Hello, shyguy007-ga!
I have compiled some information to help you evaluate the issues
involved in administering Human Growth Hormone. Since
self-administration of HGH is illegal in most instances, I am simply
providing what information I could find through my research.
Obviously, I am not privy to the issues concerning your reasoning for
taking HGH, nor do I know anything about the relationship you have
with the physician who will be monitoring your health. Suffice it to
say that your physician, if he is aware of your plans to inject HGH,
should be the one to talk about the proper levels for your individual
needs. No amount of internet research will provide you with resources
outlining the proper, legal, dosing amounts of HGH, since this is a
controlled substance that should be prescribed by a physician.
Therefore, I have simply tried to provide you with some detailed
background so you know the issues involved in it's use.
Please don't infer that I am trying to talk you out of this. That is
certainly not my position as a researcher. As I stated above, this is
a matter between you and your physician. I think it is prudent,
however, that you are aware of the latest research regarding the
efficacy of HGH, as well as the legal issues surrounding it's use.
OVERVIEW OF HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE
*********************************
The following articles from MSNBC and the New York Times both provide
some very good information about the uses of HGH for various
conditions and the controversy surrounding it's usefulness and
legality.
"Can growth hormone reverse the aging process?," By Judith Reichman,
M.D. Jan 10, 2006 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10766061/
"Growth hormone is produced in the pituitary gland of the brain. Once
released, it induces the liver to make insulin-like growth factor 1
(IGF-1), and this hormone then triggers the growth of bones and body
tissues. HGH is especially important for normal growth in children.
Indeed, most of our knowledge of hGH comes from studying children who
lack the hormone, and as a result suffer from stunted growth and
development. In adults, a true medical deficiency of growth hormone
may result from disease, tumors, surgery or radiation that destroys
critical areas in the pituitary. This then leads to weight gain,
cholesterol abnormalities, heart disease, fatigue, decreased immune
response, loss of muscles and osteoporosis."
"Growth hormone and IGF-1 levels peak during puberty, then gradually
decline after the age of 30, but the normal pituitary never totally
stops its production of hGH."
"Some investigators feel that diminished levels of hGH may not be a
bad thing. Several studies have shown that women with high levels of
hGH are more likely to get breast cancer, men more likely to develop
prostate cancer, and individuals of both sexes are more apt to die at
younger ages than those with naturally low hGH levels. Research has
also shown that mice with very high levels of growth hormone have
premature brain aging and reduced life spans, whereas their rodent
contemporaries who have genetic disorders such as suppressed GH
production, or an inability to recognize and utilize growth hormone
(GH resistance) have prolonged survival. But to be fair, there are
also studies cited by physicians who feel that lower levels of hGH in
aging adults results in diminished energy, muscle loss and decreased
tissue repair. These studies have shown some positive effects in
individuals whose hGH levels are brought up to the levels considered
normal for young individuals. The researchers therefore propose that
certain individuals who have low levels of IGF-1 (considered a marker
for hGH) be treated with hGH injections to achieve a "younger" and
improved health status."
"There are thousands of clinics and doctors who prescribe growth
hormone, calling their practice "anti-aging," "regenerative" or "age
management" medicine. The financial cost is high. HGH injections are
priced from $500 to $1,000 a month. HGH "supplements" in the form of
pills and sprays that allegedly contain growth hormones cost between
$200 and $300 a month. These "supplements" turn out to be a total
waste of money - yes, a scam. Growth hormone in this form is not
bio-available, a medical term that means it?s destroyed when taken
orally or absorbed through mucous membranes. It can?t "get into" the
body in its active form and does absolutely nothing."
"Do hGH injections work to prevent aging? Here, in the words of
Shakespeare, "is the rub." It depends who you ask. Most orthodox
physicians adamantly say "no."
Read...........
=
What are the FDA approved indications for use of hGH?
"According to the FDA, it should only be prescribed for adults by
physicians for the treatment of disease (the wasting syndrome of AIDS)
and/or growth hormone deficiency. They generally consider the latter
as one that is due to an absolute lack of hGH as a result of pituitary
disease, surgery, radiation or trauma. Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD)
also includes grownups that were GH deficient during childhood
(children of very short stature and certain genetic syndromes)."
