Growth hormone somatropin controls the growth of internal organs and muscle tissue in the human body. It is a component of the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, increases the concentration of glucose to the blood.
Growth hormone somatropin is produced by the front of the pituitary gland, but it happens that the body requires additional portions of this substance. Then a person begins taking his synthetic counterpart. Drugs generally perform their task, but have a number of side effects that cannot be ignored.
Somatropin production
The production of growth hormone somatropin in the body is not constant. The synthesis of a substance has a wave-like schedule throughout the day. One of the largest releases of the hormone into the bloodstream occurs during nighttime sleep. Statements by scientists that children grow up in a dream have a scientific basis.
The amount of hormone produced is highly dependent on a person’s age. A large amount of the substance in the blood is fixed even before the birth of a person - at 6-8 months of pregnancy. Up to 2 years, the level of the hormone is very high, but by the age of 20, its production is significantly reduced.
Two peptide substances, somatoliberin and somatostatin, affect the production and, conversely, inhibition of somatropin synthesis.
Somatoliberin and somatostatin
Somatoliberin activates the hypothalamus to produce somatropin. It, in turn, develops under the influence of the following factors:
- Deep night sleep, and a person should sleep in the dark.
- Regular physical activity.
- Low sugar in the body.
- A significant amount of estrogen.
- High activity of the endocrine system, especially the thyroid gland.
- Increased levels of glutamine in the human diet.
- The activity of the pituitary gland increases under the action of the hormone ghrelin, which causes a feeling of hunger.
In turn, somatostatin, which inhibits the production of somatropin, increases as a result of the following conditions of the body:
- High glucose.
- Significant amount of fat cells.
- The presence in the human blood of a synthetic hormone, somatotropin.
Lack of growth hormone in the body
Growth hormone somatropin to one degree or another is necessary for a person throughout his life. It is clear that by age its content in the blood decreases, but if this happens at some period of the organism’s existence, it leads to the appearance of a variety of pathologies. So, in childhood, a lack of somatropin leads to the development of dwarfism. The growth of a person in this case stops. And with an excess of hormone in the blood, the so-called gigantism develops. This is a condition when a person grows not only the spine, but also the head of the hands and feet, fingers.
If a malfunction in hormone production occurs after 20 years, then this leads the patient to obesity. The amount of lipids in the blood increases, and, as a result, apathy, impotence, and destruction of the bone structure develop.
A sedentary lifestyle caused by obesity leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases, many of which are deadly.
Where to get growth hormone
You can buy synthetic growth hormone somatropin in a pharmacy at any time. After all, the drug is used not only for its intended purpose (to normalize its level in the blood, which improves the growth of the child), but also for sports purposes. This element breaks down fats and accelerates the growth of muscle tissue, which is just what is needed to increase the strength and endurance of a person. Also, a course for girls of growth hormone (somatropin) is used for weight loss.
The main thing is to observe the correct dosage and regimen, because the drug is synthetic and can act on the body almost unpredictably. That is why drugs containing a hormone are prescribed by a doctor. If the athlete is going to take the substance, then he must first undergo a specialist examination.
Hormone in pharmacies appears in certain drugs - Omnitrop, Genotropin, Norditropin, Norditropin NordiLet, and others. Each has its own norm of active substance in the composition. Prices and admission schemes vary depending on the state of human health. For example, the course of somatropin - growth hormone "Testonate Deca" is 30 days.
Basically, drugs containing somatropin are given in the form of injections, so a person undergoing treatment needs a professional doctor who can correctly inject.
In which case is the doctor prescribing the hormone
The growth hormone somatropin is prescribed for serious pathologies:
- Endogenous GH deficiency or dwarfism.
- Shereshevsky-Turner Syndrome.
- GH deficiency in adults.
- Destruction of bone structure - osteoporosis.
- Strengthening therapy for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
- The drug is used for cachexia.
How much is needed for the course of growth hormone somatropin for these diseases - the doctor decides based on the results of analyzes and the individual characteristics of the human body. That is, the dosage and dosage regimen is assigned to each individual patient, taking into account many factors.
Contraindications for taking drugs
Not all people can take growth hormone somatropin as a medicine. There is a category of patients for whom this serious therapy is strictly contraindicated.
- First of all, these are those who are allergic to the components of the drug.
- Secondly, it is forbidden to take the hormone in patients with neoplasms in the brain.
- Thirdly, if a person has a malignant tumor in any organ, then he should not take this drug, since it can begin to grow rapidly.
- Fourth, drugs with somatropin are contraindicated in patients who have suffered a heart attack, as well as surgery on the heart or abdominal organs.
- Fifth, the drug can not be taken for pulmonary diseases.
You should take the drug with the hormone with extreme caution in diabetes, pregnancy and during breastfeeding.
Side effects of growth hormone
Side effects of growth hormone (somatropin) have been studied quite well and are presented almost in full. Therefore, before using the medicine, you need to familiarize yourself with the list of data on negative effects on the body:
- Pain in the neck and in the temporal lobe of the head.
