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HCG for Fibromyalgia relief
cuddles41315 posted:
Is there any research for FMS relief using HCG? Are there any doctors using HCG for FMS relief?

I was diagnosed with FMS over a year ago. In Sept & Oct I was using HCG shots daily with a modified HCG diet for weight loss & waist reduction. I lost about 10 lbs in the month but the biggest difference was in how I felt. After about 2 weeks, I felt FABULOUS . I had a huge reduction in muscle pain & shooting sharp pains in my legs & thighs. My feet no longer burned. Night sweats all but disappeared, intestinal problems eased up and my energy level was back at where it had been years ago. Those around me even recognized the difference. I have been off the HCG shots for about 8 weeks. The weight has stayed off but, the FMS symptoms have gradually returned. I had an eye infection and virus last week and now my body is in crash mode.

I want to approach my doctor about using HCG for FMS relief but would like to know if there have been any studies done on HCG for FMS relief and what the results were.

Does anyone have any suggestions or a similar experience? Are there any doctors using HCG for FMS relief? or Research being done?
Anjl26 responded:
Try googling it to see what you find.

The only FDA approved uses for HCG are infertility and delayed onset puberty in adolescent boys.
SeekingGoodInformation responded:

I've just learned a member of my family had an experience exactly like yours originating with HCG use for weight loss. Her fibromyalgia improved immediately and dramatically when she started HCG injections, and returned full force after she stopped.

I'd be grateful if you'd link me to any of your findings, and I will do the same for you as I begin researching this.

May 8, 2010
mamawrobyn replied to SeekingGoodInformation's response:
What is HCG?

I have not heard of this?

rlh1960 responded:
I wanted to reply to your post. I started taking HCG shots for the same purpose as you and I was amazed by the reduction in pain after a couple of weeks. I felt better than I have in years and after I went off the HCG the fibromyalgia pain came back. I am looking for the same annswer as you. It appears there must be some connection considering our experiences was identical.
annette030 responded:
They did a study on HGH and FMS at OHSU some years ago. They found it did help when given by injection, I do not remember the dose. But it cost about $1800/month at that time, and getting a med by injection has its own adverse reactions. The cost was deemed too prohibitive to make this a reasonable treatment. Oral products claiming they contain HGH do not work for FMS as I recall.

Then OHSU started another study using mestinon, an oral Myasthenia Gravis med, and exercise to stimulate the body's own production of HGH. I don't remember the end result, you may be able to find it at

Most of their research about FMS is available there. OHSU has a FMS research and treatment clinic. Dr. Robert Bennett, MD was the MD in charge of all that last I heard.

Take care, Annette
Tany84 responded:
I have done a ton of research on hCG for work. A whole lot of people are doing it right now. I know some people who have done it not mainly to lose weight but to help with thyroid problems. I also know a lot of people who have had awesome weight loss results. I am actually in the process of contributing to a book on the diet. I have not heard anything about using it for FM but if you do find something out please let me know. I have heard about it being used for men's health issues with great success, but I don't know about pain.

Please let me know what you find out!


Tany84 replied to mamawrobyn's response:

hCG stands for human Chrorionic Gnadotropin. It is a type of hormone (not a sex hormone, so it has no effect on estrogen or testosterone) that is found to be elevated in pregnant women's bodies, though it is present in small amounts in everyone. In the 1950's, Dr. A.T.W. Simeons started treating patients with it for weight loss. He defined obesity not as being "overweight" but as having abnormal fat stores, think those ares where no matter how much a person diets they won't go away. By this definition, a person could technically be both underweight and obese.

The idea of the hCG is that it brings these abnormal fat stores into transit, where before they had been locked away and inaccessible. It also allows a person to burn that fat and utilize calories from it, while maintaining a very strict 500 calorie diet. At first, I was totally skeptical because an adult should never try to live on less than 1,000 calories a day but you actually get a large number of calories from the fat stores that you are burning. hCG also makes your body SUPER sensitive to fat, meaning that you can't even use body or hair care products that contain fat. You have to be incredibly careful about makeup (bare minerals or nothing pretty much), soap, toothpaste, everything. You can't even touch anything with fat in it. There are a ton of different versions of how to do the diet and what supplements (or lack of) that you are supposed to take. The versions are called protocols.

