Has Crisler changed his protocol recently? He used to advocate pinning HCG 2x/week at 250IU each. For example, if you pinned test on Sun., you would pin the HCG the following Fri and Sat, as those days your exogenous test levels were beginning to sink and the HCG helped keep them level. I know that was his protocol years ago, and he may have changed it. Seems like daily HCG shots is overkill, big time.
Dr Crisler has indeed changed his protocol in recent years. He advocates small daily shots as the best way to go, although he is flexible to accommodate other approaches because most people don't want to do daily injections.
**broken link removed**
"In my previous report I recommended 500iu of HCG twice per week for TRT patients, on weekly IM shots, taken each of the two days before the test cyp injection. That is the original “Crisler Method”. Now, with more than a decade more experience, and vast evolution in TRT medicine protocols, we have even better ways to “tune” you up.
By the way, all now administer their HCG subcutaneously, and dosage adjusted as necessary. No one needs to inject HCG intramuscularly any longer. Or their test cyp for that matter, either.
Those TRT patients who prefer a transdermal testosterone, or even testosterone pellets (although I am not in favor of same), take their HCG from every day, to every third day. They then needn’t concern themselves with diminishing serum androgen levels from their testosterone delivery system, due to daily consistent Testosterone delivery.
This might be a good time to mention the best TRT protocol ever is a daily T gel, daily HCG shot, DHEA, and estrogen control (where necessary). I hasten to add that would be for those who can use a T gel.
While HCG, as sole TRT, is still considered treatment of choice for hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism by many, my experience is that it just does not bring the same subjective benefits as pure testosterone delivery systems—even when similar serum androgen levels are produced from comparable baseline values. Why, I do not know--a feeling I have every single day.
Since our goal in “Backfilling the Pathways” (subject of another report) is to produce as normal a hormonal landscape as possible, while simultaneously seizing control of the HPTA, providing a physiologic dose of the LH-mimic HCG is key. That means small, daily doses. Second best is a double daily dose, QOD (every other day). Third best is a triple dose Q3D (every third day). You get the pattern. I usually start them off at 100-150iu QD, based upon previous Medical History and, frankly, how I feel at the time about their case.
If you are taking test cyp shots twice per week, and want to take HCG similarly, take the HCG (250-500iu) the day before the test cyp shot, each time. We don’t want to unnecessarily stack the HCG on top of the test cyp shot. If you are doing QOD or even daily test cyp shots (some actually do), it won’t matter. If you would like to combine the two in the same syringe, please let me know how that works for you. Still gathering data on that. But if you do, load the test cyp into the syringe first, then the HCG. The fluid dynamics are more in your favor that way."