View Full Version : Growth Hormone
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,99277,00.html
A recent controversial FDA decision will allow doctors to prescribe a supplemental growth hormone to short patients with completely normal hormone levels.
The medication in question is Eli Lilly’s (LLY) Humatrope (search), an injected protein that stimulates growth, specifically in children. Once used only by boys and girls with serious hormone deficiencies, the drug has been approved for use in extremely short but otherwise healthy children.
Short but OTHERWISE healthy. Good lord what is the world coming to? I come from a family of short people. we're all short, I am just BARELY five feet tall, BARELY. I am NOT the shortest adult woman in my family. Yes, we were teased, but I would not say it was an overly detrimental aspect of our lives. If you read the article, you will see that "teasing" is the ONLY reason these idiots give for prescibing HORMONES to young children for a totally COSMETIC purpose. WHAT the FRIG are these people thinking? I cannot believe it, I really cannot.
ponygurl
10-07-2003, 11:23 PM
Otherwise healthy.. till they start introducing hormones..
Otherwise healthy.. till they start introducing hormones..
Are you just shaking your head, like me? Talk about DUMB.
Yes, because extra hormones are what anyone needs ::)
ponygurl
10-08-2003, 06:07 AM
Yes, because extra hormones are what anyone needs ::)
C'mon.. a few horrormones never hurt any woman. ;D
(Just the men) :P
C'mon.. a few horrormones never hurt any woman. ;D
(Just the men) :P
He was asking for it ;)
ponygurl
10-08-2003, 06:16 AM
He was asking for it ;)
You bet your ass he was. :P
McBp_2003
10-08-2003, 10:14 AM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt that I am. The taller you are the more strain put on your body, and the more medical problems you get when you're older. Also the taller you are the sooner you die, something with the heart not growing in proportion to the rest of the body. Since when did being short become a problem? God see this is whats wrong with the world these days. People don't like something so they make it into a medical problem, just accept who you are, everything about you, good, bad, short, tall. Just quit bitchen about the way you look.
Being blessed with a fair, blondish, blue-eyed, Nordic godlike demeanor, I’ve never been vain about my appearance. ;)
But seriously… I’m becoming streaked with gray, my hairline makes that M-shape high on my forehead (“M” as in “male pattern baldness,” a family trait… even Mom has it); I’ve got a little facial scarification from acne and an auto accident, as well as a Frankenstein surgery scar running down my neck from under my left ear; and finally, after almost 45 years of abusing my body, I’m now about ten pounds overweight (don’t hate me).
Even though there are relatively easy “fixes” available for all of this, I have no compelling desire to do anything about them. (Although I am keeping an eye on one patch of gray on the side of my head… it seems to be developing into a “skunk stripe.” I don’t mind graying… but not in goofy patterns.) :o However… it is comforting to know that, if I ever choose to do so, I could just run off to a dermatologist or “plastic surgeon” for some smoothing, nipping, tucking, etc.
Back in High School, a fellow student had a very long, narrow, prominent chin. To my casual observation, it didn’t seem to present any medical difficulties… he didn’t seem to have any trouble with dentition… and, in fact, he was one of the guys that I was secretly attracted to in my repressed homosexual manner. I was surprised when he had it “repaired.” Since they had to break his jaw and remove “excess” bone, his teeth were wired together for a couple of weeks; and I remember thinking: “what an awful lot of trouble to go through just for appearance’s sake.”
(I’ve always been a “function before form” kinda guy.)
But people do that… and I can’t necessarily fault them for it. Good self-image = good self-ESTEEM = better mental health. So long as they’re not being OBSESSIVE about it (IE: BAD mental health)… there’s no good reason to not pursue relatively easy “fixes.” If they’re willing to PAY for it, and they’re willing to take the risks (wired jaws, infections, rejections, et al), who are we to say “don’t do it?” If it’s reasonably safe… go for it… if you like.
(Folks get tattoos and body pierces all the time.)
MADG, I am with you...for adults, or for children even, with some kind of deformity. BUT, these hormones have been linked to certain types of cancer. CANCER. Seems like an awfully big risk to take to gain 6 inches, at the most.
I cannot imagine the stupidity of parents who would allow their child to risk cancer in order to be a bit taller. And I say this as a person who lives with shortness. ;)
ponygurl
10-08-2003, 05:08 PM
MADG, I am with you...for adults, or for children even, with some kind of deformity. BUT, these hormones have been linked to certain types of cancer. CANCER. Seems like an awfully big risk to take to gain 6 inches, at the most.
