Re: Side Effects of GH--Ali?

[Guest guest]

Thanks Debby,

I've copied, paste, and printed for my " HECTOR'S BOOK

OF MEDICINE " . It's really informative. I'm glad to

say that we're going to go ahead and do the GHT and we

are getting help with (medical wise) from a program

called " children with hidden disabilities " . So it's

like GOD sent! Thanks again!

ali

--- " Deb B. " wrote:

> Here's the promised sheet that I received from my

> endo. regarding the side effects. I think it was Ali

> that I was mentioning I would get it for when I went

> to work today. Anyway,....here it is.

>

> Debby

>

>

> > This is a paper handed to me by my endo. at the

> Hospital For Sick Children

> here in Toronto. It lists all the potential side

> effects of GH treatment in

> > children undertaking this form of treatment. My

> understanding is that this

> list is comprehensive (ie. it includes everything).

> But others may get a

> > different form from their endo's. I share this

> only out of interest sake.

> Also, it was explained to me that " by law " these

> side effects must be

> > explained to the parent at the time of starting.

> Many of these side

> effects are rare and one (the leukemia scare) only

> occurred once, in Japan,

> and

> > has never happened again. I was told that this

> particular side effect will

> be removed from the warnings soon. " They " believe

> that since it has never

> > happened any where else in the world, since then,

> that it was some other

> factor and not the GH. However, if ONE patient has a

> side effect, it becomes

> > necessary to report it. Hence this list. At the

> end of the list I will

> give you some of the explanations that I got as this

> list was explained to

> me.

> >

> > GROWTH HORMONE TREATMENT

> >

> > Your child is about to start growth hormone. This

> synthetic form of growth

> hormone has been used since 1986. It has been found

> to be very effective in

> > stimulating growth in children who are deficient

> in growth hormone. Side

> effects of growth hormone are very few considering

> that over 30,000 children

> > in North America and many more world wide have

> been treated with growth

> hormone. In many cases it is difficult to be sure

> that the rare side effects

> > are actually due to growth hormone but to be safe

> we want to tell you

> about them.

> >

> > 1. There may be an increase in blood sugar. This

> has not required insulin

> treatment. Blood sugar levels return to normal when

> the growth hormone is

> > stopped. We check the blood sugar yearly.

> >

> > 2. Swelling of the feet or hands may occur because

> growth hormone causes

> some children to retain fluid. It usually occurs

> early in treatment and

> > clears up on it's own without stopping the growth

> hormone.

> >

> > 3. Stomach pain may occur and if it is severe and

> there is vomiting you

> should report it to your doctor. There has been some

> relationship to

> > inflammation of the pancreas. It gets better when

> the growth hormone is

> stopped.

> >

> > 4. Slippage of the head of the hip bone may occur

> and this causes hip or

> knee pain and a limp. It may occur with or without

> an injury. Any persistent

> > knee or hip pain should be reported to your

> doctor.

> >

> > 5. Slight breast enlargement may develop in boys

> similar to what happens

> normally to boys in early puberty. It usually gets

> better on its own without

> > having to stop the growth hormone.

> >

> > 6. Children may develop headaches that may be due

> to increased pressure

> around the brain. This is diagnosed by checking for

> signs of swelling behind

> > the eyes. The swelling reduces when the growth

> hormone is stopped.

> Headaches that persist or do not respond to simple

> remedies should be

> reported to

> > your doctor.

> >

> > 7. In the past it was thought that leukemia may be

> linked to the use of

> growth hormone. The opinion after very thorough

> studies is that the risk of

> > leukemia in children with growth hormone

> deficiency of unknown cause

> treated with growth hormone is no greater than for

> children without growth

> > hormone deficiency who are not treated. If the

> growth hormone deficiency

> has occurred because of radiation for a brain tumor

> there MAY be a very

> > slight increased risk. There does not appear to be

> any increase risk of

> growth hormone causing tumors or leukemia to recur.

> >

> > Please remember that side effects are

> exceptionally rare and that growth

> hormone is considered to be a very safe and

> effective treatment. We have

> > encountered very few of these problems in our

> patients who have received

> growth hormone. Please report to your doctor or

> nurse the occurrence of any

> > problems that may arise.

> >

> > That's the end of the list. Now out of interest,

> the stomach pain and the

> headache one is so severe that it is crippling. It

> was explained to me, not

> > your run of the mill " ouch my tummy or my head

> hurts " but one that lasts

> for days and the kids really can't function normally

> due to the pain. The

> > swelling of hands and feet is supposed to be the

> most common. I didn't

> notice this at all for us. The slight breast

> enlargement only happens, I was

> > told, in " chunky " boys. GH is often used for kids

> who's growing has

> stopped due to other medical conditions that the

> treatment caused stunted

> growth

> > (say chemo. treatments ) so for our kids who are

> tiny, this is not a

> concern. The slippage of the hip bone, there is

> some thought that this has

> to do

> > with bone development (or lack thereof) in some

> GHD children. Wouldn't be

> the case, they told me, for RSS kids.

> >

> > Hope this is of some interest to you.

