I’ve been on TRT several years and have tried HCG a few times but have never did well on it. With that said I prefer not to use it. My question is for guys that are using it with TRT, how much does it affect your total t level as compared to only using test? I’ve never seen this discussed anywhere and was curious if the difference is substantial. It seems if ones testicles were healthy, then it would make a substantial difference. Any feedback appreciated.
Hcg effect on testosterone level while on TRT
- Thread starter sh1973
- Start date
As everything it varies from person to person and it also depends if you are primary or secondary and to what degree. I have used slightly different dosages so difficult to say what impact it had on my TT. I am sure others will chime in.
DragonBits
Well-Known Member
You could design an experiment to see how it affects you.
I would first measure baseline TT and estrogen without any treatment.
Then treat with testosterone and wait for say 6 half lifes to make sure my production of testosterone was shut down. Measure your TT and estrogen levels at the end of the last injection cycle the day before your next testosterone treatment
.
Then start HCG without changing anything else about the treatment, continue for about 6 months, they measure total testosterone and estrogen at the end of the last testosterone cycle the day before your next testosterone treatment. You could measure total testosterone and estrogen every month after stating HCG, it would be interesting to know when your testicles kick in production.
Basically, as long as you measure at the same point in your cycle, you should be able to compare numbers.
Then compare the numbers and see how they changed.
Of course if anything else changed about your health or supplements, it could affect the results.
People also debate about how effective HCG is based on different brands. HCG is also sensitive to storage.
I think if you have been on TRT for a time, then you would need to give HCG at least 3-6 months to work. And it would help if you know your untreated level of testosterone production.
If you had a physical problem that prevented any testosterone from being produced, then all the HCG in the world won't help.
Another problem as we get older testosterone production drops, so I would guess the older we are the less effective HCG will be.
Not sure I’d want to do all that but it definitely sounds like a good experiment. I can’t really tolerate hcg. I was just curious if while on trt if there was any increase at all. It seems if a persons testicles were healthy then hcg would provide full production. It seems it could potentially boost t levels 300-500ng since it’s bypassing the hpta and directly activating the LH receptors. I just don’t understand the concept of hcg because it seems even on trt your testicles would be doing all they’re capable of, since they’re being directly stimulated. I guess speaking hypothetically, if ones t level was 350ng before trt and 100mg of t alone put his level at 700ng, then shouldn’t hcg put them at 1050ng once initiated with trt?
I was on TRT for 6 years before I started HCG. My TT was at 780 and after 2 months of HCG my TT was 1170. That's a 390 increase. However I am hypopituitary and suffer from HPTA dysfunction so that may play into it. My HCG dose was 500iu E3.5D BTW, I felt much better, calmer, relaxed and less anxiety after starting HCG. For me it's great.
Very interesting, that’s quite an increase.
Been on TRT for about 8-9 yrs and never felt good other than strength.. so about 4 months ago I changed my TRT protocol from Cyp @ 200mg (100 x 2 pr wk) to Cyp @ 140mg pr wk (20mg ed) and felt better, then 2 months ago I switched to Test Prop 140mg pr wk (20mg ed) and felt even better... then I decided to add HCG to see if would help with low DHEA and sluggish Thyroid function (pooling symptoms)... first month I tried HCG 350iu x 3/wk (1050 total) and started feeling tired so the next month I tried 150iu ed and no change as still feeling like crap.. I did notice a small improvement in Teste growth but my shrunken Teste never bothered me to begin with as shrinkage seemed minimal from the start. I'm getting bloodwork done tomorrow and I won't be surprised if my E2 is high... I stopped HCG yesterday as I feel there is no benefit to me mood and energy wise...
Sorry to hear that Billy, sounds like my story. I’ve been on trt 8.5 years and have never felt that well or had libido. I feel decent now that I’ve dropped my dose to 68mg once weekly but still really don’t have much libido. HCG makes things even worse by far for me. Not much I haven’t tried from topicals to injectables. I feel it was the biggest mistake I ever made.
Yup, I forgot to mention LIBIDO.... since I switched from 2x wk injects to ED injects, especially since switching to Test Prop ED, my libido was great, but It is non-existent since starting HCG.... smdh
Yes.... I inject TEST ED so my HCG falls on the same days... Ive injected HCG at night for a few weeks and injected HCG in the same syringe with Test, Ive reduced HCG, and no matter what combo I've tried I feel like crap...... but all I know for certain fact is that since I introduced HCG my libido disappeared within 2 wks and I feel more tired/sluggish.. as a side note... going to ED Test injects with less Test (dropped from 200mg pr wk to 120-140mg pr wk) had me feeling better than I ever did on a 2 x wk inject protocol..
Billy, can you honestly say trt has been worth it for you?
and that was the only reason why I added HCG.... I get bloodwork drawn tomorrow so I will find out if anything changed with my tanked dheas levels but even if it did improve those levels its negligible because I feel like absolute crap physically...
Honestly, looking back over the past 8 yrs? NO....... and that is because of many factors.. My doc basically had me on a one size fits all TRT protocol... Cyp 200mg/wk (100mg x 2)... Never really took a pre-baseline Dheas level, SHBG level, Thyroid level, etc....
