HGH Human Growth Hormone: Forms of Human Growth Hormone
by David P. Leonardi, MD
Introduction
| Nomenclature | History
| Use | Somatopause
| Treatment | Benefits
| Side-Effects | Summary
TREATMENT
REGIMENS
Growth hormone can be given either subcutaneously or by intra-muscular
injection with equal therapeutic activity.
Subcutaneous
administration is now used almost exclusively because intra-muscular
administration is fraught with an increase in side effects without
any additional therapeutic benefit. Back in Dr. Rudman's time,
growth hormone was typically dosed three times a week in what
we now consider a high dose regimen. People would typically receive
12-18 units per week given in injections of 4-6 units, three times
a week.
Although great benefits were seen, side effects were very common,
and much more bothersome than those we see today.
Currently
we use only about half the weekly dose used in Dr. Rudman's study,
by smaller and more frequent injections, which provide both a
better clinical response and far fewer side-effects.
In
one study on growth hormone deficient children, those that received
daily injections increased their height during the study period
by 9.7 centimeters more than those who received thrice-weekly
injections. Besides the low dose-high frequency technique, the
physicians at Cenegenics® also employ morning injections as
opposed to evening. The reason for this has to do with the biofeedback
mechanism for growth hormone. Most of our natural pituitary growth
hormone secretion occurs at night during deep stages of sleep.
Injecting growth hormone at night raises the serum level of growth
hormone precisely during the time the pituitary is scheduled to
become active.
This
high serum level of growth hormone from the injection can suppress
our natural pituitary function by negative feedback. We then not
only lose the benefit of our own endogenous growth hormone, but
also run the risk of surpressing the pituitary, thus making it
"lazy". For the most part, the pituitary has completed
its function and is at rest by 5 a.m.
Therefore
injecting after awakening in the morning results in injecting
"on top of the peak" of endogenous (our own) growth
hormone, so as not to suppress the pituitary. By the time the
pituitary is ready again for its nighttime activity, the growth
hormone given in the morning injection has been completely metabolized.
This eliminates the risk of pituitary suppression.
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