PREVENTING TESTICULAR SHRINKAGE WITH HCG

Preventing Testicular Shrinkage with HCG

One of the most embarrassing and frustrating issues associated with Testosterone Restoration for Men is Testicular Atrophy. The testes produce less Testosterone as a result of the body receiving a flush of Testosterone from an outside source, and this causes the testes to reduce their function significantly, and this also causes the testicles to shrink significantly.

Many men choose to live with this symptoms, but you would likely be happy to know that there is a way to preserve the appearance of the testicles and prevent Testicular Atrophy via Human Chorionic Gonadotropin supplementation. HCG is a potent fertility medication that can help both men and women conceive more readily, but is also highly effective preventing the shrinkage of the testicles.

How Does HCG Work?

HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. Be careful not to confuse HCG and HGH, because they are totally different hormones. HGH is a hormone which controls cellular metabolism, whereas HCG is a hormone which is normally produced by women during pregnancy that also has the ability to promote the physiological changes normally associated with Luteinizing Hormone, an important Testosterone Precursor which also has other functions with regard to fertility.

There are two times in human development and the human lifespan when HCG is produced. First, HCG is produced just after conception by the embryo as it divides and develops. Later in the process, the mother will produce HCG via the placenta. In women, the role of HCG during pregnancy is to sustain the production of Progesterone at a constant rate, and to prevent the Corpus Luteum from breaking down, which keeps the fertilized Embryo properly implanted..

This all allows the embryo to form and develop uninterrupted. When used as a fertility treatment for women, it encourages the ovaries to release their eggs, allowing women to conceive more readily.

If I'm a Man, Why Should I Care About HCG?

We understand that it may seem strange that a hormone that is only produced by women can be so beneficial to men. We agree. At first glance, it does seem a bit counter-intuitive, but HCG has a number of uses for boys and men, and does not have any significant adverse consequences of use, outside of rare side-effects.

For one, HCG is used very commonly as a means to spur puberty in boys that are not experiencing the adolescent change at the same time as their peers. Subcutaneous HCG Injections provide the hormonal burst necessary to cause the testicles to drop and start producing their own Testosterone. Also, HCG is used after Testosterone Therapy in order to restore normal testicular form and function after a patient has suspended treatment.

Why Does Testosterone Therapy Cause Testicular Shrinkage and How Does HCG Therapy Maintain Testicular Size and Fullness?

When a patient undergoes Testosterone Treatment via Patches, Creams, Injections, or other forms of viable Bio-Identical Therapy, the hypothalamus senses the increased Testosterone Concentrations and responds by vastly slowing down the release of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone, also known as GnRH. GnRH is responsible for stimulating the pituitary to produce Luteinizing Hormone.

If the testes do not get stimulated by Luteinizing Hormone, they will not produce Testosterone, because the Leydig Cells which are responsible for the synthesis of Testosterone do not receive the signal. If the Leydig Cells remain dormant due to a lack of Luteinizing Hormone, the testes will atrophy, and the testicles will shrink in size as the testes enter a state of dormancy.

The cool thing about HCG for Men is that Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Luteinizing Hormone are biologically very similar, and both have the same, exact impact upon the testicles. If a patient has been taking Testosterone, and his testes have been inactive for a long period of time, HCG can kick start the function and form of the testicles just as it does among young boys.

Why Can't Patients Use HCG as a Sole Form of Testosterone Treatment?

It would be theoretically possible for men to boost Testosterone with HCG, but there are a few important reasons why HCG is not used explicitly as a Testosterone-Boosting Treatment by itself. First, Injectable HCG, when used as a primary treatment, is more likely to increase Dihydrotestosterone Levels and Estradiol Levels than Bio-Identical Testosterone Therapy.

Second, HCG would only be effective as a Testosterone Treatment if administered every day, whereas there are a variety of Testosterone Therapy Options that are either less invasive (Testosterone Creams, Testosterone Patches, Testosterone Gels) or require less frequent administration (Testosterone Injections, Testosterone Pellet Implants).

Finally, Testosterone is simply more potent, meaning that it takes less Testosterone to provide the same Testosterone Enhancement as it does HCG, and the treatment is much cheaper for that reason. For these three reasons, Injectable HGH is used as a supplement during or after Testosterone Therapy in order to preserve Testicular size and function during treatment.

