Thoughts on HGH

[rezzie]

Im thinking about starting hgh probably something low around 6-8IUs a day. Im 18 yrs old and Im just looking to increase bonemass/musclemass and keep my growth hormone supply high for my overall health. Im on Reta and i'll be monitoring my glucose, so i wont have the appetite to give myself diabetes. I already have been doing natural methods to max out my test and growth hormone since I was 15 (ive had a beard since i was 16). Im clearly either past-puberty or at the end, so Im not really in it for the height gain. I know that taking test is obviosuly much better but Its so much more work especially for when i want to have kids and have to deal with hgc and a million other ones to take to counteract the side effects. Its very tiring and almost impossible to naturally max out my hgh and if im going to take a peptide for it i would rather have it be exogenous instead of something like ipa/cjc.

Im wondering if any of you guys have been on a long-term lowdose of HGH and how it worked for you.

 

[Timfok]

You’re too young. You won’t notice the benefits and likely won’t have the patience to see or feel them as hgh is a slow burn.

 

[BillGoldberg]

Agreed. And 6-8 IU’s is not a small dose at all. Stop watching tiktok influencers that talk gibberish and dont know what they are doing.

 

[rezzie]

Agreed. And 6-8 IU’s is not a small dose at all. Stop watching tiktok influencers that talk gibberish and dont know what they are doing.

i would think that at my age taking 2-3 IU wouldnt be too much higher than my natural GH production. I feel like a long term dosage of 6-8 IUs would be the safest amount i could take for actual noticeable benefits.

I am keen to hear a reason why i would be too young when doctors prescribe what id be taking or sometimes twice as much in kids pretty young to my age. (Obviously considering i take the same precautions they do).

 

[zpped]

i would think that at my age taking 2-3 IU wouldnt be too much higher than my natural GH production. I feel like a long term dosage of 6-8 IUs would be the safest amount i could take for actual noticeable benefits.

I am keen to hear a reason why i would be too young when doctors prescribe what id be taking or sometimes twice as much in kids pretty young to my age. (Obviously considering i take the same precautions they do).

Do you know what labs you need to be monitoring to take hgh, how to order them, and how to read them? Do you know what your baseline levels are? Do you know what symptoms to be watching for?

The fact that you're talking about doses instead of target response levels, heavily implies you don't know enough to be going down this path.

 

[lessthanhalf]

Replacement doses of hgh at that age are about; Age <30 years: 0.4–0.5 mg/day 1mg hgh = 3iu
so 1.2-1.5iu/day - what your body is normally exposed to.. at 6-8iu/day you are talking about 5 x the amount normally in your body, with a different pattern over the day/night that is not as good as the natural pattern. Bodybuilding forums like Meso tend to make high dose hgh sound much more normal and benign, and often use pretty high doses making 6-8iu sound like a small dose. It is definitely enough to cause side effects like fluid retention and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Yes reta will probably stop the rise in blood sugar.

In most ways the bigger problem is your age. If at 58 I take a small amount of hgh like 1.5iu/day, it might or might not increase my risks of cancer or heart disease over the long term, but my long term is a lot shorter than yours, I really only need to worry about what it might do over 10-15 years, whereas at 18 you need to worry about what it might do 60 years from now, so that those possible or not large risks could really matter as you get older, as there is lots and lots of time for them to act. It is absolutely proven that people and especially animals with growth hormone deficiency live longer, it is not proof that high hgh levels will make you live a shorter life but it is pretty strongly suggestive. And hitting your body with something that might have that effect at 18 is more risky than someone older doing it.

 

[Ragnar]

i would think that at my age taking 2-3 IU wouldnt be too much higher than my natural GH production. I feel like a long term dosage of 6-8 IUs would be the safest amount i could take for actual noticeable benefits.

I am keen to hear a reason why i would be too young when doctors prescribe what id be taking or sometimes twice as much in kids pretty young to my age. (Obviously considering i take the same precautions they do).

