HGH Ques. and Ans. by Dr. Cranton/Comments by Ellis Toussier
I found this very interesting.. read the ques. and answers then the comments..
Dr. Cranton Replies to Questions Re: Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy
The following questions were asked to Dr. Elmer Cranton by several persons on the Rejuvenation newsgroup, for persons taking human growth hormone (HGH) by sub-cutaneous injection, or persons interested in following the discussion. I copy his answers here because of its value for others to read. - Ellis Toussier
From: "Elmer Cranton, M.D."
To: [email protected]
Subject: Questions from Rejuvenation onelist.com
Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 12:40:22 -0700
ELLIS,
I'LL GLADLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. MY ANSWERS WILL BE IN ALL CAPS TO MAKE THEM EASILY DISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE QUESTIONS.
PREFACE: HGH AND MICRONUTRIENTS - ALTHOUGH WE WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE DIFFERENTLY, HGH IS NOT THE PANACEA FOR ALL OF MAN'S ILLS AND IT DOES NOT STOP THE AGING PROCESS. IT IS MERELY ONE THING WE CAN DO TO CORRECT ONE OF MANY THINGS THAT DECLINE WITH AGE. AGING IS TO SOME EXTENT A DEFICIENCY STATE. BY REPLACING THOSE THINGS THAT DECLINE WITH AGE WE CAN TURN IT BACK SOME AND SLOW IT DOWN SOME, BUT WE CAN'T STOP THE PROCESS.
HGH HAS BEEN HYPED FAR BEYOND ITS ACTUALLY BENEFIT. NOT THAT IT IS NOT BENEFICIAL AND IMPORTANT. I TAKE IT EVERY DAY MYSELF. BUT IT IS THE LAST THING I RECOMMEND BECAUSE THE BENEFIT PER DOLLAR IS LOWEST, NOT BECAUSE OF POOR BENEFIT BUT BECAUSE OF HIGH DOLLAR COST.
THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE ANTI-AGING STRATEGY IS TO TAKE A SPECTRUM OF HIGH POTENCY VITAMINS, MINERALS, AND TRACE ELEMENTS, INCLUDING THE ANTI-OXIDANTS. RECENT MEDICAL RESEARCH IN MAINSTREAM JOURNALS DOCUMENTS CLOSE TO 50% REDUCTION IN CANCER AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE BY MERELY TAKING SUPPLEMENTS FAR MORE POTENT THAN THE RDAs. SINCE CANCER AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CAUSE 75% OF DEATHS AND DISABILITIES WITH AGING, THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. AGING CAN TO SOME EXTENT BE LOOKED ON AS A DEFICIENCY OF MICRONUTRIENTS.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED, I SUMMARIZE SOME OF THAT RESEARCH ON MY WEBSITE:
www.drcranton.com
ALMOST ALL VITAMINS, MINERALS AND TRACE ELEMENTS ARE INVOLVED IN A CASCADE-LIKE CHAIN OF ANTI-OXIDANT PROTECTION IN THE BODY. VITAMIN E IS INACTIVATED BY FREE RADICALS BUT IS REACTIVATED BY VITAMIN C, VITAMIN C IS THEN REACTIVATED BY GLUTATHIONE, AND ON AND ON UNTIL WE HAVE 30 OR 40 MICRONUTRIENTS IN THE CHAIN. THAT CHAIN IS NO STRONGER THAN THE WEAKEST LINK.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET MUCH OF THAT BENEFIT FOR LESS THAN $20 PER MONTH IN A BROAD SPECTRUM MULTIPLE. EXAMPLES ARE ALSO DESCRIBED ON MY WEBSITE. I RECOMMEND AT LEAST THE "BASIC PREVENTIVE - 5" FORMULA BY AMNI FOR THAT PRICE. SEVERAL OTHER MANUFACTURERS HAVE COPIED THAT FORMULA SO IT IS READILY AVAILABLE, ALTHOUGH NOT ALL OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY. FOR THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD MORE THAN $20 PER MONTH, I RECOMMEND THE "BASIC ANTIOX PACKETS" ALSO MANUFACTURED BY AMNI, OR EQUIVALENT.
