Why HCG is important ON Cycle

[RockShawn]

Hcg increases your levels of pregnenolone. Below is an excerpt about the importance of pregnenolone.
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[size=12pt]Pregnenolone - Master Hormone
for Women ...and Men!


"Of all the hormones in the body, the precursor hormone, pregnenolone, may be the most important for health and longevity."
D. Gary Young

As the parent hormone from which all other vital steroid hormones are made, pregnenolone is being studied for its effects on health, longevity, and emotional well-being.

This reprint from the "Essential Edge" magazine, December, 2000 below, presents important information about pregnenolone:


Pregnenolone - Master Hormone
for Women ...and Men!
The booklet by D. Gary Young, Pregnenolone: A Radical New Approach to Health, Longevity, and Emotional Well-Being,elicited cheers when it was announced; within two hours, the booklet was sold out. (Available through Essential Science Publishing: 800 336-6308).

The booklet contains a compilation of exciting research on this little-know hormone precursor, pregnenolone. Here are some of the highlights:

Pregnenolone is made from cholesterol in the body. In turn, it can be synthesized into a number of hormones - estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, aldosterone, cortisol, etc. It is, in fact, the master hormone from which all the steroid hormones are derived.

But why have most people not heard about pregnenolone and its amazing benefits? One reason has to do with drug companies and profits. Pregnenolone research in the early 1940s was very promising and showed that pregnenolone is effective in relieving arthritis pain, reducing PMS and menopausal symptoms, fighting stress and fatigue, improving memory, and lifting mood. But just as this research was being printed in medical journals, the discovery of synthetic cortisone was announced.

Cortisone Produces Side-Effects

Cortisone showed powerful and immediate effectiveness against arthritis. Drug companies could patent their laboratory version of cortisone and then make a huge profit. Pregnenolone, however, is a natural substance and is not patentable. Because synthetic cortisone was so fast-acting and offered great profit potential, pregnenolone research was basically abandoned.

It was not discovered until later that cortisone had terrifying side effects (immune system suppression and osteoporosis being the two most devastating). Yet pregnenolone has been shown to be virtually free of side effects. A man in one pregnenolone study did develop a temporary rash; while in another study on memory, a participant reported the "side effect" of decreased symptoms of arthritis!

The beneficial effects of pregnenolone on arthritis and other bone, joint, and muscle diseases are well documented. In two studies on ankylosing spondylitis-an inflamitory disease of the joints that causes back pain and stiffening-patients showed marked improvement when treated with pregnenolone.1

Neurobiologist Dr. Eugene Roberts studied the arthritis research from the 1940s and 1950s and said,

"Treatment with PREG (pregnenolone) can be maintained indefinitely without apparent harmful effects and is much less expensive than with ACTH or cortisone or with other anti-inflammatory steroids."2

Lack of Cholesterol Hurts Pregnenolone Levels

Now, scientists and researchers are again looking at the value of pregnenolone. The research that D. Gary Young found establishes how pregnenolone declines in the body more than 60 percent between the ages of 35 and 75. Along with this natural bodily decline, our bodies have had to deal with a decrease in the building block of pregnenolone - cholesterol. "Low cholesterol" or "no cholesterol" has been pounded into the heads of health-conscious consumers. While the cholesterol link to heart disease is under question today, cholesterol-lowering drugs are causing hormone imbalance. Without cholesterol, there is no pregnenolone, which means the body cannot create the hormones it needs.

