Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy for Adults

Growth hormone replacement therapy is used to treat adults diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

Human growth hormone (HGH) is a prescription medication given via injection that is used to treat adults who are not making enough growth hormone on their own. Growth hormone deficiencies in adults can be either a GHD that has carried over from childhood or an adult-onset growth hormone deficiency.

HGH is produced by the pituitary gland. Adult-onset growth hormone deficiencies can be the result of any damage or disease condition that impacts the pituitary gland. However, the most common reason for adult-onset GHD is the normal drop-in HGH levels that we experience as we age. This condition is usually referred to as "age-related growth hormone deficiency."

No matter what the cause, growth hormone deficiency is treated with growth hormone replacement for adults.

Indications for Growth Hormone Therapy

Indications for Growth Hormone Therapy

Human growth hormone is an extremely critical hormone. HGH is responsible for all of the processes that allow a child to grow into a strong, healthy adult of full stature. Even after we are fully grown, HGH continues to play a vital role in the growth and maintenance of muscle and bone, in fat metabolism, sexual health, and mental acuity.

Growth hormone replacement therapy is indicated for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency in adults. Growth hormone therapy is only given via injection. All HGH injections are some form of the prescription medication somatropin. Somatropin is created in the lab using recombinant DNA so that its amino acid sequences are identical to that of the human growth hormone that is normally produced by your pituitary gland.

According to the various drug manufacturers who make prescription HGH, it is prescribed for “people with growth failure due to GHD, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Small for Gestational Age, Turner Syndrome, and Idiopathic Short Stature. It is also indicated for adults with growth hormone disorders. Somatropin may also be used to prevent severe weight loss in people with AIDS or to treat short bowel syndrome.

Precautions for Growth Hormone Therapy

According to the prescribing information, growth hormone replacement therapy should not be used in children and adults with any of the following medical conditions because serious side effects, including death, can occur:

  • A critical illness caused by certain types of heart or stomach surgery, serious injury, or a sudden and severe breathing problem (respiratory failure)
  • Prader-Willi syndrome sufferers who are severely overweight or have a history of breathing problems, including sleep apnea
  • Cancer or other tumors
  • Allergies to growth hormone or any of the ingredients in the medicine
  • Certain types of eye problems caused by diabetes
  • Somatropin should also not be used in children who have completed their growth

Is Growth Hormone Therapy Safe for Adults?

Growth hormone replacement therapy is FDA-approved and generally regarded as safe for the treatment of adults with growth hormone deficiency. However, as with any drug, it has some warnings, contraindications, and possible side effects.

In addition to the precautions listed above, you should not take HGH if you are allergic to somatropin or if you have:

  • Diabetic retinopathy (a serious eye condition caused by diabetes)
  • Recently undergone open-heart surgery or stomach surgery
  • Recently experienced trauma or other medical emergency
  • Breathing problems (such as lung failure).

To make sure you can safely take HGH, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

  • Liver disease
  • Kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis)
  • A pituitary gland disorder
  • Scoliosis;
  • High blood pressure (hypertension);
  • A pancreas disorder (especially in children)
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Underactive thyroid

How Growth Hormone Treatment Works

Growth Hormone Deficiency

Growth hormone replacement therapy works by raising your body’s HGH levels back into the normal range, thus making up for the lack of normal production by the pituitary gland.

Growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland. The pituitary has been called the "master gland" because it secretes hormones that control the actions of other glands.

A part of your brain called the hypothalamus signals to the pituitary gland to produce HGH. The hypothalamus reacts to the level of HGH in your bloodstream. It will "tell" the pituitary to produce more or less HGH in response to the level in your blood. In adults with a growth hormone deficiency, the pituitary is no longer making adequate supplies of human growth hormone.