> > Debby

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thanks Debby,

I've copied, paste, and printed for my " HECTOR'S BOOK

OF MEDICINE " . It's really informative. I'm glad to

say that we're going to go ahead and do the GHT and we

are getting help with (medical wise) from a program

called " children with hidden disabilities " . So it's

like GOD sent! Thanks again!

ali

--- " Deb B. " wrote:

> Here's the promised sheet that I received from my

> endo. regarding the side effects. I think it was Ali

> that I was mentioning I would get it for when I went

> to work today. Anyway,....here it is.

>

> Debby

>

>

> > This is a paper handed to me by my endo. at the

> Hospital For Sick Children

> here in Toronto. It lists all the potential side

> effects of GH treatment in

> > children undertaking this form of treatment. My

> understanding is that this

> list is comprehensive (ie. it includes everything).

> But others may get a

> > different form from their endo's. I share this

> only out of interest sake.

> Also, it was explained to me that " by law " these

> side effects must be

> > explained to the parent at the time of starting.

> Many of these side

> effects are rare and one (the leukemia scare) only

> occurred once, in Japan,

> and

> > has never happened again. I was told that this

> particular side effect will

> be removed from the warnings soon. " They " believe

> that since it has never

> > happened any where else in the world, since then,

> that it was some other

> factor and not the GH. However, if ONE patient has a

> side effect, it becomes

> > necessary to report it. Hence this list. At the

> end of the list I will

> give you some of the explanations that I got as this

> list was explained to

> me.

> >

> > GROWTH HORMONE TREATMENT

> >

> > Your child is about to start growth hormone. This

> synthetic form of growth

> hormone has been used since 1986. It has been found

> to be very effective in

> > stimulating growth in children who are deficient

> in growth hormone. Side

> effects of growth hormone are very few considering

> that over 30,000 children

> > in North America and many more world wide have

> been treated with growth

> hormone. In many cases it is difficult to be sure

> that the rare side effects

> > are actually due to growth hormone but to be safe

> we want to tell you

> about them.

> >

> > 1. There may be an increase in blood sugar. This

> has not required insulin

> treatment. Blood sugar levels return to normal when

> the growth hormone is

> > stopped. We check the blood sugar yearly.

> >

> > 2. Swelling of the feet or hands may occur because

> growth hormone causes

> some children to retain fluid. It usually occurs

> early in treatment and

> > clears up on it's own without stopping the growth

> hormone.

> >

> > 3. Stomach pain may occur and if it is severe and

> there is vomiting you

> should report it to your doctor. There has been some

> relationship to

> > inflammation of the pancreas. It gets better when

> the growth hormone is

> stopped.

> >

> > 4. Slippage of the head of the hip bone may occur

> and this causes hip or

> knee pain and a limp. It may occur with or without

> an injury. Any persistent

> > knee or hip pain should be reported to your

> doctor.

> >

> > 5. Slight breast enlargement may develop in boys

> similar to what happens

> normally to boys in early puberty. It usually gets

> better on its own without

> > having to stop the growth hormone.

> >

> > 6. Children may develop headaches that may be due

> to increased pressure

> around the brain. This is diagnosed by checking for

> signs of swelling behind

> > the eyes. The swelling reduces when the growth

> hormone is stopped.

> Headaches that persist or do not respond to simple

> remedies should be

> reported to

> > your doctor.

> >

> > 7. In the past it was thought that leukemia may be

> linked to the use of

> growth hormone. The opinion after very thorough

> studies is that the risk of

> > leukemia in children with growth hormone

> deficiency of unknown cause

> treated with growth hormone is no greater than for

> children without growth

> > hormone deficiency who are not treated. If the

> growth hormone deficiency

> has occurred because of radiation for a brain tumor

> there MAY be a very

> > slight increased risk. There does not appear to be

> any increase risk of

> growth hormone causing tumors or leukemia to recur.

> >

> > Please remember that side effects are

> exceptionally rare and that growth

> hormone is considered to be a very safe and

> effective treatment. We have

> > encountered very few of these problems in our

> patients who have received

> growth hormone. Please report to your doctor or

> nurse the occurrence of any

> > problems that may arise.

> >

> > That's the end of the list. Now out of interest,

> the stomach pain and the

> headache one is so severe that it is crippling. It

> was explained to me, not

> > your run of the mill " ouch my tummy or my head

> hurts " but one that lasts

> for days and the kids really can't function normally

> due to the pain. The

> > swelling of hands and feet is supposed to be the

> most common. I didn't

> notice this at all for us. The slight breast

> enlargement only happens, I was

> > told, in " chunky " boys. GH is often used for kids

> who's growing has

> stopped due to other medical conditions that the

> treatment caused stunted

> growth

> > (say chemo. treatments ) so for our kids who are

> tiny, this is not a

> concern. The slippage of the hip bone, there is

> some thought that this has

> to do

> > with bone development (or lack thereof) in some

> GHD children. Wouldn't be

> the case, they told me, for RSS kids.

> >

> > Hope this is of some interest to you.

> > Debby

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

You welcome Ali. Anytime.

Debby