The lack of cholesterol (and thus pregnenolone) in our diets may be the cause of many cases of depression. Dr. William Regelson writes that,

"A recent study conducted by the National Institutes of Mental Health showed that people with clinical depression have lower than normal amounts of pregnenolone in their cerebral spinal fluid (the fluid that bathes the brain)."3

Spinal cord injuries may be minimized with pregnenolone according to a number of rat studies. Dr. Eugene Roberts would like to see a pregnenolone cream placed in first aid kits for use on the spine following earthquakes or accidents. 4

Pregnenolone is Help For Menopause

Menopause is a dreaded ordeal for the millions of women who choose not to use estrogen replacement therapy because of a four to eight tines higher chance of uterine cancer. The pharmaceutical companies developed 'hormone replacement therapy," which combines synthetic progesterone with conjugated equine estrogen. The majority of female consumers of this therapy are probably unaware that the estrogen they are taking is not natural to the human body and comes from a pregnant mare's urine (PMU). Dr. John R. Lee notes that 52 percent of the estrogens in this concoction are the horse estrogens equilin and equilenin, which are not natural to humans. 5

Raindrop Technique and Pregnenolone Combined

Synthetic estrogens and progesterones "plug" the body's receptor sites. "All of your prescription drugs are based on petrochemicals and these chemicals plug receptor sites, creating even a greater imbalance, which suppresses and compromises immune function," states D. Gary Young He explained the value of the Raindrop Technique where certain oils are dropped along the spine:

"Along the spine happens to be one of the largest accumulations of receptor nerve sites, and that's why Raindrop Technique works so specifically. When the oils get in there and can start stimulating nerve transmission -- that's very, very important. When you combine the oils with pregnenolone, then the oils carry the pregnenolone into the cell structure to start that cell's rejuvenation. It is win, win, win, and balance, balance, balance."

Doesn't it make more sense to use a natural substance in hormone replacement therapy? The best thing about pregnenolone is that is it is completely natural. The human body, the true "master chemist," transforms pregnenolone into the hormones the body is lacking. Whether its estrogen, progesterone or testosterone, using pregnenolone, the wisdom of the body makes what is needed most.

For Men, Too

Men are also susceptible to the age-related loss of pregnenolone in the body. They needn't fear that pregnenolone might be turned into a female hormone. Research on memory by Rahmawhati Sih, Ph.D., showed that after older men and women were given pregnenolone, the memory tests given three hours later showed gender variation. The women rated higher in verbal recall, while men improved in visual spatial tasks that required three-dimensional thinking. Dr. William Regelson reviewed this research in his book, The Superhormone Promise: Nature's Antidote to Aging and wrote that Dr. Sih's "results suggest that pregnenolone is being broken down differently in men and women; that is, it appears to have a testosterone-like effect in men and an estrogen-like effect in women."6

What's even better, is that pregnenolone does not function like synthetic hormones, which can cause debilitating side effects. Instead, it has hormone-balancing effects throughout the body as well as other powerful anti-inflammatory effects.

A rising tide of clinical research is just beginning to show the powerful therapeutic benefits of natural pregnenolone. Benefits that can reverse decline, balance hormones, and increase longevity. All in a completely natural substance that is non-toxic and virtually without side effects!

You can rest assured that pregnenolone is well tolerated and its safety has been well documented. William Regelson, M. D., and Carol Colman stated in their book, The Super-Hormone Promise: Nature's Antidote to Aging, Pocket Books, 1996, "We know that pregnenolone is safe, well tolerated, and causes no know side effects..."

*Reprinted from Essential Edge Magazine, Fall, 2000
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[morrey]

How does HCG increase levels of pregnenolone?

 

[krustus]

a mans testes are his body's largest producer of pregnenolone.... so atrophied, shut sown nuts need a little kick start

 

[morrey]

a mans testes are his body's largest producer of pregnenolone.... so atrophied, shut sown nuts need a little kick start

Pretty sure its the adrenal gland that makes most of the pregnenolone in the body

 

[krustus]

Pretty sure its the adrenal gland that makes most of the pregnenolone in the body

lol... i think you are right

 

[RockShawn]

Stolen: err i mean borrowed 🙂

When a man introduces Testosterone exogenously it significantly changes how the Hypothalamus(H), Pituitary(P) and Testicle(T) glands react to each other in keeping men's androgenic hormones in balance. Many of our hormones act in a cascading event and the axis between the these three glands are no different.