The hCG is traditionally given in a daily (7 days a week) injection by a doctor though some doctors are allowing patients to give themselves the injections. The injections are reported to be the most effective. There are also subligual and homeopathic drops but, generally, with these people still feel a bit hungary (whereas with the injections most people say the 500 calories feels like too much food) and they tend to lose 3-4 lbs. less than those on the injections. You actually lose on average, 3/4-1 1/2 lbs. a day on the diet. It is usually done in a 3 week or 40 day rounds. For many, one round is enough but if they have a lot of weight to lose they may have to wait 4-6 weeks and then do another round. Some even do 3-4 rounds. The idea is that the diet resets your hypothalmus so that your metabolism resets and you maintain the weight loss instead of gaining it back when you start to eat normally again. For some, the reset doesn't take the first time and they begin to gain some back. When that happens, they usually do another round and that seems to usually work.

That is hCG in a nutshell! Kind of long but not near all of it! It is a very intense program but I've seen a lot of people have amazing results with it. You just have to be completely committed to it and be willing to do your research before you decide to do it. Some doctors give their patients a lot of info on it, some require their patients attend a class or seminar before doing it, and some don't tell their patients anything besides their food list, theses doctors don't even explain why they have to stick to that particular menu. The person considering it really have to take it upon themselves to learn about it and how to do it. I have even had people in my store buying a few things for it but, after talking to them, I realized they really didn't know what they were getting into so I suggested they not buy anything until they went home and thoroughly researched it to make sure it was right for them. You can't just jump on or off the diet at a whim; you really do have to commit to it.

That's my disclaimer!

Hope this explains it Robyn!

annette030 replied to Tany84's response:
Thanks for the explanation, Brittany. I assumed the original poster was talking about HGH and just got the letters mixed up.

I am sorry, but I just don't believe all the hogwash that that doctor claimed with hCG. It just goes against everything I have ever learned about proper nutrition and "dieting".

Anyone will lose weight on 500 calories a day. Losing weight that fast, 3/4 to 1 1/2 pounds a day is not healthy and it will come back when you stop dieting anyway.

If you need to lose weight, speak to your pcp about it, and learn how to change your eating/exercise habits for the rest of your life.

I went looking for fast weight loss from a doctor who specialized in weight loss many years ago. He offered those injections, and also prescribed amphetamines. It was wrong then, and it remains wrong now, as far as I am concerned. He had plenty of women willing to take anything to get skinny. We all took drugs, didn't eat, lost weight, and gained it all back and then some when we stopped his program. There is no easy, fast way to lose weight. It is major change and hard work. Like my best friend said recently, "It is not a sprint, it is a marathon."

Take care, Annette
Tany84 replied to annette030's response:
I was very against it at first because it went way against everything I had learned, but I have seen the results. I def think it's best to go through a Dr. instead of doing it on your own. If s person tried to go on a 500 cal diet w/o the hCG they wouldn't be able to sustain it, they would start to burn the protective fat around their organs before the brown fat that they burn w/ the hCG. They would also look drawn and sick, whereas those on the hCG generally look much healthier than normal. I would NEVER suggest someone do 500 cal a day on its own, that is very dangerous!

This is not for eveyone.If you can diet and exercise and lose all of your excess fat then you shouldn't use this. This is for the people who have been very diligent in all of that and it still doesn't work. Not every overweight person is to blame for their issue. The original manuscript talks about this. It's not doing away with proper nutrition, but it's taking care of abnormal fat. And with the vast amount of medical and nutritional knowledge that we have availible today there have been many updates to the diet, including supplements and some even increase the cal intake. Also, after the initial diet, it teaches how to maintain proper nutrition and fitness for life.


