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Dosing Guide

HCG Dosage Chart for Men.

TRT fixes the numbers, then the testicles shrink. The usual HCG dosage for men on TRT is 250–500 IU two or three times a week, and fertility doses run five to ten times higher. Below: every dose in IU and syringe units, and the studies each one came from.

💉
On TRT250–500 IU, 2–3×/week
🧪
Vials5,000 or 10,000 IU
⏱️
Half-lifeAbout 29 hours
🧊
Once mixedFridge, 30–60 days
HCG 5,000 IU vial next to a vial of bacteriostatic water and a U-100 insulin syringe
The short answer

On TRT: 250–500 IU every other day or 2–3 times a week. Mix a 5,000 IU vial with 5 mL of bacteriostatic water and every unit on a U-100 syringe is 10 IU, so 250 IU is 25 units and 500 IU is 50 units. Restoring fertility takes 1,500–3,000 IU and a doctor running bloodwork and semen tests.

HCG Dosage Chart for Men

* Units for a 5,000 IU vial in 5 mL (10 IU per unit). † Units for a 5,000 IU vial in 2 mL (25 IU per unit), so fertility doses fit one syringe. Any other mix: use the units table or calculator.

On TRT · low
250 IUper injection · 25 units*
Frequency3× a week or every other day
Weekly total750–875 IU/week
How longFor as long as you are on TRT

For men on testosterone who want to keep testicular size and some natural production going.

Why this dose+

In Coviello 2005, 250 IU every other day alongside 200 mg testosterone a week kept testosterone inside the testes within 7% of baseline. Without HCG it fell 94% in three weeks.

MOST STUDIEDOn TRT · standard
500 IUper injection · 50 units*
FrequencyEvery other day, or 2× a week
Weekly total1,000–1,750 IU/week
How longFor as long as you are on TRT

The dose with the most fertility data on TRT. Use it if children are on the cards within a year or so.

Why this dose+

Hsieh 2013 followed 26 men on TRT plus 500 IU every other day for over a year: semen counts did not drop, none became azoospermic, and 9 fathered a pregnancy. There was no control group.

Fertility restart
1,500–3,000 IUper injection · 60–120 units†
Frequency2–3× a week or every other day
Weekly total3,000–10,500 IU/week
How long3–6 months, with a fertility doctor

For restoring sperm after TRT or steroids, usually with FSH or a SERM. This is specialist territory.

Why this dose+

Wenker 2015 used 3,000 IU every other day plus other drugs in 49 men with no or very low sperm after testosterone: 47 recovered, at an average of 4.6 months.

Smaller and more often beats one big shot
  • One 1,500 IU injection doubled testosterone at 48 hours, then it fell below baseline by day 7.
  • The same 1,500 IU split into five daily doses kept testosterone up, with almost twice the total exposure.
  • The single shot raised estradiol 4.4-fold; the split doses did not (Smals 1984, 7 men).

FDA-Labeled HCG Doses

The US labels for Novarel, Pregnyl and the generic list these regimens, all given into the muscle. TRT support is not on the label; it is an off-label use built on the studies further down.

Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in men, option 1500–1,000 units 3× a week for 3 weeks, then the same dose 2× a week for 3 weeks
Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in men, option 24,000 units 3× a week for 6–9 months, then 2,000 units 3× a week for 3 more months
Undescended testicles in boys (ages 4–9)For example 4,000 units 3× a week for 3 weeks, or 5,000 units every second day for 4 injections
Ovulation trigger in women5,000–10,000 units once, the day after the last fertility-drug dose

HCG became a biologic in March 2020, which ended routine pharmacy compounding of it in the US. Prescriptions are now filled with branded or generic vials. For the prescription and online options side by side, see our guide to HCG for sale.

HCG IU to Units Chart

Units on a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL). Highlighted rows are the easiest to dose: every unit is a round 10 IU. * More than a 1 mL syringe holds: use less water or two draws.

5,000 IU + 5 mL1,000 IU/mL · 10 IU/unit
25025
50050
1,000100
1,500150*
2,000200*
5,000 IU + 2 mL2,500 IU/mL · 25 IU/unit
25010
50020
1,00040
1,50060
2,00080
5,000 IU + 1 mL5,000 IU/mL · 50 IU/unit
2505
50010
1,00020
1,50030
2,00040
10,000 IU + 10 mL1,000 IU/mL · 10 IU/unit
25025
50050
1,000100
1,500150*
2,000200*
10,000 IU + 5 mL2,000 IU/mL · 20 IU/unit
25012.5
50025
1,00050
1,50075
2,000100
10,000 IU + 2 mL5,000 IU/mL · 50 IU/unit
2505
50010
1,00020
1,50030
2,00040
Top row: dose in IU. Bottom row: units to draw.

