Common Side Effects With HCG Shots and HCG Drops
HCG Side Effects & Is It For Me?
The HCG diet was first publicized in 1954 by Dr. A. T. W. Simeons and has been successfully and safely used since the 1950s as an effective weight-loss program with minimal side effects (mild headaches, irritability, restlessness, slight water retention). Though Dr. Simeons’ report in the journal Lancet (1954) drew some attention at the time, it was decades before his program became popular. Today, numerous clinics offer HCG treatments and weight-management plans that have few if any negative side effects—besides weight loss, of course.
Dr. Simeons’ original diet employed daily injections of HCG, but now a homeopathic, oral version is also available. What is the difference? Well, homeopathic HCG starts out with the pure hormone, which is then diluted many times to preserve its energy in a suspended form. Effectiveness is not compromised, and according to one double-blind study, the homeopathic form creates the exact same response in the body as daily HCG injections. Rather than a once-daily injection, the homeopathic is taken by mouth two times,once in the morning and once at night. The advantages are that you can travel with it, it does not have to be refrigerated, it stays stable longer, and it includes beneficial nutrients to help balance the entire body.
Most participants see the same if not better weight-loss results (20 to 40 pounds in about a month) with the homeopathic drops as with injections but without the irritation or bruising. Those who have done both forms often report less hunger and more energy on the drops than with the injections.
If you are ready to lose weight by supplementing your reserve of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone, then you may be wondering if the HCG shots or drops offer any kind of side effect.
Depending upon which method you choose to take, there are different side effects with each kind. The shots seem to offer more intense levels of side effects, while the sublingual drops are relatively mild. If you are considering this diet plan, read on for an in-depth discussion of these side effects.
Side Effects with the Injections
If you opt for the injections, you are going with the old-school method of supplementing your hormone reserves. This method was developed by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons, who first observed the effect of the hormone on the human body several decades ago. At the time, injections were the only means for getting the hormone into the body. So he developed his "Pounds and Inches" protocol, including an intramuscular injection of the hormone once per day.
Injections do prompt dramatic weight loss, but they also come with quite a few side effects. These include:
- Headaches;
- Fatigue;
- Leg cramps.
These are the most common side effects associated with the injections. Many dieters also report getting rashes, mood swings, or having pains in their upper abdomen. If you do have any of these problems, you should cease using the injections immediately and consult with a physician. Complications are rare, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
Side Effects with the Oral HCG
If you opt for oral HCG you are going for the more newly developed method, which is pain-free and much less expensive. Using the principles of homeopathic medicine, the hormone is distilled several times, gaining potency with each distillation. You then ingest these drops by placing them under your tongue several times a day. These drops have gained quite a following because they offer the same dramatic weight loss as the injections in a much more convenient, less expensive, and pain-free method.
There have been no negative side effects reported with the use of the HCG drops. In fact, in a recent study, dieters switched from injections to drops and found they had greater energy and fewer hunger pains between meals. Therefore, the drops have a proven track record with both weight loss and hunger control.
Always keep in mind that you may feel some adjustment as you go on the very low-calorie diet (VCLD). Usually this is more of a mental and emotional change than actual physical hunger. The diet program will help you distinguish between emotional eating and real physical hunger. To ease this transition, make sure you follow the protocol exactly, and do not neglect the "load" days at the start of the diet plan.
Other reasons to prefer the homeopathic drops include:
• Legally ordered from a U.S. company
• Easy travel
• No mixing
• No refrigeration required
• No expiration date if unopened
• No injections or alcohol pads
• More energy and less hunger reported by some participants
