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BPC-157 + TB-500 for a chronic proximal hamstring tendon, when did it actually start working for you?

Posted by runner_aaron in Healing & Recovery - 5 points, 7 comments.

Hey all, I've been dealing with a stubborn proximal hamstring tendinopathy for close to 8 months now. Did the whole physio route, heavy slow loading, isometrics, the works. Some progress but the morning stiffness and deep ache when I sprint or hill run just won't fully go away.

I'm about 5 weeks into BPC-157 (250 mcg subQ, 2x a day) with TB-500 (2 mg, 2x a week) and tbh I'm not sure if I'm feeling anything yet. The tendon still grumbles on the first few steps out of bed. I know these things are supposed to take time but I want to know from people who actually pushed through, when did you notice a real shift?

Was it gradual, or did things suddenly feel different around a certain week? And did you keep loading the tendon throughout or back off the running more? I'm still doing my rehab work 3x a week but I miss just being able to run 10k without thinking about it afterwards.

Any honest experiences appreciated, especially if you had a similar high-hamstring issue.

Comments

  • quiet_ironman: For me it was honestly like week 7 or 8 before I noticed a real shift, and even then it was pretty subtle. The morning stiffness thing stuck around longest, I'd still hobble to the bathroom for the first minute or two. The bigger change was that the ache during hard running got quieter, like instead of a 6/10 nag it dropped to a 2/3 that I could push through without thinking about it constantly. I kept my heavy slow loading the whole time, didn't back off, but I did swap my hill sprints for fla
  • weekendnate: Yeah that tracks with what I've seen in my own notes. The deep ache quieting down before the morning stiffness fully resolved was the same pattern I logged, and I was at week 6 or 7 when the run pain dropped from constant to ignorable. The swap to flat tempo instead of downhills was probably doing more work than people give it credit for, honestly.
  • elle_z: Ha okay that tracks, week 7/8 is around the corner for me then. The tempo swap idea is smart, I hadn't really thought about the eccentric load from downhills being its own thing. The ache going from a 6 to a 2 is basically the dream right now, still hovering around a 5 most days 😅
  • runner_aaron: For me the shift wasn't sudden either, more like the tendon stopped being the first thing I thought about when I woke up. I'd guess proper noticeable change around week 6 or 7. Did you drop the hill work entirely or just swap to flats and treadmill like you mentioned?
  • runner_aaron: The week 6 or 7 mark is good to hear tbh, gives me something to actually aim for rather than just guessing. I've been avoiding hills but honestly my downhills haven't been great either, so swapping to flat tempo makes sense. Did you keep your loading sessions the same or did you back off the heavy eccentrics once the running pain dropped?
  • runner_aaron: That actually tracks with what I was hoping to hear, that it's closer to week 7 or 8 and the morning stiffness is the last thing to budge. The swap from hills to flat tempo is a good shout, tbh I think the eccentric loading on downhills has been making my mornings worse without me realising it. Going to keep the heavy slow loading in and drop hills for a few weeks and see if week 7ish is when things shift for me too.
  • runner_aaron: That tracks with what I was hoping to hear tbh, that week 7-8 window is useful to know. I was starting to wonder if I was being impatient. The flat tempo swap instead of hills is a smart call, the eccentric load on downhills is probably what's keeping mine grumpy. I might drop the hills for a bit and see if the achey bit quiets down like yours did. Mine is still a solid 5/10 on hard efforts so hearing it dropped to a 2/3 actually gives me something to aim for. Did you do anything specific on th

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