- question on GH side effects/MAGIC

[Guest guest]

- As per your question on MAGIC and the side effects -- all

3 of these side effects are listed among each of the various side

effects for GH, on each pharmaceutical company's webpage. Your

doctor is correct in that most of the 3 that she listed are ones

that can be caught early, the GH stopped, and the symptoms then

disappear. It is also why endos (well, good ones...) will require 3-

month checkups while on GH, and yearly blood work.

Because the side effects occur so rarely, and because side effects

vary by population group (for example, GH for Down's Syndrome can

cause tumors but seemingly not in other groups), it is much safer

for MAGIC to refer people to the pharmacy websites for side

effects. Our division as a whole has put the listing of the side

effects on this listserve several times.

I commend you for doing the research before making your decision. I

firmly believe that GH is not for every child. For example, a

father told me yesterday that his RSS daughter is doing really well

now, and is tracking to 5'0 " tall. Without having RSS, she should

be at 5'2 " . They have decided that based on this 2 " incremental

difference, they will NOT do GH at this time. I think they 100%

made the right decision. Would I give my daughter shots every night

for years to gain 1 inch? No way. My own daughter was tracking to

about 4'10 " but should have been 5'8 " -- so for us the incremental

potential was so large it was worth trying to gain those precious 2-

3 inches to get above 5 foot.

Hoope this answers your question.

> >

> > > So any extra growth will have to come from growth hormone. Up

> > > until this point my husband and I have been quite resistant. We

> > > just don't want to subject her to the possiblity of any

negative

> > > long term health problems (diabetes or something more serious

> > > from tinkering with the delicate endocrine system).

> >

> > I just had an appt. with Amber's endo last week. Amber is only

> 35.5

> > inches and 23 lbs at age 4. She has not grown any in height for

6

> mo.

> > (last endo visit) so we were told she should begin GHT.

> >

> > The endo, Dr. Christie, told us there were three very rare

> potential

> > complications of using GHT.

> >

> > 1) cranial swelling - this would show up as headaches and if it

> were to

> > occur, we would stop GHT and that would end the swelling.

> >

> > 2) insulin resistant diabetes - while rare, this is a potential

> risk.

> >

> > 3) hip plate separation (can't remember the actual term she

used) -

>

> > this is where the bones would separate and require a pin be

> inserted to

> > correct the problem.

> >

> > While all three possible complications of GHT sounded scary, we

> decided

> > to go ahead with GHT. I'm surprised that members of this list

are

> > unaware of these possible complications. Does MAGIC have info on

> these

> > side effects?

> >

> > -

> > -----------------------------------------------------------------

---

> ----

> > -

> > Jeffries @t...

> > Mom to le (18), (14), and

> > twins Jacquelyn and Amber (4) RSS?/SGA, periactin, zantac,

> > GHT

> (soon)