Should I Be Concerned About Growth Hormone Side Effects?

• For patients with a growth hormone deficiency, growth hormone replacement is the safest and most effective treatment.
• Like any prescription medication, growth hormone has some potential side effects.
• Your side effects will be kept to a minimum through our expertise, experience, and being carefully monitored throughout your program of growth hormone therapy.

Many people fail to experience the potentially life changing benefits of growth hormone therapy, because they fear the potential side effects of taking HGH.

Human Growth Hormone is vital to men, women, and children. Children need growth hormone to literally “grow” into adults. Adult men and women require growth hormone to remain strong, healthy and vital.

Sometimes individuals do not produce adequate amounts of growth hormone. When this occurs they are said to be suffering from a growth hormone deficiency, or GHD. GHD in children is usually caused by a problem with the pituitary gland — your body’s main source of HGH production. GHD in children can be a very serious condition leading to delayed growth and other grave health problems. GHD in adults may also arise from disease or injury to the pituitary, however, more often, it is the result of the decline in HGH production that occurs as we age. Adult onset GHD usually leads to:

• Fatigue
• Baldness in men
• Emotional and cognitive issues
• Memory loss
• A lack of strength and decline in the ability to build muscle
• Overall reduced muscle mass
• Weight gain (particularly around the waistline)
• Weakened bones
• Sexual wellness issues
• Cardiac dysfunction i.e. (coronary artery disease)

Whether GHD appears in childhood, or later in life, the recommended treatment is growth hormone replacement therapy.

Because many people have only heard of growth hormone, or HGH, because it is banned by many professional sports, there is a lot of confusion about the safety and potential side effects of HGH therapy.

The truth is, one should always be concerned about taking any medication but, when properly prescribed by your doctor for a legitimate need such as GHD, there is very little risk to growth hormone therapy.

The truth is, when properly prescribed by your doctor for a legitimate need such as GHD, there is very little risk to growth hormone therapy.

Are There Any Side Effects of Growth Hormone Therapy?

Watch any ad on TV for a drug or medical treatment, and what do you see? Scenes of happy smiling people running through fields of daisies, while in the background, the narrator reads a laundry list of potential side effects that make you wonder, “why would anyone take this stuff?” By FDA rules, if a drug is advertised on TV, Radio, or in a magazine, a disclaimer stating all the possible side effects must be part of the ad. Emphasis needs to be made on the word “possible.” All drugs, even something as common as aspirin, can have possible side effects. After running a very strict series of “phased” clinical trials, the FDA will approve a drug that it is “generally recognized as safe.” However, any side effects that were documented during those trials, must be listed in the drug’s literature, and as you have no doubt heard, during its TV commercials.

Like any approved medication, growth hormone is “generally considered safe,” and like any other drug, it has a list of possible side effects. Some of them are minor, some more severe, but most are fairly uncommon. Some of the more general side effects of HGH that have been recorded are:

• Joint pain
• Inflammation at the injection site
• Dizziness
• Headache

Like any approved medication, growth hormone is “generally considered safe,” and like any other drug, it has a list of possible side effects. Some of them are minor, some more severe, but most are fairly uncommon.

Possible Growth Hormone Side Effects for Men

In addition to the possible common side effects listed above that can effect men and women, there are some side effects of growth hormone that have been reported mor by men than women. These include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Increased insulin resistance
• Swelling in the arms and legs (edema)
• Joint and muscle pain
• For men, enlargement of breast tissue (gynecomastia)
• Mild hypertension
• Hypothyroid
• Skeletal pain

Possible HGH Side Effects for Women

Women can experience any of the possible side effects listed in the two sections above. In addition, there are some possible side effects of growth hormone therapy that are somewhat more common in women, such as:

• Dry skin and hair
• Ear congestion or ear infections
• Feeling cold
• Fluid retentions, “bloating, and weight gain

Some of the less common or rare possible side effects of HGH therapy include:

• Chest pain
• Trouble sleeping
• Swelling of extremities
• Cognitive difficulties
• Unusual tiredness or weakness
• Skin rash or itching
• Nausea and vomiting
• Tingling sensation
• Headache

The list can go on and on, and just because a side effect is listed as possible that does not mean you will experience it. In fact, most patients who are undergoing properly prescribed and monitored growth hormone therapy, experience little or no problems. Those that do report some discomfort, usually find that the side effect subsides, as their bodies adjust to the presence of the medication. Please refer to the relevant package insert for full prescribing information.

Benefits of HGH Vs Potential Side effects

The many positive benefits that a patient with GHD can receive from growth hormone therapy, far outweigh the risk of any possible side effects. You would be doing yourself a major disservice if your doctor recommends growth hormone therapy, and you choose not to take it, because you are afraid of possible side effects. Growth hormone decline is cumulative. If your growth hormone levels have dropped to the point where you have tested positive for growth hormone deficiency, and you refuse treatment, your condition will only worsen. You will grow more tired, your metabolism will continue to slow, you will continue to gain weight and lose muscle, creating a downward spiral of poor health which will worsen with age. Left untreated, those with growth hormone deficiency also are at an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

On the other hand, if you remain conscious of the possible side effects and know what to watch for, but do not let that scare you into not getting HGH therapy, you will be well on the way to a stronger, healthier, and more vital version of yourself. Some of the many benefits of growth hormone therapy include:

• Increased strength
• Increased stamina
• More energy
• Improved concentration & memory
• Increased ability to burn fat and build muscle
• Healthier skin and bones

How to Minimize the Possible Side effects of Growth Hormone Therapy

As we have said, there is the potential for side effects with any drug or medical procedure. The best way to avoid side effects and minimize your risk, is to work with a skilled and experienced hormone replacement professional.

HGH has become all the rage as aging baby-boomers clamor for a way to stay young and fit. HGH therapy has been proven to have many positive “anti-aging” effects. However, its increase in popularity — particularly as it has been endorsed by several “ageless” celebrities such as Jane Seymour, Suzanne Somers, and Sylvester Stallone — has had many doctors with little or no experience in prescribing HGH, jumping on the bandwagon just to make a quick buck!

If you really want to minimize the risks associated with HGH, you must get your HGH therapy from a doctor or clinic with a proven track record of specializing in hormone replacement for adults. Such a skilled practitioner knows the possible side effects of growth hormone therapy very well. He or she will know how to spot any trouble you may be having very early on in your treatment and adjust your dosages to reduce or minimize any side effects that you may experience.

At our treatment centers, our doctors and staff are dedicated professionals with years of experience in treating the problems of age-related hormone decline. Your growth hormone therapy will be tailor-made to suit your individual needs and wellness goals. At our clinics, you will always be treated as an individual, and never like just another number on a prescription pad. When we get to know you as a person, we can prescribe the best hormone replacement therapy for you, one that uses the lowest effective dose for you needs, which helps to minimize any possible side effects related to growth hormone therapy.

We also only use the very highest quality bioidentical hormones available, sourced from reliable local pharmacies. This is another way we are committed to providing all of our patients the safest and most effective growth hormone therapy possible.

Most patients who are undergoing properly prescribed and monitored growth hormone therapy, experience little or no problems. Those that do report some discomfort, usually find that the side effect subsides, as their bodies adjust to the presence of the medication. Even in those that briefly stopped the medication due to a minor side effect , patients can often restart the medication slowly without incident.

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