Crashcollins40 replied to Tany84's response:
I haven't been diagnosed with FMS yet... a year ago I started having pain in my lower back, problems concentrating and etc... I drive a race car and I had a bad accident two years ago so when I started hurting I started going to my Chiropractor... The visits didn't seem to help at all. In March of this year I realized that due to the pain and not being able to workout that I had gained 30 pounds so I go to my local weight loss clinic. The Doctor prescribed me HCG injections and Phentermine. I started noticing that my pain and symptoms were almost gone... After four months of being on the HCG injections my doctor took me off the Phentermine for a month so I didn't get immune to it.
That whole month I was in so much pain and my feet hurt, my back hurt, I couldn't think straight and I had no energy. I went back to the weight loss clinic yesterday and they gave me a injection. Instantly I felt better and today I feel great!!!! While I was at the weight loss clinic I asked the Doctor what all is the injections used for and she told me FMS, Arthritis, and weightloss. I came home and told my husband about it and he is demanding that I go to my regular doctor today because I am 100% sure that I have FMS. I am a very active Mother of three teens so I will do anything to keep going. The last month that I didn't take the injections I hurt so bad that I kept it a secret because the person I am I don't get down like I was... I am hoping that I can fix this and fast and I wish you all best of luck as well.
chapkath responded:
I have also gone on the HCG and diet. I followed the diet diligently, eating only 500 calories a day. I ate 2 meals usually of either fresh spinach/chicken/strawberries with balsamic vinegar for the dressing or romaine lettuce/chicken/chopped apple. I lost 20 pounds in about 20 days, BUT more importantly I found that I felt great. I must admit that I also use my Whole Body Vibration Machine up to four times a day. Before the diet I notice that using the Whole Body Vibration Machine has also really helped me. I am started a second round of the HCG and diet yesterday. Before I returned to the HCG, during the 6 week period that I was OFF the HCG, I noticed that I continued to feel good the first three weeks while on the vegetable, meat and fruit stage, but when I started the second three week stage, where you reintroduce starches and sweets, I started feeling bad again, really bad. Although I just started the diet on Monday I have noticed that I am feeling better again while on the HCG and the diet. I am not sure if it is the diet or the HCG or both, but I believe that research should be done on HCG. Interestingly enough, I also caught an upper respiratory virus after going off the diet, and I ended up going through two rounds of antibiotics. While I felt better (of the virus) after the antibiotics, I have been feeling worse with the fibromylgia. Usually the Whole Body Vibration Machine has helped me a very great deal, but I guess that the diet or the HCG also make a difference. . . . hope this helps
ivyblossom responded:
I also experienced this. I took HCG for weight loss and my fibromyalgia symptoms subsided including and most important my pain level. I had lots of energy and slept well. However it all returned soon after I finished the diet. I would love to know if you find out any information. I mentioned it to my doctor but he didn't have much to say. I have also discovered that I am gluten intolerant as a result to the HCG diet. Being gluten free also seems to help relieve some of my fibromyalgia symptoms. I took a homeopathic version of the HCG and not the shots. I wish you the best of luck.

1LinD1 replied to ivyblossom's response:
I don't have fibromyalgia, but do have M.S. I had some low back pain and thought maybe it was time to get a new mattress. With no M.S. flares over the last several years, I started to have numbness on the left side of stomach and side/back area this April/March. z

I started the hCG subQ injections early June. At some point, I realized both the pain and numbness were gone! The hCG was stopped on 7/28, and by 09/18 the back pain was back AND numbness now in my feet. Today, 10/2, the numbness/pins/needles are still there and worse! For the first time since the M.S. diagnosis (1990), I can tell my walking ability is impaired and the bilateral foot numbness is horrible----like walking in thick sand, plus it burns at times.

While I did lose 30# and really only have about 5 more pounds to go.... I am actually considering getting back on the hCG injections--not for the weight loss, though that wouldn't hurt--hee-hee---BUT for the pain and M.S. symptom relief!

By the way, I have maintained the 30# loss since 7/28 and eat a Paleo/Primal diet (NO grains y'all!).

I will say that I had been eating three eggs for breakfast since then, but just found out that eggs are inflammatory! Who knew! The things we learn while online, I'll tell ya!

There is a sweet lady on the hCG diet forum with fibro that has done several rounds of hCG and she says her pain symptoms go away while on hCG... but comes back when she's off.

She and I want to do a 'maintenance' dose of hCG to keep the pain/problems at bay. If only they would do a trial with us! How much hCG is really needed for the benefit? I understand there was a study published in March about hCG and fibro patients, but you all probably already know that. I am trying to find it again---that's how I ended up posting here.

Take care and be well.
Madeline2525 replied to 1LinD1's response:
I'm so grateful to find this site, this might sound like a broken record but here goes. I went on HCG drops a week ago just to lose a stubborn 15 pounds and within 24 hours I realized I didn't need to take the pain meds and muscle relaxers I've been on for the past 3 months for severe neck pain. I've done some internet research and realize this is very new in the area of pain management. There's a doctor located about 60 miles from my home who is using HCG as pain treatment on patients. I called his office and they are inundated with so many calls they cannot even put me on a waiting list! Here's my question for all of you...after the 23 days on the 500 cal a day diet what would happen if I continued the HCG and went on the maintenance diet? Has anyone done this with success? Or did you adjust your dosage? I really don't know what to do but I am going to enjoy the next two weeks of being pain free without vicodin etc.
Another interesting sidenote, I"ve been in physical therapy for the past 6 weeks and my PT just couldn't get my neck and shoulders to move at all. After the first day of the drops he was astounded at the relaxed muscles and the amount of massage therapy he could apply without any pain. I went to my orthopedic doc yesterday and handed him the HCG study by a California doctor and he is going to forward it to his pain management doctor for research. I'm determined to get answers!!! Thank you in advance for any information you can share regarding transitioning from the HCG diet to HCG for pain.

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