HCG is short for human chorionic gonadotropin, a substance that occurs naturally in a woman's body during pregnancy. In medicinal form, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 1973, it has therapeutic uses for both women and men. Doctors can administer the hormone as a shot in a muscle or under the skin.
Medical Uses
HCG can help couples to conceive. Doctors prescribe it to women, often in combination with other medications, such as menotropins and urofollitropin, to promote conception, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can be part of an in vitro fertilization program. In men with a low sperm count, it can stimulate sperm production. Another use for HCG is in treating boys with cryptochidism, a condition where the testes do not drop into the scrotum properly, according to Drugs.com.
Other Uses
Human chorionic gonadotrophin is sometimes used to aid in weight loss. The Mayo Clinic recommends against this use, as does Dr. Stephen Barrett, a physician who runs the website Diet Scam Watch. Barrett writes that there is "no evidence" to support claims that HCG is helpful in dieting. The hormone has also found its way into sports, where, according to ESPN, steroid users take it "to restart their bodies' natural testosterone production" following a steroid cycle. Manny Ramirez of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers received a 50-game suspension in May 2009 after testing positive for HCG and artificial testosterone.
Dosage
A typical HCG injection dosage for a woman trying to get pregnant is 5,000 to 10,000 units in a muscle on a day selected by the doctor, according to the Mayo Clinic. For men with low sperm count, 1,000 to 4,000 units, given in a muscle two to three times a week, is average, with treatment continuing for weeks or even a few months. Cryptorchidism generally calls for 1,000 to 5,000 units in a muscle two or three times per week for as many as 10 doses.
Administration
Health care providers sometimes provide HCG injections for patients, but you may also need to administer doses at home, according to Drugs.com. Depending on the brand you use, you might use prefilled syringes, or you might have to mix a powder and a liquid before drawing the drug into a syringe. You store the mixed product in a refrigerator, with any unused medicine to be thrown away after 30 days.
Side Effects
HCG can cause an allergic reaction. Call a doctor immediately, Drugs.com recommends, if you experience difficulty breathing, hives or swelling of the face, throat, lips or tongue. Women taking HCG for infertility can develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which can be life-threatening. Signs include severe pelvic pain, stomach pain, swelling of the legs or hands, shortness of breath, nausea and diarrhea. Precocious puberty can be an effect in boys, with signs including pubic hair growth, a deepened voice and acne.