The signs and symptoms of growth hormone deficiency that may indicate that you need growth hormone replacement therapy include:

  • Decreased energy
  • Loss of joy in life
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Poor hair and skin health
  • Immune system issues
  • Weight gain leading to a pear shape
  • Memory loss and other cognitive difficulties
  • Bone loss and bone weakness
  • Depression, anxiety, and other emotional changes 

Growth Hormone Therapy Benefits

The primary and most intensively studied benefit of growth hormone replacement in adults and children with GHD is the stimulation of linear growth. In addition to tissue growth, other documented benefits of growth hormone therapy include:

  • Skeletal Growth
  • Cell Growth
  • Organ Growth
  • Increased protein metabolism
  • Improved carbohydrate metabolism
  • Improved Lipid Metabolism
  • Improved Mineral Metabolism – particularly resulting in an increase in bodily potassium and phosphorus levels
  • Improved tissue metabolism – particularly an increase in collagen production

When used to treat adults with an age-related growth hormone deficiency, the benefits of human growth hormone can include:

  • Increased energy
  • Improved sleep
  • Increased muscle mass
  • Improved bone health
  • Healthy skin
  • Decreased fat, particularly belly fat
  • Improved cognition

Can Growth Hormone Therapy Promote Youth and Vitality?

In adults suffering from age-related growth hormone deficiency, growth hormone replacement therapy has been clinically proven to promote increased strength, vitality, and an overall increased sense of wellbeing.

A recent study published by the National Institutes of Health definitively concluded that "the documented benefits of HGH replacement therapy have helped improve the quality of life of many patients lives with adult-onset AGHD.”

The overall benefits of using HGH to treat growth hormone deficiency  include:

  • Increased energy
  • Increased strength and stamina
  • Improved sex drive and enhanced sexual performance
  • Weight loss, particularly stubborn belly fat
  • Increased ability to build lean muscle
  • Better outcomes from exercising
  • Improved hair, nail, and skin health
  • Increased immune function
  • Improved mood
  • Improved memory and other cognitive functions

Forms of HGH Medications

There are different types or brands of HGH injections prescribed to treat adults with GHD. All are some version of the prescription medication somatropin. We only prescribe high-quality brand names of HGH for growth hormone therapy. The brands of HGH we use for growth hormone therapy in adults are:

  • Omnitrope

Omnitrope® is the prescription human growth hormone made by Sandoz. It is created in the lab using recombinant DNA so that its amino acid sequences are identical to that of the human growth hormone (somatropin) that is normally produced by your pituitary gland.

It is prescribed for people with growth failure due to GHD, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Small for Gestational Age, Turner Syndrome, and Idiopathic Short Stature. It is also indicated for adults with growth hormone disorders. Omnitrope® may also be used to prevent severe weight loss in people with AIDS or to treat short bowel syndrome.

  • Genotropin

Genotropin® is the prescription human growth hormone made by Pfizer. It is a recombinant human growth hormone indicated for the treatment of children with growth failure due to GHD, Prader-Willi syndrome, Small for Gestational Age, Turner syndrome, and Idiopathic Short Stature, and for adults with either adult onset or a continuance of childhood-onset GHD.

  • Norditropin

Norditropin® is the prescription human growth hormone made by Novo Nordisk. It is indicated for the treatment of growth failure, growth hormone deficiency, or HIV-related weight loss or wasting. Norditropin® may also be prescribed to increase height in children with certain disorders such as Noonan syndrome, Turner syndrome, idiopathic short stature, or Prader-Willi syndrome.   

  • Zomacton

Zomacton® is the prescription human growth hormone made by Ferring Pharmaceuticals. It is human growth hormone (somatropin) derived from recombinant DNA (rDNA). Zomacton® is injected to replace growth hormone that is not being adequately produced by your body. Since it is made from recombinant DNA, it is, in fact, identical in structure to the natural growth hormone made by the body’s pituitary gland.

  • Humatrope

Humatrope® is a man-made form of human growth hormone made using recombinant DNA (rDNA). It is manufactured by Lilly. Humatrope® is used to treat children who do not make enough growth hormone on their own, have Turner Syndrome, idiopathic short stature, have SHOX deficiency, and/or were born smaller than normal for the number of weeks of pregnancy and do not catch up in height by 2 to 4 years of age.