Why 250–500 IU? The Studies Behind the Doses

Testosterone therapy switches off the signal (LH) that tells the testes to work. HCG stands in for that signal. The question was always how little of it does the job.

Bar chart: testicular testosterone fell 94% on testosterone plus placebo, 25% with HCG 125 IU, 7% with 250 IU, and rose 26% with 500 IU every other day
29 healthy men, 3 weeks of 200 mg testosterone enanthate a week. Source: Coviello et al., JCEM 2005 (PMID 15713727).

Two limits are worth knowing. Coviello measured hormone levels inside the testes for three weeks in healthy volunteers, not sperm or fertility. And the TRT studies dosed every other day: the common 250–500 IU two or three times a week is clinics rounding that to a calendar.

How long fertility takes to come back

Wenker 201549 men with no or very low sperm after testosterone
3,000 IU every other day + SERM or FSH47 of 49 recovered sperm, after 4.6 months on average
Kohn 201766 men with testosterone-related infertility
High-dose HCG + SERM70% reached a usable sperm count within 12 months; older men and longer TRT use recovered more slowly
Stocks 202577 men who had used testosterone
3,000 IU HCG + 75 IU FSH, 3× a week74% improved, whether or not they stayed on TRT
Liu 200229 men born with low pituitary hormones
Gonadotropin therapyMedian 5.5 months to any sperm, 29 months to a normal count: much slower than after TRT

Weekly HCG Schedule

HCG has a terminal half-life of about 29 hours, so two or three spaced doses a week keep the signal steady. Pick the row that matches your dose.

250 IU · Mon / Wed / Fri
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
500 IU · every other day
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
500 IU · twice a week
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
Inject
No HCG

Missed a dose? Take it when you remember and carry on with the schedule. Do not double up: one large dose spikes estradiol more than two small ones.

HCG IU Calculator

HCG is dosed in IU, not mg. Enter your vial, the water you added and your dose to get the units to draw.

IU
mL
IU
Your syringe (U-100)
Concentration1,000 IU/mL1 unit on the syringe = 10 IU
Draw volume0.500 mL500 IU ÷ 1,000 IU/mL
Units to draw (1 mL syringe)50 units
50 of 100 units · about 10 doses per vial

The Vial-Life Trap at Low Doses

Mixed HCG keeps for 30 days (Novarel) or 60 days (Pregnyl and the generic). At TRT doses a big vial lasts longer than that, and the rest goes in the bin.

250 IU, 2× a week (500 IU/wk)5,000 IU: 10 weeks · 10,000 IU: 20 weeks
500 IU, 2× a week (1,000 IU/wk)5,000 IU: 5 weeks · 10,000 IU: 10 weeks
500 IU, 3× a week (1,500 IU/wk)5,000 IU: 3.3 weeks · 10,000 IU: 6.7 weeks
500 IU every other day (~1,750 IU/wk)5,000 IU: 2.9 weeks · 10,000 IU: 5.7 weeks
1,500 IU, 3× a week (4,500 IU/wk)5,000 IU: 1.1 weeks · 10,000 IU: 2.2 weeks

At 250–500 IU twice a week, a 5,000 IU vial is the better buy even if the 10,000 IU vial is cheaper per IU: you use 100% of it inside 60 days at 500 IU twice a week.

Mixing and Injecting HCG in 6 Steps

1
Swab both vial tops

Alcohol swab the HCG vial and the bacteriostatic water vial and let them dry before piercing.

2
Add 5 mL to a 5,000 IU vial

That gives 1,000 IU/mL, so every unit on a U-100 syringe is 10 IU: 250 IU is 25 units and 500 IU is 50 units. A 10,000 IU vial takes 10 mL for the same strength.

3
Swirl, don't shake

Roll the vial gently until the powder is fully dissolved. Every label says not to shake it.

4
Pick the route

US labels say intramuscular only. Most men on TRT inject under the skin of the belly instead: in a 24-man study (Saal 1991), 5,000 IU under the skin gave the same testosterone response as into the muscle.

5
Time it with your testosterone

There is no rule on timing. Many men put HCG on non-testosterone days to spread injections out; it does not need to match your TRT shot.

6
Fridge, and watch the date

Keep the mixed vial at 2–8 °C, never frozen. Novarel says use within 30 days; Pregnyl and the Fresenius generic say 60 days. Write the mix date on the vial.

