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.
Oh forgot to add that I’m at 900 MG a week of the test cyp
I’ve been on test cyp 250 MG for 24 weeks. Will taking hcg bring my sperm count back up to normal while staying on the test? If so how long will it take for this to happen?
You seem to be on a very low dose. What are your levels. We recommend HCG for all our clients(except the very old or slow-release pellet patients that don’t care about testicular shrinkage) to preserve testicular function. If your spern counts are down, there are specific protocls to deal with that. Daily HCG for a month along with anastrozole, followed by clomid for at least three months. But most recommend stopping T if there are fertility issues. mdj
How is that a low dose?
I have been using testosterone enanthate 200ML/ML at 1ml per week for 3 years. A month ago my balls started to hurt. Is there a process other than stop using
testosterone to stop this pain. I am 67 years old play hockey 3 days a week. I raise chickens and cows they need me everyday will withdrawal shut me down. I feel in good shape would like to continue with testosterone.
I am 20 years old and about a year ago I did a couple of cycles of test cypionate for 2 months. I took on month off and then did another cycle for a month. Since then I have had testicular atrophy and I get aches in my testicles. My doctor said I don’t have low test and no hernias or blockages. I’ve heard hcg will solve the pain and atrophy…?
I’m so confused! My urologist knew nothing about hormone balance and was slowly killing me…So I started with an outside company and self administers my shots I’m also using HCG Twife a week every week so reading on here that it should be used 1 week on and 3 weeks off has me very upset!! You’d think being able to get a positive solution to a problem that affects 100 of millions of men would be easy!! But it’s not easy at all!! If I was a Dr I’d specialize in this area.my question is I’m self injecting 100 mg testosterone cypionate once a week taking anastazole 3 timeso a week and injecting. 25 HCG twice a week why don’t I have a fucking libido???? I took myself off antidepressants hoping they were the culprit no change Godammit!! Somewhere someone must know how to fix this?? Please help!!! plundercosmic@gmail.com
Hi there. i hope someone can help. My wife is using Testosterone injections for libido and it was AMAZING and couldnt of had a better sex life. However 3 months down the line the test injections are doing nothing anymore for the libido. Why has it stopped working?
I recently started TRT and this is what I have been told to follow.
Day One: Testosterone Injection 1ml
Day Two: Nothing
Day Three: 0.5 Anastrozole taken orally
Day Four: Nothing
Day Five:0.5 Anastrozole taken orally
Day Six: HCG 25 units Subcutaneous Injection
Day Seven: HCG 25 units Subcutaneous Injection
i am on the exact same treatment plan as you are, except 180mg test cypionate. How have your results been? i went thru e.hormones, and paid 3 drand for a years worth of treatments. been on treatment now for 2 months, everything better except libido is only slightly improved. anybody have any suggestions? last blood draw showed my test at 1020, and estradial at 27. i am in great shape, dont drink, eat clean, and 35 years old.
Probably taking to much anastrazole….usually just one dose a week will suffice but everybody is different all you can do is discuss with your dr and tell him what your experiencing as detailed as possible….take notes if you have to… I take .70 ml of test cyp Saturday and again on Wednesday 1 – .5 mg of anastrazole on Saturday and my libido is more than my wife can handle….total test is around 1200 free test is a lil bit higher than they like but I feel great and no negative side effects….when total test was around 900 I had real bad acne on my back…after achieving that higher level acne disappeared within first week
thanks Rob! im also on the .25 hcg injection with insulin syringe twice weekly. Is this safe year round? ive heard conflicting views on whether you should use hcg the whole time while on trt. An.y advice would be greatly appreciated
Hey Casey, I am on 200 mg of test cyp every two weeks. I am not on anastrozole or HCG (yet). But I understand you’ve been on treatment for 2 months and having slow libido response. I started in May this year and went to my dr for my 2 month check up July 1st and also had the same problems and told him about all of that and he didn’t prescribe me anything but said just give the TRT time to work because it’s a treatment and a slow process. So I was a little disheartened he did nothing at that time, however, just about 3 weeks ago which would be almost 3 months after starting TRT, my libido went to normal and everything that goes with it! So don’t give up yet because it will come around, just give the treatment time. I wasn’t in great shape and still working on getting there. I drink sometimes. I eat pretty clean and I’m also 35 years old. Hope this helps you some and that you’ll give your treatment time to work even though it’s frustrating for you as it was for me (and my wife as well!). Good luck!
thanks Tray!
