One of the most common questions about HCGdrops and the HCG diet is “Are there any side effects?” or put another way, “Is HCG safe?” This question isn’t as straightforward as you might think, because there are different types of HCG, and even different types of HCG drops. Most online articles won’t tell you what type of HCG they are talking about, or they get them mixed up. So let’s briefly cover the types of HCG and different sources of the HCG diet side effects you may experience.
HCG Injections Side Effects
When
using HCG injections, you are using pharmaceutical HCG, which requires a
prescription to purchase in the U.S. This category also includes sublingual
(under the tongue) HCG, which also requires a prescription. Be aware that
other, non-prescription types of HCG are also taken under the tongue. If you
run across anything talking about HCG drops or sublingual HCG, make sure you
know whether it’s referring to pharmaceutical HCG or not.
All pharmaceutical HCG is based on Pregnyl, the brand name of
the drug. Pregnyl is usually used as a fertility treatment and is taken in
doses of 500 to 4,000 IU (international units) per day. When taken as part of
the HCG diet, you should only take 125 IU.
As a prescription medication, the side effects of HCG injections
can be serious. The seriousness of side effects is often related to dosage, so
you can expect that the large amounts used for fertility treatments will have
worse side effects than the small amount used as part of the HCG diet. Most
articles that talk about HCG diet side effects conveniently ignore this fact.
You can expect the same side effects as Pregnyl, but they probably won’t be as
common or as intense.