Human growth hormone injections are widely accepted as a method of treatment for disorders such as growth hormone deficiency (GHD). However, like all medications intended to affect the workings of the human body, they do have certain side effects associated with their use. Genotropin, Humatrope, and Norditropin are three of the most popular and widely-used brands of artificial HGH on the market. In this article, we’ll examine the side effects associated with each of these hormone treatments, ranging from common, to tolerable, to serious, to rare, and finally to very rare. With this information, you can make the best possible decision about what type of treatment is right for you.
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HGH Injections
Human growth hormone (HGH) is produced by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. It helps us to grow in stature from childhood to adulthood, and also helps to keep our organs healthy and strong. However, some individuals have a deficiency of HGH. It is more common in children than in adults, but in both groups it can lead to health problems. In children, GHD can cause delayed growth and puberty, more retention of fat, slower development of muscle mass, and sparse growth of hair. Adults with GHD can suffer higher cholesterol, reduced mental and sexual function, more body fat, lessened bone and muscle mass, lower energy, and even cardiac problems.
Experts are able to create artificial HGH in the lab, by cloning certain DNA molecules in order to create combinations that would not occur in biological organisms. This synthetic HGH may be prescribed by a doctor to make up for the deficiency in an individual’s natural HGH levels. However, it should be noted that synthetic HGH legally can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription, and must be applied through injections using special needles intended to minimize pain. The artificial hormone is also considered an illegal steroid in sports.
Humatrope, Genotropin and Norditropin are three brands of HGH injection treatment that each promise to alleviate the effects of GHD and other growth-related disorders, including Turner Syndrome, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Idiopathic Short Stature (ISS) and children being born small for gestational age (SGA). However, they all are associated with a range of potential side effects that may be harmful to your body. Below, we will discuss these side effects and their possible consequences.
Common HGH Side Effects
The most common side effects between all three brands include reaction at the injection site (usually redness, bleeding, lumps, or scarring), an allergic reaction to the diluting agent in the hormone, swelling due to fluid retention in the extremities, glucosuria, or sugar in the urine, and what Humatrope describes as “unusual skin sensations.” It is not unusual for any or all of these effects to occur when taking HGH injections, and their consequences on the human body are generally mild. Decreased fat can also result from use of these brands. Genotropin can also lead to increased appetite for children with ISS, as well as mood changes.
Tolerable HGH Side Effects
These types of side effects also occur commonly, but they can have slightly more serious consequences for the individual receiving the HGH injections from all three brands. They include increased blood sugar, hypothyroidism (in which the thyroid does not produce a high enough level of hormone, which can lead to increased weight gain and lack of energy), headaches, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Furthermore, there is a chance of blood in the urine. Children who are born SGA can have abnormal jaw and mole growth.
Serious HGH Side Effects
For children born SGA, serious side effects for Genotropin can include the exertion of greater pressure on the brain and the increase of scoliosis, or curvature of the individual’s spine. They can also experience early puberty. Children with Prader-Willi Syndrome can have increased aggressiveness and hair loss. Norditropin injections can lead to muscle and joint pain or a limp in children, often from a fracture of the hip joint ball, called slipped capital femoral epiphysis. In adults, it can result in tumors or cancerous growths reappearing after treatment. Acromegaly is another side effects that is mostly due to overdosage though.
Rare HGH Side Effects
Patients with Turner Syndrome who take Genotropin might be at increased risk of otitis media (ear infections) and hearing problems, and ISS children as well as those with Turner Syndrome have a greater chance of throat and urinary tract infections and inflammation of both throat and nose. They can also suffer from fever or bone fracture. Pancreatitis, in which the pancreas becomes inflamed, can occur in both adults and children. Adults might retain water.
Very Rare HGH Side Effects
Children with Prader-Willi Syndrome who are obese and have respiratory problems can be at risk of death from taking HGH injections. Norditropin can result in death for individuals with dangerous illnesses stemming from stomach or heart surgery, respiratory problems, or trauma. New cases of diabetes have appeared in those who take artificial HGH.
Who Can Take HGH Injections?
The elderly can take Norditropin, Genotropin and Humatrope, although they may be more likely to experience side effects from the injections. Women who are taking estrogen orally can also take synthetic HGH, but they might need a larger dose. It is also a suitable treatment for children who suffer from GHD, SGA, Prader-Willi Syndrome and Turner Syndrome, both of which are genetic, and ISS. ISS children are shorter than almost 99% of their agemates, they grow so slowly that they will likely never reach a normal adult height and do not have growth plates that are not yet closed. Adults who have suffered from any of these conditions since childhood, or who have been diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency in adulthood may also take artificial HGH. You should consult with a medical professional before beginning any treatment plan.
Who Should Not Take HGH?
Don’t take HGH injections if you have serious illness after undergoing abdominal or heart surgery, trauma or critical injury, or respiratory problems. Obese children or those who have a history of breathing problems and who suffer from Prader-Willi Syndrom should not take synthetic HGH. If you have active cancer, you should likewise not take the injections; also, refrain if you have certain eye problems stemming from diabetes or you are allergic to any of the medications’ ingredients (especially metacresol, glycerin, or somatropin). Children with closed growth plates should not take HGH.
Check with a doctor before you begin this treatment if you take seizure drugs or those containing steroids, hormone replacement therapy, insulin or other types of diabetes medication, or cyclosporin. If you are at risk for diabetes, your doctor should check your blood sugar regularly while you are taking the injections. If you have hypopituitarism, make sure your doctor monitors your hormone replacement therapy while you are taking HGH. Also, talk to your doctor if your vision changes, especially if it is accompanied by headache or nausea and vomiting – this might be a symptom of increased pressure on the brain. Your thyroid should be tested for hypothyroidism during treatment, and if you take thyroid hormone medications the dosage should be checked. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should talk to their doctors before taking HGH injections. Finally, one particular brand of injection, Humatrope, affects the processing of cortisol and cortisone hormones in the body. This can lead to hypoadrenalism in some individuals, who would then need to begin glucocorticoid replacement therapy.
Humatrope, Genotropin and Norditropin can lessen the effects of growth hormone deficiency in humans. However, like any medication that has grave consequences on the workings of the body, they can cause certain adverse side effects that may have an equally serious effect on the individual taking the injection. Consult with a medical professional and find out what method of treatment is right for you, because it is important to know all about your choices before you make such an important decision about your body and your health.
In conclusion HGH side effects are a real possibility and the chances of incurring them goes down if human growth hormone injections are taken under the supervision of an experienced endocrinologist. Furthermore if you are only considering HGH to reverse symptoms of aging, lose weight, gain muscle or boost your sex drive and are not suffering from severe HGH deficiency, then the much safer HGH supplements like Somatropinne, Genf20 Plus, Sytropin, GHR1000, Provacyl, Genfx and HyperGH 14x might just be enough to get you that HGH boost you are looking for.
