Empower vs Pregnyl HCG

[cosmoen]

Funny you should ask—I just did my first one today (Friday)! First one for HCG mono that is.

Will update you when I receive my results. I am optimistic since the HCG yielded strong T levels, which I think serves as a proxy for fertility.

Looking forward to it. I’m about to take my first semen analysis (currently on trt, HCG and HMG). I plan to consider HCG mono therapy + HMG if needed as I believe that should yield greater fertility benefits?

 

[cosmoen]

I’ve been following this thread for a while as I’ve always felt Empower/compounded HCG was weaker than Pregnyl.

I never used Empower for HCG mono but I have used Hallandale and Pregnyl for HCG mono so I can compare those. I was using Hallandale and then recently I switched to Pregnyl since it was the only HCG available. I now have test results available for Pregnyl HCG mono to compare to Hallandale.

My numbers on Hallandale HCG mono (1500iu 3x a week, 1 mg AI) were as follows:

TT: 580
E2: 35

My numbers on Pregnyl HCG mono (1500 3x a week, 1 mg AI) were as follows:

TT:980
E2: 78

Both sets of labs were taken on Wednesdays on MWF protocols. It appears that the Pregnyl was twice as potent than the Hallandale HCG.

If I had to guess, I would also guess the Empower HCG is weaker than Pregnyl since the Empower HCG felt weaker when I was using it as an adjunct to TRT (relative to when I was using Pregnyl as a TRT adjunct) but can’t verify that with labs.

The potency of compounded is something to strongly consider when purchasing HCG (if and when compounded HCG comes back) since though it may be half the cost, it may be half the potency as well!

How much testosterone and HCG were you previously taking before getting on HCG mono therapy at 1500iu/week? Curious to see a rough “equivalent” HCG conversion to testosterone dosage is.

 

[Steve78]

I’ve been following this thread for a while as I’ve always felt Empower/compounded HCG was weaker than Pregnyl.

I never used Empower for HCG mono but I have used Hallandale and Pregnyl for HCG mono so I can compare those. I was using Hallandale and then recently I switched to Pregnyl since it was the only HCG available. I now have test results available for Pregnyl HCG mono to compare to Hallandale.

My numbers on Hallandale HCG mono (1500iu 3x a week, 1 mg AI) were as follows:

TT: 580
E2: 35

My numbers on Pregnyl HCG mono (1500 3x a week, 1 mg AI) were as follows:

TT:980
E2: 78

Both sets of labs were taken on Wednesdays on MWF protocols. It appears that the Pregnyl was twice as potent than the Hallandale HCG.

If I had to guess, I would also guess the Empower HCG is weaker than Pregnyl since the Empower HCG felt weaker when I was using it as an adjunct to TRT (relative to when I was using Pregnyl as a TRT adjunct) but can’t verify that with labs.

The potency of compounded is something to strongly consider when purchasing HCG (if and when compounded HCG comes back) since though it may be half the cost, it may be half the potency as well!

Love to do it mono but pregnyl is 140 for me, and you are doing 1500 3 times a week, that’s 4500 units a week, that’s 70 dollars a week for hcg mono.
Or when u say 1500 3x a week does that mean 500 3 times a week = 1500?

 

[JRos895]

Love to do it mono but pregnyl is 140 for me, and you are doing 1500 3 times a week, that’s 4500 units a week, that’s 70 dollars a week for hcg mono.
Or when u say 1500 3x a week does that mean 500 3 times a week = 1500?

Yeah 4500 iu a week for me overall. It’s hella expensive. I plan on just doing it short term until I can freeze some sperm.

You may be able to run 1500 iu a week (500x3) and get solid levels, especially if you use Pregnyl.

 

[Steve78]

Yeah 4500 iu a week for me overall. It’s hella expensive. I plan on just doing it short term until I can freeze some sperm.

You may be able to run 1500 iu a week (500x3) and get solid levels, especially if you use Pregnyl.