THAT WOULD COST ABOUT $70 PER MONTH. THOSE COSTS ARE FAR LESS THAN ANY OTHER ANTI-AGING STRATEGY AND WILL PROVIDE VERY SIGNIFICANT PROTECTION. BENEFIT PER DOLLAR IS GREATEST HERE. THE FORMULAS CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON MY WEBSITE. ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS CAN BE READILY PURCHASED FROM MANY SOURCES. THAT IS THE FIRST STEP. EVERYTHING ELSE COMES AFTER.
ALL OF THE OTHER ANTI-AGING STRATEGIES WILL WORK MUCH BETTER ON THAT FOUNDATION. AND THEY WILL WORK POORLY WITHOUT IT. REPLACEMENT OF DHEA, ESTROGEN/PROGESTERONE IN WOMEN AND TESTOSTERONE IN MEN IS ALSO MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE THAN HGH AND PROVIDES MUCH OF THE BENEFIT. HGH IS ALSO MORE EFFECTIVE IF ALL HORMONES ARE AT EFFECTIVE LEVELS.
"GROWTH HORMONE" IS A MISNOMER. MASSIVE OVERDOSES OF GROWTH HORMONE CAN CAUSE OVERGROWTH OF SOME TISSUES AS WELL AS UNDERGROWTH OF SOME (ACROMEGALLY). BUT HGH IS NO MORE A GROWTH HORMONE THAN IS THYROID HORMONE. BOTH CONTROL BODY METABOLISM. BOTH CAUSE DWARFISM WHEN DEFICIENT. BOTH ARE MADE OF AMINO ACIDS. SIMILAR STATEMENTS CAN ALSO BE MADE FOR ADRENAL HORMONES AND TO A LESSER EXTENT FOR THE GONADAL HORMONES. MERELY BECAUSE CELLS CANNOT HEAL, CANNOT REPAIR, CANNOT REPLICATE IN THE ABSENCE OF HGH DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT CAUSES GROWTH.
HGH SHOULD BEST BE NAMED THE REPAIR, HEALING AND CELL MAINTENANCE HORMONE, WITHOUT WHICH TISSUES ATROPHY. THAT IS WHAT OCCURS WITH AGE WHEN THE PITUITARY RELEASE OF HGH DECLINES TO DEFICIENT LEVELS.
1. Counterfeit HGH
>Over the past 2 years I have twice received counterfeit HGH, properly labeled and otherwise indistinguishable for the real thing.
Q: Can you tell us more about the counterfeit HGH?
I DON'T WANT TO NAME NAMES BECAUSE IT MAY NOT OCCUR AGAIN. ONE PRODUCT CAME IN FROM EUROPE THROUGH NEW YORK. THE OTHER PRODUCT HAD A SPANISH LABEL AND CAME IN FROM MEXICO. I HAVE HEARD THAT THE EUROPEAN MANUFACTURER IS NOW IN LITIGATION AGAINST THE COUNTERFEITER.
Q. What brand did it pretend to be?
I PREFER NOT TO SAY. IT MAY NOT OCCUR AGAIN OR IT MAY OCCUR WITH ANOTHER BRAND.
Q. Do you consider counterfeit growth hormone is widespread?
NOT WIDESPREAD AT THIS TIME, BUT IT CAN OCCUR SPORADICALLY AND IS DIFFICULT TO DETECT. THE BENEFITS OF HGH REPLACEMENT ARE SUBTLE AND TAKE TIME. MANY PATIENTS WOULD NOT KNOW IT WAS A COUNTERFEIT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS UNLESS THEY CHECK THEIR IGF-1 AND KNOW WHAT THEIR UNIQUE LEVEL SHOULD BE WITH THAT DOSE.
I RUN FREQUENT IGF-1 ON MYSELF TO TEST EVERY NEW LOT OF HGH I RECEIVE FOR MY PATIENTS. IN 4 YEARS I HAVE FOUND COUNTERFEITS ONLY TWICE. I NOW USE A SUPPLIER WHO BUYS DIRECTLY FROM THE MANUFACTURER, LILLY HUMATROPE, MADE IN EUROPE AND IMPORTED THROUGH MEXICO WITH A SPANISH LABEL. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS.
