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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.
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.
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:
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:
To make sure you can safely take HGH, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
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:
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:
When used to treat adults with an age-related growth hormone deficiency, the benefits of human growth hormone can include:
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:
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® 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® 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® 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® 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® 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® 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.
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® 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.
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:
Some of the less common side effects of HGH include:
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.
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.
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.
It is not difficult to start growth hormone replacement therapy. In fact, it only takes five simple steps.
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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