, one week on, three weeks off. Usually, my patients inject the HCG during the first week of each month. It gets injected just like a diabetic would inject insulin. The level peaks in about 6 hours and remains at this level for 36 hours. After about 72 hours, the level is back to baseline.
When my patients get their HCG from the pharmacy, it is freeze-dried and must be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water. Everything comes ready to go in the kit. You will draw 5ml of bacteriostatic water from the vial and inject it into the dried HCG vial. DO NOT shake the HCG because the molecule is a peptide and is held together by weak carbon bonds. Shaking can destroy the molecule.
Then draw 0.5ml of mixed HCG into the small insulin syringe provided. Inject the HCG into the subcutaneous fat of your lower abdomen. Store the HCG in the refrigerator after it is mixed. The vial expires 30 days after mixing.
Using HCG while taking testosterone is important to maintain testicular size and function, help balance the other hormones needed in the body, and increases a man’s sense of well-being and libido. As time goes on and research continues, we are learning more and more about how to properly use this wonderful hormone.
22 year old male, actually a personal trainer and live a very healthy life. I messed with some pro hormones when I was younger. I had blood work done and found I had low T. 110 total and 80 free I believe. I’m being placed on test cyp 200mg once every 28 days. I do feel this isn’t what I should be taking as I feel I will only crash should you say toward the end of the month due to the drugs life. If this is correct how do I go about getting on something that will help me? Or talking to my doctor about it.
Your numbers are practically the same as mine. I started out on the same dosage and intervals. The result was peaks and valleys at next injectio my level was 134. Finally got started on 1ml of testosterone cyp. Every 10 days and that helped keep me in the 800 range.
But…after a period of time your hematicrit level will get too high and your blood will get thick and you could have a stroke or heart attack.
Keep an eye on that. If it is go give blood. That’s the simplest way to control it. And it’s free, plus you get to help someone too.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
How do I need to go about letting my doctor know this. I certainly want to be taking everything needed to be healthy overal. I do have high estrogen issues. I really don’t want peaks and then crashes I want to be steady all the time. I’ve had the worst energy levels I think I’ve ever experienced this week. I’ve also read about online doctors, I really want someone who’s well educated handling my trt. Recommendations would be very helpful
HI,
I am 28 y/o with low T. Found this out about a month ago from my PCP after feeling like crap for 6 or so months. It has created a struggle in my marriage and just life in general. No energy, can hardly stay awake, no sex drive, long list of things. MY PCP check me and my TT levels were above 300 so he didn’t think that was the problem even though I’m 28 with a low good range of tt. I thought it should be higher which no I found out from a specialist is best for me to be around 700 to 800. Anyways my PCP took a free T level and it was low. Thats when he sent me to the specialist due to him wanting to give me testosterone and me wanting to keep fertility possibly. He could give the testosterone but didn’t know anything about the HCG. Now that I have went to the specialist and ran more test he gave me the option of testosterone or clomid 50mg a day. I mentioned HCG with testosterone and he knew nothing of using it or how to even dose it. He keeps pushing clomid if I want fertility. I was told it will take clomid longer to get my levels up and even if it does get my levels up it may not fix the sex drive and other things like testosterone does. Thats my reason for pushing T and HCG. Can I get any help here please. MY levels are steadily dropping without being on treatment. A Few month ago I was above 300 now my TT is below 300 and my Free T is still low also. I need to know how to dose HCG with the T.
hi doc, im a 50 year old male, i have been on the pellets and testo gel,but am now on the nabido injection. in all honesty,it has saved my life, lifted moods, more energy,and higher sex drive,.iv started injecting every 8 weeks now,…but now and again,i still get a awful trough,like where im so tired ache, and feel as if i have been run over,i could sleep for a week…..all i take is the injection,nothing else,i have been to doctors,to the endo at the hospital,and have even paid to go private,yet,still no body can help or know what to do..im at my wits end,..the trough either comes on just before my injection is due, or just after,such as now….just wondering if you have any advice……
many thanks mike
Mike, you’re probably taxing your body with huge testosterone spikes and then it goes into somewhat of a withdrawal at the end. I am on trt with dr. John Crisler (lansing, mi) who is considered the expert of experts in this field. He has us on injections twice a week and I feel great. You might want to look him up. He does consults without prescribing over the telephone.
My testosterone specialist has prescribed 1500mgs hcg 3 times per week open ended!
I was injecting cypionate for two years and started doing BioTe pellets last April.
Is this an appropriate amount of hcg for a 63 man?
Thanks for your site… very informative!
Dr. I would like to hear your thoughts on my prescribed regime. I have been on .5cc(100mg) of cypionate per week for about 4 months. Recently sex drive has not been up to par and just not feeling the gains like when I first start my cycle. I have now been prescribed HCG at 1ml 3 times a week for two weeks at which point I will have blood work redrawn. My cypionate levels have also been decreased to .25cc a week. For the past couple of years I usually cycle on for 6 months and off for 6 months @100mg/per week of cypionate.
where is says 1ml i meant to say 1cc^^^^
Hello Dr. Connor,
I am a 49yr old male who has been self diagnosed as suffering from the gross majority of the side effects of Low T for many years and had my blood work done in October 16′ by my local doctor. The first test came back with my Total Testosterone @ 442 ng/dL, Free Testostrone @ 47.2 pg/pL and Bioavailable Test @ 93.0 ng/dL. After that, I went to an Endocrinologist who repeated the tests. I don’t have the numbers with me, but in general his response was that my levels were within the acceptable range (for someone my age)and unless I wanted to pay out of pocket, he could not do anything or would submit to my insurance.
This has been super frustration as my libido has been nill for years, depression, lack of energy, increased body fat, muscle loss etc…
I am looking for any advise you can offer… Thank you!