Growth hormone is a small peptide which is manufactured synthetically for use in humans. In the old days, growth hormone was extracted from the brains of animals. Because of the safety issues such as transmitting infections, this practice has long been abandoned. Today, there are many pharmaceutical companies who make artificial growth hormone for human use. Growth hormone is today manufactured with the use of protein secretion technology which produces a chemical which is identical to the real hormone. The synthetic products are just as effective as the original hormone.

There are several brand names but they all function in a similar fashion. All the growth hormone brands are used to treat growth defects in children. Occasionally these medications are used to treat adults with growth retardation. However, in all cases, the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency must be clarified before treatment.

The various brands of growth hormone available include nutropin, hypertropin, genotropin, humatrope, saize, serostim. Zorbtive, norditropin, jintropin, zomacton, somatrem, ansomone, tev tropin and fitropin.

The cost of Growth hormone is variable and varies from $ 5-30 per unit. Most individuals require a single unit per day. This can be self administered in the evening or at any appropriate time. Most physicians recommend a 4-5 consecutive days injection schedule to have the least side effects, be cost benefical and have the most efficient growth response.

The occasional individual may take a slightly higher dose of 1.5-2 units per day. This is not only expensive but also associated with a higher chance of complications. One should not forget that one also to buy fresh sterile syringes and needles and disposable is also an issue. One is not allowed to dispose of sharp needles in the normal garbage. This is considered medical waste and must be appropriately disposed of.

Human growth hormone is available through health care professionals- this is the law. Buying human growth hormone over the internet may be cheap but is illegal and penalties are harsh when the DEA catches up with you. All sales of prescription pharmaceuticals are carefully monitored by the DEA- esp. those done online.

Before starting an injection regimen with growth hormone, it is essential that certain baseline blood work be done in Federally approved laboratories. Levels of IGF-1 are measured which is a reliable indicator of the total Human growth hormone. Injections are only permissible by law when the levels of IGF are low.

After the injections have started, it is essential to be followed and monitored by a physician for any side effects or complications of therapy.

Growth hormone is a naturally occurring chemical that is manufactured in one part of the brain. The major functions of growth hormone are to increase cell growth and assist with reproductive behavior- especially while growing. Growth hormone is very important for the development of muscle and bone mass for all children during early childhood and up to puberty.

In the majority of children, growth occurs normally in the presence of growth hormone. However, there are some cases when growth hormone secretion may be too much or too little.

When the growth hormone secretion is too little, most children do not have the growth spurt and grow as midgets. There are many reasons why the hormone fails to be secreted. Sometimes the brain fails to make the growth hormone, other times there is brain injury at birth and sometimes there are genetic causes.

When the growth hormone fails to be secreted, most individuals develop certain features such as:

- reduced muscle mass
- short stature
- decreased strength
- diminished mental energy and thinking
- decreased concentration
- decreased physical stamina, lack of energy
- loss of memory
- depression
- lack of hair development on the body
- absence of secondary sexual features (decreased size of genitalia)

When a child or adult presents with the above features to his physician, the diagnosis of growth hormone is immediately suspected. The doctor can order tests to measure the levels of growth hormone along with tests to determine if growth hormone can be released when stimulated.

In many cases, the growth hormone release is small and the deficiency is mild. Thus, many children do not show all the features of complete growth hormone deficiency. In such cases the diagnosis is often missed and attributed to poor nutrition, lack of physical activity or simply attribute to bad genes.

Once the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency is made, the physician will usually start the child on a course of treatment with growth hormone. Because the growth hormone is a peptide (a small protein) it can’t be ingested by the mouth because it will be broken down in the stomach. All growth hormone products have to be injected. Once injected, the growth hormone does not work right away and the full therapeutic results take at least 1-4 years to become visible.

Growth hormone treatments are not cheap. For those individuals who have a medical diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency, medical insurance or Medicare may cover the cost of treatment. The growth hormone injections can cost anywhere from $ 10-30,000 per year. Adults usually require much less growth hormone.

Growth hormone is used to treat certain medial disorders. However, one should always remember that it is a hormone which is capable of wide ranging metabolic and biochemical activities. The hormone is safe when prescribed and monitored by a physician. However, side effects can occur when the hormone is taken in high doses and without any monitoring. The most common side effects of excess growth hormone include:

Low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia): Excess levels of growth hormone have the ability to mimic the effects of the hormone, insulin. Insulin is a hormone which controls the levels of blood sugar. When insulin is absent from the body, there high levels of glucose in the body; when there is excess insulin, the body develops low sugar. Growth hormone mimics the actions of insulin and causes profound lowering of blood sugar. This can often lead to mental confusion, drowsiness, lack of concentration and even induce a coma. This side effect is no that rare and many individuals who have taken high levels of human growth hormone have required hospital admission for the low sugar levels.

Excess growth (Acromegaly): When growth hormone is continually taken, the body starts to grow in an uncontrolled fashion. The bones and muscles grow in an uncoordinated fashion often revealing grotesque physiques. The hands, feet and face typically enlarge. The changes are gradual and are most pronounced when growth hormone is taken by children, teenagers and young adults. The disorder is serious and can become life threatening.
Abdominal pouch: In most individuals who take growth hormone, the muscle mass increases. A typical scenario of this effect is a protuberant belly. The defect only occurs when the drug is taken for long periods and in high doses

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Because growth hormone has the ability to increase muscle and tissue mass, it frequently causes compression of the nerves. The most common nerve compression syndrome induced by growth hormone is the carpal tunnel syndrome. The major nerve in the hand (median nerve) which travels down the arm is squeezed between the fibrous bands and the muscles in the hand. This painful condition causes tingling, numbness and weakness of the fingers and the hand.

Joint Pain: In some cases, the growth hormone causes the joints to grow abnormally and joint pain is a common scenario. Most individuals complain of joint and bony pain- especially the larger joints such as the knees, hips and elbows. Once the growth hormone is stopped, the side effects disappear.

The best advice for all users of growth hormone is to follow up with a physician. Monitoring and a regular physical examination can help prevent some of the side effects of growth hormone.