I cannot imagine the stupidity of parents who would allow their child to risk cancer in order to be a bit taller. And I say this as a person who lives with shortness. ;)
I work with a gal who is 4'11 inches. My 11 yr old daughter is 5'foot 5, and looks at this woman in disbelief.. ;D
I work with a gal who is 4'11 inches. My 11 yr old daughter is 5'foot 5, and looks at this woman in disbelief.. ;D
That's like one of my cousins. LOL. She's 4 11 and she's a cheerleading coach. All the girls just TOWER over her, it's really quite funny. ;D
MADG, I am with you...for adults, or for children even, with some kind of deformity. BUT, these hormones have been linked to certain types of cancer. CANCER. Seems like an awfully big risk to take to gain 6 inches, at the most.
I cannot imagine the stupidity of parents who would allow their child to risk cancer in order to be a bit taller. And I say this as a person who lives with shortness. ;)
“Have been linked?” C’mon… I’ve heard that plain popcorn is the only “non-cancerous” food out there. (Pass me the nachos.) ;)
The fact that you “live with shortness” does not mean that everyone can… or SHOULD… or MUST… do that. You are okay with yourself… that’s fantastic. I’m okay with myself as well… warts and all.
It comes down to the risk/reward ratio. (Plus cost.) If you “just can’t live with yourself” as is… and there are opportunities for RELATIVELY easy “correction” out there… well… why not?
Listen… only once in my life did I serve in a wedding…as an usher… for my oldest and closest friend… and it was a horrible experience. Not only do I despise being put on “display”… and being forced to “perform”… but at six feet tall… I TOWERED above the rest of the wedding party.
(To complete my humiliation… they “coupled” me with a bridesmaid about half-a-meter shorter than me… how do you imagine that “first dance” looked like? In every photo, I was stooping like Lurch. I’ll never ever do THAT again.)
What about gender dysphasia? This is a recognized medical condition. Some folks work their entire lives just to save up enough moolah to make themselves whole… or “correct.” Who am I to say that they are wrong? I’ve worked MY entire life to make MYself comfortable and “correct”… and if that means taking plugs of hair outta my butt to insert into my forehead… how is that anyone’s business?
(Hmmm… gives a whole new meaning to the term: “butt plug”… or “butt head.”) ;)
Okay… I feel like “sharing.” (You’ve been warned… you might want to stop reading right here.)
The Radical Right likes to infer that all gay men are “pedophiles-in-waiting.” Even though decades of social science has debunked the myth that gays are any more likely to molest, the RR counts on the “protect the children” knee-jerk reaction to translate into popular anti-gay sentiment.
I call it the “Molestation Libel.”
(It’s a big fund-raiser for them.)
Having a… ***ahem***… CASUAL familiarity with pornography, I have noticed in myself a distinct lack of attraction toward the underage set. If it doesn’t look legal… I’m completely not interested. In fact… I’m likely to report it. (And have done so.) Am I just attracted to more “mature” models… OR… have I just internalized AOC regulations?
You know what? It doesn’t matter. I don’t need to engage in this level of self-examination. If it walks and talks and LOOKS like jailbait… it’s jailbait. No questions asked. (Of course, this is not limited to gay porn… query “Lolita” on your favorite search engine. Hetero porn is just as much about “barely legal” as is gay porn.)
I have… (“casually,” of course)… come across models that made me uncomfortable. I’m thinking of one specific example where the “kid”… (from the waist up)… appeared to be about fifteen years old. Indeed… he was marketed as such. Skinny, hairless frame… pert, elfin face… wicked smile…
… and more than half of his body weight… and body hair… below the waistline. Look up, and it’s “James At Fifteen.” Look down… and it’s Johnny Wang.
(You might think I’m straying… but I’m not. Here comes the relevance…)
Every workaday morning I stop by Dunkin Donuts for a cup of coffee for the commute. For the past year, there has been this little guy behind the counter. He’s tiny… compact… and could easily pass for 14yo… a SMALL 14yo. (I’m not sure that he’s ever shaved.) Yet… the fact that he works throughout the day… and has been doing so for some time… demonstrates that he is AT LEAST a High School graduate. He’s 18yo if he’s a day… but he still looks like an eighth-grader.
