Building a TRT protocol around hCG

[FunkOdyssey]

Cortex released a video on this concept of using hCG and DHEA as the foundation of a protocol and then tailoring testosterone dose around that:

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I have kept going back and forth with hCG myself. I've noticed, now that I have some Janoshik-verified potent hCG (eutrig), if I take 250 iu EOD, after a few doses my libido goes from the usual dead state to pretty damn high. It is actually the most dramatic libido result I've experienced, besides an occasional blip after increasing testosterone dose. I'm realizing that finding a way to make hCG work is probably the only way I'm going to have a good libido on TRT. Bear in mind my libido pre-TRT was also nil, but among the many benefits I've derived from TRT, sustainably improved libido was not one of them.

It makes me think of Nelson, and how he basically turns on and off his libido like a light switch by adding or removing the 1000 iu hCG weekly from his baseline 100 mg weekly TRT protocol. He's been on TRT a VERY long time, and I wonder if that is the state that many men will reach eventually, where testosterone alone isn't able to support normal sexual desire anymore after many years of HPTA shutdown. I see themes like this on Reddit too.

I am inspired to try dropping my test cyp dose to ~100 mg weekly to give myself the E2 headroom for a longer-term trial of hCG. Dropping the TRT dose is painful because of how impactful that is on lifting and physique, but I think it's time to rip off that bandaid.

Anyone ever approached a protocol with this mindset before? Making a substantial dose of hCG the central non-negotiable pillar, and then letting testosterone have the remaining scraps of your capacity to handle e2?

 

[Cataceous]

... He's been on TRT a VERY long time, and I wonder if that is the state that many men will reach eventually, where testosterone alone isn't able to support normal sexual desire anymore after many years of HPTA shutdown. I see themes like this on Reddit too.

I am inspired to try dropping my test cyp dose to ~100 mg weekly to give myself the E2 headroom for a longer-term trial of hCG. Dropping the TRT dose is painful because of how impactful that is on lifting and physique, but I think it's time to rip off that bandaid.
...

This is very much in line with my thinking, particularly the part about a longer HTPA shutdown being more problematic. In my case the addition of hCG was an improvement, but it never led to consistent libido and/or sexual function, and things still went downhill over the years. Dropping the hCG in favor of the enclomiphene/gonadorelin stimulation was a further improvement, but still ended up a bit short of where a guy would want to be. Interestingly, the switch to apparently ultra-low dose testosterone suspension has brought a consistency in libido and sexual function I hadn't seen in years. This is odd considering that serum testosterone appears to be barely above what it was when I developed hypogonadism—which was a miserable experience. It does align with the threshold effect mentioned in research. I think every guy who still has issues on TRT needs to "rip off that bandaid".

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

Cortex released a video on this concept of using hCG and DHEA as the foundation of a protocol and then tailoring testosterone dose around that:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

I have kept going back and forth with hCG myself. I've noticed, now that I have some Janoshik-verified potent hCG (eutrig), if I take 250 iu EOD, after a few doses my libido goes from the usual dead state to pretty damn high. It is actually the most dramatic libido result I've experienced, besides an occasional blip after increasing testosterone dose. I'm realizing that finding a way to make hCG work is probably the only way I'm going to have a good libido on TRT. Bear in mind my libido pre-TRT was also nil, but among the many benefits I've derived from TRT, sustainably improved libido was not one of them.

It makes me think of Nelson, and how he basically turns on and off his libido like a light switch by adding or removing the 1000 iu hCG weekly from his baseline 100 mg weekly TRT protocol. He's been on TRT a VERY long time, and I wonder if that is the state that many men will reach eventually, where testosterone alone isn't able to support normal sexual desire anymore after many years of HPTA shutdown. I see themes like this on Reddit too.

I am inspired to try dropping my test cyp dose to ~100 mg weekly to give myself the E2 headroom for a longer-term trial of hCG. Dropping the TRT dose is painful because of how impactful that is on lifting and physique, but I think it's time to rip off that bandaid.

Anyone ever approached a protocol with this mindset before? Making a substantial dose of hCG the central non-negotiable pillar, and then letting testosterone have the remaining scraps of your capacity to handle e2?

I'm increasingly thinking, both from my own experience and observing others, that what you are describing makes the most sense, but with the addition of other targeted compounds to address specific issues. In your case, a moderate dose of Oxandrolone to replace the "lost" T seems logical (or perhaps short-acting Nandrolone). By modest I mean 10mg or so pre-workout no more than 4 times per week. If estrogen from the HCG is an an issue, then perhaps a low dose of Boldenone would be a better choice if you happen to be someone for whom Boldenone blocks the effects of estrogen