Need Help w/ hCG Dosage

Hi all-

I have been on a very poorly administered TRT for the past several years after a low T diagnosis. I was in my late 20’s at the time, and my total T came back at 250, free T was low as well. By poorly administered I mean this: The doc didn’t know what he was doing and gave me androGel, highest dose. Nothing else. On top of that, I wasn’t as educated on the topic as I should have been, and began mixing in, first Masteron, and then Masteron/EQ, and then Masteron/Test, then Masteron… well you get the point.

Everything was going well enough. After a cycle of 8 weeks or so, I would go on low dose Masteron + 100 mg test, and in the mean time my LH would bounce back. Only found the need for AI’s if I wasn’t taking Masteron. This went on for at least 3 years, probably a bit longer. Was looking good, feeling good.

Surprise Surprise, I find my self feeling like rolled sh!t. Test injections fix it for the most part (some mental fog remains), but i start getting sick 4 days post injection like clock work. Got a new doc and blood work came back:

(Last week)
Test: 137 ng/dL
Test Free: 5.3 pg/mL
SHBG: 12.9 nmol/L
Estradiol: 19.8 pg/mL
Prolactin: 14.1 ng/mL
TSH: 3.8 uIU/mL
FSH: 0.9 mIU/mL
LH: <0.1 mIU/mL !!
Cortisol: 9.5 ug/dL
DHEA: 187.2 ug/dL

Hight: 5’8
Weight: usually 180, in the last several weeks skyrocketed to 204
BF: usually 15%, recently, scared to look
Age: 34

Doc and I decided to recover my HPT axis and normal test production, and try to confirm original diagnosis at that time. This is because I suspect my original low T results (from several years ago) could have been influenced by corticosteroids I was taking at the time, or a few other possible unrelated issues that have been since resolved.

The doc prescribed:

hCG: 5,000 iu once per week, sub-cutanious
Axiron, 60 mg (2 pumps) once per day

He said the Axiron dose should remain that low, as apposed to 4 pumps, to promote natural production. He rejected my request for anastrozole, saying that I will benefit from the additional E2, because it will stimulate my FSH, which is what I need for my HPT to recover.

My first question is about hCG. What he recommends is similar to the famous PoWeR regiment for the HIV patients or whatever, only difference they do 2,500 several times per week, vs all at once. The other issue, is that he said SC, not IM. From my understanding, the only difference would be that IM results in almost double bio availability. I am kind of scared to fry my nuts with excessive hCG. Should I split the weekly 5K iu he prescribed into multiple doses? Should I do them IM? (I know the sticky says SC, but this is not for a permanent TRT, not yet anyway). And second, should I ignore his recommendation about the anastrozole? Is Nolvadex or Clomid ( or Aromadex/Exemestane ??)useful for what I am trying to accomplish?

After 2 days of Axiron and hCG I no longer feel like driving my self to the ER, but still not as well as I would like to be!

Thank you in advance for your help!

[quote]beefcake.08 wrote:
Hi all-

I have been on a very poorly administered TRT for the past several years after a low T diagnosis. I was in my late 20’s at the time, and my total T came back at 250, free T was low as well. By poorly administered I mean this: The doc didn’t know what he was doing and gave me androGel, highest dose. Nothing else. On top of that, I wasn’t as educated on the topic as I should have been, and began mixing in, first Masteron, and then Masteron/EQ, and then Masteron/Test, then Masteron… well you get the point.

Everything was going well enough. After a cycle of 8 weeks or so, I would go on low dose Masteron + 100 mg test, and in the mean time my LH would bounce back. Only found the need for AI’s if I wasn’t taking Masteron. This went on for at least 3 years, probably a bit longer. Was looking good, feeling good.

Surprise Surprise, I find my self feeling like rolled sh!t. Test injections fix it for the most part (some mental fog remains), but i start getting sick 4 days post injection like clock work. Got a new doc and blood work came back:

(Last week)
Test: 137 ng/dL
Test Free: 5.3 pg/mL
SHBG: 12.9 nmol/L
Estradiol: 19.8 pg/mL
Prolactin: 14.1 ng/mL
TSH: 3.8 uIU/mL
FSH: 0.9 mIU/mL
LH: <0.1 mIU/mL !!
Cortisol: 9.5 ug/dL
DHEA: 187.2 ug/dL

Hight: 5’8
Weight: usually 180, in the last several weeks skyrocketed to 204
BF: usually 15%, recently, scared to look
Age: 34

Doc and I decided to recover my HPT axis and normal test production, and try to confirm original diagnosis at that time. This is because I suspect my original low T results (from several years ago) could have been influenced by corticosteroids I was taking at the time, or a few other possible unrelated issues that have been since resolved.

The doc prescribed:

hCG: 5,000 iu once per week, sub-cutanious
Axiron, 60 mg (2 pumps) once per day

He said the Axiron dose should remain that low, as apposed to 4 pumps, to promote natural production. He rejected my request for anastrozole, saying that I will benefit from the additional E2, because it will stimulate my FSH, which is what I need for my HPT to recover.

My first question is about hCG. What he recommends is similar to the famous PoWeR regiment for the HIV patients or whatever, only difference they do 2,500 several times per week, vs all at once. The other issue, is that he said SC, not IM. From my understanding, the only difference would be that IM results in almost double bio availability. I am kind of scared to fry my nuts with excessive hCG. Should I split the weekly 5K iu he prescribed into multiple doses? Should I do them IM? (I know the sticky says SC, but this is not for a permanent TRT, not yet anyway). And second, should I ignore his recommendation about the anastrozole? Is Nolvadex or Clomid ( or Aromadex/Exemestane ??)useful for what I am trying to accomplish?

After 2 days of Axiron and hCG I no longer feel like driving my self to the ER, but still not as well as I would like to be!

Thank you in advance for your help!
[/quote]

A few of your concerns are covered in the Sticky titled “Protocol”. Check that out, and come back here with any other questions you may have. Not to brush you off, but reading through that Thread will make sure that all of us are on the same page, and we can have a productive discussion.

Not a single part of your doctor’s plan makes sense.

He wants to recover your HPTA, but completely suppresses the ‘P’ part of the equation by giving you exogenous testosterone as well as HCG? Jesus Christ

And also, his statement that higher E2 will lead to higher FSH is not only bullshit, but even if it was true, would be completely irrelevant, since FSH is not what you are looking at to increase for testicular output (that hormone would be known as LH).

Why did you put exclamation points beside your LH lab value? Of course it is 0, you are on exogenous test. That is what is supposed to happen. I don’t understand your statement that your “LH would recover in the meantime” while you were cycling on and off the mast.

This whole thread is bollocksed up. You should find a doctor who is not mentally impotent.

[quote]beefcake.08 wrote:
Is Nolvadex or Clomid…useful for what I am trying to accomplish?
[/quote]

This is what you actually need. But it will not work with all the other garbage.