When T levels are low in a normal healthy man the Hypothalamus releases a "releasing" hormone (LHRH) that tells the Pituitary to release another hormone known as Luteinizing Hormone (LH). In turn, LH reaches the receptors on the Leydig cells within the testicles telling them to do their thing among which is the production of Pregnenolone from Cholesterol, Sperm and Testosterone among other things needed downstream in all hormonal pathways.

Exogenous Testosterone halts the HPT Axis (HPTA) and as such the testicles are no longer receiving LH. This is know by most of us as simply "shutdown" or "HPTA suppression."

In order for men on a TRT protocol where they are in a state of shutdown/suppression to make up for the lost production of LH they will need add hCG to their protocol which is a bioidentical form of LH (LH Analog).

hCG (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_c...c_gonadotropin) is a water based peptide hormone that can only be injected to replace the lost LH hormone that a TRT protocol shuts down. There are "so called" oral forms of hCG that some men are placed on, or purchased from other sources, but from all that I read it's not possible to injest hCG and get it past the liver to make its efficacy plausible. Recently, oral micronized verions of hCG are available by prescription and have shown to be a successful alternative to injections for some men...talk to your Doctor.

So what happens when a man testicles don't function anymore do to the lack of LH?

1. The Biggie: Testicular Atrophy. Men will see their testes get smaller over time and hurt constantly along the way. The duration for this event seems to be different in men where younger guys can seem to go longer where mid to older guys see the event happens on a more accelerated scale. Some think it happens to do with the amount of receptors on the Leydig cells...but who really knows.
2. Sperm production is pretty much halted.
3. Men's scrotum's will get really tight and pull up against the body causing pain and end up looking like a 5 year old.
4. The testes are the single largest producer of the hormone Pregnenolone; the mother of all hormones (http://www.antiaging-systems.com/165...one-metabolite) We need Pregnenolone for so many reasons (read the link) and while it can be supplemented it's hit or miss on how effective supplementation can be for some men.

Why we need hCG:
1. To produce Pregnenolone; hCG activates the p450 side chain cleavage (p450scc) enzyme which converts cholesterol to Pregnenolone!!! (Read the link above, please.)
2. To produce the precursors for DHEA, Estrogen, Cortisol, Testosterone and DHT...back filling the pathways (See #1 above)
3. For proper and normal brain function
4. For proper functioning of the testicles
5. If men ever want to restart
6. If men ever want to have children
7. If men don't want balls that end up in a small mass of useless Collagen
8. The list goes on...

In short, hCG keeps the testicles functioning in a normal state and supports all three androgen pathways. It prevents pregnenolone deficiency and supporting all our other CHOL pathways and hormones as well.

As we've all seen first hand in this community; when a man on a TRT protocol is not on hCG they complain of shrinking testicle and the accompanying pain that goes with it.

But when they start on hCG (because of all the things listed above and more) they all state how much better they feel and the pain associated with their testicular atrophy subsiding and that their testicles feel much better as well.

Does a man need hCG on a TRT protocol? Nope. But for all the reasons above a man should be made aware of why hCG and Pregnenolone are important to their health and well being on a life long journey of TRT.

The efficacy for hCG for both Primary and Secondary Hypogonadism has been documented. For those whose Doctor refuses to prescribe HCG as part of your TRT protocol print this study abstract and force them to read it:

Tung-Chin Hsieh, Alexander W. Pastuszak, Kathleen Hwang and Larry I. Lipshultz*,†

From the Division of Urology, University of California-San Diego (TCH), San Diego, California, Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine (AWP, LIL), Houston, Texas, and Department of Urology (KH), Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island

Purpose: Testosterone replacement therapy results in decreased serum gonadotropins and intratesticular testosterone , and impairs spermatogenesis, leading to azoospermia in 40% of patients. However, intratesticular testosterone can be maintained during testosterone replacement therapy with co-administration of low dose human chorionic gonadotropin , which may support continued spermatogenesis in patients on testosterone replacement therapy.

Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of hypogonadal men treated with testosterone replacement therapy and concomitant low dose human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG ). Testosterone replacement consisted of daily topical gel or weekly intramuscular injection with intramuscular human chorionic gonadotro- pin (500 IU) every other day. Serum and free testosterone, estradiol, semen parameters and pregnancy rates were evaluated before and during therapy.

Results: A total of 26 men with a mean age of 35.9 years were included in the study. Mean followup was 6.2 months. Of the men 19 were treated with injectable testosterone and 7 were treated with transdermal gel. Mean serum hormone levels before vs during treatment were testosterone 207.2 vs 1,055.5 ng/dl (p <0.0001), free testosterone 8.1 vs 20.4 pg/ml (p = 0.02) and estradiol 2.2 vs 3.7 pg/ml (p = 0.11). Pretreatment semen parameters were volume 2.9 ml, density 35.2 million per ml, motility 49.0% and forward progression 2.3. No differences in semen parameters were observed during greater than 1 year of followup. No impact on semen parameters was observed as a function of testosterone formulation. No patient became azoospermic during concomitant testosterone replacement and human chorionic gonadotropin therapy. Nine of 26 men contributed to pregnancy with the partner during followup.

Conclusions: Low dose human chorionic gonadotropin appears to maintain semen parameters in hypogonadal men on testosterone replacement therapy. Concurrent testosterone replacement and human chorionic gonadotropin use may preserve fertility in hypogonadal males who desire fertility preservation while on testosterone replacement therapy.


Reconstituting 5,000IU’s of hCG
Use a larger bore (i.e., 18g) needle, and transfer your bacteriostatic water into the vial with the freeze dried hCG powder. You want to inject until you have added a total of 2ml's of solution. Keep the powder and vial upright because you can blow the hCG out of it when you pull the needle out of the vial. Otherwise be sure to draw air out after you push the water in to release pressure each time. Also, make sure to hold the plunger of the syringe when you first penetrate the vial as there is a vacuum inside the vial and it will want to pull the plunger down at an accelerated rate and you don’t want that to happen.

Reconstituting 10,000IU’s of hCG
Use a larger bore (i.e., 18g) needle, and transfer your bacteriostatic water into the vial with the freeze dried hCG powder. You want to inject until you have added a total of 4ml's of solution. Keep the powder and vial upright because you can blow the hCG out of it when you pull the needle out of the vial. Otherwise be sure to draw air out after you push the water in to release pressure each time. Also, make sure to hold the plunger of the syringe when you first penetrate the vial as there is a vacuum inside the vial and it will want to pull the plunger down at an accelerated rate and you don’t want that to happen.

When completed, gently swirl the vial to mix. Keep in the refrigerator once reconstituted. It will keep its potency for 60 to 90 days.

When using an insulin syringe, each unit (line) on the scale of the syringe equals 25IU's of hCG. 250IU’s of hCG is then 10 units on the side of the insulin syringe.

Note: Due primarily to the shelf life of reconstituted hCG it’s best advised to use the smaller 5,000IU vials as opposed to the 10,000IU which sits longer.

hCG Injection Protocols
Let’s start by saying that there are no hard and fast rules for hCG injection protocols. There are a number of well known Physicians who have recommendations and prescribe based on their experience with patient’s subjective responses to treatment and subsequent serum levels. There are other variables as well that need to be taking into consideration when contemplating hCG injection protocols like whether or not the man is Primary or Secondary Hypogonadal can determine hCG injection protocols.

That being said, there are a number of hCG injection protocols that appear more commonly and are based on Testosterone injection frequency and or the use of a cream or gel.

Note: It's not advisable to inject more then 500iu's of hCG in any 24 hour period as it can increase intratesticular E2 which an AI is largely ineffective in controlling. Additionally, there is a theory that large amounts of hCG may desensitize the receptors on the lydeg cells.

