A member asked:

Can hcg be used safely long term to treat secondary hypogonadism? it makes my lh/fsh low, is that bad? i feel much better & testosterone is now normal

6 doctors weighed in across 3 answers
Dr. Alvin Lin answered

Yes. No.: While it is not an fda-approved method, nor one that is widely known, reproductive endocrinologists have used off-label HCG to stimulate testes to produce more t & sperm. Many peer-reviewed studies have been published in medical journals supporting this use. Yes, there is negative feedback at the pituitary resulting in low lh/fsh but exogenous t would do the same. Clomiphene is another off-label.

Answered 11/13/2014

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Dr. Shira Miller answered

Specializes in Internal Medicine

Probably. : I don't believe there are any studies showing that using injection HCG is a problem longterm. Any treatment which increases testosterone will reduce the lh, because testosterone basically turns "off" lh. If it's overly low, you may be able to reduce the HCG dose a bit. You may want to switch to Clomiphene citrate, as it is administered orally and much cheaper.

Answered 4/17/2016

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It has.: There have not been studies looking at the long term use of HCG for testosterone "replacement" but it appears to be safe and effective. Some men develop a mild "allergy" to the medication, after which it stops working.

Answered 11/13/2014

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