Q. Have you ever heard of any case of cadaver derived HGH being sold instead of rHGH?
NO. NOT LIKELY. IT IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO GET, MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE TO EXTRACT AND PURIFY. EVEN THOUGH RECOMBINANT HGH IS EXPENSIVE, CADAVER EXTRACTION AND PURIFICATION WOULD COST MUCH MORE AND THE SUPPLY WOULD BE VERY LIMITED. THERE IS NOT MUCH HGH PER CADAVER.
Q. Is it possible that it was authentic HGH, but it was ineffective or spoiled?
THE FACT THAT IT WAS A TRUE COUNTERFEIT IS DOCUMENTED BY THE LAWSUIT UNDERWAY BY A MAJOR EUROPEAN MANUFACTURER AGAINST THE DISTRIBUTOR AND COUNTERFEITER.
2. Your Experience. You wrote:
>I regularly take one to two units of rHGH daily, every day. I've done that for 3 years now with good results. I do not cycle it. Cycling can save money and get more bang for the buck, but has reduced overall benefit.
> My baseline IGF-1 without replacement is approximately 100. Every time I get a new lot number of HGH for my patients I take one unit daily for one week and test my IGF-1. It should be about 200. I then take 2 units daily for several days and test again. It should be about 300. That is the only way I can be sure of getting the real thing.
Q. If you take 1 unit and your IGF-1 should be around 200 then if you take 2 units it should be around 300, why don't you continually take 2 units? Why not 3 or 4 units, and get to 400 or 500?
IT IS A MISTAKE TO THINK THAT IF A LITTLE IS GOOD, MORE IS BETTER. IN MY PRACTICE I HAVE NOT SEEN MUCH ADDITIONAL BENEFIT IF IGF-1 IS OVER 200, 300 TOPS.
Q. Do you feel a difference when your IGF-1 is around 300 compared to when it is around 200? Do you think you have more energy, better eyesight, more alert, lower cholesterol etc. when it is around 300?
I FEEL GOOD ALL THE TIME, WITH OR WITHOUT HGH. THAT'S NOT WHY I USE IT. THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO SEE RAPID AND DRAMATIC BENEFIT ARE THOSE WHOSE BASELINE LEVELS OF IGF-1 ARE FAR BELOW 100 -- IN THE RANGE OF 20 TO 50. THEY OFTEN EXPERIENCE A RAPID IMPROVEMENT IN WELL BEING AND ENERGY LEVELS. CHANGES IN SKIN, VISION, MEMORY ETC. TAKES MONTHS TO OCCUR... AND MONTHS TO FADE WHEN HGH IS STOPPED.
THE PLACEBO EFFECT IS POWERFUL FOR SOMETHING THAT COSTS THIS MUCH AND MUST BE INJECTED, AND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR MUCH OF WHAT YOU HEAR. THAT IS NOT WHAT LASTS, HOWEVER. WHAT REMAINS A YEAR LATER IS REAL.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THOSE WHO SPEND THE MONEY FOR HGH AND TAKE THE TIME FOR INJECTIONS ARE ALL DOING MANY OTHER THINGS AT THE SAME TIME. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO KNOW WHAT GETS THE MOST CREDIT.
I FELT FINE WHEN I STARTED. I DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE MUCH DIFFERENCE UNTIL THE FUTURE, WHEN MY PEERS ARE IN WHEELCHAIRS AND I AM STILL ACTIVE.
Q. Can you please describe your results in your three year experience with growth hormone? For example:
Have you gone down in weight? Have you had an increase in muscle mass?
MY WEIGHT DID NOT CHANGE. IF WEIGHT CHANGES ON HGH IT IS FROM DIETARY CHANGES OR EXERCISE PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALSO USED.
MY WAIST SIZE DECREASED 2 INCHES BECAUSE OF FAT THAT CONVERTED TO PROTEIN. THAT TOOK 6 MONTHS.
I FEEL THAT MY MEMORY, MY MENTAL ACUITY, AND ATTENTION SPAN HAVE IMPROVED. MY PHYSICAL ENDURANCE SEEMS TO HAVE IMPROVED, BUT THAT WAS GOOD BEFORE HGH. I TAKE IT TO SLOW THE AGING PROCESS IN THE FUTURE. I WAS DOING FINE BEFORE.
