HCG
Ned
Any updates…
I am assuming you are still on TRT injections ?
I am in a similar spot. I am now 32 and have been on trt for 2+ years. Wife wants another baby I got 0 on sperm test. I just purchased HCG, Clomid, and Nolvadex. I haven’t decided which way to go yet. My fertility specialist wants me to tack HCG 2,000iu 3 x a week for 3 months while monitoring. KSman recommended 10-12.5mg Nolvadex everyday.
It has been really nice to read your experience.
[quote]Macmathews wrote:
Ned
Any updates…
I am assuming you are still on TRT injections ?
[/quote]
Yes I started the injections again roughly 2 weeks ago now. I was NOT on injections while on the clomid.
I talked to the doc friday. he said he would refer me to the only infertility specialist in the state. Waiting to hear back on that.
I was really hopeful that the clomid would work, Which it seemed to for awhile but the sides got the best of me and i reduced the dosage, which in turn reduced the benefits.
I currently am taking 100mg Test cyp weekly( divided into 2 shots) and 20mg Tamox daily. I have no idea what/if the tamoxifen is helping keep FSH/LH numbers up yet though. Blood work will show this soon enough.
I just felt that after i quit clomid, and saw my LH/FSH numbers back down around zero within a week, that my sperm count would soon follow. I didnt want the last 7 months to be all for not as i did end up with respectable semen numbers.
Hopefully the tamox will help this. I found a few pub med studies stating that this protocol actually worked better than tamox alone.
I neglected to post results from my most recent semen analysis. All of these results are after roughly 30 days off clomid and before i began weekly injections again.
count: 85mil
motility 20%
Morph 35% normal.
Total Test: 133 Range: 300-623
LH: 0.288 LOW
FSH:<0.66 LOW
Man, I got to get an update…Your situation sucks (very similar to mine), but this thread is great info.
Whats the latest?
[quote]Umberto75 wrote:
Man, I got to get an update…Your situation sucks (very similar to mine), but this thread is great info.
Whats the latest?[/quote]
I just started HCG monotherapy a week ago. Im currently running 500UI EOD.
Blood work in another 2 weeks to see what its doing for my T numbers. Then semen Analysis again in March.
Feeling great so far and the boys certainly are plumping up already.
[quote]Ned wrote:
[quote]Umberto75 wrote:
Man, I got to get an update…Your situation sucks (very similar to mine), but this thread is great info.
Whats the latest?[/quote]
I just started HCG monotherapy a week ago. Im currently running 500UI EOD.
Blood work in another 2 weeks to see what its doing for my T numbers. Then semen Analysis again in March.
Feeling great so far and the boys certainly are plumping up already.[/quote]
Good move on HCG. Are you still injecting testosterone? In response to your question on the last page, yes, injecting testosterone is counterproductive to fertility.
I have a theory on your problem with clomid, too. Did you ever get your e2 checked? I did not see it. Clomid increases this, and so it should probably be used with an ai like aromasin (exemastane), because increased e2 is suppressive. An ai increases secretion of LH, and yours is in the toilet. Of course, administering testosterone is only going to drop LH in the toilet further.
I did not see a mention of an ai in your thread, either.
Had I seen your thread earlier, I would have suggested you use HCG before even coming off TRT and start clomid and aromasin at the moment you notice your balls getting bigger, and then stop the testosterone while continuing the clomid and aromasin.
I know the doctor would probably not do it this way.
Take Cialis, too. It helps.
I know nothing of your general health or anything, but exercise and diet help, too.
HCG-mono works great for me. Gets me to the top of range for Free T. The key is to find the smallest dose that provides a good response. You may find that 250IU MWF will provide the same effect as 500IU. Just have to adjust dose and test.
My DHT is on the low end when injecting T. Going to test and see if it’s any different when on HCG mono. With T being produced in the testes, I hoping I get a bump in DHT.
Staying tuned on this topic
[quote]dhickey wrote:
HCG-mono works great for me. Gets me to the top of range for Free T. The key is to find the smallest dose that provides a good response. You may find that 250IU MWF will provide the same effect as 500IU. Just have to adjust dose and test.
My DHT is on the low end when injecting T. Going to test and see if it’s any different when on HCG mono. With T being produced in the testes, I hoping I get a bump in DHT.[/quote]
My last and only DHT test came back at 16. I’m also going to request DHT on my next set of labs. My DHEA-s is also always on the low end. I’ve read that HCG can improve this as well.
DHEA-s is pretty easy to increase. Transdermal magnesium gave me a modest bump years ago, but I only use it sporadically now. Transdermal DHEA never worked for me. I used dermacrine with testing before and after. Used lifeflo as well with sub-par results. The best results for me have been from micronized DHEA. Couple different brands have worked well. Low dose is enough for me. 10mg every day puts me over the normal range. Doing 10mg MWF now. If yours is low, might want to start with 25mg every day.
Got TT labs back after 2 weeks of HCG mono.
Total Test: 442 Range: 300-623
I wish I would have had more labs done but this was it as they were already on the books prior to starting HCG.
I thought this was pretty respectable #'s considering id only been on hcg for 2 weeks and 2 days at this point.
hCG is way better than nothing. If Clomid does not work on TRT, it will not work standalone. It would not hurt to see what Nolvadex can do.
Do you have an update? I’m in a very similar situation you’re in.
I experienced some horrible shutdown following a test/trestolone cycle that I was on for quite a while. test for 1 year trestolone for 4.5 months. test at 200mg/week and trest at 900mg/week
I let the long esters clear out while taking oxandrolone at 100mg/day.
following that I ran PCT with toremifene and took arimidex throughout cycle and PCT.
my total test count came back at 62… fml
anyway. i’m on week 3 of hcg (500iu mon/wed/fri) and clomid at 50mg/day
hopefully I can recover from this and restore my hpta to somewhat normal.
Hopefully you have a better lab result from your next bloodwork
work
When I first went to my doc thirteen years ago he gave me four options: T gel, T cyp, HCG monotherapy, or clomid monotherapy. I thought clomid would be most convenient, so I took it for a month.
HALF A TAB brought my T value from 240 to 790 in one month, a tripling! I didn’t like how I felt though.
Really interested to hear your progress on HCG mono. I’m in a very similar boat â?? been on Clomid mono 25mg ED for 60 days. While my numbers looked fine on paper a month ago, I still have brain fog and feel suboptimal.
Any updates appreciated.
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
When I first went to my doc thirteen years ago he gave me four options: T gel, T cyp, HCG monotherapy, or clomid monotherapy. I thought clomid would be most convenient, so I took it for a month.
HALF A TAB brought my T value from 240 to 790 in one month, a tripling! I didn’t like how I felt though. [/quote]
i know this is an old thread, but i have a question here…
even with your testosterone increasing dramatically, you didn’t feel better, or just didn’t feel as good as you thought you would have?
Hello Ned,
Excellent thread! I too am dying for an update. I’m 39 years old and just started Clomid 50mg ED just 3 days ago for fertility purposes.
My last T level was taken last wee and was 130 after having stopped T inj for two weeks. I am wondering if I should push the doc for HCG. He does not want any labs for 3 months.
Hope your doing well!