This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

You might find it a strange question that I’m about to ask but it sounds logical to me:

Does anybody here have experience with the Human Growth Hormone, HGH?

I am considering starting myself, and I did some research but I found until now only (positive) experiences of bodybuilders.. On their website you can also read that people with AIDS get HGH too (doses defer), for the treatment of their muscle degeneration.

If HGH helps muscle tissue repair and skin regeneration, it would be logical that it might help us too - improve nerve damage regeneration?

It sounds logical to me that a HGH might be beneficial to us. Many women experience improvement during the pregnancy and I assume that it partially comes due to the HGH (human growth hormone), next to the suppression of immune system during the pregnancy.

What do you think about it and has anybody experience with it?

I have no experience with HGH, but have read of some cautions on its use. Please research it well before you decide to use it.

I do not understand the difference between HGH and growth factor, but growth factor was mentioned in the Winter 08-09 issue of the MS Society publication named Momentum,

The growth factor IGF-1 had shown some success in promoting myelin formation, so a Society-funded team led by Stephane Genoud, PhD (The Salk Institute, La Jolla, Calif.), injected it into mice with EAE. The injections actually worsened the disease. (Journal of Neuroimmunology 2005; 168:40-5) Such failures are important to pinpoint before they affect people with MS in clinical trials.

Here is the abstract of the work mentioned:

1: J Neuroimmunol. 2005 Nov;168(1-2):40-5. Epub 2005 Aug 24. Links
Targeted expression of IGF-1 in the central nervous system fails to protect mice from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.Genoud S, Maricic I, Kumar V, Gage FH.
Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) has been identified as a critical molecule in the induction of myelination in the central nervous system (CNS). Systemic injection of IGF-1 has been shown to have a varied and transiently protective effect on the clinical course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Since systemic IGF-1 can also modulate peripheral immune lymphocytes, we examined whether a sustained and local delivery of IGF-1 into the spinal cord would have any influence on the chronic course of EAE in C57/BL6 mice. The capability of adeno-associated virus (AAV) to be retrogradely transported efficiently from muscle to motor neurons of the spinal cord was used to overcome the difficulty routinely encountered when attempting chronic delivery of molecules into the CNS. We demonstrate that AAV-mediated delivery of IGF-1 in CNS did not have any beneficial effect on the clinical course of EAE. Injection of AAV-IGF1 after induction of the disease worsened the clinical symptoms. Furthermore, CNS expression of IGF-1 did not affect the pathogenic anti-MOG T cell response, as examined by proliferation and cytokine secretion. Thus, enhanced expression of IGF-1 in the CNS during inflammation does not have a significant effect on myelination. These data have important implications for the potential use of IGF-1 in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

PMID: 16120466 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Hello,

First I want to thank you for your comments! I was completely unaware of this research you mentioned Linda, thank you very much. The reason why I started to think of HGH is my experience with pregnancies.
In my second pregnancy I experienced great improvement, and I think it is not only to thank to the suppression of the immune system but primarily to the increased presence of the growth factor because of the baby. I am aware of the immune system stimulation but LDN does it too, and still so many people benefit on it. I am not sure if the imuunosuppresion is so beneficial to us – yes, on short term it certainly is, I experienced it too, but a long term benefit is doubtable I think.
To exclude my doubts about immuno- suppression during pregnancy I also tried the Estriol – pregnancy hormone which suppress immune system during the pregnancy – no improvement at all. Neither my deterioration stopped. (more information on Estriol http://www.neurologyreviews.com/nov02/n ... triol.html ).
So I assume the only reason I experienced such a great improvement during my second pregnancy is the growth hormone.

The difference between HGH en IGF-1 is that HGH stimulates production of IGF-1.

In addition to increasing height in children and adolescents, HGH has many other effects on the body:
Increases calcium retention, and strengthens and increases the mineralization of bone
Increases muscle mass through the division of muscle cells
Promotes lipolysis
Increases protein synthesis
Stimulating the growth of all internal organs excluding the brain
Plays a role in fuel homeostasis
It stimulates the immune system

Children with the growth problems are medicated with HGH.HGH is also used for medical purpose in maintaining muscle mass in wasting due to AIDS.

And look what I found on the Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone ):

Uses that are controversial include

GH treatment for remission of Multiple sclerosis
GH treatment to reverse effects of aging in older adults (see below)
GH treatment to enhance weight loss in obesity
GH treatment for fibromyalgia
GH treatment for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
GH treatment for idiopathic short stature
GH treatment for bodybuilding or athletic enhancement

I am planning to use 2 IU of HGH, not more than that. This dosage is recommended for the reverse effects of aging. Top sportiest use up to 12IU a day, which is way to much… I am convinced that the dosage makes great difference.

Hi,

First of all Meercat...any update yet on taking HGH? Pertaining to this topic,(i think) I just read "The MS Solution" ...how someone 'cured' their ms symptoms/progression addressing hormones, adrenal, and thyroid...believing the endocrine approach makes the most sense in MS. I found it to be the most logical of all books i've read to date.

Jack

Hello,

Well, I experience great difficulties in obtaining HGH. It is illegal here and I am trying to make a contact with someone from bodybuilding forum since those people use
HGH too…
I believe too that endocrinal status has much to do with this disease…
Anyway, when I get first results I will announce it here.

