Okay I do realise HCG has been discussed a lot but I am still interested in hearing how many people here are using HCG in their protocols?
I personally have tried including HCG as part of my treatment but did not notice any difference in how I felt or in testicular size… I know that using HCG is not only about maintaining testicular size and fertility. Anyhow, just interested in other peoples experiences with it.
When I was originally taking HCG I had some high E2 issues but back then I was on a much higher test dose. Now I am on a lower test dose I am considering trying HCG again. (Trying to get my wife pregnant)
I found 100ius of HCG equivalent to 5mg T Cyp, might be different for you. I didn’t notice any difference except it brought my testicles back to normal.
I have tried many different protocols over the past two years, but my health situation a somewhat complicated and I have other stuff going on which has made it a little tricky to get dialled in… Best I felt was this summer. 150mg of Test enanthate a week. EOD shallow IM injections. No AI or HCG. Then suddenly started feeling shit towards the end of the summer. I was on a load of supplements and stopped them all at around that time. So something I was taking must have been helping. Anyhow, I realised I was on so many things I did not actually know which, if any were helping and which were not, so I wanted to lay off everything and then maybe reintroduce the supplements one at a time.
If I had to make a list of most common mistakes with TRT, trying too make things at one time is prob in the top 3. You may be deficient in some things non-TRT related. Some people here find out they need Iron or B12, D3, etc. Would need to see bloodwork.
Once I feel optimized on testosterone I will try adding HCG as well. The doc advised me 2 times per week 250 UI.
The issue is before I started TRT I tried injection HCG and it made me feel horrible. I don’t know if this is something that can go away with time if I stick with it. I would definetely prefer to keep my fertility
I know that’s a cardinal sin actually. But over the years I’ve been guilty of trying too many things in the desperate search to find something that would make me feel better. I’ve learnt over time to be way more patient and give my body a good amount of time to get used to once change at a time. Not saying I don’t do stupid things now and again, cause I do!
First time I was doing 250iu EOD but was on a silly test dose back then so high E2 symptoms started to creep in. Actually felt pretty good apart from bad chest sensitivity/itchiness… Second time I was doing 500iu EOD but I was on half the test dose then. Still I think 500iu is too much and decided to stop.
I did 9 weeks just test c. Felt pretty decent. Then added Hcg. Been on test+Hcg for like 5 weeks now. Feel even better with the hcg added in. I’ve tried 250iu’s-500iu’s with no real noticable difference. Plan on keeping hcg in my protocol unless something all of a sudden doesn’t feel right I guess.
The 500 (1500 a week) from what I have read is about the threshhold of being beneficial much lower I didn’t think it would be. I’m not sure that is correct, just what I have gotten from reading around.
I have a quick question how long have you been trying to get optimized with testosterone?
The reason why im asking is because I wanted to know if there has ben anyone out there that has been struggling like me. I have been trying at this for over 2 years
@flatdanny I do 500I.U EOD mono therapy i have been fine my T levels are always in the 900’s but my sensitivity is still not back. I think there is something else going on with that and I have not figured it out yet
Kindly ignore whatever vonko has to say. This is a man who has never been on TRT in his life and dishes out advice as if he’s a veteran user.
There was a time when doctors thought HCG had benefits in a TRT protocol. Dr Crisler became known for daily injections of the stuff. We know better now. All of the forward thinking, progressive physicians that I deal with do NOT use HCG on a protocol except when fertility is required right now. If you don’t need to be fertile right now, don’t touch the stuff, as it typically causes more harm than good. Take it during the time you need to be fertile. If you’re planning on having kids in 5 years, start taking it in 5 years until you get the job done.
HCG does not do what most people think it does. It is not true LH. The subunit is different.
I do appreciate anyone taking the time to reply to my post. I do realise that people on these forums have different levels or knowledge and first hand experiences. I’m not gonna do anything just because some on a forums says xyz
Anyway with regard to what you said about HCG. Do you have any further info on why it’s not a good addition to a TRT protocol?
My wife and I have been trying to conceive for many years. Tried IVF and failed and we are both getting older so time is kind of running out for us. I was considering HCG just to give me a better chance of getting her pregnant.
@flatdanny if you are trying to conceive then by all means use HCG. Typical dose for this purpose would be 500iu 3 times a week. I got the job done doing only 2 times a week. In our case, my wife had a progesterone deficiency (we thought I was the issue). Once she started supplementing with progesterone she was pregnant two months later. Have that looked at if things are taking too long.
My statement was for guys on TRT that do not need to be fertile right now. They believe that adding HCG to their TRT will somehow ‘backfill the pathways’ which we know now to be untrue. It tends to complicate a protocol more than anything else. There are a few guys that do well with it but the majority do not.