- Fast fatiguability.
- The appearance of pain in the hip joint, leading to lameness. Knees may also start to bother.
- The occurrence of edema on the hands and feet, especially in the first days of taking the drug.
- A person may begin to feel sick up to severe vomiting.
- The patient is often impaired vision.
- Pancreatic inflammation develops.
- Hearing disorder accompanied by ear inflammation is impaired.
- Moles or freckles may appear on the skin.
- If the child’s growth in connection with taking the drug has accelerated, then scoliosis is possible - curvature of the spine.
Some patients develop antibodies to the hormone, which leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of therapy. In this case, the doctor reviews the dose of the administered substance.
Overdose
If we allow a single overdose, then the body suddenly experiences a deficiency of glucose. After this comes compensatory hyperglycemia, which is also not very good for humans.
If the overdose was long, then the child may develop gigantism with concomitant suppression of the thyroid gland. Treatment in this case involves a complete rejection of the drug.
Additional recommendations
Before deciding how much somatropin growth hormone is needed for a course, the doctor must figure out the cause of his lack of the body. After this, treatment is carried out aimed at normalizing the work of the pituitary gland and the endocrine system as a whole. Sometimes a surgical operation is needed to eliminate the cause, for example, to remove a pituitary tumor that interferes with its normal functioning.
But it is not always the neoplasm that is guilty of a lack of hormone - the pituitary gland can be damaged as a result of a head injury. In this case, the patient must undergo a full course of treatment specifically for brain concussion.
During therapy, it is recommended to inject the substance under the skin in different parts of the body to prevent thinning of the fat layer.
Often, the synthetic hormone TSH is included in the course of treatment, this is done to reduce the likelihood of hypothyroidism.
In diabetes mellitus, patients should especially carefully monitor the level of glucose in the blood and note its sharp jumps, which helps to adjust the dose of the hormonal drug.
If there are side effects, such as impaired vision, hearing, nausea, vomiting, then it is recommended to stop taking the medicine immediately.
Increasing growth hormone in the body through sports
Reviews about somatropin - growth hormone are generally positive. But we must not forget that when taking a synthetic drug, the pituitary gland sharply reduces the production of natural substances, which negatively affects the future. Therefore, it is possible to raise the level of somatropin in the blood without using medicines containing it.
First of all, these are regular training loads. And it doesn’t matter what kind of activity a person is engaged in, the main thing is compliance with the sport regime. That is, the body must get used, for example, to daily two-hour workouts.
If the patient is a small child, he can be given for swimming, gymnastics or martial arts. These activities include strength training and acrobatics.
For a person of middle and older age, light running or walking, that is, aerobic sports, is suitable. You need to understand that regular training can not only increase the level of the hormone, but also lose extra pounds, if any.
Increase in growth hormone in the body through diet
In addition to sports, you need to adjust your diet to increase the level of the hormone in the blood. If the child is still small, then this obligation rests with his parents.
Foods for children and adults must include foods such as cottage cheese, chicken, veal, beans, peas, milk - everything that contains protein. It will be especially useful to include walnuts, eggs, buckwheat and other types of cereals in the diet.
Fat is very important for the body, just like other substances, but you need to replenish its lack wisely. For example, lard is very useful, but interior fat or fatty meat should be categorically excluded.
Remove from the diet forever you need sweet carbonated drinks, because in one bottle of "pop" contains up to 200 g of sugar. This is a lot - for the daily norm, 15-20 g of sugar is enough, about 1 teaspoon. Everything else will necessarily be deposited in the form of fat under the skin.
You can not give the child rich pastries, hot seasonings, products with preservatives and dyes. To make it clearer - be sure to ban the use of foods from fast foods.
You need to eat at least 6 times a day, while portions should not exceed 200 g, that is, they should be small. This will allow not to strain the stomach, then it will be able to digest and absorb nutrients an order of magnitude more.
Somatropin in sports
Agitation of somatropin (growth hormone) medication is actively carried out among professional athletes, in particular among bodybuilders. These athletes are focused on increasing muscle mass in the shortest possible time, and the drug gives them an advantage in this. After all, this substance successfully dissolves fats and builds muscle tissue. But at the same time, a healthy person puts himself at risk, since his pituitary gland ceases to function fully. In addition, the pancreas may fail in the athlete, since the level of insulin varies greatly due to all the same synthetic drugs.
After such a course of "pumping up" muscle mass, an athlete can lose his health for many years, or even forever. That is why the Olympic Committee has banned the use of drugs containing somatropin and other hormones. And those who still use them do this at their own peril and risk.
Conclusion
Against the background of all that has been said, the following conclusions can be drawn. Drugs with somatropin should be taken by those who have a damaged pituitary or thyroid gland. And athletes should focus on training, eating, sleeping, and giving up bad habits. Using hormonal drugs to build muscle or lose weight is dangerous to health. Many potent drugs are banned in professional sports.