There will be no data like you're looking for, or you would have found it already. Sorry about the cousin.
Member
Help needed re MS treatment via AAS and HGH
Hi everyone, I could really use some help. A close friends cousin has advanced Multiple Sclerosis, he's at the point where he's stuck in a motorized wheelchair and is getting worse. He tries to train his arms with 2-3 pound dumbbells. Years ago I'd read somewhere that anabolic steroids and human growth hormone could be used to combat this disease. My friend told the patient but he didn't take it seriously, probably just buys the media depiction of these drugs as just something athletes abuse or whatever. Thing is, seeing how much worse he's gotten, I thought I'd bring it up again. My friend said he'd back me up but we'd need some hard data. I've looked into it a little and just found some references in an article on the Web but the references didn't seem to lead anywhere. I've also read that the MS Society of Canada is in the middle of tests but who knows how long that could take. Anyway, if anyone can give me some information or leads on this topic I'd really appreciate it. I'm somewhat out of my depth but want to help this person if possible.
TMPHBITEU
There will be no data like you're looking for, or you would have found it already. Sorry about the cousin.
Starting Strength Coach
I hate to break it to you, but AAS and / or HGH will do absolutely nothing to change the course of the disease process. I would assume he is on disease-modifying therapy, and that's the best he could hope for. AAS / HGH will do nothing to remyelinate the axons, nor will it remove the plaques in the brain and spinal cord.Originally Posted by Jake Del
Member
Damn it that's really too bad. I appreciate the guidance fellas.
Member
I'm sorry about your cousin and agree with the above. Are you confusing anabolic steroids with corticosteroids? Corticosteroids are standard treatment for MS relapses/exacerbations. A lot of smart people have been researching MS for decades and if hormone anabolic steroids made an impact I guarantee it would be within practice guidelines. MS actually tends to be more mild and/or become less active under the influence of female hormones. Male patients statistically do worse with the disease.
Starting Strength Coach
I'm assuming he meant AAS because of the mention of being confined to a motorized wheelchair and working his arms with 2-3# dumbbells. Depending on how long he has had the disease, I'd assume (based on presentation here) it is Primary Progressive MS and that's an exceptionally poor prognosis.
For the OP, the reason AAS won't work is because the weakness is neurogenic as opposed to contractile and / or weakness due to loss of muscle mass. There might be an off label use for AAS in someone with very well controlled MS and has minimal neurogenic weakness, but even that's a stretch. I'd be shocked if you could find a physician that's willing to try that.
Multiple Sclerosis sucks.
Member
Im told that he's stage 4 MS although that's not a classification system I've found used in my searches online.
This following copy and paste had given me hope but I haven't been able to find support. Apologies if this is a breach of any rules but this is the best of what I've found off some forum:
Anabolic Steroids for Multiple Sclerosis
Discuss of you wish. I found this very useful.
"Readers' Letters -
Anabolic Steroids for Multiple Sclerosis
by Michael Mooney
from Issue No. 2 (This page updated August, 2003)
Dear Michael,
(Long, very real story, made short):
I have multiple sclerosis, an auto-immune disease, and have discovered that using anabolic steroids has totally changed my life. When I first started using steroids I could only bench press 40 lbs. Five years later, I bench 270, squat 275 for 5 reps, and deadlift 525 lbs. with wrist straps because the MS limits my grip strength. (Michael says WOW to 525 lbs!!!) I've used other anabolic steroids, but I currently use one Sustanon 250 (a testosterone blend) and 200 mg. of Deca Durabolin every 10 days. My doctor thinks I'm nuts, but when I go off the steroids I get weaker and weaker and the MS symptoms increase, so I know he's wrong and they're good for me. Your Muscle Media article on steroids and the immune system (Nov '95) tells me that you probably understand. The problem is that my supply is about to dry up and my doctor won't prescribe them, so I'm forced to be a felon. Do you have any tips on getting a doctor to help me? Thanks for publishing your work. Please keep spreading the word.
M. S.
Dear M.S.,
If your doctor won't work with you after you do your best to educate him, GET ANOTHER DOCTOR!! This is what I tell the HIV(+) people I work with all the time. For your doctor to not know enough about using anabolic steroids is one thing, and that's why you've got to work to educate them - they don't have time to know everything about every medicine, especially one as complex and misunderstood as anabolic steroids. It's also understandable that they may be afraid of the legal implications of prescribing steroids for an "off-label use"", and as this is very very, touchy. I wouldn't blame any doctor who was afraid for this reason, as he may feel that he has to be especially cautious because he knows that he's subject to the scrutiny of the "authorities" for some reason. I do know of several doctors who do prescribe anabolic steroids to patients "off-label", though. If they don't have any reason to be afraid, they do have a perfect legal right to prescribe any medicine off-label. And some doctors are just willing to go all the way to help a patient with a critical medical condition. However, if your doctor doesn't seem to care enough to want to help you, or if they try to act like the "God" who knows all the answers about a critical illness that modern medical science has no good answer for, hire a better, more compassionate doctor, and here's how to do it.
Call the prospective new doctor and tell them you have whatever your illness is, and you want to talk to the doctor to see if he's open to investigating your views on potential therapies. During the discussion tell the doctor everything you're considering about anabolic steroids or whatever, but get all your information together, especially medical journal references, before you meet with him, so you know what you're talking about. (Note: a number of medical journal references on anabolic steroids used therapeutically for diseases besides AIDS are available on this web page in the article called Anabolic Steroids - Literature References of their Potential Uses for Immune Therapy. If the doctor disagrees with what you say entirely, end the meeting and keep looking for a doctor who'll help you. (Note: be assertive that you shouldn't have to pay for this introductory meeting if there's no benefit to you. I'm telling you this because if you have to interview ten doctors to find one who'll work with you, you don't want to have paid a fee all ten times.)
The doctors who practice alternative medicine are more likely to be open to experimenting with this kind of approach.
Be aware, you may have to go through this with a number of doctors, but if you keep looking you will find a good doctor who understands that no one knows how to cure your disease, so every doctor should be open to researching and experimenting, just keep looking! And don't buy the status quo "there's no good answer for your disease" either. Where there's a (strong) will, there's a way. I see it all the time. And there are plenty of compassionate doctors out there, too.
Growth Hormone and MS
I know of a doctor in Mexico who is having success using growth hormone (GH) with multiple sclerosis patients. My research indicates that it may be, at least in part, because GH increases IGF-1 and IGF-1 is known to be involved in supporting the health and growth of nerve tissue.1, 2 MS is a degeneration of the nervous system, so this makes a certain amount of sense, so ask whatever doctor you end up working with to consider giving you the latitude to experiment with GH, perhaps in combination with anabolic steroids, like Deca Durabolin. The GH perhaps helping repair the nerve (and muscle) damage and the steroid improving the health and re-growth of the muscles, improving immune metabolism, and perhaps decreasing the progression of the MS, as it appears to do with some other auto-immune diseases.3, 4, 5 Good luck!
NOTE: As of July, 2001, I could no longer contact the doctor in Mexico. I do not know where he is. If you want to try to work with anabolic hormones for multiple sclerosis, I suggest you contact an alternative medical doctor and ask if they are willing to help you experiment. Go to: American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM).
References:
1.
Ishii DN, "Role of insulin-like growth factors in peripheral nerve regeneration." Pharmacol Ther 1994 Apr-May 62:125-144.
2.
Hansson HA, "Insulin-like growth factors and nerve regeneration." Ann NY Acad Sci 1993 692:16-171.
3.
Ansar Ahmed S, Penhale WJ, Talal N, "Sex hormones, immune responses, and autoimmune diseases. Mechanisms of sex hormone action." Am J Pathol 1985, Dec; 121(3):531-551.
4.
Ahmed SA, et al, "Sex hormones and the immune system." Ballieres Clinical Rheumatology [1990 Apr, 4(1):13-31.
5.
Sthoeger, ZM, Chiorazzi, N., Labita, RG, "Regulation of the immune response by sex hormones." J of Immun. 1988; 141:91-98.
Member
I know it was a long shot but when I saw how he's become, I figured I had to check on even a remote possibility if it could maybe help. Fortunately this time I made sure that the friend doesn't tell his cousin anything until getting the go ahead that it's viable, didn't want to risk raising false hopes that could be crushed.
✓ Member
I applaude you for sincerely asking and trying to help your cousin. I'm sorry he has to deal with this. I truly wish him well.
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