Crazy you did 4500 and the other poster did 2000 a week and got a higher TT

 

[JRos895]

Looking forward to it. I’m about to take my first semen analysis (currently on trt, HCG and HMG). I plan to consider HCG mono therapy + HMG if needed as I believe that should yield greater fertility benefits?

Hopefully you’ll get better results than I did on T+HCG since you’re using HMG as well. Also, I was infertile from the get-go (pre T+HCG) and I’m skeptical that the Empower HCG I was using was strong enough.

HCG mono though should yield greater results 95% of the time relative to T+HCG.

 

[JRos895]

How much testosterone and HCG were you previously taking before getting on HCG mono therapy at 1500iu/week? Curious to see a rough “equivalent” HCG conversion to testosterone dosage is.

I was on 80mg T and 1000iu HCG (Empower). I got like 550 TT overall.

I once did Xyosted 75mg and 1000iu HCG (Pregnyl) and got like 700 TT. Another reason why I’m skeptical of Empower though it could have been that the Xyosted was stronger.

 

[JRos895]

Crazy you did 4500 and the other poster did 2000 a week and got a higher TT

I think you’re referring to Gman86. He got 850 I believe.

It’s possible my response may become stronger as leydig cells become stronger. Also, I think Gman86 had a stronger than average response. I’d say my response is more in line with a standard response to HCG.

 

[Steve78]

I think you’re referring to Gman86. He got 850 I believe.

It’s possible my response may become stronger as leydig cells become stronger. Also, I think Gman86 had a stronger than average response. I’d say my response is more in line with a standard response to HCG.

Yeah I think his TT went above 1100 on 2000 units of hcg a week…

 

[Steve78]

Yeah I think his TT went above 1100 on 2000 units of hcg a week…

What’s the general starting of hcg mono? 1000 EOD? I know it’s individual but what’s defy starting protocol etc? Or peoples averages?

 

[Gman86]

Here’s my labs while on HCG mono


12-30-15
HCG - 2000IU/ week (Pregnyl)
Anastrozole 0.5mg/ week
Total T - 1185 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T- 171.7 (46.0-224.0)
Bio T - 345.6 (110.0-575.0 ng/dL)
SHBG 39 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 43
DHEA-S - 615 (106-464)


2-11-16
HCG - 2000IU/ week (Pregnyl)
Anastrozole 0.5mg/ week
Total T - 1193 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 168.9 (46.0-224.0)
Bio T - 362.1 (110.0-575.0 ng/dL)
SHBG 39 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 55
DHEA-S - 729 (106-464)


4-12-16
HCG - 1000IU/ week (Pregnyl)
Anastrozole 0.5mg/ week
Total T - 579 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 71.4 (46.0-224.0)
Bio T - 143.8 (110.0-575.0 ng/dL)
SHBG 38 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 11
DHEA-S - 452 (106-464)

 

[cosmoen]

Here’s my labs while on HCG mono


12-30-15
HCG - 2000IU/ week (Pregnyl)
Anastrozole 0.5mg/ week
Total T - 1185 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T- 171.7 (46.0-224.0)
Bio T - 345.6 (110.0-575.0 ng/dL)
SHBG 39 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 43
DHEA-S - 615 (106-464)


2-11-16
HCG - 2000IU/ week (Pregnyl)
Anastrozole 0.5mg/ week
Total T - 1193 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 168.9 (46.0-224.0)
Bio T - 362.1 (110.0-575.0 ng/dL)
SHBG 39 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 55
DHEA-S - 729 (106-464)


4-12-16
HCG - 1000IU/ week (Pregnyl)
Anastrozole 0.5mg/ week
Total T - 579 (250-1100 ng/dL)
Free T - 71.4 (46.0-224.0)
Bio T - 143.8 (110.0-575.0 ng/dL)
SHBG 38 (10-50)
E2 Sensitive - 11
DHEA-S - 452 (106-464)

Curious what your experience on HCG monotherapy was like and why did you start and stop it?

