vere breathing problems.
GENOTROPIN should not be used by patients who have had an allergy or bad reaction to somatropin or any of the other ingredients in GENOTROPIN. In the event of an allergic reaction, seek prompt medical attention.
Some patients have developed diabetes mellitus while taking GENOTROPIN. Dosage of diabetes medicines may need to be adjusted during growth hormone treatment. Patients should be watched carefully if growth hormone is given along with glucocorticoid therapy and/or other drugs that are processed by the body in the same way.
In childhood cancer survivors, treatment with growth hormone may increase the risk of a new tumor, particularly certain benign brain tumors. This risk may be higher in patients who were treated with cranial radiation. Also, patients and their doctors should check regularly for skin changes.
A small number of patients treated with growth hormone have had increased pressure in the brain. This can cause headaches and problems with vision. Treatment should be stopped and reassessed in these patients. Patients with Turner syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome may be at higher risk of developing increased pressure in the brain.
Thyroid function should be checked regularly during growth hormone therapy. Thyroid hormone replacement therapy should be started or adjusted if needed.
Patients treated with growth hormone should be checked regularly for low serum cortisol levels and/or the need to increase the dose of the glucocorticoids they are taking.
In children experiencing rapid growth, curvature of the spine may develop or worsen. This is also called scoliosis. Patients with scoliosis should be checked regularly to make sure their scoliosis does not get worse during their growth hormone therapy.
In children experiencing rapid growth, limping or hip or knee pain may occur. If a child getting growth hormone therapy starts to limp or gets hip or knee pain, the child’s doctor should be notified and the child should be examined.
Growth hormone should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed. It should be used with caution in nursing mothers because it is not known whether growth hormone is passed into human milk.
Use a different place on the body each day for growth hormone injections. This can help to prevent skin problems such as lumpiness or soreness.
Some cases of pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas) have been reported rarely in children and adults receiving growth hormone. There is some evidence that there is a greater risk of this in children than in adults. Literature suggests that girls who have Turner syndrome may have a greater risk of pancreatitis than other children taking growth hormone. In any child who develops lasting, severe abdominal pain, pancreatitis should be considered.
In studies of GENOTROPIN in children with GHD, side effects included injection site reactions, such as pain, redness/swelling, inflammation, bleeding, scarring, lumps, or rash. Other side effects were fat loss, headache, blood in the urine, low thyroid activity, and mildly increased blood sugar.
In studies of GENOTROPIN in children born SGA, side effects included temporarily elevated blood sugar, increased pressure in the brain, early puberty, abnormal jaw growth, injection site reactions, growth of moles, and worsening of scoliosis (curvature of the spine).
Deaths have been reported with the use of growth hormone in children with Prader-Willi syndrome. These children were extremely overweight, had breathing problems, and |