Did you google the reasons why HGH might be bad for your age?
Taking Human Growth Hormone (HGH) at 18 without a medical deficiency is dangerous, illegal without a prescription, and unlikely to increase height if growth plates have closed
. It risks severe side effects including joint pain, insulin resistance/diabetes, carpal tunnel syndrome, fluid retention, and, if misused, dangerous acromegaly (abnormal tissue growth).

Potential Risks and Effects:

• Bone and Joint Issues: Risk of acromegaly, a disorder causing excessive, abnormal growth of bones and tissues. It can also cause chronic joint/muscle pain and scoliosis.
• Metabolic Disruption: High risk of developing insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.
• Cardiovascular Strain: Potential for heart enlargement, high blood pressure, and heart failure.
• Other Side Effects: Carpal tunnel syndrome, severe fluid retention (edema), gynecomastia (breast enlargement in males), and an increased risk of cancer.
• Illegal and Unregulated: Using HGH for bodybuilding or performance enhancement is illegal and, if bought illicitly, often counterfeit.
  Orlando Health +8

At 18, natural growth is usually complete, making the risks far outweigh any potential, unproven benefits for athletic performance or aesthetics.


I can't take this post seriously.

 

[lessthanhalf]

Also long term use at those doses could definitely cause acromegaly, and I assume you do not want an extra large nose, thick brow ridges and extra large jaw and thick coarser skin and bigger hands etc etc.
posted this before the previous post

 

[Abrakebabra]

Not wanting to be part of a pile on but strongly agree with the comments above that at 18 going on HGH is likely to do way more harm than good. Totally get that you feel invincible right now and that its temping to ignore a lot of the advice on here but honestly for now just get your training, nutrition and sleep dialled in and you'll make crazy gains without any need for any supplementation.

 

[Calm Logic]

As @lessthanhalf was saying, growth is the opposite of longevity. When you see those old people turning 100 on the local news, they were not taking growth compounds earlier in life. They are usually women, partly due to men having much higher levels of testosterone.

Im clearly either past-puberty or at the end, so Im not really in it for the height gain. I know that taking test is obviosuly much better but Its so much more work especially for when i want to have kids and have to deal with hgc and a million other ones to take to counteract the side effects.

There is some bro science there too (a mix of reality and make believe). The only way to know if you are done growing is to see an endocrinologist and get a bone age X-ray to see if the growth plates have fused. Testosterone would do more harm than good usually, like what you mentioned, as well as risking premature hair thinning and hair loss (accelerated aesthetic aging). And testosterone increases estrogen, which can fuse the plates prematurely.

 

[Airborne Daddy]

Agreed. And 6-8 IU’s is not a small dose at all. Stop watching tiktok influencers that talk gibberish and dont know what they are doing.

That will make him diabetic in a year at that dose.

 

[Airborne Daddy]

I ran 2iu 5 days a week and after 2 weeks my glucose was 160.... i threw it away

 

[Calm Logic]

They are understandably brutal on Meso for guys in their early 20s seeking compounds:

"You may have been in the gym, but you definitely weren't training."

"If you have at least one single working brain cell then give it a second thought."

"Some combination of your training, recovery, and diet are bad. Probably all three. Drugs don't fix this."

"You’re probably too fat to make the most out of your cycle."

"No abs = skinny fat. Deal with it."

"Abs are made in the kitchen. You don't need to train them for them to show. You need to lose the fat. Don't delude yourself."

"This is about where OP stops replying and goes back to tik tok or reddit where they enable and encourage bad decisions. Que sera."

"Go train for 3 years, build a great natty physique. Learn how to diet and train then reevaluate. Not hating but come on you clearly haven't been training consistently."

"Having hard looking glutes is more important than even abs in assessing whether somebody is shredded."

"Guys who still haven't really figured out training/food/lifestyle stuff yet often add in gear and get pretty poor results."