 

[JRos895]

@Gman86

What’s the general starting of hcg mono? 1000 EOD? I know it’s individual but what’s defy starting protocol etc? Or peoples averages?

Generally I think people start with 500iu EOD and move to 1000iu EOD if needed. For inducing fertility in those with azoospermia, I believe it’s 1000iu-2000iu EOD.

 

[Gman86]

Curious what your experience on HCG monotherapy was like and why did you start and stop it?

I started it because I had high SHBG and bottom of the barrel free T levels, and felt like garbage, and the specialist I was seeing for everything at the time wasn’t comfortable prescribing testosterone due to me being 27 at that time.

I felt a lot better on the HCG mono than when I had low T, but I couldn’t get the nipple sensitivity/ nipple itching under control. I was scratching my nipples to the point they would bleed. Had to put tape over them anytime I wore a shirt. And I started developing gyno in my left nipple. We tried lowering my dose to 1000iu’s/ week, but my levels came back too low and some of my low T symptoms came back. Looking back maybe trying 1500iu’s/ week might of worked pretty well. But discontinued hcg mono all together after 1000iu’s/ week not working for me.

 

[Dog427]

Anyone have any idea where to bring an hcg script in order to get pregnyl? Any online pharmacies carry pregnyl? The difference between compounded and pregnyl anecdotally speaking, has me curious to run back through some of my hcg experiments with pregnyl.

Fax your script to CVS Specialty Pharmacy. Call first and they take insurance.
For questions related to your prescriptions, please contact us at 1-888-346-3731 to connect with our Customer Care Team.

 

[JRos895]

I started it because I had high SHBG and bottom of the barrel free T levels, and felt like garbage, and the specialist I was seeing for everything at the time wasn’t comfortable prescribing testosterone due to me being 27 at that time.

I felt a lot better on the HCG mono than when I had low T, but I couldn’t get the nipple sensitivity/ nipple itching under control. I was scratching my nipples to the point they would bleed. Had to put tape over them anytime I wore a shirt. And I started developing gyno in my left nipple. We tried lowering my dose to 1000iu’s/ week, but my levels came back too low and some of my low T symptoms came back. Looking back maybe trying 1500iu’s/ week might of worked pretty well. But discontinued hcg mono all together after 1000iu’s/ week not working for me.

Interesting how you developed gyno with only somewhat high E2. My E2 on HCG mono at one point was at 78 and I got no sensitivity/tenderness.

I think I saw somewhere else on the forum where you hypothesized that maybe it was also prolactin that contributed to your issues?

 

[Steve78]

Ok, I got it from Fairview pharmacy in Minnesota
As well as optim rx as listed in this thread

 

[Gman86]

Interesting how you developed gyno with only somewhat high E2. My E2 on HCG mono at one point was at 78 and I got no sensitivity/tenderness.

I think I saw somewhere else on the forum where you hypothesized that maybe it was also prolactin that contributed to your issues?

Ya exactly. Because I’ve had E2 way higher in test alone and have never once had any nipple issues while on test by itself. So the HCG must have been increasing my prolactin too much, I assume, or some other downstream hormones that were contributing to the nipple issues

 

[Steve78]

Ya exactly. Because I’ve had E2 way higher in test alone and have never once had any nipple issues while on test by itself. So the HCG must have been increasing my prolactin too much, I assume, or some other downstream hormones that were contributing to the nipple issues

Why not up your AI and continue hcg mono?
We’re your testicles bigger on hcg mono than test plus hcg?

 

[SkiDaddy]

Big Surprise today, I have been using Compounded HCG along with my Scrotal Cream since I had 40% of my prostate removed by ablation 2 years ago for BPH, since then I have Retrograde ejaculated.
2 weeks ago, I switched to Pregnyl .40mL twice a week, this am when I ejaculated it was like before prostate surgery.