Side Effects on the HCG Diet

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Here is a little video that I posted on YouTube. Below is my article on this topic, which has further details on what you can expect in the way of hcg side effects.

HCG vs Protocol

Side effects of HCG may be caused by a reaction to the hormone, a reaction to the very low-calorie diet, a reaction to substances released from metabolized fat, or combinations of all of these. Determining cause and effect is not really possible. However, if the approved medical uses of HCG for treating infertility or low testosterone are any indication, certain side effects of HCG alone may be possible.

Medical Use of HCG vs HCG Diet

Treating infertility with HCG requires doses of 10,000 IU. This is a typical dose of HCG for medical treatments. One drug company that makes Pregnyl (the most common brand name for HCG) lists the following unwanted symptoms of this high dose:

Headache, irritability, restlessness, depression, fatigue, edema, precocious puberty, gynecomastia (i.e., breast enlargement in males).

These are due to the high doses that are used in medical treatment. The question is whether they are also associated with the low doses of HCG that are used for the HCG diet.

Observations of Common Side Effects

The following observations are derived from reports by clients who have gone through the HCG protocol and from my own experience.

FATIGUE: The most common one is fatigue. This occurs almost 100% of the time. It is independent of starting weight or health status. People who work out regularly are less able to keep up their workout intensity. Those who are out of shape and inactive in the first place slow down even further.

IRRITABILITY: The ‘significant others’ of HCG dieters notice this first. It is very common. In my own experience, I even felt more irritable. By the end of the protocol, the quick recovery back to normal, after being more irritable for a month or more, was like going from night to day.

HEADACHE: At least 10 percent of the HCG dieters report headaches for the first few days of the protocol. Headaches stop after the body’s initial water loss during this period, when sufficient water intake begins to rehydrate the body. Water intake is the key to reversing this brief period of accelerated dehydration.

REDUCED NEED FOR SLEEP: Many dieters report that they sleep less during the protocol. This is a well-recognized side effect of the HCG diet. People do not feel as though they are sleep deprived. They just seem to need less sleep.

CONSTIPATION: Dieters who are prone to constipation notice that it is more pronounced on the protocol. It is crucial to treat this symptom immediately so that passage of waste, as well as daily weight loss, proceeds normally every day. Constipation will otherwise slow down or stop weight loss completely.

MINOR OCCURRENCES: Dozens of side effects that have been reported to be associated with the HCG diet are much more difficult to validate. Most seem to be associated with bad health. Blogs and forums are rife with reports of these kinds of symptoms. However, the only other side effects that are common enough to be expected are the beneficial ones, as mentioned below.

Beneficial Side Effects

Dr. A.T.W. Simeons already reported these observations in 1954. The main ones of greatest impact to modern users of the protocol are: 1) normalizing blood sugar metabolism; 2) lowering cholesterol; and, 3) lowering blood pressure.

Dr. Simeons’ explanations of these side effects are detailed in his book, Pounds and Inches. They are to be expected for everyone who undertakes the protocol. Besides fat loss, these are most crucial results from the protocol. They help slow down and even reverse hypoglycemia, diabetes, and heart disease.

All the best in fat loss,
Dr. D

HCG Diet for Man Problems?

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HCG and Testosterone

HCG Weight Loss Diet and TestosteroneDr. Simeons was very specific about how HCG benefited young men whose obesity led to feminine features. Bodybuilders have known for quite some time that HCG treatment restores testosterone levels after an anabolic steroid series. (Testosterone levels drop in response to synthetic steroids.)

It is very informative to know that medical treatment for ‘man problems’ caused by low testosterone includes treatment with HCG. The following explanation from the National Medical Clinic Inc. tells you what to expect from a 6-month HCG treatment (at $1,995!).

Purpose of HCG Therapy to Stimulate Male Testes

The hormone HCG is prescribed for men in this therapy to increase natural testosterone production during the course of therapy as a result of the stimulation of the testes by the HCG. No testosterone medication is administered in this treatment. The treatment objective is to cause the male testes to naturally produce a higher volume of testosterone by HCG stimulation of his testes with the result that the patient experiences a continuing higher blood level of testosterone while on treatment. Another treatment objective is to avoid the use of any anabolic steroid and its adverse side effects upon the patient.

HCG Therapy normally increases natural testosterone production by the male testes while HCG is administered to the patient during the treatment period However, HCG Therapy can also result in a continuation of increased testosterone production and a resulting higher level of testosterone in the bloodstream after treatment is completed when the cause of the patient’s low natural LH secretion by the pituitary is not due to the patient’s natural genetics, aging process, injury to or loss of one or both testes; a medical disorder or disease affecting the testes, or castration.

HCG Therapy can result in a continuing higher level of natural testosterone production by the testes after HCG Therapy is completed when the underlying cause of the low LH secretion and resulting low testosterone production (1) is due to the prior use of one or more anabolic steroids by the patient or (2) due to the administration of testosterone in a prior hormone replacement therapy without the required concurrent HCG Therapy to prevent the patient’s endocrine system (hypothalamus pituitary-testes axis) from shutting down the natural production of testosterone by the testes and causing testicular atrophy.

Summary Benefits of HCG Therapy to Increase Natural Testosterone Production

• Increases physical energy and elimination of chronic fatigue
• Improves sex drive
• Improves sexual performance
• Improves mood
• Reduces depression
• Increases lean muscle mass
• Increases strength and endurance as a result of exercise
• Reduces body fat due to increased exercise
• Increases sperm count and therefore male fertility
• HCG Therapy can also result in a higher level of natural testosterone production after HCG Therapy is completed when the cause of a man’s current low testosterone production is the prior use of anabolic steroids that shut down or reduced the pituitary gland’s production of LH and decreased testosterone production.

The Miracle of Hormones

The human body makes more than 150 steroid hormones. It is no surprise that balancing them all becomes more of a challenge when we age, suffer poor health, or gain way too much body fat. Fortunately, HCG is one of the better strategies for helping us do exactly that!

All the best in natural health,

Dr. D