How Much Does HCG Cost?

Brand Name Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is much more expensive than Generic HCG. If you go brand name, you can expect to pay more than $150 for ten thousand IUs of the hormone. If you acquire your Bio-Identical Medication via Hormone Compounding Pharmacy, however, the cost for the same amount of Bio-Available Product is $80.

Most people that choose to supplement their Testosterone Optimization Therapy with HCG go the generic route, because HCG Supplementation is considered Off-Label, so most insurance policies don't cover the treatment, even though it is highly effective.

How is HCG Sold?

You will generally see Human Chorionic Gonadotropin sold in vials between 3,500-10,000 IUs. In order to preserve the stability of the hormone over time, HCG is delivered as a lyophilized powder, and must be combined with Bacteriostatic Water before injection.

How is HCG Injected?

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin can be delivered both Subcutaneously or Intramuscularly. Intramuscular Injections are delivered directly into the larger muscles of the body, and Subcutaneous Injections are delivered into the fatty layer just underneath the skin. Subcutaneous Injections are generally less painful than Intramuscular Injections, but neither form of injection is more than very mildly painful.

What is the Proper HCG Dose?

As of today, there are no real set guidelines with regard to exactly how much HCG should be administered in order to promote its various benefits. For example, the range of dosage for men that are looking to conceive can be anything from three times per week 1250 IU to two times per week at 3000 IU, and neither of these studies discussed the use of HCG as a supplement to Testosterone Restoration.

Similarly, there are no Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Guidelines for men that wish to maintain normal testicular form and function while taking supplemental Testosterone. One particular clinical study involving Injectable Testosterone Enanthate revealed that a 250 IU Dose of HCG was capable of maintain the normal function of the testes, whereas 125 IU was not sufficient, and 500 IU was also sufficient. A second study just measured the effectiveness of the 500 IU dose, and corroborated that this concentration was capable of protecting sperm count, as well as testicular size and function.

When taking HCG with Testosterone, it is important to keep in touch with a Licensed and Board Certified Hormone Doctor, because HCG can sometimes increase Dihydrotestosterone and estradiol levels. The optimal HCG dose is able to restore testicular form and function while minimizing changes in the concentration of these two hormones. Of course, the exact dose needed to achieve this will depend on the specific biological and genetic make up of the patient.

Most physicians that utilize Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Injections with Low-T Treatment prescribe based off of these and similar studies, providing 250-500 IU of HCG two times per week for patients that want to maintain fertility and/or the normal appearance of the testicles. A minority of Hormone Specialists prescribe between 1,000-5,000 IU two times per week, but this is not generally recommended, because this could unnecessarily raise levels of Dihydrotestosterone and Estrogen to levels which could cause the appearance of Side-Effects. There is also the potential that such a flush amount of HCG could cause the testicles to become sensitized to the high concentrations.

HCG with Testosterone Sometimes Combined with Estrogen Blockers

It may be beneficial to make an appointment with your physician thirty days after initiating therapy in order to test your Hormone Levels to see if your Hormone Balance would benefit from an Estrogen Blocker such as Anastrozole or Tamoxifin, which can counteract the increase in Estrogen Levels that may occur. It is vital to keep Estrogen at ideal levels because excess estrogen can lead to edema and gynecomastia, but too little can affect neurological health and Bone Mineral Density.

Why Not Just Us HCG Injections Instead of Testosterone Therapy?

Many men are curious about why Testosterone Treatment are necessary if HCG is also capable of increasing Testosterone Levels. There are some good reasons why this is the case. For example, Injectable HCG is not as effective at restoring Libido and sexual function as Bio-Identical Testosterone, eve if HCG restores Testosterone to normal levels. Also, too much HCG can lead to issues such as gynecomastia, moodiness, water retention and acne, which are normally only apparent in the case of Testosterone Overdose.

By combining Bio-Identical Testosterone with Restorative HCG, it is possible to enhance the benefits of treatment, maintaining a healthier hormone spectrum, enhancing sexual desire, maintaining the healthy function of the testes, and normalizing the normal balance of the bloodstream.