Growth Hormone (Systemic)
Before Using This MedicineIn deciding to use a medicine,
the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will
do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For growth hormone,
the following should be considered:
Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or
allergic reaction to growth hormone. Also tell your health care professional
if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives,
or dyes.
Pregnancy - Growth hormone has not been studied in pregnant women.
However, in animal studies, growth hormone has not been shown to cause birth
defects or other problems.
Breast-feeding - It is not known whether growth hormone passes into
breast milk.
Children - There is no specific information comparing use of
growth hormone in children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
with use in other age groups.
Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically
in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly
the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information
comparing use of growth hormone in the elderly with use in other age groups,
it is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people
than it does in younger adults.
Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used
together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together
even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to
change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking
growth hormone, it is especially important that your health care professional
know if you are taking any of the following:
-
Corticosteroids (cortisone-like medicines) - These medicines
can interfere with the effects of growth hormone
Other medical problems - The presence of other medical
problems may affect the use of growth hormone. Make sure you tell your doctor
if you have any other medical problems, especially:
-
Brain tumor - Growth hormone should not be used in patients who
have a brain tumor that is still growing
-
Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) - Growth hormone may prevent
insulin from working as well as it should; your doctor may have to change
your dose of insulin
-
Underactive thyroid - This condition can interfere with the effects
of growth hormone
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