"In order to make the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency, an
endocrinologist has to give an injection to stimulate production of
growth hormone and measure the response. According to the FDA and the
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, measuring IGF-1
level and stating that this is lower than that of a young adult does
not constitute a valid scientific diagnosis of GHD."
=
"Is the prescribing of growth hormones for other reasons (i.e. muscle
building, sports enhancement or in individuals who don?t have a
deficiency) legal?"
"NO! According to the FDA, and the penalties chapter of the FDCA (The
Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act), "whoever knowingly distributes or
possesses with intent to distribute human growth hormone for any use
in humans other than the treatment of a disease or other recognized
medical condition where such use has been authorized by the Secretary
of Health and Human Services under Section 505, is guilty of an
offense punishable by not more than five years in prison." This
section also permits courts to impose fines of up to $250,000 for an
individual or $500,000 for an organization as well as forfeiture of
property used in or derived in violation of the hGH law."
=
(I think this part of the article makes an important point!)
"If a doctor, clinic or Web site promises you that they have a
non-injectable product that will restore your growth hormone level to
that which you had when you were young, beware. Products available
without prescription are imposters and have no effect. Those that are
prescribed and injected are expensive, and we don?t have the long-term
studies that give conclusive proof that they work. Know that hGH use
for "anti-aging" per se is not FDA approved. If you consult with a
physician who prescribes it because the marker for growth hormone
(IGA-1) is low, you (and the physician) are entering a world of
"off-label" use and you are in essence experimenting with your body
and health. In centers where it is prescribed and patient claims are
made that it does indeed work (they feel better, lost weight, have
more energy etc.), the shots are frequently combined with nutritional
counseling, exercise and other forms of hormone therapy (estrogen
and/or testosterone). Many doctors who do prescribe this hormone admit
that hGH therapy alone is not a "fountain of youth."
====
From: PHYS ED; "Raging Hormones," By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS. New York Times. 2006
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DEED81F3FF933A1575BC0A9609C8B63&sec=health&pagewanted=3
"In the past few years, the F.D.A. has accelerated its campaign
against the use of H.G.H. for unapproved purposes, sending letters of
warning to clinics and companies that promote the drug as an
anti-aging treatment. But no one expects the crackdown to have much
effect.
"There are too many clinics and too little manpower,'' says Dr. Thomas
Perls, an associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine.
At many anti-aging clinics, doctors claim that patients have clinical
hormone deficiency, which afflicts about one in 10,000 adults. "But
the doctors don't do the stimulation test,'' Perls says. So the
diagnosis isn't legally valid."
"If you've been beguiled by reports about the wonders of H.G.H., ''see
an endocrinologist,'' Perls urges, and get a full hormonal work-up.
What you do after that is between you and your lawyer."
==
"Few clinical studies have looked at what happens when healthy people
supplement their H.G.H. levels for sustained periods of time, but
advocates point to one report in particular, from The New England
Journal of Medicine in 1990. Twelve men in their 60's and older were
given injections of H.G.H. for six months. They received high doses,
about double those given to adult patients with growth-hormone
deficiency. At the end of the study, the men had a 14 percent decrease
in body fat, an 8.8 percent increase in lean body mass and a 1.6
percent increase in the bone density of their spine, equivalent in
magnitude, the authors concluded, ''to the change incurred during 10
to 20 years of aging.''
"This study almost single-handedly started the H.G.H. industry. But
the doctors who recommend growth hormone tend to ignore an editorial
that ran in the same issue of The Journal and that warned about the
use of H.G.H. by healthy people. The editorial noted that H.G.H. can
alter the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates, leading to
blood-sugar imbalances and, in some cases, diabetes. It can cause
bones to thicken, contributing to joint pain and severe arthritis.
Amounts of H.G.H. even slightly beyond the normal range can result in
high blood pressure, edema and, in the worst cases, congestive heart
failure. In a later editorial, which cited a more recent study, The
Journal added that healthy people who took extra doses of H.G.H.
gained muscle mass, but they didn't get stronger. Only those who
lifted weights did."
"Doctors worry about another possible danger of H.G.H. ''Growth
hormone is a trigger for unbridled cell growth,'' says Dr. Thomas
Perls, an associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine
and the director of the ongoing New England Centenarian Study, which
looks at the genetics and lifestyle habits of people who live to be
100. ''That's its role in the body. That is also the mechanism behind
cancer.'' Several studies have linked high production levels of growth
hormone to the development of prostate tumors and invasive breast
cancer."
