I started by TRT journey with a Florida based anti aging clinic (not Defy) and the clinic was affiliated with a pharmacy that filled the scripts. Well, I was using 250iu twice a week of the compounded pharmacy HCG and my balls got high and tight and pretty much disappeared. I talked to my Rep and he advised to up the dose to 500iu 3x a week. I did that BUT I used some of my wife's Corion brand HCG and my balls came right back. I didn't put 2&2 together and thought it was the dose so when I ran through the Corion, I reconstituted one of the ones from the Florida Pharmacy and kept at the 500iu 3x a week. Well low and behold, my balls shrunk again. I realized that the issue wasn't the dose but the crap from the anti-aging clinic is bogus or completely underdosed. It can pass a pregnancy test but it's not the same strength as the Corion. That is crappy. So, I found one more vial of Corion laying around and voila, balls are back.
I have some Alpha-Pharma HCG and some Fertigen sp? that I got from India. I will try that next. This is why I'm looking for a good place that doesn't require a script to order Corion from. Beware gentlemen of shady pharmacies.
So just got my 60 day labs back recently, and it gave me a good insight on how the Pregnyl HCG is working. Protocol is 100mg Test/ week and 1,000IU HCG/ week. No AI. Both dosed EOD. 28mg of test EOD, and 270iu of HCG EOD. Labs were done the morning I was supposed to inject. Test brand is EmpowerRx and HCG brand is Pregnyl.
Total Test - 1855 (250-1100)
Free Test - 296.8 (35.0-155.0)
Estradiol - 70 (<29)
SHBG - 44 (10-50)
Obviously all that testosterone can't be from the testosterone alone at 100mg/ week. So a total testosterone level of 1855 is telling me that the Pregnyl HCG contributed quite a bit in regards to testosterone production. For the record, I have responded quite well to HCG in the past, but only to the Pregnyl brand. I've tried a few compounding pharmacy brands of HCG and they were not able to budge my numbers in the testosterone department, let alone work this well at raising T levels. Also, I know people might think that I dosed my testosterone improperly or something, but I'm a nurse, and have been for a while. I give multiple injections to patients everyday, and have easily given over a thousand injections in my lifetime. I know insulin needles like the back of my hand, and know how to dose them. These are my labs literally on 100mg/ week of test, and 1,000iu of HCG/ week, nothing else, I swear. I'm with Defy, and have been so extremely grateful to find such amazing, compassionate and understanding people/ doctors. I would never jeopardize losing them by going off my prescribed protocol or using any other compounds than prescribed. I honestly couldn't believe how high my testosterone level was when I saw my labs. I've never seen someone else on my protocol have near these results.
I just wanted to post this to show that on my protocol, these numbers are possible, but in my opinion based on my experience with HCG, these numbers might only be possible when using Pregnyl HCG or something similar to it, like Novel or Ovidrel. Basically anything other than compounding pharmacy HCG. These numbers could definitely be possible on compounding pharmacy HCG, don't get me wrong. I'm just saying I've never really seen it, and it's just my current theory, but I'm starting to think the reason men's testosterone levels aren't being raised much by HCG is due to what HCG they are using.
Last thing I want to add. I was on EmpowerRx HCG at the beginning of my protocol, and switched to Pregnyl after about 30 days or so. I never had labs done while on EmpowerRx HCG, so I can't say whether their HCG worked well or not. Clearly their testosterone cypionate works quite well, so I am very curious to what my labs would of looked like while still on their brand of HCG. They seem to make very high quality products. I just don't want to bash their HCG like I do the other brands that I have used. I never had labs done while on their brand, so I can't say either way whether it was effective or not.
My Doc told me compounding pharmacies use rHCG and pregnyl is uHCG....Basically compounded is synthetic , where pregnyl is derived from pregnant women.
I do use Empower T and HCG, my libido is excellent but very low in ejaculate amount. My girlfriend likes the low semen and when I'm cuming it feels like it's a lot. But it would be nice to produce more.
I, too, have seen my ejaculate volume drop since starting TRT. My doctor has said its a typical side effect, one she's seen in the vast majority of her patients. I believe Dr. Saya has noted that it's a common issue men experience on TRT. You're right, though, about the subjective sense of releasing far more than is actually produced.I do use Empower T and HCG, my libido is excellent but very low in ejaculate amount. My girlfriend likes the low semen and when I'm cuming it feels like it's a lot. But it would be nice to produce more.
Is there an online pharmacy you recommend? I'd like to get Pregnyl.
Sorry, up to now I've only received my HCG from APS and Empower.Is there an online pharmacy you recommend? I'd like to get Pregnyl. I had a prescription for it from my doctor, but every pharmacy I went to was out of stock and the manufacturer wouldn't give a date when they would ship it. I tried Walmart, Rite Aid, Walgreens, etc. Ended up getting it from a compounding place in Florida, but it didn't do anything.