So this is interesting and runs counter to conventional wisdom. The tl:dr version is that Clomid and HCG are excellent at restoring testosterone production in hypogonadal men. The problem with the study is when they measured test levels. It was a three month course and they tested at the end of the three months. My issue here is that we don’t have any data after the therapy ended. Once it’s done we don’t know how long the respective subjects retained their elevated test levels. Whether or not this indicates if Clomid and HCG make a proper pct is still up for debate. But it’s interesting nonetheless.
Exactly, there are numerous issues I have with this study… but I’m a kid, not a medical professional… I’m not an expert, but these are the issues I have
HCG acts as an LH mimic, it’ll prolong the negative feedback loop already present in one with secondary hypogonadism… unlike clomiphene in which blockade of the ER inhibits negative feedback loops directed towards the anterior pituitary, stimulates the release of LH/FSH… when one goes off HCG, test will drop substantially, back to baseline
They aren’t looking at removing the initial cause of the hypogonadism, say I’ve got secondary hypogonadism because I’m obese, have a lot of visceral adipose tissue (leptin resistance, excess aromatase etc, low grade systemic inflammation)… I take the clomid for three months, androgen status improves… but don’t lose any weight… I’m taken off, the variable/factor causing the hypogonadism is still there, everything reverts to baseline… this refers to pituitary adenoma, medication induced hypogonadism… anything…
Clomid was said to be just as effective as HCG or clomid + HCG as “all three treatments were equally effective”… this means HCG is as effective as clomid (but keeps the HPTA shut down), and HCG + Clomid is just as effective as the other two… Well… yea, because you’re not going to have a synergistic effect from the two… that’d be like taking nolva on cycle, saying “well I’m keeping some natty test going”… no you’re not… Physiolojik advocated this to keep spermatogenesis running, that was actually a red flag to me… that’s bullshit, a SERM while crushing LH/FSH to undetectable levels won’t do anything relating to maintaining spermatogenesis on cycle
It’s retarded that they’re doing studies like this, you’d think the MEDICAL community would have more common sense… I recently saw a study in which WOMEN were given testogel in dosages given to men (bout 10mg/day, so lets say 10x what a woman should produce)… All women experienced extensive virilization… SURPRISE… they wanted to see if supraphysiologic dosages of test for women would increase muscle mass and strength… in 2020, I don’t think anyone would argue that it doesn’t, why would we need this study… now a bunch or poor women are now irreversibly masculinised… how did this pass the ethics committee…