Once a Week Testosterone Injection Protocols
If a man injects Testosterone on a once a week basis the more common protocol is to use 250IU of hCG two days before and one day before their next testosterone injection. The theory here is that Testosterone serum levels are at near half life and the injection of hCG on these days increase natural production creating a bridge until the next testosterone injection.

Twice a Week Testosterone Injections
If a man injects twice a week similar to an every 3.5 day schedule the more common protocol are smaller doses more frequently. It’s not uncommon to see men inject 250IU of hCG on an EOD basis or on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday protocol.

Cream or Gel Daily Use
If a man uses a Cream and/or Gel some of the top Testosterone Repla***ent Physicians, like Dr. John Crisler, recommend patients use 100iu of hCG every day.

hCG Injections
Injecting hCG prevents a drug induced Pregnenolone deficiency and helps support the other androgen pathways as well. When men are on a TRT protocol without hCG and then add in hCG many report a significant improvement in mood that many attribute to restored Pregnenolone levels.

When injecting hCG, you inject into the fat under the skin just the same as diabetics inject insulin. The product literature is all about use a fertility drug for women with large IM [injected into muscle] doses. There is no need for men to inject hCG IM.

Research using SC injections in men has demonstrated the effectiveness of the 250 iu EOD dosing. You can seek diabetic patient educational material for insulin injection techniques to use for hCG and/or testosterone injections.

Pregnenolone - Why You Need It
Pregnenolone is a hormone that many Doctors and men are not familiar with or understand it's role in the CHOL pathways but it's critically important to our health as it is a "precursor hormone" to all other hormones. Restoring Pregnenolone to optimal levels is important but seems to get the least attention by Doctors. Remember, the testes are the single largest producer of the hormone Pregnenolone. Pregnenolone is important for proper mental functioning and is the precursor to all of the steroid hormones found in the three CHOL pathways such as DHEA, testosterone, DHT, estrogen, cortisol...

So what are the benefits of Pregnenolone?

In our bodies Pregnenolone is manufactured by cholesterol (CHOL). The hormone performs many functions in a mans body, including:

1. Promotes healthy brain function and protects against dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Many men state feeling good when they start supplementing Pregnenolone.
2. It can also prevent age related diseases and support the Central Nervous System (CNS).
3. Boosts the immune system and increases energy produciton.
4. Protects against coronary disease and improves heart health and can lower cholesterol levels.
5. Enhances mood and relieves depression. Many men state their mood betters when they start supplementation.
6. Relieves arthritis pain!
7. Fights the effects of fatigue and stress.

The optimal serum levels for Pregnenolone is 180 ng/dl for men. Pregnenolone can be purchased over the counter in a pill (micronized is the best for pills) or sublingual form in addition to transdermal creams. A typical dose is 50 to 200 mg daily best taken in the morning on an empty stomach (cream applied in the morning as well). Pregnenolone is considered safe and because is converts to DHEA which leads to other hormones it's best to get your Pregnenolone levels tested before supplementing.

DHEA Supplementation
Dehydroepiandrosterone: DHEA
As presented by Dr. Neal Rouzier, M.D.

Here's a great reason to add DHEA to your protcol.

DHEA is a hormone secreted primarily by the adrenal glands. It results in a shift of a catabolic state to an anabolic or protein building state.

 It reduces cardiovascular risks by increasing lipolyses (decrease visceral fat).
 It stimulates the immune system, restores sexual vitality, improves moods, decreases cholesterol and body fat.
 It improves memory, increases energy, and has anti-cancer properties by enhancing the immune system.
 It is an endocrine precursor to other hormones, prevents immuno-senescence, loss of sleep, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis.
 DHEA reduces insulin requirement
 Adrenal hormone anabolic vs. catabolic metabolism
 Restores immunity
 Prevents osteoporosis, increases bone density
 Prevents cancer in lab animals
 Prevents diabetes & heart disease
 Decreases visceral fat
 Improves mood & well-being
 Improves energy & memory
 Slows aging process in lab animals
 Prevents lipid peroxidation =
antioxidant
 Endocrine precursor to T.P.E.
 7-keto DHEA is not a precursor to other HRT = avoid
 Neurotransmitter (recently discovered)
 Presently pending FDA approval for Lupus (Prasterone)