If your doctor is not giving you hcg. Find a new doctor. Seriously
This is the most stupid routine I’ve ever hurd,and 25iu hcg twice,thats not going to do nothing,especially at that dose and the way you’ve planned it out
The problem is when people say units or ml it doesn’t tell you the amount without knowing the concentration. It could be 250mg or 500mg. Who knows? The method of taking the hcg on day 6 and 7 is actually one of the studied and recommended methods I’ve seen research on. I’m not saying I recommend it just that it isn’t a made up schedule. I really don’t know one way or the other.
I’m glad I find this article. I need some advice and hopefully good news. I’m a 27 year old male, in shape athletic, use to take small dosages of steroids when I was earlier 20s. I never did anything too crazy or harsh (test enanthate mostly 500mg a week or less for 8 week to 12 weeks). About 3 years ago for curiousity I got my testosterone checked and it was something like 135 total. I had really no symptoms of low T. I still worked out, was muscular, had decent energy, and no sexual issues. I just ignored it and went on with life. About a year ago I got it tested again it was 175 total and still not any real symptoms. My doctor convinced me I crushed my test with doing moderate steroid cycles in the past. I refuse to believe this but I was put on test around a year ago. 1/2cc of cyp, levels were 600, then went to 1cc and levels shot over 1500 and lipids were a little out of whack so I’m going to ween back down to 1/2. I don’t want to be dependent on this and I’m awaiting an appointment with an Endo to see if and how I can come off and try to restore my natural test (hopefully higher than before) I think I just need a hard reset that i never had to get everything in motion. I want to gives this an honest balls to the shot before I succumb to TRT for life. I also have 1 son (3.5) conceived on a cycle and I’m wanting another. Please help, any advice I can take in with me or preemptily would be great!!!
Also, im not looking for free advice either. If necessary I’d be willing to set up a telephone consultation with any advice you could offer me. Possible outcomes, success rate, protocol, etc. thank you for your time Dr. Connor
Bret,
Try Using clomid. Clomid suppresses the feedback loop to your brain signal in the pituitary to make LH and FSH which in turn produces testosterone and sperm. The only way this won’t work is if you have primary hypogonadism and your testicles done respond. I know because this is my case. I have never done steroids but I’ve been an athlete all my life when I discovered my body didn’t make the hormone. Hcg allows my testicles to produce sperm but my Ledig cells don’t respond to make testosterone. So I have to take external testosterone with hcg supplimentation. Good luck.
500 milligrams of testosterone enanthate is very strong weekly. The problem is most Physicians don’t prescribe the proper amount because a lot of people are obese have high blood pressure high cholesterol Etc. They are basically giving you half the dosage needed for testosterone replacement therapy. 200 milligrams weekly of testosterone cypionate is ideal, I doubt HCG will make much of a difference.
My husband takes 10 mg and HCG and Sermorlin. Been on them for 6 months now and his energy level and libodo is back to where he was 20 years ago. He is 52, he weighted 267 when he started and is now 245. His T level was at 300 when he started. Is now at 700. Doc says a healthy level is 1000 or more.
sir,
Someone told that HCG will also increase penis size is it true.
If we ll take it with GHT Gel .
After anabolic cycle my penis is shrinked. so i want to regain or enlarge or atleast increase my penis grith.
Please advice
Not a doc, but my husbands did! He takes Testosterone, HCG and Sermorlin.