You’re welcome. Its a personal choice and I am not trying to sway you in either direction. Mind, you I am not a medical professional and this is just a hobbyist response. The injecting really isn’t that bad. I inject HGH every night sub Q and pin my test 2x a week intramuscular. It doesn’t bother me at all.
I agree with @blshaw on not starting HCG right away. If you want to add it in later when you are settled in on your testosterone dose, I’d think that would be better. When starting multiple hormones or drugs that impact hormones, it becomes difficult to tell what the cause is if issues come up.
For you, what is the purpose of using HCG? Fertility? Testicle appearance? Potential libido enhancement? Other? Advice on dosage will depend on the goal. I will still recommend that you wait to start for a few months even if maintaining fertility is a goal.
I’d also recommend that when starting the HCG you do about half of what is Rx’d. Research seems to indicate that even low doses of HCG do well at maintaining fertility. You may want to do more if you are trying to conceive, but until then, I’d do more like 500 iu total a week.
I appreciate it buddy.
From the reading I’ve done on SHBG it sounds like the fact mine is low, is a good thing and if this is what’s dragging down my overall T levels. Then this isn’t enough justification to start TRT
Thanks buddy.
I would merely be following the docs orders. I haven’t agreed to start my prescription, I’m still doing some research / learning. To be certain it makes sense for me.
The doc suggested taking HCG as well, to help maintain my current levels of natural test, with the addition of Enth to top things up to the level they would expect / think I need for someone of my age.
Given this is a private paid for service. The partial skeptic in me wouldn’t rule out, since they’re a paid for service. Adding extras is more financial than beneficial
1 Like
This is a common occurrence IMO.
I wouldn’t trust those Free T results for the fact you’re in the UK. Your Free T using a more reliable method is 8.62 ng/dL, in other words low. No way in hell your Free T results are midrange with Total T at 308 ng/dL!
Those free testosterone ranges are suspect!
Starting TRT with hCG hurts your chances are responding well right out of the gate and may make things worse, and may even be the reason you quit therapy altogether.
TRT will push your SHBG down into the single digits. This is important because SHBG transports androgens and estrogens and regulates their access to target tissues, therefore lower levels are not ideal!
Low SHBG by itself doesn’t lower testosterone, metabolic syndrome lowers both the free testosterone and SHBG, which then lowers the total testosterone. Modern civilization alone is lowering testosterone across the board.
So I could give you one hundred reasons, bad genetics as one for your lower testosterone.
My brain is fried now lol
So I have low test and hence would be beneficial to start trt
Sorry I’m literally bambi on ice with all this
Total testosterone <550 ng/dL or <18 nmol/L in the majority of men is where the bad stuff starts to happen, just to give you an idea of how bad things really are.
Appreciate the time responding. But I’m more confused now than ever
Why? It’s quite simple.
You are taking standards doses of T and HCG for TRT and fertility. It’s quite simple.
I’ve take 1000 IU of HCG thrice per week with 100 mg T per week.
I think HCG is awesome. I know some here don’t like it. So see how you like it.
Why do you think that?
It’s real simple, his SHBG is low, will be much lower after starting TRT, hCG with his super low SHBG won’t bind much of the estrogen and therefore very likely he will be estrogen dominant.
The nice thing about having SHBG midrange, it provides a buffer for androgens and estrogens.
1 Like
Thanks mate
This is all very new to me.
1 Like
Appreciate all the responses lads.
If this part is likely to be the case. Its really put me off. So think ill hold off on the prescription for now
Thanks again fellas. Really appreciate all input