Lastly, you didn't mention whether you're getting a brand name hGH from your doctor, by prescription, or if you're buying on the Black Market. Black Market drugs have even infiltrated the prescription pharmacies, much to their chagrin in some cases.

However, fear not. A trip to your drug store around the corner can provide you with an inexpensive method to tests for one of the main substitutes for real hGH. Buy a home pregnancy test kit, and it will detect HCG, Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin, in the urine, which is present during pregnancy. A positive test will alert you that your hGH has been diluted, or substituted with HCG!

Next time you take your hGH (best to take it in the morning), after you've been on GH for several days, the day before the test take a full 1 ml injection just before going to bed. The next morning, run the pregnancy test. If it is positive, then you know you're not getting full hGH as stated on the box. You're getting a counterfeit product, or one that has been diluted with HCG.

Also, it is best to take hGH deep subcutaneous, not intramuscular, for best results.

Question:

Why can't dogs eat chocolate? I have a dog that would love to eat my chocolate along with me. But I'm told it's bad for them.

Answer:

Chocolate has brain-stimulating chemicals that are found in cocoa as well. They're called methylxanthines and include theophylline and theobromine. The methylxanthines also occur in larger amounts in coffee.

Methylxanthines block a brain-sedating chemical known as adenosine (this is why coffee aids in weight loss, but more on that in another discussion...ohhh, aspirin helps too in weight loss).

Theophylline is often prescribed for asthmatics because it dilates the lung bronchi.

If you give a dog theobromine, this can cause such brain stimulation, as well as blocking the brain-sedating chemical adenosine, that it can cause convulsions.

You might also be careful about letting your dog have coffee or tea, or herbs that contain caffeine.

This could be a reason why you might want to store a little chocolate, or have it on hand--if you're into food storage. As the government suggests, have at least 3 weeks of food on hand in case of national or natural disasters, hurricanes or other climatic catastrophes, because chocolate helps with depression. I would suggest not milk chocolate; the milk null and voids most of the good effects, except for more weight gain. Bakers® Bittersweet would be a good choice or the pure chocolate liquor, Bakers® Unsweetened Chocolate---this way you want be tempted to eat much, but just enough for depression, if that occurs in you, when the Hell Breaks.

The substance that is in chocolate that does this is anandamide. The term means "internal bliss," and it helps the brain chemistry with general feelings of well-being. It interacts with the same receptors in the brain for this blissful feeling that marijuana activates.

Another chemical, identified in Spain, is tetra-beta-carboline. It also causes the brain to experience pleasurable feelings. It is found in alcohol, fruits and other foods.

And when you fall in love, the brain increases a substance known as phenylethylamine---the same substance found in chocolate, which gives you this nice, wonderful feeling. This is the same substance that women discovered raises their mood and feelings of self-worth when they are suffering from the "blahs" during their monthly periods, which is why many eat chocolate during that period of time.

Therefore, chocolate and fruit--if you can find any when total social chaos breaks upon the economy--would be nice for mood and depression. Dried fruit may work as well. You may want to store some dried fruit that has been freeze-dried from various companies mention in "When The Hell Breaks...." elsewhere on this web site. See Menu at the Home Page.

Question:

I had prostate cancer 5 years ago, and my doctor tells me I'm cured now, but he won't prescribe testosterone cream for me. Is there anything else I can do?

Answer:

Your doctor is wise not to prescribe testosterone, because there may be a nidus (a nucleus or nest) of cells lurking somewhere in your body, waiting for the command to grow. Though we know testosterone doesn't cause prostate cancer as many doctors still think, it could cause a nest of cells to start growing, whatever the situation.

However, many doctors do recommend human growth hormone (hGH) and get good results on cancer survivors for developing muscle mass, bone mass and feeling good--and the nice thing about it, with all the influx of hGH coming in from Europe, and now from Mexico, prices have fallen considerably, and in the future will go down even further.

Saizen is a top brand from Switzerland, but many compounding pharmacists are getting the raw ingredients and packaging them (a sterile, dry powder vial and a bacteriostatic water vial) and selling it even dollars less.

One place you don't want to buy any such thing, like hGH etc., is from some of the numerous peddlers at the gyms across the country.

One, it's illegal.

Two, it's most likely counterfeit.

Three, I've really seen people ripped off when they took the pregnancy test for hGH. (See first question in this issue.)

Incidentally, if your doctor is worried about hGH, tell him this is one of the things AIDS patients are on that is adding years of life, as it slows down the wasting and deterioration of tissues. You and I are paying for this given to AIDS patients with our tax dollars, as they get it through Medicaid, free. Instead of using it to save their lives and stop the muscle wasting, some AIDS patients are peddling it on the streets for top dollar.

Comment:

There's something wrong with the system that makes you and me buy it at top dollar, but gives it free to AIDS Medicaid patients with muscle-wasting diseases, and instead of using it, many sell it.

---Source: Muscular Development Magazine, August, 2004.

And yet, our president speaks against steroids for athletes and others who want to build good, healthy bodies, and makes it illegal and costly without jumping through hoops to get it. Teens should stay clear of steroids!

As of this writing, the government is moving to correct the situation with AIDS Medicaid patients.