HCG 101. Why, How and Protocols. All your questions answered.

This is intended only for people who wish to use HCG.

It is not intended to be very technical, but moreso accessible and a guide to how to formuate a protocol for your subjective needs.

List of reasons people might consider using HCG:

• Fertility reasons such as production of testicular testo used for maturation of sperm and therefore increasing spermcount - to improve testicular volume and function, - prevention of loss of fertility when engaging in TRT, - but also because HCG has an FSH-like activity that can increase spermcount in many individuals (unlike LH)
• Prevention of testicular atrophy
• Reversing testicular atrophy
• Jumpstart testo production
• To increase testo production in subclinical symptomatic low-normal testo individuals
• As a part of PCT
• Testosterone restart therapy post-TRT
• Testosterone restart therapy for those suffering ASIH from being on AAS for years (this is where the original PCT developed from)
• Recovery from an estrogen crash
• As an alternative to AAS cycles - HCG plus GH/IGF is becoming popular as an alternative cycle. Seems to be TRT people experimenting from what I see. Currently I am personally planning a HCG plus deca cycle with no test. There are other possibilities and HCG alone is a viable option and perhaps a strong candidate for a beginners cycle. - NOTE:see edit below re: deca only+hcg - not advised
• This is an anecdotal one; enhances TRT - You will read this regularly on eroids, and my own guess it that it is due to the difference between testo produced in the testes versus being injected, nature versus medicine or something like that, but thats a guess. This said, the anecdotal evidence is here on eroids and all over the TRT forums like peak testosterone and excel male etc.

First, this is how your HPT axis works

Your brain sends a hormone GnRH to a gland to release 2 hormones, LH and FSH, which tell the leydig cells to make testo and the sertoli cells to make spermies, respectively. When there is enough testo ( or bucket loads in the case of the AAS user) estrogen levels tell the brain to switch off the gnrh hormone used to switch the pituitary gland on. This is the negative feedback loop. But testo is also needed to mature the spermies, so all hormones (the cascade) are essential.

But, the picture is a little deeper.

The leydig cells make testo which hits the sertoli cells and helps mature spermies. In the sertoli cells, estrogen is aromatised which also grows up those spermies and interacts back with the leydig cells (and as above, is part of the negative feedback loop to the brain). Estrogen is an essential male hormone on many levels.

So, AAS users take TRT level or supraphysiological levels of testo or test derivatives which invokes the negative feedback loop shutting down the cascade leading to natural testosterone production, natural estrogen production in the testes, and sperm production. Testicles atrophy, meaning leydig cells and sertoli cells shrink. They can also die (to a lesser extent) leading to diminished natural testo/estrogen production off cycle, and infertility. Hypotrophy of leydig cells though, is a real consideration, because sometimes even if we reinflate them, they may not operate at 100% again, leading us down towards low-norm and eventually a need for TRT. But regardless, who the hell wants their nuts shrivelling up into their stomach area... horrific, especially uduing sex! Or, maybe you want kids in the future? Or, maybe you like the aesthetics?! Same is true for TRT patients. And then Fertility is an issue for many.

So, if you actually have one or more of those reasons, what to do?

Well the good news is that the pharmaco's of HCG have been studied in depth relatively recently again and are very clear with regard to how it can help us all. Various doses have been studied in depth to ascertain HCG's effects and the results are crystal clear making it simples to draw up a general protocol with little deviation needed for outliers. A best practice is to start at lowest dose and adjust, there really isnt much to do. Link below to pharmaco's.

Okay, what about the protocols.... ?

HCG is a hormone that has similar cascade effects to LH and also some similar effects to FSH too (double whammy for most, but not for all fertility patients).
Needs vary, so let's consider 3 core reasons to use it.

AAS users

On Cycle. Reasons above, so with regard to protocol and per the pharmaco's;
250 iu's 3x per week. Judge the reversal of testicular atrophy and adjust to 500 iu's 3x per week if needed.
Considerations: Manage the estrogen generated as normal. Do not let estrogen skyrocket or it will induce estro sides including ED and will also spike prolactin leading to anorgasmia compounding the ED. Do not commence at beginning of cycle unless very low test or no test at all. Judge atrophy/seminal fluid.
PCT. If HCG was used on cycle, then use same effective dose again up to 1 week maximum into PCT, and STRICTLY managing estrogen.
Recovery from Anabolic Steroid Induced Hypogonaism (ASIH). This is different from PCT and must be considered a restart therapy.
Use between 1500 - 2500 iu's 3x per week, for 3-6 weeks depending on response, managing estrogen. Bloods to prove testicular function. Clomid to switch on natural LH FSH at 6 days post last HCG shot (5x 28hour half life of hcg). Bloods to prove HP function.

TRT users:

TRT - Lowest effective dose, Start at: 250 iu's 1x per week, moving to 3x per week and if absolutely necessary to 500 if needed. Not recommended to go above this as it will strongly effects your TRT regime.
POST TRT Restart: As per ASIH dose, leaning towards upper dosing regime.

Fertility treatments.

This is a hammer and nail approach. However, please note; for 80% of HCG users, they will regain fertility. If this fails, add HMG to the protocol, 75 iu's 2-3pw for 3 weeks, with the HCG protocol, and the number is closer to >90% of patients will achieve pregnancies.
HCG protocol, 2-2500 ius's 3x per week for 6 weeks + (consult with endo on the + naturally).
HMG protocol, 75iu's 3x per week for 3-6 weeks Manage estrogen as always BUT, per the how this works above - ESTROGEN IS ESSENTIAL FOR SPERMIE PRODUCTION!!!! Beware!
*Consult with your fertility doctor of course, you need to measure the numbers in your jizz, motility etc.

As mentioned above, the high dose half life of HCG is 28 hours approx, but it does lower with the lower dose regime. so always use a protocol of 3x per week, if you can. It is important.

Hope this is easy/accessible, and if there are any questions, let me know, but if you want HCG tech info, read the 2nd link below, it's very clear.

References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC155680
https://www.rbmojournal.com/article/S1472-6483(10)61927-X/pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4722247
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si83Ccm6tt0
https://www.musclesportmag.com/2016/04/24/in-the-clinic-with-the-anaboli...

EDITS
edited to add a TRT dose contribution by CBBurrr 250iu 1x per week to compliment TRT.
edited to change mention of rHCG to HCG. Typo kindly pointed out by Dacky.
A note on uHCG versus rHCG: The majority of the HCG we use will be urinary hcg. Efficacy is the same with rHCG, but doses/storage/delivery will be different. For the purposes of the underground community; we focus on uHCG/HCGu or simply: HCG.
edited to add a note to say that HCG with another non-test anabolic, specifically deca was tested. This failed due to estrogen crashing. 1500x3 iu's were used alongside 1g deca. Not enough estrogen was produced to function. However, alongside a ~trt level of test or supplementing natural test, there are no such issues. Suffice to say, HCG cannot replace test on-cycle, but is excellent for augmenting TRT level and endogenous test.
edited to add a TRT dose contribution by Achak. Achak was using HCG @ 500 iu's x2 per week BUT every 3rd week (1 on 2 off). He dropped his dose to 125iu, but ED and this yielded the effects he needed.