Q: “How should HCG be used in post-cycle therapy (PCT)?”
A: Ideally, HCG should not be used at all in PCT. For steroid cycles, HCG really should only be used in PCT if a mistake has been made which needs a correction.
When it’s used in PCT, the purpose is to correct testicular non-responsiveness or atrophy which has developed during a cycle. The longer the cycle, the more likely there will be a problem, and the worse the problem is likely to be.
When non-responsiveness occurs, then even after LH production is recovered the testes still do not produce testosterone in good amounts, and overall recovery is quite delayed. Losses from this steroid side effect can be severe.
A total HCG use of 5000-10,000 IU over a period of about 4-8 weeks can restore responsiveness.
It’s a poor and unnecessary plan to allow the testes to atrophy by starting HCG after the steroid cycle ends. It’s better to avoid atrophy and non-responsiveness from occurring in the first place. Further, HCG use during post-cycle therapy can impair recovery of LH production. So it’s not at all the ideal time to use it.
Instead, HCG should be used in the middle or late part of the cycle, and no later than the last steroid injection of the cycle.
The period of HCG use will typically be about 4 weeks. In an 8-12 week cycle, the 4 weeks (approximately) of use would be immediately prior to the last steroid injection. In a 14 week cycle, the about 4-week period should be in the late-middle part of the cycle. Examples would be using HCG in weeks 6-9, in weeks 9-12, or anywhere in-between.
The dosing is divided into at least 3 times per week. For example, 275 IU 3x/week provides 5000 IU over four weeks. But dosing could be daily, every other day, or 4x/week, as examples. There is little or no practical difference in results among these different schedules. It’s a matter of personal preference.
The total amount taken per week doesn’t need to be any exact figure. For example it also would be fine to take 500 IU three times per week or to take 200 IU daily.
Taking more than 1250 IU per week result in a 5000 IU vial lasting less than four weeks. For example, at 500 IU 3x/week, a vial lasts just over 3 weeks. This is acceptably close to 4 weeks, and ordinarily with this schedule a single vial still suffices. Much higher dosing than this gives no further results per week, and gives less results per vial.
When HCG is used according to this method, the side effects of testicular atrophy and loss of responsiveness are avoided, and recovery is complete as soon as LH production is restored. There’s then no need for PCT use of HCG, and recovery is faster as a result.
It’s worth mentioning also that in some cases, it will be better to use HCG throughout the steroid cycle rather than using it for only a 4 week period. One case is where the cycle uses only non-aromatizable steroids, such as Masteron, Primobolan, trenbolone, Anadrol, or oxandrolone. Estradiol levels drop undesirably low during non-aromatizing cycles, because testosterone levels drop very low and estradiol is produced principally from testosterone. By maintaining normal testosterone levels, HCG used throughout the cycle will also maintain sufficient estradiol levels.
Another case where it can be desirable to use HCG throughout the period of steroid use is where the user is not cycling at all, but using steroids chronically with no break.
About the author
Bill Roberts is an internationally-recognized expert on anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). He received a bachelor degree in Microbiology and Cell Science and completed the educational and research requirements for a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry at a major American university.
Bill entered the nutritional supplement industry prior to completing his doctoral thesis but his education was invaluable so far as being able to design/improve nutritional supplement compounds, since it was in the field of designing drug molecules and secondarily some work in transdermal delivery.
His education was not specifically "geared" toward anabolic steroids other than expertise with pharmacological principles having broad applications. This has allowed Bill to provide unique insight into the field of anabolic pharmacology with knowledge of points which he would not have known otherwise.
Hi Bill Roberts,
Thank you for taking the time to read my email regarding your article “Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) and Post Cycle Therapy (PCT)”. I have been doing some research on post cycle therapy to figure out which application is most effective in restoring normal function.
Dr. Michael Scally had a PCT clinical study using hCG, Clomid, Nolvadex called the “HPGA Normalization Protocol”. He states that returning HPGA to normal function is crucial in both testicular and hypothalamic pituitary regions. Thus, the effects of hCG are focused on the Leydig cells and clomid with tamoxifin focuses on the hypothalamic-pituitary region to stimulate gonadotropin production. The combination would be a complete HPGA recovery and a significant increase in gonadotropin production.
I know many cases vary due to different AAS, but whats your view on trying to have a complete HPGA recovery using hCG, clomid, and tamoxifin? Why do you prefer in discontinuing hCG during post cycle?
Thank you for your time and knowledge.
but how we gonna divide HCG dosage as it comes in a single ampoule of 5000 iu or atleast 2000 iu. and is it ok/safe to take that much in a single injection ?
It comes as a powder. You mix sterile water with it. A 5000iu amp you will need a sterile vial (10ml) to inject 4 ml of sterile water and then 1 ml of sterile water into the hcg powder(let it mix) and then remove the 1 ml of sterile water (now the hcg mixture) and inject it into the other 4ml. this gives you 5 ml of sterile hcg solution. A .5 ml will give you 500iu hcg and .25 will give you 250iu hcg.
You need to buy bacteriostatic water and mix hcg with it. it prevents bacteria from spreading into solution for 3-4 weeks (2-3ml)
Hi Bill! I know you are a very busy guy and I’m sure you get plenty of questions regarding this topic…but I need your advice. I have basically been on cycle non-stop for almost 6 years. I am planning to come off very soon. Been using test prop every 3 to 4 days. You mentioned not to use HCG for PCT. I was planning to do HCG at 1000iu 3 times a week one weeks after my last shot of test prop (100mg)….concurrently using 20mg of Nolvadex all the way. 1st week out…100mg of clomid. Then 50mg of clomid for the next two weeks. After stopping the clomid n HCG aftrr the first three weeks…I continue with nolvadex all the way until recovery…am planning to use tribulus after the third weeks during PCT to help with free testosterone production…will this work?
I hope you can advise me accordingly…I trust no one but you!
Yours sincerely,
Soo
how much hcg will i need for pct?
Hi i was on 8 week cycle after that i dnt do pct and iam shuting down now i start pct last month 4 hcg 5000 iu in a month means 1 in a week .. and nolvadex 20 mg day with vitamine e 1000 .. but yesterday i got blood test the results r not gud they r minimum from normal so pls help me guide me what i have 2 do now
Have a question/suggestion, I’m gonna run of 12 weeks test cyp (week 1-12), dbol (the first 4 weeks) and anavar (the last 5 weeks), throughout the cycle I’m gonna use arimidex (week 1-19)…..my question is should I use HCG alongside arimidex??? or should I use just one of them?? also my PCT looks like nolvadex (week 15-19) clomid (week 15-19) thanks