OF COURSE, I HAVE TAKEN A SPECTRUM OF HIGH POTENCY SUPPLEMENTS FOR YEARS, I EXERCISE, I EAT BETTER THAN MOST PEOPLE AND I HAVE HAD MANY CHELATIONS OVER THE YEARS.
I ALSO REPLACE TESTOSTERONE, THYROID HORMONE, AND DHEA. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SEPARATE THE BENEFIT BETWEEN ONE OR THE OTHER BECAUSE THEY ALL WORK SYNERGISTICALLY.
Q. Have your cholesterol levels decreased?
NO, BUT I DON'T WANT THEM TO. CHOLESTEROL IS GOOD FOR YOU. IT IS WHAT YOU MAKE HORMONES FROM. CHOLESTEROL IS ONLY A PROBLEM IF IT OXIDIZES. THE NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS PROVIDE ANTI-OXIDANTS, CHELATION REMOVES PRO-OXIDANTS, SO I WANT MY CHOLESTEROL TO REMAIN WHERE IT IS (250).
Q. Has your blood pressure decreased, and if so, how much?
IT WAS NORMAL BEFORE, NO CHANGE. I HAVE NOT SEEN BLOOD PRESSURE CHANGES IN MY PATIENTS.
Q. For how long can you hold your breath, now and before?
I NEVER TESTED IT. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH SHORTNESS OF BREATH. I CAN CLIMB MOUNTAINS WITH NO PROBLEM, BEFORE AND AFTER HGH.
Q. Have you noticed an improvement in skin condition, or humidity, has skin tightened up, some wrinkles disappear?
SOMEWHAT.
MY FEMALE PATIENTS OFTEN DESCRIBE THAT TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT, HOWEVER. BUT THEY ARE ALL ON AN EXTENSIVE PROGRAM INCLUDING MANY OTHER MODALITIES. WHO KNOWS WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT?
I DO A LOT OF MECHANICAL WORK WITH MY HANDS AND I HAVE NOTICED THAT MY SKIN BRUISES LESS, TEARS LESS EASILY, AND HEALS FASTER.
Q. Do you have before and after photographs which show a decrease or disappearance of wrinkles?
WRINKLES SHOW UP IN PHOTOGRAPHS IN VARYING DEGREES AS LIGHTING CHANGES. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THE LIGHTING EXACTLY THE SAME. CHANGES FROM HGH ARE SUBTLE. I'M NOT ESPECIALLY VAIN AND HAVE NOT PAID MUCH ATTENTION TO THAT. THAT'S NOT WHY I TAKE IT.
Q. In your opinion... have you rejuvenated, and if so, how much younger do you think you "look"? You are 67 years old. What do you guess is your "biological age"?
AS I SAID, I WAS FINE BEFORE. I USED HGH TO STAY THIS WAY WHEN I'M 80, OR AS CLOSE TO IT AS POSSIBLE.
Q. Do you think you are now as well as you will get, or have the results been getting better and better?
I'M ABOUT THE SAME.
Q. Do you think you are you still aging; do you think you are aging slowly; or do you think some aging has been reversed, ie, you are rejuvenating?
OF COURSE I'M AGING! THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN STOP THE PROCESS. WE CAN JUST SLOW IT DOWN. THAT, I AM DOING.
Q. Given what you now know about rHGH, if you were 40 years old would you want to take rHGH? If you had a son 30 years old, would you recommend that he start taking rHGH now, or later? Do you think that a young person might conserve his young looks for a very long time if he (or she) starts growth hormone replacement therapy at a relatively (30 or 40 years old) young age?
UNLESS IGF-1 IS BELOW 200, OR 250 (USING THE LABS DESCRIBED BELOW) AT MOST, I DON'T THINK HGH IS COST EFFECTIVE. A PERSON WILL GET MUCH MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK WITH THE OTHER LESS EXPENSIVE AND MORE IMPORTANT STRATEGIES I LISTED IN MY PREFACE.