"You did everything completely wrong. Download my fitness pal and get a food scale immediately. Learn about a calorie deficit, then start reading the nutrition facts of every single piece of food you buy, and if they’re not on the package, google them. Track every single calorie that goes in your body. If you can’t do this, this lifestyle is not for you."

"Fielding questions from clueless boys who have neither the time nor interest in working out or dieting."

The most positive statement there:

"You would be absolutely BLOWN tf away by what you could accomplish in 6 months with a halfway structured eating and training plan."

 

[CNCCurrency]

I ran 2iu 5 days a week and after 2 weeks my glucose was 160.... i threw it away

Initial starting dose should be around 1/2 IU, slowly titrated. Glucose will settle back down.

 

[Nopenada]

Initial starting dose should be around 1/2 IU, slowly titrated. Glucose will settle back down.

Thanks for this tidbit. As a middle aged woman I’m kinda looking at HGH. Already have a kit, but in no rush to pull the trigger for all the very smart reasons mentioned above.

 

[Airborne Daddy]

@CNCCurrency Depending on your reference material. Some say 1/2 to 1, some say 2.... i didnt ask for initial starting dose, its what i chose. Tired of you correcting and expanding on my every post. If i say im banging 200mg of test, ur gonna say actually lower doses are much more appropriate....in fact recent research indicates dosages of 100mg to 140mg may be safer and more beneficial while reducing unwanted side effects. Put me on IGNORE like im doing with you...

 

[CNCCurrency]

@CNCCurrency Depending on your reference material. Some say 1/2 to 1, some say 2.... i didnt ask for initial starting dose, its what i chose. Tired of you correcting and expanding on my every post. If i say im banging 200mg of test, ur gonna say actually lower doses are much more appropriate....in fact recent research indicates dosages of 100mg to 140mg may be safer and more beneficial while reducing unwanted side effects. Put me on IGNORE like im doing with you...

With your calculations you were probable taking 3 x more than you thought. Goes back to your math skills thinking 10 mg = 15 iu. So I can clearly see why your blood sugar spiked

 

[CNCCurrency]

Not for know it all's

Good starting point for inexperienced users:

1 mg = 3 IU

1 IU = 0.33 mg

---

Starting dose:

• Age below 30 years:

1.2 – 1.5 IU per day (0.4 – 0.5 mg/day) (may be higher for patients transitioning from pediatric treatment)

• Age 30-60 years:

0.6 – 0.9 IU per day (0.2 – 0.3 mg/day)

• Age over 60 years:

0.3 -0.6 IU per day (0.1-0.2 mg/day)

Patient with diabetes or who are susceptible to insulin resistance / glucose intolerance should use the lowest starting dose (0.3 -0.6 IU per day) regardless of age.

Subcutaneous injections are usually administered in the evening to mimic physiologic nocturnal GH secretion.

Dose escalation (titration):

At 1- to 2-month intervals, increase dose in increments of 0.3 -0.6 IU per day (0.1-0.2 mg/day) based on clinical response, blood IGF-1 levels, side effects, and individual considerations such as insulin resistance / glucose intolerance.

 

[lessthanhalf]

I think posting that info is useful. Presumably you got it from where I did as my info was identical. What I have seen on this forum and worse still on meso suggests people usually have an incorrect idea of what normal levels are. From what people say they are taking and especially from what bodybuilders can take it is very easy to get a false impression that doses of 4iu a day and up are not high doses. Doses of 2iu or less are at least closer to physiological for young people, but the reality is no one knows what the long term consequences are of taking hgh especially in older people who are taking it for visceral fat reduction or muscle mass maintenance, which seems to be the most common reason here. The long term studies just are not there, a few short term ones and animal studies. Relatively low levels of gh are very common with increasing age and more so with obesity, but it is important to remember that no medical recommendations exist for using it in those cases, the risks are thought to be greater than the benefits. I would be surprised if wellness clinics and celebrity doctors did not use it but that does not make it safe.