"At the heart of the H.G.H. debate is a philosophical question about
what it means to grow older. ''Is aging a disease?'' asks Dr. Susan G.
Nayfield, the chief of the geriatrics branch at the National Institute
on Aging. Should you fight it by dosing yourself with hormones until
your blood runs with levels similar to those you had in college?
''People tried that with hormone-replacement therapy'' for menopausal
women, Nayfield says. ''We know how that turned out."
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DEED81F3FF933A1575BC0A9609C8B63&sec=health&pagewanted=2
==
From "Growth Hormone Deemed Illegal for Off-Label Antiaging Use."
Medscape. Oct. 2005. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/515665
"The FDA has approved GH only for GH deficiency-related syndromes
causing short stature in children, adult GH deficiency caused by rare
pituitary tumors and their treatment, and muscle-wasting disease
associated with HIV and AIDS."
"Most GH prescriptions should therefore be for children, but 74% of
human GH (HGH) prescriptions in 2004 were for adults aged 20 years and
older, and 44% were for adults aged 40 to 59 years, suggesting to the
authors that a large proportion of GH sales are for illegal uses.
"Off-label use for many drugs is a normal and accepted practice in
medicine, but that is not true for growth hormone," says coauthor S.
Jay Olshansky, PhD, from the University of Illinois at Chicago School
of Public Health. "According to laws instituted by Congress more than
10 years ago, HGH can only be distributed for indications specifically
authorized by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and aging
and its related disorders are not among them. The use of HGH as an
alleged antiaging intervention is a major public health concern not
just because it is illegal, but also because its provision for
antiaging is not supported by science and it is potentially harmful."
"U.S. officials have reportedly estimated that in 2004, 25,000 to
30,000 older adults received HGH for antiaging. Many Internet sites
and antiaging clinics market HGH, claiming that it prevents or
reverses aging and improves nail and hair growth, sleep, skin tone,
digestion, strength, weight loss, vision, and sexual function. Claims
that aging is caused by an age-related decline in HGH levels and that
supplementation can therefore stop or reverse aging have not been
substantiated by research to date in transgenic mice or other animal
models."
"Although there is no evidence that HGH administration stops or
reverses aging, many people spend a great deal of money on these
products," Dr. Perls says. "On the contrary, responsibly conducted and
peer-reviewed science indicates that HGH could in fact accelerate
aging and shorten lifespan. It is associated with very high rates of
serious adverse effects, and long-term use could increase one's risk
of cancer."
Read further...
===
Also read:
"Growth Hormone Schemes and Scams," by Stephen Barrett, M.D.
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/hgh.html
"Although growth hormone levels decline with age, it has not been
proven that trying to maintain the levels that exist in young persons
is beneficial. Considering the high cost, significant side effects,
and lack of proven effectiveness, HGH shots appear to be a very poor
investment. So called "growth-hormone releasers," oral "growth
hormone," and "homeopathic HGH" products are fakes."
===
Even the large pharmaceutical companies are not immune from the law!
"Legal Tangle At The Fountain Of Youth." Business Week Online. MARCH 20, 2006
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_12/b3976005.htm
"The drug human growth hormone (HGH), one of the most tightly
regulated substances on the market, is proving to be a thorn in the
side of Pfizer Inc. (PFE ). BusinessWeek has reviewed internal
documents shedding new light on allegations that Pharmacia Corp. (PFE
), a company Pfizer acquired in 2003, improperly promoted its drug
Genotropin to doctors who intended to use it as an anti-aging
treatment. The Food & Drug Administration has approved Genotropin and
other synthetic versions of human growth hormone to treat certain
diseases. But it is illegal for manufacturers such as Pfizer to
promote the hormone for anti-aging use, which is not approved by the
FDA."
Types of HGH used for self administration
*******************************************
Dr. M. Gedde MD, PhD has compiled some very useful information about
HGH on her website. Bear in mind that this doctor is a promotor of HGH
for anti-aging, so some of her views can be biased. However, I have
highlighted some information about types of administration that might
prove helpful for you. http://www.hgh-md.com/hgh-products.htm
HGH Injections
================
The "tried and true" form of human growth hormone is a prescription
taken by injection. For a while, hgh injections were illegal in the
United States. If someone was intent on using it, they had to get it
illegally from some other country. Now, it is legal. But if you are
going to use hgh injections, you will need a prescription, or go to an
anti-aging specialist or clinic."
