nautica
New member
Side Effects Associated with Low-Dose GH Replacement
The dose of rhGH is an important consideration in the therapy of acquired GH-deficiency. Large, pharmacological doses of GH are often associated with the clinical sequelae of GH excess, including fluid retention and hypertension. However, increasingly smaller, physiological, doses of rhGH are currently being used for replacement in GH- deficient patients without such sequelae. At a dose of 0.03 mg/kg/week, Bengtsson et al. demonstrated only minor side effects including fluid retention and mild arthralgias in the majority of patients but did report carpal tunnel syndrome in one patient (6). In all cases, further reduction of the GH dosage resulted in amelioration of side effects. In another recent study in which a smaller dose of GH was used, 0.01 mg/kg was administered three times per week without any reported side effects (8). It remains unknown, however, whether chronic administration of GH at doses which keep IGF-I levels within the normal range will also improve key metabolic variables.
My question is:
If someone (who has never used GH therapy) already has carpal tunnel and is considering surgery - should this person avoid HGH? Would it worsen the condition and/or after surgery would the use of GH therapy cause the carpel tunnel to come back since the person is already prone to it???
Thanks
Nautica
The dose of rhGH is an important consideration in the therapy of acquired GH-deficiency. Large, pharmacological doses of GH are often associated with the clinical sequelae of GH excess, including fluid retention and hypertension. However, increasingly smaller, physiological, doses of rhGH are currently being used for replacement in GH- deficient patients without such sequelae. At a dose of 0.03 mg/kg/week, Bengtsson et al. demonstrated only minor side effects including fluid retention and mild arthralgias in the majority of patients but did report carpal tunnel syndrome in one patient (6). In all cases, further reduction of the GH dosage resulted in amelioration of side effects. In another recent study in which a smaller dose of GH was used, 0.01 mg/kg was administered three times per week without any reported side effects (8). It remains unknown, however, whether chronic administration of GH at doses which keep IGF-I levels within the normal range will also improve key metabolic variables.
My question is:
If someone (who has never used GH therapy) already has carpal tunnel and is considering surgery - should this person avoid HGH? Would it worsen the condition and/or after surgery would the use of GH therapy cause the carpel tunnel to come back since the person is already prone to it???
Thanks
Nautica