Just wanted to see if anyone has anything similar going on, this is the second time i have witnessed on my labwork this strange phenomenon of tanked estradiol on combined HCG and testosterone. Now, i'm not certain if last time i was also using test subq, FSH was not in the picture back then.
This time however, i last ran labs when i was on just 500 HCG and 75 FSH 3xweek, total t was 15nmol/l, e2 0.07 nmol/l, so it was already quite low, lower than naturally. Then i added 25mg test e subq twice a week, also started doing HCG 500 and FSH 90 at the same time, so a small dose reduction there...what came back two months later was total test 12nmol/l and e2<0.04, so not even a number, just something under that. I had been feeling off and having joint and muscle pains, poor libido and whatnot. My shbg hover around 15-20.
Went ahead and and took 1mg of estradiol orally, felt better and muscle pains subsided, having strong erection on naps. Not surprising. So it seems i have to call it quits on the hcg, the situation seems to slowly slide in this direction, initially being on hcg feels good. Also another example of subq testosterone not working, clearly 25mg/e3.5d of enanthate should give better numbers, that hcg must be doing something as well other than blocking aromatase.
AI says:
Aromatase is an enzyme that converts androgens to estrogens. hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) can influence aromatase activity, sometimes increasing it and sometimes decreasing it, depending on the context and the specific cell type involved. hCG can also impact the pathways that regulate aromatase expression.
How hCG affects aromatase:
This time however, i last ran labs when i was on just 500 HCG and 75 FSH 3xweek, total t was 15nmol/l, e2 0.07 nmol/l, so it was already quite low, lower than naturally. Then i added 25mg test e subq twice a week, also started doing HCG 500 and FSH 90 at the same time, so a small dose reduction there...what came back two months later was total test 12nmol/l and e2<0.04, so not even a number, just something under that. I had been feeling off and having joint and muscle pains, poor libido and whatnot. My shbg hover around 15-20.
Went ahead and and took 1mg of estradiol orally, felt better and muscle pains subsided, having strong erection on naps. Not surprising. So it seems i have to call it quits on the hcg, the situation seems to slowly slide in this direction, initially being on hcg feels good. Also another example of subq testosterone not working, clearly 25mg/e3.5d of enanthate should give better numbers, that hcg must be doing something as well other than blocking aromatase.
AI says:
Aromatase is an enzyme that converts androgens to estrogens. hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) can influence aromatase activity, sometimes increasing it and sometimes decreasing it, depending on the context and the specific cell type involved. hCG can also impact the pathways that regulate aromatase expression.
How hCG affects aromatase:
- In some cells, like human placental syncytiotrophoblasts, hCG can induce aromatase expression:
This is partly mediated by an increase in cAMP levels and the recruitment of Sp1 protein to the aromatase promoter.
- In other contexts, hCG can downregulate aromatase:
For example, in ovarian follicles, the LH surge (mimicked by hCG) can decrease aromatase expression. This downregulation appears to involve the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway.
- hCG can also affect the pathways that regulate aromatase expression:
The effects of hCG on aromatase expression are complex and depend on the specific cell type and the signaling pathways involved. For example, hCG can influence the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, C/EBPβ, and Connexin43, which are downstream targets of EGFR signaling.
- hCG can impact aromatase activity through its effects on other hormones and receptors:
In the testes, hCG can influence the responsiveness of the testes to gonadotropins, and this responsiveness is influenced by existing levels of gonadotropins and also by estrogen and prolactin
