HCG
Human chorionic gonadotropin (a hormone, not a peptide)
HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced in pregnancy. As an injection it is a long-approved prescription medicine with a specific label.
Regulatory status: Approved prescription medicine. Chorionic gonadotropin for injection is approved for cryptorchidism, selected male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and ovulation induction.
Default vial
10 mg
Default mix
2 mL
Reported range
500–10,000 USP units (label)
Draw (U-100)
20 u
An approved prescription medicine with a real label, dosed in USP units rather than mcg — the calculator's mcg figures do not apply to it. Approved for cryptorchidism, selected male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and ovulation induction. Its label carries a boxed warning that it does not work for weight loss.
Where these numbers come from
Doses come from the approved chorionic gonadotropin prescribing information and are measured in USP units, not mcg — the reconstitution figures above do not translate. The label covers cryptorchidism, selected male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and ovulation induction, and carries a boxed warning that hCG is not effective for weight loss.
- FDA prescribing information — Pregnyl (chorionic gonadotropin for injection, USP), 2023
- FDA prescribing information — Novarel (chorionic gonadotropin for injection, USP)
Reviewed October 2026
What it is
- A glycoprotein hormone, not a peptide in the sense the rest of this library uses the word.
- Dosed in USP units, not micrograms — the reconstitution figures elsewhere in Pep-Tidy do not apply to it.
- Acts at the LH receptor, so in men it stimulates the testes directly rather than working through the pituitary.
- Supplied as a powder with its own diluent, to be given intramuscularly.
How it is described to act
- 1
Injected intramuscularly; longer-acting than LH itself.
- 2
Circulates and binds LH receptors on Leydig cells in the testis or on the ovarian follicle.
- 3
In men this drives testosterone production within the testis; in women, a dose triggers ovulation of a follicle prepared by prior treatment.
- 4
Because it bypasses the pituitary, it can maintain testicular function when the pituitary signal is absent or suppressed.
What the research has looked at
Approved indications
- According to the prescribing information, hCG is indicated for prepubertal cryptorchidism not due to anatomical obstruction, for selected cases of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism secondary to pituitary deficiency in males, and for induction of ovulation in appropriately pretreated anovulatory women.
- Label dosing is in USP units and varies widely by indication — for example 5,000 to 10,000 units as the ovulation trigger, and repeated smaller doses over weeks for cryptorchidism.
What the label rules out
- The label carries a boxed warning that hCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in treating obesity, and that there is no substantial evidence it increases weight loss beyond that from caloric restriction.
- That warning exists because hCG weight-loss protocols were widespread enough to need one. It is unusually direct for a drug label.
Strength of evidence: Approved drug (for a specific indication)
A long-established prescription medicine with real indications. The approved uses are fertility and hypogonadism, and the label explicitly rejects the weight-loss use it is often sold for.
This molecule is an approved medicine for at least one indication. Where that is the case, the approved prescribing information — not community convention — governs its use.
Reported cautions and unknowns
- The label warns about ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and multiple pregnancy when used for ovulation induction.
- In boys treated for cryptorchidism, the label notes it can induce precocious puberty.
- Prescription medicine for a reason: dosing is indication-specific, measured in units, and normally monitored with blood work.
- Products sold outside a pharmacy may not contain what the label says, and hCG is a frequent subject of counterfeit reports.
References
Handling this vial
- Lyophilized vials are generally stored at 2–8 °C and kept out of light; once reconstituted with bacteriostatic water they are refrigerated and commonly discarded after 28 days.
- Mix by aiming water down the vial wall and rolling gently — do not shake — and never re-freeze a reconstituted vial.
- Pep-Tidy cannot verify what is in your vial. Ask your supplier for a current Certificate of Analysis (HPLC/MS).
HCG questions people ask
How do you reconstitute HCG?
A common starting point for a 10 mg vial of HCG is 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, which gives 5 mg per mL. Aim the water down the inside wall of the vial, let it dissolve on its own, and roll gently instead of shaking. Pep-Tidy's reconstitution calculator will recalculate the numbers for any other vial size or water volume you use.
How many units of HCG is one dose?
At 5 mg per mL, that works out to about 20 units on a U-100 insulin syringe for a 1000 mcg dose. Change the vial size, water volume, or target dose in the calculator and the syringe reading updates with it. This is arithmetic, not a dosing recommendation.
What dosing schedule is reported for HCG?
Published and community sources describe 500–10,000 USP units (label), intramuscular, twice weekly, typically run 6 weeks on. These figures describe what has been reported, not what anyone should take — talk to a licensed clinician first.
How should HCG be stored?
Lyophilized HCG vials are generally kept at 2–8 °C and out of light. Once reconstituted with bacteriostatic water they are refrigerated and commonly discarded after about 28 days. Never re-freeze a reconstituted vial and never shake it.
Read this before you act on anything above
Everything on this page is a summary of what other people have published — it is not medical advice, not a recommendation, and not a dosing instruction. Reported dose ranges describe what appears in the literature or in community protocols, not what anyone should take. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any peptide.