George · The Biohack Diaries
Before IVF: four things I’ve had myself, and what people have told me since
I haven’t been through IVF, and I’d like that on the table first. What I have done is use all four of the things people ask me about when they’re getting ready for it: IV stem cells, an antioxidant drip, placenta extract and NAD+. So this page is about those four, from someone who has had every one of them, and about what people preparing for IVF have told me afterwards. It isn’t about fertility treatment. I’m not the person to ask about that.
Why people ask me about this
The explanation I was given is that fertility slows down with age, for women and for men, and that part of it is the general wear on the body’s cells. IVF, and ICSI (where a single sperm is placed directly into an egg), are done by fertility clinics. Most people who write to me already have a fertility team. What they’re asking is whether there’s something they can do for their own body in the months before. That’s the question this page sits next to.
The four, one at a time
IV stem cells
My first round was ten years ago. I felt it straight away in my lungs. I could breathe all the way down. My nose cleared and my sense of smell came back to normal. I hadn’t known either had gone, because it happened slowly and I’d adjusted. Everyone is different, and that was mine.
The explanation I was given is that these cells tend to go where tissue is damaged, and that there has been research on the ovaries and on the lining of the womb. That research is early and small, and it hasn’t settled anything. I’d rather tell you that than dress it up. More on the stem cells page.
The antioxidant drip
There isn’t one fixed drip here. The doctor picks which one suits the person. For me, drips are the thing I reach for without thinking about it: a Myers’ cocktail when I’m ill, a glutathione drip after I’ve burned at the beach.
Placenta extract
I’ve had it. It’s the easiest of the four: one injection into the muscle, and you’re done. What most people notice is that their skin feels soft and smooth. The explanation I was given is that it helps the body find its balance again, and that people often feel less tired and sleep better. More on the placenta extract page.
NAD+
This is the only one I notice while it’s still running: a clear head, right there in the chair. I’ve never had a side effect from it. But “I was fine” isn’t the same sentence as “you’ll be fine”.
The explanation I was given is that NAD+ falls as we age, the same way fertility does, and that in studies on older animals, treatments that raise NAD+ were linked to better egg quality. That was animals, not people. More on the NAD+ page.
What people preparing for IVF have told me
I talk to these people myself, before and after. A good number have written back after their next egg collection to say they got more eggs, and better ones, than in their own previous round. I don’t know what made the difference, and I’ve never heard it from everyone. What happens after the collection is between them and their fertility team, and it isn’t mine to tell.
Timing, and pregnancy
Two things I was told plainly. Stem cells aren’t given during pregnancy or in the first six months after giving birth. NAD+ is avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. So when any of this happens in relation to an IVF cycle is a question for the doctor here and your fertility team together, before anything is booked.
The four are done over at least three days in Bangkok.
Questions I get
Have you been through IVF yourself?
No. I’ve had the four things on this page. That’s what I can tell you about.
Is this a fertility treatment?
No. It doesn’t replace anything a fertility clinic does, and I’d be careful with anyone who tells you something like this will.
Is it only for women?
The four aren’t specific to women. I’m a man, and I’ve had all of them. Whether they suit you is a question for a doctor who has looked at you.
How long do I need to be in Bangkok?
At least three days.
Related: NAD+ & more · Stem cell therapy · NAD+ · Placenta extract
If you’re planning around a cycle and want to talk through the timing, message me.
—
I’m George. Thirty years in business, then ten years trying this whole field on myself before offering it to anyone else.
This is where I write down what I use, what I stopped using, and what I’d never do again. More about me →