What Are the Risks of Growth Hormone Therapy?

When prescribed by a hormone replacement therapy specialist for the treatment of adult growth hormone deficiency, HGH is an extremely safe medication. That does not mean that there is no potential for side effects – every medication has them.

What are the possible HGH risks that could occur?

Issues such as high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and carpal tunnel syndrome are the worst case scenarios, although these reactions are extremely rare.

When assessing HGH risks and benefits, the doctor will discuss with the individual what current symptoms are presenting difficulties in one’s life.

For example, if a person is dealing with the following symptoms, his or her quality of life could be suffering more than any side effects of HGH could bring. These symptoms of human growth hormone deficiency in adults include:

Fatigue
Low libido
Weight gain
Memory loss
Bone and muscle decline
Premature physical aging including sagging skin, hair loss, wrinkles
Frequent illness
Cognitive impairment
Social isolation
Depression

Compared to some injection site discomfort or water retention, most people would choose HGH hands down over a little edema or itching.

Common Side Effects of HGH

The avoidance of HGH common side effects is easy – do not take HGH except when prescribed by a doctor, and follow all instructions for use. It is really that simple.

The only people who put themselves in line for HGH health risks are those individuals who purchase HGH illegally on the black market or from other people who are not doctors.

Additionally, a person who does not follow the doctor’s prescription for the use of HGH also increases the risk of the following common side effects of HGH:

Edema
Muscle and joint pain and stiffness
Middle ear infection
Acromegaly

The most common of all side effects is redness, pain, irritation, or swelling at the injection site. The chance of any of these injection issues occurring is greatest at the start of treatment when the individual is first getting used to self-administering the HGH injections. With practice, these issues should disappear.

Other potential, although less common, side effects of HGH injections include:

Breast tenderness
Depression
High blood pressure
Backache
Dizziness
Excessive sweating
Numbness or tingling
Chest pain

As with any medication, if you notice any unusual or suspect side effects from HGH therapy, contact the doctor for further instructions.

At times, the HRT specialist may lower the dosage until the side effects disappear, and then increase the dosage at a slower rate until the body becomes accustomed to the higher levels of HGH in the bloodstream.

Serious Risks of HGH

The potential for serious HGH risk occurs through illegal or misuse of human growth hormones, or when the individual has not been honest with the prescribing specialist about his or her medical condition or other treatments.

Because of the rare possibility of HGH cancer risks, human growth hormones will not be prescribed until a person with cancer has been cleared by his or her oncologist. While there is not a direct link to cancer, HGH does improve cellular regeneration, and we do not want to risk an increase in cancer cells.

Someone who engages in the long-term use of HGH illegally, or in an amount beyond what is needed by the body, runs the risk of the following rare but serious side effects: