First....thank you for being so gracious with your time. It's so valuable.
You're welcome. I have benefited a lot from information and knowledge from a lot of people on this site, the least I can do it to pay it forward.
Also pardon me if I'm too verbose but I believe that one should explain one's thoughts in the clearest form possible and without ambiguities. I'm not a one-liner person. I also believe that one-liners tend to be mesmerizing and give the impression of knowledge without really helping much.
I may not totally understand. Maybe you can help.
I'll try
1. One of the most prevailing benefits is to help with the production of testosterone. I'm on TRT now, so will it be beneficial and safe to take in addition to my current TRT?
In general, I'd say it's safe. HCG appears to the one of the safest thing you can try in this realm. Doesn't mean it's free of side effects, but basically you won't likely die because of it.
If you are on TRT now, adding HCG will probably kick start your testicles again, and will increase endogenous testosterone to whatever capabilities are left, so most likely would need to adjust your TRT dosage if you want to maintain your current values. I am not on TRT at the moment (just HCG) so my advice is based on published studies and anecdotes from other people on this forum. It seems that people on TRT are using anywhere from 250 IU twice a week to 500 IU 3 times a week. This is considered low dose, but it's effective in preventing
testicular shrinkage.
2. My testicles have surly shrunken. My urologist said there was nothing I could do to reverse. Would HCG help with that...not only to stop the shrinkage but reverse and bring them back (if it's safe to take with my TRT)?
I do have a lot of respect for physicians and specialists. I do not know enough to counter that claim in your case, but if anecdotes in this forum and published studies are to be believed, then it seems that adding HCG to a TRT program can not only prevent
testicular shrinkage but it also helps regaining testicular size and functionality, and it appears that yes, it's effective with TRT programs, although I have only seen it used with injectable testosterone (Cypionate, enanthate, propionate, etc). I'm not sure what method you're using, or whether your urologist arrived to his/her conclusions based on any particular situation you have, but that claim doesn't appear to apply to most people.
Notice that in general, HCG appears to be counter-indicated in the following situations:
- Prostate issues: If the individual has a history of prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia), HCG may not be recommended. HCG can potentially stimulate the growth of prostate tissue, which could worsen the condition or increase the risk of prostate-related complications.
- Hormone-sensitive cancers: If the person has a history of hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast cancer or testicular cancer, HCG may not be recommended. HCG can affect hormone levels, and in some cases, it may not be suitable for individuals with a history of these types of cancers.
- Allergic reactions: If the person has a known allergy to HCG or any of its components, HCG should not be used. Allergic reactions can range from mild to severe and may include symptoms such as rash, itching, swelling, or difficulty breathing.
- Underlying medical conditions: If the person has certain medical conditions, such as heart disease, kidney disease, or liver disease, the use of HCG may need to be closely monitored or avoided altogether. HCG can have effects on fluid balance and hormone levels, which may impact these conditions.
Regarding point #1, I do have BPH and I have noticed that low-dose HCG has helped me with LUTS. My PSA has gone down as well. That's why I say "in general", we are all different. This is consistent with
this study.
I can say that I feel better in general on HCG than out of it. It doesn't resolve all my symptoms (particularly the one you refer to at the end) but overall is a good experience. It raised my total T from 300s to 700s, and that has had its effect. As you can see, at least in my case it does put the testicles to work.
3. I've read in this group that those who have tried HCG loved it at first, then the old problems reoccurred. Can you speak to that?
People call it the holy grail, el dorado, or the dragon. It refers to a wonderful sensation of regained youth, optimism, sexual health, sensitivity, erection quality, orgasm, etc that many people (including me) feels the first time they use HCG, last for a few days or weeks, then things come back to normal never to return again. But the effects on mood, testicular size and function, etc tend to remain in most cases.
4. If it's safe for me (my current TRT),
I am not a medical doctor, let alone your urologist so I cannot say authoritatively whether it is safe particularly for you or not. Statistically speaking, it seems to be extremely safe. I do not have any evidence of life threatening problems or even serious side effects with doses up to 10,000 IU a week (studies). I myself have used from 250 to 2000 IU a week for more than year and have not noticed side effects.
where do I get it and although you may not know the cost of where I am located, but do you have a ballpark cost and how easy is it to be covered by INS?
I appears you are in the US. If so, with a prescription you can get it at
Optum Specialty Pharmacy for $118 a month, including syringes, alcohol pads, bandages, and shipping. Your doctor have to fax/transmit the prescription to them (I don't know if you can do it yourself). Customer service is excellent.
Regarding insurance coverage, I do not know. It's probably non-formulary so it means that your doctor would need to make a very strong case to have it covered, I doubt it'll work, otherwise you need to pay out of pocket, that's what I do.
Depending on the dosage, it can last up to 2 months. Let me explain:
The medicine comes in a vial as a powder with 10,000 IU of HCG. You need to disolved it in bacteriostatic water (included), and that is what you inject. If you inject 300 IU Monday-Wednesday-Friday, that gives you 900 IU a week (300 x 3). This means that you have approximately 11 weeks of medicine, or approximately 2.5 months. That brings the effective cost of medication to $48 per month. Notice that the manufacturer advises to discard the medication after 60 days, in which case the effective cost would be $59
5.How is it injected...i mean is it like a diabetic like injection (similar to my Tri-Mix injections) ?
Although the manufacturer of the medication says "for Intra-muscular use only" most studies and practically 100% of the people in this forum (including me) uses it sub-cutaneously (sub-q) with insulin syringes from 29-31 gauge. This means virtually no pain, and no scars.
These are the ones I use.
As a closure...i had an extremely wonderful sexual event yesterday....but the last 10 minutes of an 1.5 hour amazing session, i had to finish myself (with some awesome sensual help from my partner)...but, my point is, had i not done that, i would not have had an orgasm at all. My challenge is to find a way that my sensitivity matches the wonderful, long lasting erections that I have. This is the motive behind my conversation.
ah! don't we all? Welcome to the club. HCG might help, I don't know. Best case scenario, yes, that'll resolve your problem, second best case, you'll get that feeling for a couple of weeks, then go back to normal. Worst case, it will do nothing.
I so appreciate your time. I know you could be doing something else.
I'm glad I can help.