Low Dose hCG

IMPORTANT: The low dose hCG should be premixed by the pharmacy. You should receive it on ice and it needs to be kept in the refrigerator. If you have not received your hCG in this way, please notify us immediately!

It is your responsibility to make sure you have received the correct medications. Do not wait until the last minute!

Do not attempt to use hCG for the trigger injection in place of low dose hCG!!!!

Why use Low Dose hCG?

hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is very similar in structure to the pituitary hormone LH (luteinizing hormone). Many experts beleive that in order to optimally stimulate the ovaries for assisted reproduction technologies (ART), medications containing both FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH are necessary.

Since most of the FSH medications used in ART are produced through recombinant DNA technology, they contain no LH activity. Supplementation with LH is problematic since LH is broken down very quickly in the body and therefore has very little effect.
hCG, however, lasts much longer and therefore has greater biologic activity. Very low dose hCG is used as a replacement for LH to help supplement the stimulation during ART cycles.

How do I use Low Dose hCG?

Here are step-by-step instructions for taking low dose hCG injections:
Low dose hCG is injected subcutaneously-or into the fatty tissue under your skin. The primary sites for injection are your abdomen – 2 inches on either side of the navel, and your upper, outer-thigh where the skin is loose. Wash your hands thoroughly and make sure that the surface you work on is clean.

	You should receive your low dose hCG premixed and on ice. Place it in the refigerator until ready for use. If your medication is not mixed by the pharmacy, you will need to bring it into our office to have the nurses mix it for you.
	The first time you use the low dose hCG vial, it will have a foil wrapper covering the top. Grasp the foil tab and pull the foil off the the low dose hCG vial.
	Wipe the top of the vial with an alcohol swab.
	Remove the syringe from its wrapper. The needle is already attached to the syringe. Remove the cap from the needle.
	Draw the plunger back on the syringe to the mark that you have been instructed.
	With the vial of premixed low dose hCG on a flat surface, insert the needle straight down through the marked center circle of the rubber stopper. Slowly inject the air into the vial by depressing the syringe plunger.
	With the needle still in the vial, invert the vial. Keep the tip of the needle below the surface of the fluid hCG mixture.
	Pull the plunger back to the mark you have been instructed. Make sure that you keep the tip of the needle under the surface of the fluid while withdrawing the hCG mixture.
	Remove the needle from the vial. The syringe is now ready for you to administer the lose dose hCG injection subcutaneously. Remember to place the hCG vial back into the refigerator until its next use.

Click here to learn how to administer the subcutaneous injection of low dose hCG