The secretagogues are possibly a bit safer in that they do not increase levels as much as hgh, but there is no evidence of long term safety. Short term improvements of things like visceral fat or lipids or body composition have been shown in studies of tesamorelin in HIV patients, but given the large number of animal studies showing better life expectancy with gh deficiency you really need the long term safety data to have any real idea of long term safety, and it is not likely to happen , as generally Doctors consider it a bad bet on safety, making long term studies hard to justify.

I am a bit hypocritical here given I am taking 1.5iu/day, (have not yet had igf-1 checked, but plan to ). I assume that 15mg tirz plus 5mg of reta should be enough to stop blood glucose going up, but that will get checked as well. My logic is that given the high overall health risks I have and that if I regain some or all of the 54% weight I have lost my odds of a further 10 years of reasonable health approach zero. (this is not that common a risk profile). So that possible small additional risks from hgh are probably lower than the benefit I get from helping to keep weight/fat off. Probably unprovable logic, but it makes sense to me. This logic is not going to apply to the vast majority of people on this forum who are at more normal levels of risk, where the risks of hgh or secretagogues, or ghrelin agonists are very likely to be higher than the benefits or are unknown.

 

[CNCCurrency]

I think posting that info is useful. Presumably you got it from where I did as my info was identical. What I have seen on this forum and worse still on meso suggests people usually have an incorrect idea of what normal levels are. From what people say they are taking and especially from what bodybuilders can take it is very easy to get a false impression that doses of 4iu a day and up are not high doses. Doses of 2iu or less are at least closer to physiological for young people, but the reality is no one knows what the long term consequences are of taking hgh especially in older people who are taking it for visceral fat reduction or muscle mass maintenance, which seems to be the most common reason here. The long term studies just are not there, a few short term ones and animal studies. Relatively low levels of gh are very common with increasing age and more so with obesity, but it is important to remember that no medical recommendations exist for using it in those cases, the risks are thought to be greater than the benefits. I would be surprised if wellness clinics and celebrity doctors did not use it but that does not make it safe.

The secretagogues are possibly a bit safer in that they do not increase levels as much as hgh, but there is no evidence of long term safety. Short term improvements of things like visceral fat or lipids or body composition have been shown in studies of tesamorelin in HIV patients, but given the large number of animal studies showing better life expectancy with gh deficiency you really need the long term safety data to have any real idea of long term safety, and it is not likely to happen , as generally Doctors consider it a bad bet on safety, making long term studies hard to justify.

I am a bit hypocritical here given I am taking 1.5iu/day, (have not yet had igf-1 checked, but plan to ). I assume that 15mg tirz plus 5mg of reta should be enough to stop blood glucose going up, but that will get checked as well. My logic is that given the high overall health risks I have and that if I regain some or all of the 54% weight I have lost my odds of a further 10 years of reasonable health approach zero. (this is not that common a risk profile). So that possible small additional risks from hgh are probably lower than the benefit I get from helping to keep weight/fat off. Probably unprovable logic, but it makes sense to me. This logic is not going to apply to the vast majority of people on this forum who are at more normal levels of risk, where the risks of hgh or secretagogues, or ghrelin agonists are very likely to be higher than the benefits or are unknown.

I'm just trying to save people from growing organs like enlarged hearts. If you follow some on here that don't understand iu to mg conversion. There advice is just plain dangerous!!

 

[CNCCurrency]

I think posting that info is useful. Presumably you got it from where I did as my info was identical. What I have seen on this forum and worse still on meso suggests people usually have an incorrect idea of what normal levels are. From what people say they are taking and especially from what bodybuilders can take it is very easy to get a false impression that doses of 4iu a day and up are not high doses. Doses of 2iu or less are at least closer to physiological for young people, but the reality is no one knows what the long term consequences are of taking hgh especially in older people who are taking it for visceral fat reduction or muscle mass maintenance, which seems to be the most common reason here. The long term studies just are not there, a few short term ones and animal studies. Relatively low levels of gh are very common with increasing age and more so with obesity, but it is important to remember that no medical recommendations exist for using it in those cases, the risks are thought to be greater than the benefits. I would be surprised if wellness clinics and celebrity doctors did not use it but that does not make it safe.