  • Saizen

Saizen® is the prescription human growth hormone made by EMD Serono. Saizen® is prescribed as a form of growth hormone therapy, used to replace the HGH that the body fails to produce on its own. It works to stimulate skeletal growth, increase the number and size of skeletal muscle cells, influence the size and function of internal organs and has important effects on metabolism.

  • Sorptive

Zorbtive® is a form of prescription human growth hormone. It is produced using recombinant DNA technology and is prepared for use via subcutaneous injection. Zorbtive® is primarily prescribed for the treatment of short bowel syndrome in adult patients receiving specialized nutritional support.

  • Serostim

Serostim® is the prescription human growth hormone made by EMD Serono. Serostim® is an injectable form of growth hormone made from recombinant DNA (rDNA). It is prescribed primarily for the treatment of HIV-positive patients with wasting or cachexia in order to increase lean body mass and body weight and improve physical endurance. Antiretroviral therapy remains necessary in such patients.

All of these brand names of prescription HGH are the same drug – somatropin. They differ only in the dosages available and the way they are administered. Some are available as standard syringe injections. Others use more sophisticated injection devices.

Possible Side Effects

When prescribed by a doctor to treat adults with age-related growth hormone deficiency, the use of HGH is generally regarded as safe. However, as with any prescription medication, it can have some side effects.

Some of the more general side effects of growth hormone injections include:

  • Pain in the Joins
  • Redness in the area of injection  
  • Headaches, light headiness, or vertigo

Some of the less common side effects of HGH include:

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Increased insulin resistance
  • Swelling
  • Craggy or “creepy” skin
  • Hair loss
  • Earaches
  • Increased sensitivity to cold

While the above list may seem huge most growth hormone replacement patients have a very positive experience and run the course of their growth hormone replacement therapy with little or no side effects.

How much Does Growth Hormone Therapy Cost?

The cost for HGH therapy varies from patient to patient. HGH injections are prescribed to fit your unique symptoms, lifestyle, and wellness goals. Generally speaking, you could expect to pay anywhere from 500.00 to 1000.00 or more per month for growth hormone therapy. Men usually require a lower dose of HGH than women, so men do tend to pay somewhat less than women for growth hormone therapy.

Do I Need a Prescription for Growth Hormone Therapy?

Prescription for Growth Hormone Injections

Yes, you absolutely need a prescription for growth hormone replacement therapy. The only way to legally obtain growth hormone injections is with a doctor’s prescription.

A prescription for growth hormone injections will only be given to patients who are legitimately suffering from a growth hormone deficiency. GHD can only be accurately diagnosed by a physician. Once a diagnosis of GHD is confirmed, only then will you be given a prescription for HGH injections.

You cannot buy HGH online or anywhere else without a doctor’s prescription. Any product that you see for sale on the internet, advertised in "muscle magazines," or even on the shelves of a vitamin store that claims to be HGH, or contain growth hormone, cannot legally contain any actual human growth hormone.

How to Start Growth Hormone Therapy

It is not difficult to start growth hormone replacement therapy. In fact, it only takes five simple steps.

  • Step 1 – Fill out an online medical history form – This first step is indeed the only step in the process of getting HGH injections that can be done online.
  • Step 2 – See a doctor –If your online medical history form indicates that you are a good candidate for HGH therapy, the next step is to see your doctor. He or she will discuss your medical history in further detail, ask you more about your symptoms, and take a complete physical exam.
  • Step 3 – Laboratory hormone testing – Once you have completed your physical exam, you will be referred to a laboratory to have the hormone levels in your blood tested.
  • Step4 – You will obtain a prescription for a program of HGH injections –  If the results of your laboratory tests show that your HGH levels are low, your doctor will prescribe a dosage of growth hormone injections to suit your needs and lifestyle.
  • Step 5 – Your HGH will be delivered to you – Your prescription for HGH therapy will be forwarded to one of the pharmacies we work with that specializes in filling prescriptions for HGH injections. The pharmacy will then deliver your HGH therapy supplies to you.  

Now that you know more about human growth hormone therapy for adults, why not take a minute to contact us and learn more about how HGH replacement therapy can improve your quality of life.

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