HPTA Restart - HCG Only?

Hey guys,

First off just want to say I’ve been doing research on here for a very long time and that I’m grateful that this community exists. I have a specific question that I can’t seem to find the answer to so I’m hoping you can help.

Brief back story: I’m 35 years old with TT readings around 400-450 and free T at the bottom range (8-10). I don’t have a ton of symptoms but I also wouldn’t say I feel “optimal” either and my energy levels are average at best. Back in my 20’s I ran some testosterone cycles with pct (but no hcg) for a total of about 5 years off an on but I haven’t touched any gear in about 6 years. Because of the consistent sub-optimal readings I’ve gotten over the last few years I’m now attempting to do a restart since the last time I did one it seemed to go pretty well and that was 4 years ago.

Question: Long story short, the last time I ran clomid I got started getting some visual disturbances that years later have not gone away. For the sake of my eyesight I will not be running clomid or nolvadex. With that being said I’m one month into running HCG which I was planning on running for 8 weeks total (800 iu’s 3x per week) and my question is what is the best way to come off of the HCG? It appears I have two options which are stop cold turkey and wait for my pituitary to kick back in or possibly run arimidex (which I have on hand )and try to stimulate it that way. My concern with the arimidex would be driving my estrogen into the ground and feeling like shit but I would really love to hear what you guys think is the best option for this restart.

Thanks in advance!

HCG will not work well for a restart, HCG suppresses the HTPA and doesn’t do anything to increase LH which is what you need and what clomid does, I’m afraid using HCG to restart will be futile. It sounds like you have more than one reason why FT is low, LH on the lower end and the only way someone could have FT at the bottom of the ranges is SHBG on the higher end.

Their may be little you can do about the SHBG, so any testosterone gains you make will quickly be bound up to SHBG and deactivated not allowing your FT to increase enough. Going on this HCG only protocol will do one thing, shut down your HPTA which is the opposite of what you want which is suppressing your natural testosterone production.

If you really want to increase your natural testosterone, it will be done through diet and exercise.

Definitely appreciate the response. I was afraid that could be the case but I figured since I did run a bunch of cycles in the past with no HCG that maybe it would stimulate the testes to a higher point as a last ditch effort. Especially since, diet, weight, sleep, stress etc are all at a good point. But I do hear your point.

Any advice for getting off the HCG? Would you just stop, or run an AI afterwards?

If the aim is to get your natural T up and going again, the quickest way is stop everything rather than drag things on over a longer period. It’s sounds like you may need TRT for life because steroid cycles can wreck a young men’s HPTA because it isn’t fully mature and very fragile.

I stopped TRT cold turkey in April (no PCT, no restart) and it only took 4.5 weeks for my natural production to fire back up, I’m sure I could have tapered, by that would have prolonged suffering and the end result would be the same.

You have to ask yourself which do you prefer, do you like to rip the tape off your arm quickly or peel it off slowly? I would never recommend an AI in place of TRT.

We used to use hCG for five weeks coming off a cycle, 2000IUs per week, and stop. Seemed to be fine.

We used to use hCG for five weeks coming off a cycle, 2000IUs per week, and stop. Seemed to be fine.
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Thank you both for the responses! Open to hearing other thoughts but if the consensus is to just stop the HCG and levels will bounce back on their own, I can do that.

Also just received updated labs and 4 weeks into HCG my levels are TT 691 & FT 18.5.