What Is Somatropin (Growth Hormone)?
Somatropin is recombinant human growth hormone, or HGH. The US Genotropin label describes a protein with 191 amino acid residues and the same amino acid sequence as human growth hormone from the pituitary. US Genotropin label, section 11.
Somatropin is a growth hormone protein, testosterone is an androgen hormone, and tadalafil is a PDE5 inhibitor medicine. Genotropin description; AndroGel description; EMA Cialis overview.
Who Is Genotropin Indicated For?
In the United States, Genotropin is indicated for adults with adult-onset or childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency. Its pediatric indications include growth failure caused by growth hormone deficiency. US Genotropin label, section 1.
The label also includes pediatric indications involving Prader-Willi syndrome, children born small for gestational age, Turner syndrome and idiopathic short stature, subject to its criteria. US Genotropin pediatric indications.
What Do Body-Composition Findings Mean?
Genotropin's label describes normalization of IGF-I and body-composition effects in adults with growth hormone deficiency. That is the population attached to the findings. It is not a healthy-adult bodybuilding population, so do not carry those treatment findings over as evidence of bodybuilding or anti-aging benefit in healthy adults. US Genotropin label, section 12.1.
Important Safety Warnings
Genotropin is contraindicated in active malignancy. Bring a relevant medical history to a discussion with the treating clinician. US Genotropin label, section 4.
The US Genotropin label also contraindicates treatment with pharmacologic amounts of somatropin in patients with acute critical illness due to complications following open heart surgery, abdominal surgery or multiple accidental trauma, or with acute respiratory failure. US Genotropin label, section 4.
Somatropin can reduce insulin sensitivity and uncover impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes. The label calls for periodic glucose monitoring during treatment. US Genotropin label, section 5.4.
The label reports intracranial hypertension with symptoms including visual changes, headache, nausea or vomiting. It also describes fluid retention during adult replacement treatment, which can include edema, joint or muscle pain, and nerve-compression symptoms such as carpal tunnel syndrome. US Genotropin label, sections 5.5 and 5.7.
Related Pages
Return to the growth-hormone overview for this category, or use the research index to choose another guide. The testosterone guide has its own medical-use and warning discussion.