SOME PEOPLE GET DEFICIENT IN HGH IN THEIR 30S AND 40S. PERHAPS FIBROMYALGIA IS CAUSED BY THAT? IF HGH IS LOW, I RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT. BUT ONLY AS AN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE OTHER NECESSARY ELEMENTS OF THE FOUNDATION.
IF IT TESTS LOW, REPLACE. IF IT DOES NOT TEST LOW, IT IS NOT REPLACEMENT BUT PHARMACALOGIC OVERDOSE - NOT GOOD MEDICINE AND POTENTIALLY HARMFUL.
Q. What other anti-aging treatments do you follow on yourself, such as good nutrition, routine exercises, supplemental vitamins, EDTA Chelation therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and medicines to prevent loss of brain neurons such as Deprenyl or vaso-dilators?
AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. I DON'T TAKE DEPRENYL. THE ANTI-OXIDANTS WORK BETTER.
DEPRENYL IS AN ANTI-DEPRESSANT AND THEREFORE MAY BE USEFUL IN THAT REGARD.
HYPERBARIC OXYGEN DOES NOT DO MUCH FOR THE HEALTHY BRAIN, AND MINE IS HEALTHY.
I TAKE ACETYL-L-CARNITINE, PHOSPHYTIDYL SERINE, GINGKO, ETC. AS BRAIN FOOD. I'M SURE IT HELPS.
3. Doses. What is your opinion concerning one dose per day, or two half doses per day?
THEORETICALLY IT SHOULD PROVIDE MORE BENEFIT. IN PRACTICE I HAVEN'T SEEN A DIFFERENCE. I HAVE PERSONALLY GONE BACK TO ONCE DAILY MYSELF.
Q. Do you have a preferred time of the day for taking one single daily dose, and why?
THEORETICALLY BEST AT BEDTIME, WHEN THE PITUITARY WOULD NORMALLY KICK IN. BUT IN PRACTICE I CAN'T SAY I HAVE SEEN A DIFFERENCE.
Q. Do you have any preference as to where on the body the rHGH is injected? (leg, or stomach or arm)
IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE, AS LONG AS YOU GET IT ALL UNDER THE SKIN.
Q. Is there a daily dose which you think is the best, or does this vary with each person?
A YOUNG ADULT RELEASES APPROXIMATELY ONE UNIT OF HGH DAILY FROM THE PITUITARY. FOR THAT REASON, ONE UNIT DAILY IS A FULL REPLACEMENT DOSE.
BUT, THE PITUITARY RELEASES IN MULTIPLE SMALL BURSTS OVER MANY HOURS. SO, I TEND TO BELIEVE THAT 2 UNITS PER DAY BY INJECTION ARE SAFE AND PERHAPS MORE EFFECTIVE. I SOMETIMES TAKE 2 UNITS DAILY, NOT ALWAYS.
Q. What dose would you guess an old person needs, eg. Age 85: A high dose (eg. 2 i.u. per day) because his body doesn't produce any GH, or an average or low dose, because it is normal that his body doesn't produce any GH?
I CONSIDER THE DOSE FOR FULL REPLACEMENT AS ONE UNIT DAILY AT ANY AGE. IF IT IS DEFICIENT, REPLACE IT. IF NOT, THERE WILL BE NO BENEFIT AND POTENTIAL HARM MAY RESULT. THE SECRETOGOGUES DON'T INCREASE HGH ENOUGH TO DO ANY HARM. I DOUBT THAT ONE UNIT DAILY BY INJECTION WOULD EVER BE HARMFUL.
Q. What dose would you guess a young person could use, eg. Age 45? An average dose (eg. 1 i.u. per day) or a low dose (eg. 1/2 i.u. per day)?
MANY PEOPLE AT AGE 45 STILL MAKE PLENTY. TO ADD BY INJECTION MIGHT MERELY PRODUCE A PHARMACOLOGIC OVERDOSE. THIS CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO BLOOD VESSELS, HEART, ETC. OVER TIME. SOME PEOPLE AT AGE 45 ARE LOW AND THEN I REPLACE. I HAVE A COUPLE OF PATIENTS IN THAT CATEGORY.
Q. If IGF-1 could be accurately measured, what level is theoretically the single best level to want to reach? 350 ngs/ml? 500 ngs/ml? Higher?
