Been on T for 3.5 years no hCG. I am not primary or secondary. Nuts functioned well before T. Doc started me on hCG because I requested it. Tried compounding pharmacy brand 500IU x2 week. Saw no results and speculated that the compounding pharmacy had low quality hCG. Got prescribed brand name hCG, Novarel. Doing 1000iu x2 week IM. Still no difference in terms of size, firmness, and hang. I’ve shot 6000iu so far…
Any idea what could be causing this?
After that amount of time I assume you’re fully shutdown. HCG stimulates LH within the testes and if you’ve been shut down for years they will most likely need some time to fire back up, if they do at all. I’d say keep trying and give it some time.
Not being rude brotha - but I believe hCG acts as LH and just stimulates the LH receptors on the Leydig cells. I’ve seen guys on TRT for years who never used hCG then decided to take it and had a response almost immediately to hCG. I’m extremely curious as to why I’m not getting the same thing.
IS Varicocele possible here?
Results do vary and the amount of damage from LH deprivation and shrinkage is also an individual response. Stop looking for absolutes, there are any.
One can test hCG via a home pregnancy test while dosing normally.
The two main responses to note are recovery of size/firmness and the scrotum relaxing so the testes hang lower. If the testes are damaged, the scrotum may still respond, but with a lower weight of the testes.
hCG should be dry if shipped then reconstituted at home. Inject SC, not IM.
I received it from the pharmacy. Dry and I reconstituted it myself, kept it in fridge. Can LH deprivation be reversed?
The problem is that sometimes the testes degrade to undifferentiated lumps of collagen. The amount of risk is probably proportional to physical shrinkage.
The risks with TRT are no different VS body building steroid use.
Doctors could be better at explaining risks and use of hCG, but they are often clueless.
If you have been injecting hCG for ?3 weeks? - too soon to say. 2000iu/week is probably unwise, try 1000/week. Recover can take time as tissue changes take time. Scrotum should respond faster.
They’re about 50% the size the once were. One endo said they weren’t even that badly atrophied. I was shocked because they’re much smaller and less firm now.
You think I should give it 1-2 more months then start making some kind of assumption/see a Uro?
Yes, just chill out. I probably was a bit too direct and did not realize that you had not been dosing for long. What can a Uro do? If you read the stickies you will know more than almost all doctors.
Please read the stickies found here: About the T Replacement Category - #2 by KSman
Evaluate your overall thyroid function by checking oral body temperatures as per the thyroid basics sticky. Thyroid hormone fT3 is what gets the job done and it regulates mitochondrial activity, the source of ATP which is the universal currency of cellular energy. This is part of the body’s temperature control loop. This can get messed up if you are iodine deficient. In many countries, you need to be using iodized salt. Other countries add iodine to dairy or bread.
KSman is simply a regular member on this site. Nothing more other than highly active.
I can be a bit abrupt in my replies and recommendations. I have a lot of ground to cover as this forum has become much more active in the last two years. I can’t follow threads that go deep over time. You need to respond to all of my points and requests as soon as possible before you fall off of my radar. The worse problems are guys who ignore issues re thyroid, body temperatures, history of iodized salt. Please do not piss people off saying that lab results are normal, we need lab number and ranges.
The value that you get out of this process and forum depends on your effort and performance. The bulk of your learning is reading/studying the suggested stickies.
Okay I’ll give it another 2 months. Possibly screen for Varicocele because I have no explanation as to why my nuts would not be responding to hCG.
Also gotta question a little unrelated to this. My endo wont test for fT3. She wont test for rT3 either. She only wants to test for TSH, fT4, and antibodies.
Is this an issue?
Problem can be iodine deficiency if low, or stress/rT3 issues or autoimmune. If you have not been getting iodine, iodine+selenium is an obvious choice. Reading the sticky is required. You can post oral body temps. Perhaps you do not want this topic to be your overall case thread.
My testicles never came back. I have a varicocele on my left testicle
How are things going for you btw? Any progress with treatment? If you have a varicocele you need to look into thyroid.
I was on Proviron 50mg ED and test EOD 50mg. I was better, but I had to lower it to 25ED Proviron because I was running out, the two weeks that I was on just 25ED Proviron I felt like shit. I did bloodwork and my numbers were worst than with E3d injection protocol. Right now I’m taking Anastrazole 0.25 twice a week with my injections. So far I’m been doing it for a week and my libido and erections are better. Maybe I need Anastrozole after all
What is your protocol now?. How do you feel on it?.
Dial down your HCG before you end up with a hormonal imbalance. Give it time. Tissue has to slowly grow back. If they went really soft, great! Something is happening. You’re rebuilding.