HCG injections for Hormone Replacement Therapy

[michael216]

Hello All,

My name is Michael and this is my first post. I had joined 2 years ago but had never ended up posting anything. I was a little preoccupied with BEP x 4 at the time.

Anyway, Long story short: I had TC in left testicle in 2016. I/O and RPLND in 2016 (no chemo). Relapse in 2017. Chemo and repeat RPLND (ended in March 2018).

Now, over one year later, even though I have my Right Testicle, I'm having issues with low testosterone. The endocrinologist I'm seeing mentioned that he gives HCG injections along with Testosterone injections (prefers injection to gels). The HCG is bioidentical to LH, which stimulates the testicles to produce testosterone. This keeps your body from shutting down your natural testosterone function and prevent atrophy.

HAS ANYONE TRIED THIS BEFORE?

I ran it past my oncologist who said he never heard of it. But he didn't say not to do it. My concern is that my bHCG lab test will no longer be useful as a tumor marker. But even more concerned that it may somehow aggravate cancer if it's still present in the body. Had a new 6mm lung nodule show up on CT scan last week. They think it's inflammation vs. neoplasm. I have a repeat CT in 2 months (somewhat anxiety provoking).

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks much.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2/2016- Left testicular mass
LDH 242 H, bHCG 2.9, AFP 4.6
3/2016- Left I/O
2.9x2.3x1.3cm mass (classic seminoma - 75%, yolk sac tumor - 10%, embryonal carcinoma - 10%, teratoma - 5%), LI+
ABD CT- positive 1 cm lymph node.
4/2016- LDH 170, bHCG <0.5, AFP 3.9
RPLND (full template/nerve sparring) 1/11 nodes positive (embryonal carcinoma)
All Clear
9/2017- ABD pain
LDH 479 H (Urologist says not to worry), bHCG 2.4, AFP 3.8
10/2017-Seek 2nd opinion from my PCP who orders ABD U/S (10x10cm and 2x1cm retroperitoneal masses) biopsy confirms seminoma).
11/2017-LDH 1190 H, bHCG 10, AFP 3.5
BEP x 4 (complicated with 4 hospital admissions for neutropenic fevers and anemia)
3/2018- Repeat RPLND (post-chemo)
LDH 153, bHCG <0.1, AFP 4.6
All Clear
4/2019- Chest CT shows new 6mm lung nodule on Right. ABD CT normal
LDH 177, bHCG <0.5, AFP 3.9

[Ryan Bi]

Hi Michael216,

Sorry to hear you have testosterone problem.

I never heard this treatment as well. But hcg can fast away from our body with half-time 2-3days. TC cells can produce hcg, injection should not have impact tumor cells.

Can you give us more information about your pathology, stage and tumor markers etc.? I think these information will help folks give advice to you.

Lung nodal could be many possibilities, TB, inflammation, allergy, and Neoplasm etc. I understand your feeling at this moment, but normally after BEPx4 and RPLND, you have good chance be cured. I am not the medical expert, so above just my thoughts.

Hope others can help you or contact Dr. Einhorn ask for advice. He is always trying to give help.

Kind regards

Amy, Ran’s mom

[michael216]

Thanks for your reply, Amy. Hopefully someone will have experience with HCG treatment. Thanks also for your reassurance. I just edited my post to include stats. How do I make it my "signature" so it always appears? Thanks!

Michael

[Ryan Bi]

Hi Michael,

Go to user setting, then kick account, find edit post signature, it will be done. But better use computer, sometimes cellphone doesn’t work with it.

Best wishes

Amy

[Davepet]

Have you had you t-level checked? How low was it? I also don't recall hearing of anyone on the forum getting hcg with TRT.

Dave

[michael216]

Hi Dave. It's been checked several times. The last check was 429. It was in the low 300's before that. I made many dietary, lifestyle, and supplement changes to bring it up to 429. Unfortunately, I'm still feeling low t symptoms

[Davepet]

Are you showing a steady increase or is it up & down from test to test?

[michael216]

290, 440, 329, 490, 429. All taken several months apart. Range is 270-1070. I know I'm technically normal but that doesn't make my symptoms go away. I looked it up, and based on my age, that puts me into the lowest 10% of all men in my age group. So even though I'm technically normal it's probably not what my body is used to or needs. A lot of people forget that these values were established by taking the value of tens of thousands of other patients who were tested and finding the average. But a man who tests at 900 before TC and then falls to even 500 after cancer will still feel negative effects in my opinion.

[Davepet]

Yes, I know the range includes men from teens to eighties, & is useless, but many docs are reluctant to prescribe treatment if within range, even though low for your age.They *should* take age into consideration, but many do not. If you had a steadily up trend, I'd advise you to wait & see if things improve, but you seem to be up & down ( with an overall trend up) hard to say what to do. TRT will normally slow down natural production a lot. How difficult would you find it to wait a bit longer & see if natural production picks up? It might be worth it to not need TRT for the rest of your life, but only you can decide that.

Dave

[Micah]

If your testicle is healthy which it sounds it is many men accross the country are doubling there testosterone by taking clomophine. Do your research on it and worth a try. Clomophine will stimulate your petuitary gland to increase the signals to your testicle to produce more. I unfirtunately suffered a horrible radiation overexposure incident which damaged both my testicles so bad they lost half there size in 3 months and my T tests were in the 100s. A year later I recovered to 350 which is no where near my normal based off my loss if sex drive, energy, strength, loss of hair and beard growth...everything. though in the low end of the normal range no where near my normal based off my symptoms. Doctors really only look at the computer and lab ranges instead of considering the symtoms and what a person's normal was before. The good news is you being in the 400s with one testicle, it is most likely healthy and try clomophine for a few months and see if it helps. You may have to go to a fertility specialist to give it a try and it won't reduce the function of your healthy testicle as steroids will over time. And do not let the doctors have your testicle radiated by any ct scans and get sheilding down there. One abdomen and pelvic ct scan blasted my balls so bad enducing low T and testicular atrophy which started the mess I deal with now.