The secretagogues are possibly a bit safer in that they do not increase levels as much as hgh, but there is no evidence of long term safety. Short term improvements of things like visceral fat or lipids or body composition have been shown in studies of tesamorelin in HIV patients, but given the large number of animal studies showing better life expectancy with gh deficiency you really need the long term safety data to have any real idea of long term safety, and it is not likely to happen , as generally Doctors consider it a bad bet on safety, making long term studies hard to justify.

I am a bit hypocritical here given I am taking 1.5iu/day, (have not yet had igf-1 checked, but plan to ). I assume that 15mg tirz plus 5mg of reta should be enough to stop blood glucose going up, but that will get checked as well. My logic is that given the high overall health risks I have and that if I regain some or all of the 54% weight I have lost my odds of a further 10 years of reasonable health approach zero. (this is not that common a risk profile). So that possible small additional risks from hgh are probably lower than the benefit I get from helping to keep weight/fat off. Probably unprovable logic, but it makes sense to me. This logic is not going to apply to the vast majority of people on this forum who are at more normal levels of risk, where the risks of hgh or secretagogues, or ghrelin agonists are very likely to be higher than the benefits or are unknown.

My glucose and hgb increased initially but have both come down to normal within 2 months.

 

[lessthanhalf]

I am hoping the studies that show low doses of HGH improving cardiac function turn out to apply to humans. Having a small amount of left atrial and ventricular enlargement and marginally reduced ejection fraction, puts me in class b heart failure, with anatomical changes but no symptoms. Presumably this is due to longstanding severe obesity. I guess I will find out next time I have an echo in 6 months time if this was a good or bad idea, either way it carries a 1-2% risk of turning into real heart failure a year, that would go up drastically were I to regain weight.
On the other hand higher doses of HGH can definitely cause cardiac enlargement and heart failure. The people on Meso often treat themselves with statins and antihypertensives to counter some of the negative cardiovascular risks of high dose androgens and HGH, which is sensible enough but I doubt it would be sufficient to reduce the extra risks back down to anywhere near normal levels. I remember reading the post last year from a 33 yo on Meso who had a heart attack, he obviously survived, and without too much damage, but it is still unusual and very young for a fit healthy person to be having that happen at that age.

 

[Nopenada]

Not for know it all's

Good starting point for inexperienced users:

1 mg = 3 IU

1 IU = 0.33 mg

---

Starting dose:

• Age below 30 years:

1.2 – 1.5 IU per day (0.4 – 0.5 mg/day) (may be higher for patients transitioning from pediatric treatment)

• Age 30-60 years:

0.6 – 0.9 IU per day (0.2 – 0.3 mg/day)

• Age over 60 years:

0.3 -0.6 IU per day (0.1-0.2 mg/day)

Patient with diabetes or who are susceptible to insulin resistance / glucose intolerance should use the lowest starting dose (0.3 -0.6 IU per day) regardless of age.

Subcutaneous injections are usually administered in the evening to mimic physiologic nocturnal GH secretion.

Dose escalation (titration):

At 1- to 2-month intervals, increase dose in increments of 0.3 -0.6 IU per day (0.1-0.2 mg/day) based on clinical response, blood IGF-1 levels, side effects, and individual considerations such as insulin resistance / glucose intolerance.

See, this is another reason I’m not touching the stuff yet. I hadn’t even looked into mg to IU conversion yet. I got 15IU bottles for down the road vaguely assuming a 1 to 1 conversion.

I’m sitting here giggling to myself over my vendor asking me to double check the vial amounts for my order and I thought she meant to make sure I really meant to only order the little 5mg Reta bottles. Nope… she was wondering what the heck I had in mind with enough HGH to knock over a horse.