Weighing HCG against other options for keeping testicular function on TRT? Compare gonadorelin vs HCG and enclomiphene vs HCG.

Side Effects: What to Watch

🟢 Normal: keep going
  • Fuller, slightly heavier testicles after 2–4 weeks.
  • A small rise in libido or energy on top of TRT.
  • Mild redness or itching where you inject.
🟡 Check your bloodwork
  • Tender or puffy nipples: HCG raises estradiol, and gynecomastia is on the label.
  • Water retention, ankle swelling or a jump in blood pressure.
  • Headache, irritability, low mood or fatigue (all listed on the label).
  • Testosterone sitting above range: HCG adds to what your TRT dose already gives you.
🔴 Emergency: stop immediately
  • Swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheeze or spreading hives.
  • Sudden leg swelling and pain, chest pain or shortness of breath.
  • A hard, painless lump in a testicle: see a doctor that week.
Do not use HCG if any of these apply
  • Prostate cancer, male breast cancer, or any other androgen-dependent tumour.
  • Precocious puberty.
  • A previous allergic reaction to HCG.
  • Heart or kidney disease, epilepsy, migraine or asthma without your doctor knowing: the label warns that the extra androgens can cause fluid retention.
  • Competitive sport: HCG is banned for male athletes at all times (WADA S2.2.1).
  • Weight loss: HCG is not effective for it (see the FAQ).

HCG Dosage FAQ

What is the usual HCG dosage for men on TRT?+

Most clinics prescribe 250–500 IU two or three times a week. The studies behind that used every-other-day dosing: in Coviello 2005, 250 IU every other day kept testosterone inside the testes within 7% of baseline, and in Hsieh 2013, 26 men on TRT plus 500 IU every other day kept their sperm counts for over a year. That range is clinic practice; it is not on the FDA label.

What HCG dose does the FDA label give for men?+

For low testosterone caused by a pituitary problem (hypogonadotropic hypogonadism), the label lists two regimens: 500–1,000 units three times a week for 3 weeks and then twice a week for 3 weeks, or 4,000 units three times a week for 6–9 months and then 2,000 units three times a week for 3 more months. Both are given into the muscle.

How many units on an insulin syringe is 500 IU of HCG?+

It depends on how much water you added. A 5,000 IU vial with 5 mL (or 10,000 IU with 10 mL) gives 50 units. A 5,000 IU vial with 2 mL gives 20 units. A 5,000 IU vial with 1 mL, or 10,000 IU with 2 mL, gives 10 units. The calculator on this page does any combination.

How long does mixed HCG last?+

Refrigerated at 2–8 °C, Novarel says use within 30 days, and Pregnyl and the Fresenius generic say 60 days. Do not freeze or shake it. At 250–500 IU twice a week, a 10,000 IU vial outlasts both windows, so part of it gets thrown away; a 5,000 IU vial wastes less.

Should I inject HCG under the skin or into the muscle?+

The US labels say into the muscle only. In practice most men inject it under the skin with an insulin syringe, and the evidence supports that: in a study of 24 men, 5,000 IU under the skin gave identical testosterone, LH and FSH responses to an intramuscular shot. The peak came later and lasted longer.

How long does HCG take to bring sperm back after TRT?+

In Wenker 2015, 47 of 49 men recovered sperm at an average of 4.6 months on 3,000 IU every other day plus other drugs. In Kohn 2017, 70% reached a usable count within a year, and older men and longer testosterone use meant slower recovery. Men who were born with low pituitary hormones take much longer: a median of 29 months to reach a normal count.

Does HCG raise estrogen?+

Yes. HCG drives the testes to make more testosterone, and some of it converts to estradiol. A single 1,500 IU shot raised estradiol 4.4-fold at 24 hours in one study, while the same 1,500 IU split into five daily doses did not cause the spike. Smaller, more frequent doses are gentler, which is why 250–500 IU several times a week beats one big weekly shot.

Does the HCG diet work?+

No. Every US HCG label states that it has not been shown to help with weight loss beyond the calorie restriction itself. A review of 24 trials found no evidence it works for obesity, and the FDA calls over-the-counter "homeopathic" HCG drops illegal. The weight comes off because of the 500-calorie diet.

Sources

Label doses are quoted from the current US labels; study numbers are from the abstracts.

Disclaimer: This page is for information only and is not medical advice. HCG is a prescription medicine; use on TRT and subcutaneous injection are off-label. Dose, monitoring and fertility treatment belong with a doctor who can check your bloodwork and semen analysis. PeptideDeck may earn a commission from links on this page.

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