Regards,

Mx

Hi Mercat,

in sinc with you endocrine paradigm...check out a new book called MY MS SOLUTION...makes alot of sense...

jack

Meercat5 wrote:Well, I experience great difficulties in obtaining HGH. It is illegal here and I am trying to make a contact with someone from bodybuilding forum since those people use HGH too…

I would expect HGH to be "illegal" without a prescription, in most developed countries. However, those same countries may legally use HGH for the "appropriate" medical condition, by a trained medical profesional. I also think that the HGH you get through body builders has a history of not being made for human applications.

Some thing to read in your quest:
http://www.vrp.com/articles.aspx?ProdID=art507&zTYPE=2

Intravenous administration of some amino acids is known to result in a significant growth-hormone release. For example, the 52% rise in serum arginine that occurs after low dose, intravenous arginine infusion is associated with a significant rise in serum growth hormone levels. In fact, clinicians routinely use an arginine infusion test to determine the responsiveness of the pituitary to releasing growth hormone in humans.(1-2) Intravenous ornithine also increases growth hormone release in humans, producing a five-fold increase in serum growth hormone in 45 minutes.(3)

The page has a lot more info on various items of interest in regards to increasing HGH, and is fairly balanced as it also references studies that counter the claims.

I saw an article that put me off HGH supplements ages ago , I think anybody contemplating HGH should at least take a look before they get too excited:



Now the good news: you can produce lots of extra HGH through aerobic exercise, so long as you do not eat carbs or sugar before or after exercise because insulin destroys HGH (the timing is harder to get right than you may think). Meals or fitness drinks will therefore destroy any HGH. Exercise maybe explains why peope like Madonna stay looking so young.

Light to medium exercise will not work, even if it goes on for hours on end. It is essential to get almost out of breath. This means that pople who are always on the go can still be overweight if they never get out of breath (HGH changes muscle fat ratio in favour of muscle)

Also, go to bed early because the body releases a huge surge of HGH in the first 3 or 4 hours after dusk, so long as you are asleep. This is thought to be because in the natural state there was little chance of any insulin being in the blood at this time of day.

gainsbourg

That's why I never give to my wife foods with high glycemic index after 7-8 the evenning, only proteins and vegetables, IGF and HGH are correlatives, I probably mentioned it again but a dose of 2 or more gramms of GABA* with empty stomach before bed stimulates HGH production!


*GABA is gamma aminobutyric acid a non essential amino acid

Hi I used HGH for Crohn's disease. I was involved in a drug study at Mass General Hospital for a year and a half. I was very sick and it put my Crohn's disease into remission and my colonoscopy showed complete healing, I was told I looked as though I never had Crohn's. I have had Crohn's for 20 yrs and went into remission for the last 8 due to this and I have used everything before to no avail. Well that was all great but 3 yrs into remission I got diagnosed with MS, so now I deal with that. I wonder if HGH would help me with MS. I liked using HGH and had no problems with the shots. Very easy, but I do not know what it will do for MS, maybe a new study should be done.

BUMP.

Just curious if any of the original posters or anyone else has any additional experience with HGH?

Been on it for a month now. I feel pretty good mood wise still. The best since diagnosed. I just "feel" better overall in spite of my usual MS issues which has not changed.

Hi everyone... for now I just wanted to introduce myself and join the conversation.... I have just discovered my own affliction with MS, which apparently began 4 or 5 years ago. I have been bodybuilding for 20 years, and similarly came to the idea of utilizing growth hormone therapy. I am very well educated in physical development, nutrition, and hormone replacement. I have a ton of information that I will be sharing soon. I have been researching growth hormone (as well as all other possible methods of remyelination-- including neurotropic growth factors). Time does not permit me to go into more detail at present, but I will begin sharing my knowledge in a few days... I have a rather intense work schedule, but if anybody would like to contact me directly (for those impatient types I can be reached at the following email address: mad_scientist_6662000@yahoo.com

I will do my best to return any messages asap, otherwise I will return on Tuesday to try to help clear up some of the misunderstanding and misinformation regarding HGH

madscientist666 wrote:... I have just discovered my own affliction with MS, which apparently began 4 or 5 years ago. I have been bodybuilding for 20 years, and similarly came to the idea of utilizing growth hormone therapy. I am very well educated in physical development, nutrition, and hormone replacement. I have a ton of information that I will be sharing soon. I have been researching growth hormone (as well as all other possible methods of remyelination-- including neurotropic growth factors). Time does not permit me to go into more detail at present, but I will begin sharing my knowledge in a few days... I have a rather intense work schedule, but if anybody would like to contact me directly (for those impatient types I can be reached at the following email address: mad_scientist_6662000@yahoo.com

I will do my best to return any messages asap, otherwise I will return on Tuesday to try to help clear up some of the misunderstanding and misinformation regarding HGH

Welcome to ThisIsMS, madscientist666.

Although the topic of growth hormone/IGF-1/growth factor has been here for a while, I think there is a lot of interest here. With your education in physical development, nutrition, and hormone replacement, your contributions to topics will be very valuable. I look forward to your clarification on HGH.