About to go on HCG, any advice?
It’s been over 3 years now, and I’ve had enough, did not want to start getting this extreme (wanted to stay away from just about everything since Rogaine messed me up) hoping time would heal me
But I’m desperate and now at a point of willing to try anything out
HCG successfully increased my free testosterone from 200 to 900 (normal range was 250-700).
My suggestion would be to be careful of high estrogen at higher dosages. I would suggest dosing 1500 IU per week split across 3 injections to start (500 IU per injection).
Get bloods tested in 3 weeks, make sure you test for estrogen. Use a low dose AI if needed.
If you don’t see any improvements from HCG after 3 months, I would suggest coming off HCG, you should return to your current levels after HCG is ceased.
Good luck and feel free to ask questions
Any benefit as a result?
@orthogs Unfortunately no improvement in symptoms whatsoever, I suspect I fall in the class of PFS victims with silenced Androgen Receptors.
I am now off HCG and am following protocols that attempt to “reactivate” my ARs
Once positive is my free test increased from 200 to 300 after the HCG trial
I’m sorry to hear. I wonder if there really are two distinct classes of PFS patients though.
There definitely is, the responders to hormone therapy and the none responders.
Yeah maybe worth a shot to try hcg. Low dose, find an endo willing to work with you.
Are you able to share your HCG experience?
I’m in the same boat nothing has worked time to step it up . trying to decide what the next step is to get some cognition back /regain some personality/confidence.
Could you share what protocols you’ve been doing and if they’ve helped at all?
I have an appointment on the 27th to see a doctor that I have emailed that is willing to prescribe HCG, my advice don’t see any doctor that isn’t familiar with PFS
Is there any reason to believe that people who respond to TRT have PFS rather than simply hypogonadism? Seems to me people with PFS don’t respond and people who do are simply guys with hypogonadism that happened to take Propecia.
I think for some guys it puts them into hypogonadism others like us here get the permanent version where hormones don’t work supplements ect. The thing is if those guys on TRT who are feeling good decide to come off they go back to PFS symptoms which leaves me scratching my head. My only other guesses would be brain damage or are gut health has been fucked.
I wish we could get hard data on roughly what percentage of users who have tried TRT have this happen…
@AaronF @vkg1 @orthogs
I am 64 years old and have been on AndroGel trt for the last 4 years.
Last spring I took proscar for 3 months, and know definitely that I have PFS.
My urologist closed his practice, and I have not found a new doctor yet. Meanwhile, my AndroGel prescription ran out and within days I had a crash unliike any I’ve had before, or could have imagined having.
I believe the AndroGel kept me on somewhat of an even keel, and may be warded off some of the worst PFS sides. FYI, Jim
What are your sides you have now, physical ,sexual, cognitive?
That kind of crash is from your body not having the supplemental testerone added to it as you have been for 4 years. Anyone else would crash too, I think. I know I have.
With some hormones like hydrocortisone, you have to be super careful about crashing and damaging your body–that’s why when someone is prescribed prednisone or another type of hydrocortisone/cortisol, they do a step down process of taking more pills at the beginning, and taper down and take fewer pills or lower doses as the treatment progresses and winds down.
@AaronF @Crossroads
When I read about the debilitating side effects that some members here have had, I have wondered if my daily regimen of AndroGel was propping me up.
The first week that I took proscar I started having ED, lack of libido, unexplainable weight gain, tinnitus, joint pains and inability to sleep due to that, depression and much more.
It was after I ran out of my AndroGel I had a weekend I literally could not get out of bed, with unending headaches and double the joint pains.
But the onset of constant suicidal thoughts was the worst. It’s been several weeks now since that crash, and the thoughts of suicide are with me day and night.
My wife needs me too much, I tell myself. So I carry on. But I believe this is definitely PFS and not just unattended hypogonadism.
I really need to write my member story, I put it off too long. I’m sorry I hijacked this thread. Jim
I used HCG injections some years ago with Cabergoline, and raise my testosterone levels. After an adverse reactions to SSRIs I had low testosterone and high prolactine levels, this had helped bring the values back into the range, but in my case it didn’t improve much the symptoms.
Our bodies don’t respond to bupropion or carbergoline.
I had a lactose secretion after finasteride. Finn must have been destroying on dopamine.
Hi Alex, how are you? Did you try new things ro re-open the silenced AR? I think i too have the same AR issue. I respond badly to androgenic supplements. What we have to try?