Looking Forward on TRT? emphatic optimistic Yes! I believe TRT will help if IM dialed in to understanding what my body needs and over the past 4 months I have seen/felt glimpses of TRT potential since going to more frequent Test injections such EOD/ED (in my case ED seemed the best especially with PROP). I have LOW in-range SHBG (not sure of the cause of being lowish as I had mid-range SHBG before starting TRT). Since lowering my total weekly Test and going to EOD/ED injects my SHBG has raised into the 30% inrange percentile when It was in the bottom 5% range percentile.... Unfortunately, the HCG threw a wrench into my short lived progress so I have dropped the HCG and move forward with ED injects and see what happens...
This is the effect that HCG alone has had on my testosterone levels over the years
Pregnyl HCG
12-30-15
HCG - 2000iu/ week. Split into EOD dosing
Anastrozole 0.25mg 2x/ week
TOTAL T - 1185 (250-1100 ng/dL)
FREE T - 171.7 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 39 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 43
Pregnyl HCG
2-11-16
HCG - 2000iu/ week. Split into EOD dosing
Anastrozole 0.25mg 2x/ week
TOTAL T - 1193 (250-1100 ng/dL)
FREE T - 168.9 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 39 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 55
Pregnyl HCG
4-12-16
HCG - 1000iu/ week. Split into EOD dosing
Anastrozole 0.25mg 2x/ week
TOTAL T - 579 (250-1100 ng/dL)
FREE T - 71.4 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 38 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 11
Compounded HCG
11-18-16
HCG - 2000IU split into EOD dosing
Total - 559 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 64.5 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 41 (10-50)
E2 NOT Sensitive - 30
Compounded HCG, different brand than labs from 11-18-16
1-10-17
HCG - 2000IU split into EOD dosing
Total - 348 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 64.5 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 58 (10-50)
E2 NOT Sensitive - 24
As you can see, Pregnyl has a different effect on my testosterone levels than compounded HCG. So the other members are right, not only does every man vary on how he is going to respond to HCG, but in my experience, the brand of HCG also makes a big difference. HCG is a lot more complicated than testosterone, which is why I think we see such varying results with it.
And here are my labs while on nothing. Two were pre-TRT, and the 3rd one is when I had to go off of everything for a new TRT clinic. Which consequently debunks the thought that HCG could possibly result in a "restart/ reboot", well at least in my experience. I also was on Clomid before the 8-31-16 labs. So Clomid did not induce a restart/ reboot for me either.
8-5-15
ON NOTHING
Total - 584 (348-1197 ng/dL)
Free T - 7.3 (9.3-26.5)
SHBG - 57.1 ( 16.5 - 55.9)
E2 NOT sensitive - 14.6 (7.6-42.6)
11-2-15
ON NOTHING
Total - 691 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 73.9 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 45 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive- 25
8-31-16
ON NOTHING
Total - 601 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 54.3 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 53 (10-50)
E2 NOT Sensitive - 23
Pregnyl HCG
12-30-15
HCG - 2000iu/ week. Split into EOD dosing
Anastrozole 0.25mg 2x/ week
TOTAL T - 1185 (250-1100 ng/dL)
FREE T - 171.7 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 39 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 43
Pregnyl HCG
2-11-16
HCG - 2000iu/ week. Split into EOD dosing
Anastrozole 0.25mg 2x/ week
TOTAL T - 1193 (250-1100 ng/dL)
FREE T - 168.9 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 39 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 55
Pregnyl HCG
4-12-16
HCG - 1000iu/ week. Split into EOD dosing
Anastrozole 0.25mg 2x/ week
TOTAL T - 579 (250-1100 ng/dL)
FREE T - 71.4 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 38 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 11
Compounded HCG
11-18-16
HCG - 2000IU split into EOD dosing
Total - 559 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 64.5 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 41 (10-50)
E2 NOT Sensitive - 30
Compounded HCG, different brand than labs from 11-18-16
1-10-17
HCG - 2000IU split into EOD dosing
Total - 348 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 64.5 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 58 (10-50)
E2 NOT Sensitive - 24
As you can see, Pregnyl has a different effect on my testosterone levels than compounded HCG. So the other members are right, not only does every man vary on how he is going to respond to HCG, but in my experience, the brand of HCG also makes a big difference. HCG is a lot more complicated than testosterone, which is why I think we see such varying results with it.
And here are my labs while on nothing. Two were pre-TRT, and the 3rd one is when I had to go off of everything for a new TRT clinic. Which consequently debunks the thought that HCG could possibly result in a "restart/ reboot", well at least in my experience. I also was on Clomid before the 8-31-16 labs. So Clomid did not induce a restart/ reboot for me either.
8-5-15
ON NOTHING
Total - 584 (348-1197 ng/dL)
Free T - 7.3 (9.3-26.5)
SHBG - 57.1 ( 16.5 - 55.9)
E2 NOT sensitive - 14.6 (7.6-42.6)
11-2-15
ON NOTHING
Total - 691 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 73.9 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 45 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive- 25
8-31-16
ON NOTHING
Total - 601 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 54.3 (46.0-224.0)
SHBG 53 (10-50)
E2 NOT Sensitive - 23
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DHEA is very well known to increase estrogen. So maybe estrogen is the cause of the fatigue on HCG as well. HCG has been known to be very estrogenic in most men also. I think everyone pretty much knows that at this point though. And the lower your SHBG, the more sensitive you usually are to swings in E2 levels. So it sounds to me E2 could possibly be the common denominator here.
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