@chaos 188 wrote:

Does anyone agree that it makes more sense to try to get the maximum out of one’s own system (by using HCG) and then augmenting with as little exogenous T as possible?

My doctor is considering the following, since I feel the best on the days I use HCG: 100 iu HCG daily, with 30 mg cypionate twice weekly.

Does that make sense (also as an attempt to not need arimidex)?

Does E3D make more sense?

I believe each person has to develop a protocol that fits him or her best.

For example, not everyone has problems with excessive estrogen. Few of my patients have such a problem, no matter what the protocol. This includes those who are on pure daily HCG injections.

If daily HCG injections with twice a week testosterone injections is the best treatment for a particular person, then fantastic.

That makes 9 needle injections a week. For many men, this is not very convenient. Some men have problems with bruising with that many injections. Traveling with HCG isn’t convenient either. It has to be refrigerated. The days when you can’t get HCG since shortages occur are also a problem. There is more complexity in such a protocol. But if this is what a person wants or prefers and they’ll live with the downsides, then good for them.

Note that the use of HCG makes it more likely that one will get more estradiol, since it stimulates estradiol production. But again, this tendency does not always occur. In my experience, it seldom occurs whatever the protocol. But one has to be ready in case it happens.

Since, for the average man, Testosterone Cypionate has a half-life of 1 week, and fairly flat blood levels can be obtained at once a week dosing, little is to be gained by twice a week dosing. Only if the half-life is less than 1 week should one consider twice a week or more dosing. Testosterone enanthate – which is a little bit thicker and harder to inject and more expensive – has an average half-life a little bit longer – up to 9 days.

Some men do very well with a once a month injection of Testosterone Cypionate without estrogen issues. Many men need shorter intervals. On average, I think a once a week interval should be the starting point. Three injections a week implies that the half-life of Testosterone Cypionate is approximately 2 days. Hardly any man has such a short half-life.

One way to estimate the half-life of testosterone cypionate is to do a 200 mg injection then measure the testosterone level after 4 days. The level should be around 650 ng/dl. If it is less, then the half-life is less than 7 days and twice a week dosing is indicated. It if is more (some men have levels at 1400 ng/dl after 4 days), then the half-life is much longer than 7 days. These are men who could do well on much longer intervals between injections.