hcg drops, weight loss, or pain reduction? anything....

[xrayspex]

I am curious if any CFS people get any response worth noting from HCG drops, I havent researchd it much but a friend gave me her bottle so wondering and heard there was some evidence it helps with pain.

any experiences good or bad or nothing?

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/739739

 

[Valentijn]

I tried it a couple years before I was hit hard with ME/CFS. It was pretty easy to stick to a 700 calorie diet while taking it. I lost 30 pounds or so, but gained it back when getting sick on a regular basis (probably a mild form of PEM). I haven't tried it since I got very sick.

I had trouble getting hCG on a regular basis, as the doctors involved were total flakes, and I really didn't like dealing with them.

 

[john66]

I did homeopathic HCG drops last year. I lost a lot of weight, and I did about 500 calories per day for 50 days. I felt good while doing it, but as soon as I stopped the drops, appetite came back in spades. I gained back most of the weight over the last year. About two months after I stopped the drops, I lost a lot of hair. Piling up in the drain, scared me into thinking I did some damage to the endcocrine system. Who knows, the fact remains, I must stay far away from carbs. I think most of me weight problems would be solved if I had a normal sleep rhythm. I tend to eat the most unhealthy in the middle of the night, when I can not sleep. J

 

[Calathea]

The HCG drops are well proven to be a scam, last I heard. The drops have been checked and they don't contain a thing in them, in fact I think there have been prosecutions for fraud or similar. The injections which some people manage to get off a doctor don't make any difference either, though. People lose weight because they're on a VLCD (very low calorie diet), not because of the magical properties of the drops. And 500 calories is very, very low. It's occasionally used medically, for instance as part of weight loss surgery, but that's the only time a VLCD is recommended. Both physically and psychologically, dropping to such a low level of calories will mess you up, and that's if you're healthy. We already have our bodies under enough strain without subjecting them to unnecessary drastic weight loss.

The 3 Fat Chicks forum is an excellent place to learn more about healthy weight loss and gain support while losing weight, including from other people with ME and especially with fibro. It has its occasional snags, I haven't seen a forum forum which doesn't, but overall I'd say it's a sound place, well-moderated and I learned a lot there. I've been losing at a nice safe speed of 1lb/week.

By the way, I reckon my former chaotic sleep pattern is a big factor in my putting on weight as well.

 

[valentinelynx]

Very quick reply. Dr Forest Tennant, a venerable pain medicine physician in Southern California is currently investigating the use of hCG (the real thing, not "homeopathic" or other scams) for treating central pain syndromes (including FMS & CFS). I started seeing him again this year and am currently trying this treatment. Too soon to tell (lots of other changes in my meds at the same time as adding the hCG) but I am feeling optimistic as I do seem to be improving. Dr. Tennant is very excited about what he is observing.

You already posted the link to the article about Dr. Tennant's poster at the AAPM last March.

Here is a link to a .pdf he wrote about early results:

http://foresttennant.com/pdfs/HUMAN_CHORIONIC_GONADOTROPIN_in_Pain_Management.pdf

So, yes, there's evidence it helps with pain, but research is quite early. Risk to try it seems low. He starts patients on 0.5 ml per day of a liquid for sublingual use (compounded for him by a compounding pharmacy) that is 250 U per ml, and has patients increase the dose every 7-10 days by 1/2 ml (250 U) per day. I'm currently at 2 ml per day (1000 U).

Is the bottle your friend gave you the real thing?

Good luck!

 

[heapsreal]

i thought hcg was only effective through injections like many hormones like growth hormone, testosterone(unless altered to a toxic form) but other hormones are known to be effective through oral use like estrogen, progesterone and dhea.

cheers!!!

 

[xrayspex]

thanks you guys. I don't know how to tell if its the real thing, any ideas?

I didnt go on any 500 cal diet, would never do that, but did take it a few times last week and now that I think of it I havent been eating as much but could be coincidence. I took it to see if it would help modulate immune system/pain, in a little flare right now.

I have intense MCS and sometimes (@ tania) I respond to things most wouldnt--ie when at eye doc they put fluoroscein in my eye to look at abrasion--couple hours later went into bad systemic pain flare that lasted for about 5 days--there is research showing rare bad reaction to fluoroscein injections but couldnt find info that the drops would do it. but why couldnt they(if susceptible)? seems like so many things can cross my blood brain barrier.

@heaps, you know I am one of the people who does poorly on hormones of any kind or dose, bioidentical or homeopathic etc tried many times always worsens me in some way...i wonder if that means best to stay away from hcg too. had more insomnia last few days. again could be coincidence. I remember judy mikovitz saying to stay away with estrogen with xmrv--I know xmrv fell into ill repute, but I do wonder if she was onto something that hormones could aggravate retroviruses.

 

[heapsreal]

hcg works by stimulating the production of various hormones. I know in men it is used to jump start low hormone production and it increases both testosterone and estrogen as well as other hormones, has similar stimulating effect on hormones for women too. I think the problem people have with hormones has alot to do with the hypothalamus which normally regulates our hormones and for some reason on me/cfs this area is damaged. As for hormones possibly increasing virus etc its still a matter of balance, low or high hormones are going to adversley effect immune function, like the 3 bears, we need it just right. this can take some work with a good doc and hormones need to be started very low and slow to avoid hiccups by the hypothalamus.

cheers!!!