- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
anyone had to do HGH treatments for their child? - UPDATE
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:01 am
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:01 am
My son is tiny. He is 6 years old and is 40" and weighs 33 pounds. He is below the growth curve at 1% (he would be the shortest child out of 100). His growth over the last year has been keeping up with other kids, he is just wayyyyy behind them and not catching up. He has seen an endocrinologist and next month will have to undergo tests to see if his pituitary gland is producing enough growth hormone. I am trying to be optimistic but realistically it doesn't seem likely that the test will come back normal. If it doesn't, he will likely need to start HGH treatments (daily injections). There are possible long-term side effects such as increased risk of some cancers. Not to mention that even if insurance covers it, it will still likely cost us about $500/month (we are not OT ballers).
Anyone else been in this situation? I am freaking out about my son not being "normal", the risks of HGH, and the cost...
Update: Just got a call about the the test results and he didn't pass. His pituitary gland isn't producing enough hormone on its own. We are likely looking at having to do the growth hormone treatments. Obviously not the outcome we were hoping and praying for but keep telling myself it could me much worse and we still have a healthy boy - he just needs some help. Don't have an appt with the doc until early April but I think the next step is to have an MRI done to make sure there isn't something more serious (tumor) going on with his pituitary gland.
Anyone else been in this situation? I am freaking out about my son not being "normal", the risks of HGH, and the cost...
Update: Just got a call about the the test results and he didn't pass. His pituitary gland isn't producing enough hormone on its own. We are likely looking at having to do the growth hormone treatments. Obviously not the outcome we were hoping and praying for but keep telling myself it could me much worse and we still have a healthy boy - he just needs some help. Don't have an appt with the doc until early April but I think the next step is to have an MRI done to make sure there isn't something more serious (tumor) going on with his pituitary gland.
This post was edited on 3/20/17 at 10:30 am
37
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:03 am to marinebioman
Is that safe for a child?
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:04 am to Kcrad
Its supposed to be. It is a normal treatment for children whose body is not producing enough of the hormone themselves. We certainly aren't considering this for any other superficial reason.
This post was edited on 2/17/17 at 12:00 pm
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:05 am to marinebioman
Sounds like he was fed formula. That's a common side effect
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:05 am to marinebioman
(no message)
This post was edited on 5/4/17 at 4:02 am
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:13 am to marinebioman
I had a few friends in high school take treatments. In all seriousness though you can get that shite right over the border administered by a doctor for much cheaper.
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:18 am to el Gaucho
My little boy was on formula from 3 weeks old and he's almost 1 now. He's over 98% in height weight and head size. It's more genetics than anything else
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:21 am to marinebioman
Wishing the best for your boy and family.
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:24 am to marinebioman
How big are you and your wife?
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:31 am to Dorothy
I am 6'2" and my wife is 5'4". Everyone else in my immediate family is short, with my dad only being 5'7" and my mom and sisters being around 5'2".
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:34 am to Dorothy
Having had to ride the hormonal rollercoaster due to serious medication side effects for a chronic illness if they want to out your child on shots you get a second opinion on that before you do anything.
If you son is just small but otherwise happy and healthy and awesome then you might not want to traverse that path.
Hormones are a absolute motherfricker with nothing exact and a lot of trial and error.
If you do inject. Get them to let you do it subcutaneous with an insulin needle.
Also keep a logbook detailed of reactions and changes in mood in relation to dosage.
Good luck
Edit: my best friend growing up was a shrimp. Very small and skinny. Come 11th grade that bastard passed me up. May just need time to catch up.
If you son is just small but otherwise happy and healthy and awesome then you might not want to traverse that path.
Hormones are a absolute motherfricker with nothing exact and a lot of trial and error.
If you do inject. Get them to let you do it subcutaneous with an insulin needle.
Also keep a logbook detailed of reactions and changes in mood in relation to dosage.
Good luck
Edit: my best friend growing up was a shrimp. Very small and skinny. Come 11th grade that bastard passed me up. May just need time to catch up.
This post was edited on 2/17/17 at 7:40 am
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:35 am to marinebioman
We thought we were going to have to do hormone treatments with our stepdaughter. She's 14 and barely 4'10". She also wasn't developing like the other girls. Thankfully, she has grown over the past year and is beginning to develop.
I would get him checked because he's so small. Poor cub.
I would get him checked because he's so small. Poor cub.
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:37 am to marinebioman
My cousin has done this treatment with her son. He has caught up a bit in growth. They are both in medical profession so I'm sure they were comfortable with pros and cons of the treatment from an informed perspective.
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:40 am to thejudge
quote:
If you son is just small but otherwise happy and healthy and awesome then you might not want to traverse that path.
This is why my parents decided not to do it when I was young. I was also born with a genetic endocrine condition and still see an endocrinologist 2-3 times a year to monitor meds and blood levels. I can't remember my growth percentages at the time, but I ended up at 5'8" as an adult. Get a second opinion and don't rush into it. Unless they expect your boy to end up close to 5 feet tall or shorter, it's probably best to pass. Have they recommended he have a bone density scan? I also had those done for many years to help monitor my growth.
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:40 am to SabiDojo
He has the test next month that will determine everything as far as treatments vs. just monitoring him. Its weird because on the one hand I want the test to come back saying his hormone levels are normal but on the other hand I don't want him to stay tiny for the rest of his life...He is super smart and his kindergarten classmates love him, but its only a matter of time before he reaches an age where he becomes a target. He also wears glasses so I just hate thinking of what he is going to deal with as he goes through school.
Being a parent is awesome but it sure sucks sometimes too.
Being a parent is awesome but it sure sucks sometimes too.
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:41 am to marinebioman
Just an anecdotal account. My cousin who is two years older than me was on some growth hormone when we were young around 8 or 9. We were around the same size and I was a pretty small kid myself. I never remember hearing any negative stories about it. He grew to a normal size around 6". I'm still a shorty.
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:42 am to Oilfieldbiology
quote:
My little boy was on formula from 3 weeks old and he's almost 1 now. He's over 98% in height weight and head size. It's more genetics than anything else
Same here, and my son is 15 months and right about 3 feet tall. Every time we go to his pediatrician they always say he's in the top 97%.
This post was edited on 2/17/17 at 7:43 am
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:43 am to marinebioman
How long would the treatment last ? On going or just a predetermined amount of time?
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:46 am to SW2SCLA
Not sure of the exact test that was done about 9 months ago (I spend a lot of time out of town for work) but they determined his bones are behind about a year and a half, which the way it was explained to me was not necessarily a bad thing because it meant he had more growth ahead of him and that he was just behind. However, the more I think of it, if his body isnt creating enough growth hormone on its own, he may not see that full growth?
Obviously we will be having much more thorough conversations with the endocrinologist if his results on next month's test are bad. The doctor did seem genuinely concerned yesterday that something isn't right though.
Obviously we will be having much more thorough conversations with the endocrinologist if his results on next month's test are bad. The doctor did seem genuinely concerned yesterday that something isn't right though.
Posted on 2/17/17 at 7:47 am to tigers win2
I am not sure on the duration but my understanding is that we are talking at least a couple of years.
Page 1 of 5
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News