About Jonna O'Keeffe
The pharmacokinetics data of the testosterone gel applied to the axillae are comparable to the other testosterone gels . A 2% hydro-alcoholic testosterone gel that shows similar pharmacokinetics as other gels is available as is another 2% testosterone gel that does not contain alcohol and is applied to the axilla using an applicator. In the US, the gel formulations that are currently available are 1, 1.62 and 2% testosterone gel.Some men find that their testes do not respond strongly enough to fully resolve their symptoms. That said, HCG monotherapy does not work equally well for everyone. Rather than replacing testosterone directly, HCG tells the testes to keep doing their job. Human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, plays a different role. But for a meaningful number of them, the full picture turns out to be more complicated than a single hormone in a syringe.
Recently, some scientists have begun investigating the possibility of using hCG to treat low testosterone levels. A 2016 review states that while TRT can increase muscle strength, it may not be very useful for addressing other symptoms of low testosterone. They found that certain combinations of exercise and rest can raise testosterone levels. Finally, it outlines some alternative methods for boosting testosterone levels. Research into the effects of hCG on testosterone levels is still in its early stages, and so far, the results are inconclusive. However, some researchers have begun investigating whether hCG could help raise low testosterone levels in males. Men with baseline labs completed outside their previous T therapy therapeutic time window before initiating hCG monotherapy had a statistically significant increase in mean T levels and a decrease in PSA levels.
Adult-Onset Hypogonadism is defined as having low testosterone in conjunction with clinical signs or symptoms such as low energy, low libido, decreased lean body mass, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, depression, anemia and infertility (3-6). The 2018 American Urological Association guidelines on the Evaluation and Management of Testosterone Deficiency recommended that 300 ng/dL be used as the threshold for prescribing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Also, if prostate is a concern (benign prostate hyperplasia), hcg was found to be beneficial, therapeutic (unlike test) All studies seem to be about knocking someone up (fertility stuff). In addition, no change was observed in the follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, hematocrit, hemoglobin A1c, and prostate-specific antigen. Long-term studies of selective androgen receptor modulations are not available for hypogonadal men. New selective androgen modulators including modified androgens and non-steroidal compounds are being developed for the treatment for sarcopenia rather than hypogonadism.
The starting dose of testosterone in pre-pubertal boys is usually lower than the adult dose such that the boys undergo puberty slowly. Thus a sample for testosterone measured in a laboratory using any standardized method should be similar to the same sample measured in another laboratory using another method, provided that these assays are accuracy based and referable to a universal standard. The Center of Disease Control is establishing a standardization program where testosterone assays are accuracy based and not only precision based (precision-based proficiency testing is commonly used for laboratory certification) . Individuals with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism may also present with midline facial defects, hearing loss, visual abnormalities, multiple hormonal abnormalities and neurologic deficits. In infancy, the presentation may be problems with sexual differentiation; in children delayed puberty; whereas in adulthood sexual symptoms are the commonest. In addition there are many nonspecific symptoms such as low energy, depressive mood, inability to concentrate and less energy. We also review therapeutic approaches for specific common conditions and mixed hypogonadism that clinicians may encounter frequently.
Of course, although difficult, randomized studies using control groups for comparison are necessary to confirm the clinical and physiological significance of this treatment regimen. Effect of baseline LH levels on efficacy of therapy may also be important to establish. If repeated, studies can consider use of a standardized patient questionnaire, such as a qADAM questionnaire. It should be noted that 6 men who started hCG therapy failed to follow up after the initial 3-month follow-up visit, and therefore fell out of the study. We also found a strong relationship between both hCG dosage and duration of therapy with percent testosterone changes. This corresponded with reports of symptom improvement in 50% of patients, with no reports of side effects or complications. Indications for treatment were largely attributed to persistent complaints of one or multiple of either low libido, low energy or erectile dysfunction, but also included infertility and insomnia.
For men looking to boost testosterone levels naturally without fully committing to testosterone therapy, HCG monotherapy can seem appealing. Beyond fertility, some men on testosterone-only therapy report that while certain symptoms improve, something still feels incomplete. When exogenous testosterone enters the body, the brain reads it as a signal that hormone levels are sufficient and reduces or eliminates its own signaling to the testes. Further study is needed to investigate the viability of hCG as a monotherapy for symptoms of hypogonadism. Vicari et al. looked at long term hCG treatment in 17 men with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, observing a significant increase in testicular volume, in a time-dependent manner, and testosterone, at 15 and 24 months of treatment (13). HCG’s ability to preserve spermatogenesis, and even improve semen parameters in patients who had been using exogenous testosterone, have been established (10-13). We found that hCG monotherapy, over an average therapy duration of 6 months, significantly improved testosterone levels in this cohort of men.