Somatropin hgh and Dosage
Humans rely on the human growth hormone, located in the pituary gland, to direct the body’s muscles, bones, and organs to grow. The absence of this hormone, therefore, leads to slow growth and an idiopathic stature (a height shorter than 98.8% of the population). Children, teenagers, and adults without this hormone can seek treatment using a growth stimulant known as somatropin. Those who suffer from stunted growth due to kidney failure, Noonan syndrome, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and other causes can also greatly benefit from this treatment. In addition, somatropin may aid those with stunted growth for unknown reasons.
Somatropin is only available via injection and a doctor’s recommendation. It is commonly taken as an active ingredient in nutropin therapy, where patients can administer the appropriate doses using a disposable, pen-like instrument. When injecting, patients should not insert the needle too deeply in the skin and should pick different injection sites each time. Ideal areas include the abdomen, thighs, upper arms, and buttocks, as they have more fatty tissue than other parts of the body. A doctor or nurse should demonstrate the proper injection technique prior to patients performing it on their own. Patients should consult help from their doctor if they notice bruising, inflammation, or a lump at the injection site. Those who have missed a dose may inject after remembering, but they should consult their doctor if they have missed more than three doses. Patients who have overdosed should seek emergency help immediately.
Prior to seeking treatment, however, patients must be aware of the potential risks involved with taking this hormone. While the FDA believes that the benefits of somatropin outweigh the potential risks, patients must tell their doctor about past and present medical conditions prior to pursuing treatment. In doing so, doctors can ascertain whether or not taking somatropin is appropriate for them. Patients who have or are at risk for diabetes should be aware that doctors may have to alter their medications, as well as monitor their blood sugar level more closely (new cases of type 2 diabetes were detected with patients undergoing treatment). Diabetic patients who suffer from certain types of eye disease should not take somatropin.
Patients with past cancer history should also take note as well. Growth hormone deficiency can be due to cancerous growth in the pituary gland or the brain, and this factor must be ruled out prior to seeking treatment. Those who had cancer as a child should be aware that new tumors, particularly brain tumors, have been found in those who are taking somatropin. Patients who currently have cancer should not be undergoing hormone treatment.
Those who have life-threatening breathing problems, serious complications after heart and abdominal surgery, and allergic reactions to somatropin should also not seek this type of treatment. Overweight children with Prader-Willi syndrome should especially avoid taking somatropin, as it has been linked with death. Patients should contact their doctor if they experience vision changes, headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, allergic reactions, or progress in scoliosis.