"Hgh injections are usually given/taken on a daily basis, or several
times a week. Some doctors will want you to come into the office or a
clinic to get your injection every day. Others may prescribe
self-administration, and teach you how to do it yourself. It is very
similar to a diabetic giving themselves daily insulin injections, and
in fact, uses the same fine, tiny needles/syringes. The invention of
the hgh injection "pen" has made self administration less
complicated."
"In the past, hgh injections were the only way you could absorb human
growth hormone. And it was VERY expensive. It can still cost between
4 or 5 hundred to thousands a month, depending on where you buy it,
and if you have a clinic administer it and monitor your results."
http://www.hgh-md.com/hgh-products.htm
HGH Spray
==========
"Now there are claims that oral products can make HGH absorbable. That
may or may not be true. I know of no research yet that proves it, but
I have seen strong anecdotal evidence that suggests it. But it may
have little or nothing to do with gh itself, but other ingredients.
While some sprays may also contain some real un-modified hgh, the
human growth hormone can't make it into your body orally, at least in
my opinion and those of every doctor and scientist I've spoken to.
The pharmaceutical companies are working on this, and there may be a
breakthrough someday, but so far, it hasn't happened. Such work is
primarily being focused on for an alternative to insulin injections
for diabetics, but because of the molecular similarities to HGH, if
they can make insulin deliverable in a non injectable, they should be
able to do the same for GH."
http://www.hgh-md.com/hgh-products.htm
==
"The Federal Trade Commission has won a temporary restraining order
against marketers of oral sprays that supposedly contain human growth
hormone (HGH) to stop them from making alleged false and deceptive
claims and from sending illegal spam. The FTC charged that the sprays,
marketed on dozens of Web sites and through spam, do not cause weight
loss, reverse the aging process, or prevent or treat diseases as
advertised.
"FTC Stops False Claims about Fountain of Youth Oral Sprays." Oct. 18, 2005
http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Alerts/5-10-18HGHClaims.htm
"Precursor" & "Releaser" supplements
====================================
"These sprays, pills and powders claim to make your own body produce
more of its own hgh. If the product is legitimate and really works,
it is the most natural and safest way to go in my opinion."
Homeopathic supplements
==========================
"Finally, there are the "homeopathic" forms. We are still looking into
these, but again, they lack solid unbiased research, and experts in
the field I've discussed it with say it absolutely cannot be done
because of the way homeopathy allegedly works - by giving you very
minute dilutions of the "hair of the dog that bit you"."
===
Read HGH Types - Somatatropin
http://www.somatropin.net/hgh-types.htm
"The means of manufacturing and purifying rhGH is very important. In
order for HGH to have its desired effect on the human body, it must be
identical in structure to the GH naturally produced in the human
body."
Read further....
DANGERS AND CONCERNS about HGH from Dr. Geddes
================================================
http://www.hgh-md.com/hgh-reactions-side-effects.htm
"Even websites selling alleged prescription brand injectable hgh, are
often suspicious to me. Some seem like they are from foreign
countries, even though they say they are not. They don't name the
pharmacies the product will come from, or doctor who will allegedly
prescribe it, or their qualifications, or addresses of alleged
"clinics", etc. Also, THERE ARE KNOWN COUNTERFEITS, AND THERE ARE
KNOWN CASES OF EVEN U.S. PHARMACISTS "CUTTING" (DILUTING) DRUGS FOR
EXTRA PROFIT."
Read more....
===
So - I have left you with some issues to ponder. In light of the
sketchy reputations of many of the sites offering "injectable HGH", I
suggest you take a good deal of time investigating the source of your
product.
A basic Google Search returns many, many sites purporting to offer
true HGH - but do they really?
://www.google.com/search?q=sources+of+pure+injectable+HGH&hl=en&hs=VU&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&start=10&sa=N
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&hs=uL&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=injectable+HGH&spell=1
===
I hope these references help to provide both you and your physician
with some valuable information.
Sincerely
umiat
Search Strategy
uses of HGH
self administration of HGH
dosing and HGH
legality of HGH
sources of pure injectable HGH |
,
0 Comments
)