Clinically substantiated uses of DHEA include replacement for:
 Low DHEA levels
 Chronic disease
 Adrenal exhaustion or corticosteroid therapy
 SLE
 Improving bone density
 Improving depression & mood disorders
 Enhancing immune response by activating T-cells
 Improving well-being
 Decreasing cardiovascular risk
 Improving erectile dysfunction
 Anyone over 40
 DHEA has never been shown to reverse the aging process
 Nevertheless DHEA is important for preventive medicine
 DHEA inhibits synthesis of thromboxane A2, reduces plasminogen activator inhibitor, and tissue plasminogen activator
– all decreasing platelet aggregation and ischemia.

Administraiton:
Men<200lb: 50mg AM
Men>200lb: 75-100mg AM

Women <50yo: 10-15mg AM
Women >50yo: 25mg AM

IMPORTANT:
DHEA Serum Levels
 MEN
 Range 100-600
 Optimal 500-600
WOMEN
 Range 50-300
 Optimal 200-250

Higher levels in women predispose them to side effects – therefore stay low
 Monitor monthly until optimal
 Assure correct dose and compliance
 Measure DHEA-S and not DHEA

 Side effects: acne, hirsutism
 Tx: Lower dose or take QOD Spironolactone 100 mg/day
 Contraindicated in sex hormone responsive tumors – breast, ovarian, uterine, prostate
 Conversion to T.P.E.?
 DHEA raises testosterone levels in women slightly, yet not in men
 DHEA raises estradiol slightly in men

Indications:
 Over age 40 for health protection
 Preventive medicine and well-being
 Symptoms of aging, mood & depression
 ‘Cause the medical literature suggests it if we want to live longer, happier, healthier

DHEA – S04
 MEN Blood levels
 Optimal : 500-600 ug/ml
 Side effects rare in men
WOMEN
 Optimal : 200-250 ug/ml
 Dose based on side effects
 Side effects very common in women

DHEA Dose
 MEN
 Capsule – SR micronized
 50 mg Q am
 >200 lbs – 75 - 100 mg Q am

WOMEN
 Capsule – SR micronized
 10 mg Q am if over 40
 15 mg Q am if over 50
 25 mg Q am if over 60
 If under age 40, do not prescribe due to sensitivity causing side effects.

 

[krustus]

4. The testes are the single largest producer of the hormone Pregnenolone

so i may have been right?... morrey?...j/k bro... i have read support for both the adrenals and the testes being the main producers

 

[morrey]

so i may have been right?... morrey?...j/k bro... i have read support for both the adrenals and the testes being the main producers

The problem I have with that explanation is that the leydig cells' function is to produce androgens. Any pregnenolone is likely to be converted to an androgen. And leydig cells do not produce sperm, so I already don't trust whoever wrote that.

I still win (maybe) lol 8)

 

[jshredz]

Krustus comes out the corner swinging but morrey defends and lands an uppercut!!!

"The bell rings to end the 1st round"

so i may have been right?... morrey?...j/k bro... i have read support for both the adrenals and the testes being the main producers

The problem I have with that explanation is that the leydig cells' function is to produce androgens. Any pregnenolone is likely to be converted to an androgen. And leydig cells do not produce sperm, so I already don't trust whoever wrote that.

I still win (maybe) lol 8)

 

[krustus]

I still win (maybe) lol 8)

LMAO....

 

[RockShawn]

Just passing on the info. My TRT Doc is adament I take 1000iu of hCG a week for my TRT. There has to be some reason.

OK Round 2 begin!!

 

[krustus]

don't make krusty go all gangsta

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