HCG Reconstitution Calculator

hCG is a heterodimeric glycoprotein composed of an alpha and a beta subunit; it is structurally and functionally related to luteinizing hormone (LH). (Mechanistic) It activates the LH/hCG receptor (LHCGR): in the testes it stimulates Leydig-cell testosterone production; in the ovary it triggers final follicle maturation, ovulation, and corpus luteum progesterone output. During pregnancy, high hCG levels cross-stimulate the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor, so TSH falls and free thyroxine (fT4) rises, an effect blunted by thyroid autoimmunity. The free beta subunit is the basis of urine and serum pregnancy/tumor tests; for testicular cancer surveillance, free β-hCG assays are preferred over total-hCG assays because hypogonadism does not confound them.

Yes, for fertility indications only: ovulation trigger in assisted reproductive technology (ART) and induction of spermatogenesis in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. It is not approved for weight loss, performance enhancement, or testosterone-replacement adjuncts. Male athletes misuse pharmaceutical hCG to stimulate endogenous testosterone before competition (observational/surveillance). hCG is on the WADA prohibited list; anti-doping laboratories apply a urinary intact-hCG threshold of 1.0 IU/L for male athletes.

Both routes are used. Classic male-fertility protocols administered hCG intramuscularly (5,000 IU twice weekly). Modern ART and fertility-community practice favors subcutaneous self-injection for convenience, at the same dose (practitioner consensus). No meaningful efficacy difference by route is established; choose based on access and tolerance.

For hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with azoospermia, an established protocol (observational) is hCG 5,000 IU IM twice weekly plus hMG 75 IU once weekly, escalating hMG to twice weekly if sperm counts stay low; spermatozoa appeared in 8 of 13 treated men after a mean of 19.2 months, and normal spermatogenesis was achieved in 9. A 2026 meta-analysis of 50 studies (1,583 men) found pooled spermatogenesis induction of 74% (mean 11.8 months to sperm appearance) and a 52% couple pregnancy rate (mean 19 months); combined hCG + FSH (hMG) dual therapy was more effective than hCG monotherapy.

hCG is used only before conception, as an ovulation trigger. In frozen embryo transfer (FET), modified natural-cycle protocols using an hCG trigger achieve higher live-birth rates than artificial-cycle preparation (41.5% vs 39.2%; RR 1.11, NNT 23) and lower miscarriage (13.4% vs 17.5%) (RCT meta-analysis). However, a programmed-ovulatory FET protocol using dydrogesterone without any hCG trigger produced statistically equivalent outcomes (live birth 35.3% vs 28.8%, p=0.245), so hCG is optional in normo-ovulatory women (observational, propensity-matched). Never self-administer hCG during an established pregnancy, because serum β-hCG then functions as a diagnostic marker of trophoblast integrity, not a treatment. After a positive serum β-hCG following transfer or ovulation, serial trends are more informative than a single value: a normal early pregnancy shows β-hCG roughly doubling every 48 to 72 hours, while a slower rise or falling trend prompts evaluation for failed intrauterine or ectopic pregnancy (practitioner consensus). Triggering also carries ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) risk; severe OHSS can present as isolated large pleural effusions within a week of transfer, requiring drainage (case series).

OHSS is the principal dose-dependent risk in ovarian stimulation, including atypical pleural-predominant presentations. hCG injections triggered an acute attack in a 34-year-old woman with acute intermittent porphyria, so avoid hCG in porphyria (case report). Expect expected, transient thyroid-axis shifts (TSH suppression, fT4 elevation), which are physiological rather than pathological during treatment. In chronic kidney disease, serum β-hCG can be falsely elevated, complicating pregnancy testing and tumor monitoring (case report). For testicular cancer follow-up, free β-hCG avoids the hypogonadism-related false elevations seen with total-hCG assays.

No. The "hCG diet" (injections combined with severe calorie restriction) traces to a 1977 trial report; no later controlled evidence supports a fat-loss effect, and hCG is not approved for obesity (practitioner consensus). Any weight loss on this protocol is attributable to the accompanying very-low-calorie diet (VLCD), which itself causes muscle loss and regain risk. Do not purchase gray-market hCG for this purpose; legitimate use is fertility-related.

Reconstituted hCG is temperature-sensitive: refrigerate at 2–8°C and discard per the manufacturer's in-use window (typically ~30 days); unreconstituted lyophilized vials tolerate cool room temperature (practitioner consensus). For travel, use a small insulated cold pack for short trips and carry prescription documentation, since hCG is a WADA-prohibited substance for athletes. Do not freeze reconstituted hCG or use vials left unrefrigerated beyond the labeled window (community protocol).