I DON'T SEE MUCH DIFFERENCE FOR ANY READING OVER 250, PERHAPS 300. THERE IS SUCH A WIDE VARIATION FROM LAB TO LAB, FROM THE SAME LAB ON REPEAT TESTS OF THE SAME BLOOD, THAT IGF-1 IS DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET.
YOU MIGHT GET 400 AT YOUR LAB ON THE SAME SPECIMEN MY LAB GETS 200 ON. THEY ARE BOTH RIGHT. LABS DO NOT REPORT "NORMAL" RANGES. THEY NEVER DO FOR ANY TEST. THEY MERELY REPORT A REFERENCE RANGE BASED ON MEANS AND +/- 2.5 STANDARD DEVIATIONS FROM THAT MEAN ON HUNDREDS OF TESTS RUN BY THAT SPECIFIC LAB. IT IS NECESSARY TO KNOW THE MEAN AND STANDARD DEVIATION FOR WHATEVER LAB YOU RELY ON IN ORDER TO INTERPRET.
IF I WERE DOING A SERIES TO MARKET A PRODUCT, I WOULD BE SURE TO DO THE FOLLOW UP TESTS TO GET A HIGHER READING. THAT IS EASY TO DO WITHOUT ANY REAL MEANING AND WITHOUT OUTRIGHT LYING. THERE ARE SEVERAL DECEPTIVE WAYS TO DO THAT WITHOUT REALLY LYING.
Q. What do you think would happen if you stop taking rHGH completely?
YOU MERELY GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL BASELINE. I AM NOT EVEN CERTAIN THAT THE PITUITARY IS SUPPRESSED BY INJECTIONS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT INJECTED HGH MERELY SUPPLEMENTS THE PITUITARY. I HAVE NOT SEEN GOOD DATA TO DOCUMENT WHAT HAPPENS.
Q. Would your own pituitary still release some HGH? Would you age very quickly because your own pituitary has stopped releasing HGH?
IT MAY NOT CHANGE AT ALL WHILE INJECTING!!!
Q. Would you quickly lose the benefits gained during rHGH replacement therapy?
IT TAKES MONTHS TO ACCRUE, AND IT WOULD TAKE MONTHS TO FADE.
Q. Or would you age at the same rate as other persons your chronologic or bio age?
IT WOULD BE JUST AS IF YOU NEVER USED REPLACEMENT HGH.
Q. If you were to take amino acids or some other secretagogue simultaneously with rHGH by sub-cutaneous injection... could you take lower doses of the injectable, or take the same amount of rHGH but get a higher IGF-1 reading?
PERHAPS. AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE, INJECTED HGH DOES NOT GO THROUGH THE LIVER IN THE SAME DISTRIBUTION AS FREQUENT MICROBURSTS FROM THE PITUITARY AND IGF-1 IS NOT A RELIABLE INDICATOR OF INJECTED DOSE. IGF-1 DOES NOT PREDICT BENEFIT FROM INJECTED HGH IN MY PRACTICE. I HAVE STOPPED DOING FOLLOW-UP IGF-1 EXCEPT TO TEST EACH NEW LOT TO INSURE AGAINST COUNTERFEIT.
I HAVE HAD PATIENTS WHOSE IGF-1 WENT UP ONLY 50 POINTS AFTER INJECTIONS OR SO WHO SHOWED GOOD BENEFIT. OTHERS WENT UP 200 POINTS WITH ONE UNIT DAILY AND DIDN'T REPORT AS MUCH.
Q. What about injectable GH-RH (growth hormone releasing hormone, Geref by Serono Labs)? I have found it only available in 1 i.u. vials. It is more expensive than rHGH. It is used for testing the pituitary functions... but... could this be as good or better than rHGH to take in the long run, if it was available at a competitive cost?
IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE AND LOSES ITS EFFECT OVER TIME. THE PITUITARY DEVELOPS RESISTANCE IN MANY CASES. THE SERONO LITERATURE DESCRIBES THIS IF YOU READ IT CAREFULLY.
Q. A recent article in the newspapers says that androstenedione doesn't really help raise testosterone levels... other articles say that androstenedione is a safe way for men to raise testosterone levels. Is androstenedione safe for men, and is it effective to raise testosterone levels?
