Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)
hCG is a peptide hormone that acts very similarly to luteinizing hormone (LH) by binding the LH/hCG receptor on Leydig cells in the testes and stimulating testosterone production (including helping maintain intratesticular testosterone, which matters for testicular function and fertility). In men, it’s used clinically in select settings (e.g., hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, fertility-focused regimens, and sometimes alongside TRT to help preserve testicular size/ITT). PMC
Because hCG can increase endogenous testosterone signaling, it sometimes gets discussed in PFS/PSSD/PAS communities as a way to “push the axis” without directly supplying testosterone. Mechanistically, though, it’s still a strong endocrine signal that can shift downstream hormones (including estradiol via aromatization of increased testosterone), and its effects can be highly dose- and context-dependent.
Anecdotes:
https://www.reddit.com/r/FinasterideSyndrome/comments/1gpfa3f/hcg_improvement_report/
https://lowtoxinforum.com/threads/finally-cured-from-post-finasteride-syndrome.33215/page-108
How to Interpret This Page
This page summarizes community anecdotes and informal observations, not medical evidence. “Improvement” means a person reported feeling better after an intervention; it does not prove the intervention caused the change or that it will apply to others. Outcomes can be influenced by many factors (time, stopping another trigger, dose changes, other interventions, sleep/diet), and reporting bias is common. Some substances mentioned in improvement stories are also linked to flares or worsening in other reports. Use this as a starting point for research and discussion with a licensed clinician—not as medical advice.
Community Reports: Mixed Outcomes & Variable Risk Signal
What people report: In community discussions, hCG has mixed outcomes—there are some prominent “major improvement” or “recovery” claims, many reports of little/no durable change, and some reports of worsening or instability (often described as mood/anxiety shifts, sleep disruption, libido swings, or feeling hormonally “pushed” in an unhelpful way). A reasonable way to frame it is: hCG can meaningfully raise testicular testosterone output, but PFS/PSSD symptoms don’t reliably track hormone increases, so response can be unpredictable.
The “HPTA shutdown” / suppressive question (important nuance): hCG replaces the LH signal at the testes, but it does not necessarily “restore” hypothalamic/pituitary output. If hCG raises testosterone/estradiol enough, it can contribute to negative feedback that keeps endogenous GnRH/LH/FSH suppressed (especially FSH), even while the testes are being directly stimulated. In that sense, hCG can keep the system functioning downstream while the upstreamsignaling remains reduced—one reason many fertility-focused protocols combine strategies depending on the goal. (PMC)
So: some people describe hCG as “not shutting you down like TRT,” but it’s more accurate to say it can bypass the need for pituitary LH rather than guarantee pituitary recovery.
Safety / side-effect signals: hCG has a real adverse-effect profile in labeling, including gynecomastia, mood/irritability, headache, edema/fluid retention, fatigue, and injection-site pain (among others). Gynecomastia risk is conceptually tied to increased estradiol from higher testosterone aromatization in some individuals.
Practical caution cues:
Treat hCG as a prescription-level endocrine intervention, not a casual experiment.
Outcomes often hinge on dose, schedule, baseline axis state, and whether the goal is libido/sexual function vs fertility vs “reset” attempts.
Because it can shift E2/T quickly, people who are “crash-prone” often approach it conservatively and with clinician monitoring.
Evidence basis
Established reproductive endocrinology (hCG as an LH-agonist; effects on testicular testosterone and intratesticular testosterone); clinical literature on hCG monotherapy/adjunct use; FDA labeling for adverse reactions; and anecdotal PFS/PSSD/PAS community reports with mixed outcomes.
*informational — not medical advice.
Summarizes community reports; not a recommendation to try or avoid