P.S. If I’m ever doing something stupid please feel free to correct me!

 

[chavez636]

I am 45 year old male i train 5 days a week jiu Jistu and weight lifting. I have been running HGH at 4iu per day for 2 months now, past few days very painful side effect carpal tunnel in my left wrist. I know now I need to cut my dose in half down to 2iu. At your age you do not need HGH trust me a waste of your money and time you won't see any benefits simply train harder and get loads of protein into you and will see much more gainz than jumping on HGH.

 

[CNCCurrency]

I am 45 year old male i train 5 days a week jiu Jistu and weight lifting. I have been running HGH at 4iu per day for 2 months now, past few days very painful side effect carpal tunnel in my left wrist. I know now I need to cut my dose in half down to 2iu. At your age you do not need HGH trust me a waste of your money and time you won't see any benefits simply train harder and get loads of protein into you and will see much more gainz than jumping on HGH.

People like you are dangerous!!! look at this guy starts at 4 iu and wonders why he has carpal tunnel. I bet you your hgb levels are off the charts also, I would be more concerned about having thick blood and a stroke, SMH Where is your md degree or any credibility to say its a waste??? I hope any reading this understands that. He is just some guy and that in his opinion on this, which basically squat

 

[Raptorrunner]

See, this is another reason I’m not touching the stuff yet. I hadn’t even looked into mg to IU conversion yet. I got 15IU bottles for down the road vaguely assuming a 1 to 1 conversion.

I’m sitting here giggling to myself over my vendor asking me to double check the vial amounts for my order and I thought she meant to make sure I really meant to only order the little 5mg Reta bottles. Nope… she was wondering what the heck I had in mind with enough HGH to knock over a horse.

P.S. If I’m ever doing something stupid please feel free to correct me!

I think you missed something. The vials you bought are 15 iu. You don't need to do any conversion math. If you use 2 i/u per injection you've got 75 injections in your kit. If you go 5 on, 2 off you've got 15 weeks worth.

 

[CNCCurrency]

I think you missed something. The vials you bought are 15 iu. You don't need to do any conversion math. If you use 2 i/u per injection you've got 75 injections in your kit. If you go 5 on, 2 off you've got 15 weeks worth.

What? 2 iu x 7 days =14 iu unless you are referring to a kit. Why cycle it works different receptor wise than peptides?

 

[LabRatts]

Do you know what labs you need to be monitoring to take hgh, how to order them, and how to read them? Do you know what your baseline levels are? Do you know what symptoms to be watching for?

The fact that you're talking about doses instead of target response levels, heavily implies you don't know enough to be going down this path.

100% on board with this notion. Pinning HGH isn't pinning wolverine or Ghk-cu, its a bit more volatile a situation. Proceeding based on a whim isn't the thing a person wanting to be well at three times their current age would undertake. Proceed with discernment.

 

[Nopenada]

It’s been a little over a month and Tesa/ipa aren’t doing anything except helping me sleep and making my dreams vivid. I’m going to give it another month and then cycle off to see if I’m just holding water weight around my not-shrinking middle.

Between heavy workouts, cardio, and Reta everything else is shrinking. But workouts leave me very sore for at least two days afterwards so I may just be at an age where it’s time to consider the switch to low-dose HGH.

Blah.

 

[IronPaw.]

I'm just trying to save people from growing organs like enlarged hearts. If you follow some on here that don't understand iu to mg conversion. There advice is just plain dangerous!!

And solid advice on how much to take so i don't get an enlarged heart is greatly appreciated, i had been advised that 3-5IU a day is ok? I have been slowly increasing up to 2IU twice a day, just before bed (2hrs fasted) and first thing in the morning 4:30am (fasting till 10am).
I am looking to burn fat and improve my sleep, is .45IU twice a day enough to achieve this and safely?