IN MY EXPERIENCE ANDROSTENEDIONE, DHEA AND PREGNENOLONE ALL DO NOT INCREASE ENDOGENOUS HORMONES. THEY DO HAVE HORMONAL ACTIVITY ALL BY THEMSELVES. THE EXCEPTION MIGHT BE A FEW WOMEN WHO HAVE VERY LITTLE TESTOSTERONE TO BEGIN WITH AND WHO MAY INCREASE SLIGHTLY WITH DHEA.
4. Your patients. How many patients have you treated with growth hormone replacement therapy? Of these, aproximately what percentage had positive results?
I DON'T HAVE MANY WHO CAN AFFORD IT. PERHAPS A HUNDRED AT THIS TIME. IT IS VERY RARE FOR A PATIENT WHO STICKS WITH IT FOR A FEW MONTHS TO STOP AFTER THAT. THAT IN ITSELF IS GOOD EVIDENCE FOR BENEFIT AS PLACEBO EFFECT FADES WITH TIME, AND THE EXPENSE IS A GOOD MOTIVATION TO STOP IF IT IS NOT WORKING.
THE PATIENTS I HAVE WHO STOPPED WERE THOSE WITH BASELINE IGF-1 IN THE 150 TO 250 RANGE WHO DID NOT SEE IMMEDIATE BENEFIT. THEY BELIEVED ALL THE HYPE THAT IT WOULD REVOLUTIONIZE THEIR LIVES IMMEDIATELY. THE IMMEDIATE BENEFITS ARE LARGELY PLACEBO (EXCEPT FOR THOSE FEW WHO ARE EXTREMELY DEFICIENT). THE GREATEST BENEFITS COME ON SLOWLY OVER MONTHS OR YEARS. THE TRULY GREATEST BENEFIT IS DECADES LATER, HOPEFULLY, WHEN SLOWING OF THE AGING PROCESS HAS PAID OFF.
Q. What are the most serious side effects that your patients have had?
SOME MINOR FLUID RETENTION IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS. IT PASSES. NOTHING ELSE AT A DOSE OF ONE UNIT DAILY. THE PUBLISHED STUDIES USED AS MUCH AS 15 UNITS DAILY AND THE REPORTED SIDE EFFECTS WERE LARGELY FROM OVERDOSE. I HAD ONE PATIENT WHO DEVELOPED SYMPTOMS OF CARPAL TUNNEL, BUT ON QUESTIONING HE HAD IT BEFORE HGH AS WELL.
Q. Have you ever treated any patients diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome...
I HAVE ANOTHER PROTOCOL FOR THAT. OCCASIONALLY THEY ALSO USE HGH. USUALLY THEY ARE BROKE AND CAN'T AFFORD THAT. SEE THE FOLLOWING LINK:
CHRONIC FATIGUE IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME (CFIDS)
fibromyalgia...
SEE CFIDS LINK ABOVE, WORKS WELL, SOMETIMES COMBINED WITH CHELATION, AT MUCH LESS EXPENSE AND MORE LASTING.
Gulf War Illness...
CHELATION HELPS, AS WELL AS THE CFIDS PROTOCOL
or Lyme Disease...
I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE WITH LYME
for low levels of human growth hormone? (Some research has indicated this might be a common problem, particularly in fibromyalgia.) If so, what was your experience?
MY CFIDS PROTOCOL ABOVE, COMBINED WITH CHELATION IN SOME CASES, PLUS VITS AND DHEA WORKS FINE IN MOST CASES. MUCH MORE COST EFFECTIVE.
IF ELDERLY AND HGH IS LOW, I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND IT. SO FAR THAT HAS NOT COME UP.
Q. Can rHGH stop or even reverse the progression of diseases of the elderly (like Alzheimer, Parkinson's, macular degeneration etc.)?
IT DOES HAVE SOME NERVE GROWTH FACTOR ACTIVITY SO THEORETICALLY MIGHT HELP. THERE IS NO GOOD DATA. ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT FOR WOMEN HAS REDUCED ALZHEIMER'S BY 40%. ANTI-OXIDANT VITAMINS HAVE ALSO HELPED IN STUDIES. I HAVE HAD GOOD RESULTS WITH CHELATION. BUT, NOTHING WILL RESTORE DEAD BRAIN CELLS. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO BEGIN THERAPY EARLY.
Q. Can rHGH improve the condition of patients of autoimmune diseases (like systemic lupus erythematosus, chronic fatigue syndrome etc.) Would this improvement be temporary or longlasting?
IF HGH IS LOW, THE REPLACEMENT WOULD PROBABLY HELP. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS COME UP. VERY FEW PATIENTS CAN AFFORD TO ADD HGH TO THEIR THERAPY.
Q. If a person has a beginning cancerous tumor but does not know it, would taking growth hormone be a factor that would help his cancerous tumor to grow faster? Would the boost to the immune system be a factor that would help control the cancerous tumor?
HGH DOES NOT CAUSE CANCER TO GROW. HGH DEFICIENCY CAUSES ALL TISSUES IN THE BODY TO ATROPHY, INCLUDING CANCER. IT IS POSSIBLE TO STARVE CANCER AND THE WHOLE BODY OF AN ESSENTIAL HORMONE, WHICH MIGHT SLOW ITS GROWTH. THAT IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE CONCEPT THAT HGH WILL SPEED OR CAUSE CANCER. IT DOES NOT. ALL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT.
ONE STUDY SHOWED THAT ELDERLY MEN WITH THE LOWEST 20% OF IGF-1 (QUITE DEFICIENT) HAD MORE PROSTATE CANCER THAN THOSE IN THE HIGHEST 20% (NOT DEFICIENT). WHAT WAS NOT POINTED OUT WAS THAT THOSE IN THE LOWEST 20% SUFFERED MANY MORE SYMPTOMS OF OLD AGE THAN THOSE WHO WERE NOT DEFICIENT. IF YOU WANT TO STARVE THE WHOLE BODY OF HORMONES, YOU CAN REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF CANCER. THAT IS ONE CHOICE. OF COURSE, YOU CAN JUST STARVE THE BODY TO DEATH AND THAT IS A 100% PREVENTIVE FOR CANCER.
THE SAME ARGUMENTS CAN BE MADE ABOUT ESTROGEN AND BREAST CANCER. HORMONES DO NOT CAUSE CANCER. IT IS ONLY POSSIBLE TO STARVE TISSUES FOR HORMONES (THE ENTIRE BODY) TO SLOW CANCER. THE MOST DEFICIENT WILL HAVE LESS OF EVERYTHING, INCLUDING CANCER, ALONG WITH A POORER QUALITY OF LIFE.
E M CRANTON, MD
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Comments by Ellis Toussier:
Dr. Cranton states several times that reversing age is impossible, and that he is only slowing down age... however his replies to specific questions show that he has reversed several parameters associated with the aging process, towards what he had when he was younger... He describes these improvements as a slowing down of the aging process, and not as a reversal of the aging process.
He says, for example, that his waist size has decreased 2 inches, his memory and mental acuity and attention span seem to have improved, physical endurance has improved, his skin has improved.
He points out, however, that he also replaces testosterone and thyroid and DHEA and it is not possible to separate the benefit between one and the other because they all work synergistically... so it is not just Growth Hormone, but the whole of his personal program which is working.
The most important question to me is: what happens if we stop taking growth hormone replacement therapy? Have we made our pituitary dormant? Dr. Cranton answers that nothing bad happens... we return to what would have been our natural baseline GH... Benefits are lost slowly...
Most importantly, our own pituitary continues secreting normally. Taking rHGH does not affect the natural secretion of GH by our own pituitary. There is no feedback mechanism which causes the pituitary to release less growth hormone, like happens with testosterone or thyroid. Even during growth hormone replacement therapy, the release of natural GH is not affected.
How can we show this is true? Dr. Cranton states that his baseline IGF-1 level is 100; then if he takes 1 i.u. it goes to 200; or if he takes 2 i.u. it goes to 300. This means that his own pituitary is still releasing the same amount of natural GH, because if not, the sum of GH and rHGH would give less than IGF-1 = 200 or 300 respectively.