Even though I KNOW… rationally and intellectually… that he’s of legal age…I just can’t see him as an adult… and… consequently… I can’t see him as “attractive”… in “that way.” I RESPECT him as an person… and we get along great… but for me, to move on him, would be… ummm… creepy, to say the least. This is a young man that will be carded at every club he visits… probably for the rest of his life. He might have to sit on a phone book to pass his road test and get his driver’s license…
… and if he wants to take hormones to spur some growth… well, then… all power to him.
It’s better than him taking hormones to grow tits...
... ey?
Porn aside, you will never convince me that taking hormones to change the natural balance of hormones in your body for something so frivilous is a good idea. In fact, personally, I won't even take birth control pills. Our body chemistry is so...precise, and we just so cavalierly screw with it.
Here is my point. As I said, I don't take birth control pills, and we don't use barrier methods either. This kind of birth control is safe for me. I'm not saying this is a good plan for everyone, but here is where I'm going with this...
My birth control is called "FAM" fertility awareness method. I chart my cycle with computer software (although you can use plain old paper and pencil too, which is how I originally learned to do it) There are three major "indicators" of ovulation, one of which is waking basal body temperature. The flucuations are miniscule, really. It's the HORMONES that regulate these flucuations, and they are PRECISE. WHY would you SCREW with that? This is just one example of how important the precise NATURAL chemistry is.
For years, women took hormone replacement therapy at menopause. Recently, many doctors have stopped prescribing it because they have discovered that over a number of years, HRT can have serious, life threatening consequnces for women. Heart disease and osteoporosis, among some of these complications. To be sure, these "links" were apparent even back when the FDA first approved the hormones for use, but no one knew how serious the consequences would be until now, 20 some years later.
Using children as a long term experiment seems the ultimate in irresponsible medicine. We're talking SIX INCHES, max. Is it worth it?
Do I want to BAN it? No, of course not. Nor do I want to ban hormonal birth control, I am expressing my opinion that messing with hormones is a BAD idea, for SO many reason. NOT the least of which is that we really do not understand our hormone balances. I am expressing concern over children taking hormones, their bodies are still developing, it just seems...all around like a bad idea.
wendy
10-08-2003, 08:53 PM
HRT can have serious, life threatening consequnces for women. Heart disease and osteoporosis, among some of these complications.
Actually, estrogen reduces the incidence and/or severity of osteoporosis. It also reduces the incidence of heart disease. Unfortunately, it increases the chance of cancer or stokes.
Actually, estrogen reduces the incidence and/or severity of osteoporosis. It also reduces the incidence of heart disease. Unfortunately, it increases the chance of cancer or stokes.
http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr08-30-02.cfm
Whoopie. Actaully, they USED to think HRT prevented heart disease, but the study actually indicated an increased risk for heart disease, especially during the first year.
Still works well on osteoporosis, but there are many, just as effective ways to prevent osteoporosis.
In any case, besides the increased risk of heart disease, there were increased risks for other things like breast cancer, stroke and blood clots.
But is it really appropriate to call it a “long term experiment” when they’ve already been using it in the prescribed manner? It seems to me that the effects are already known. The associated risks are part of what the patient should assess. (Also, the treatment would only be for a couple of years at most… right?)
If someone I knew wanted to do this, I think I would ask them a lot of hard questions, and I would do my best to make sure that they understood the risks… but if they ultimately chose to go through with it, I’d be supportive.
But is it really appropriate to call it a “long term experiment” when they’ve already been using it in the prescribed manner? It seems to me that the effects are already known. The associated risks are part of what the patient should assess. (Also, the treatment would only be for a couple of years at most… right?)
In this particular case, the patient is a child.
If someone I knew wanted to do this, I think I would ask them a lot of hard questions, and I would do my best to make sure that they understood the risks… but if they ultimately chose to go through with it, I’d be supportive.
I would NOT be supportive because they are children. For the same reasons I would not support a 14 year old getting breast implants. In all liklihood, she would be fine, but there are risks involved for a developing body and it's simply not worth the risk.
Fact of the matter is, the body chemistry of a teenager is in a state of flux, one that we do NOT understand fully, and to screw with it is monumentally stupid.
In this particular case, the patient is a child.
I would NOT be supportive because they are children. For the same reasons I would not support a 14 year old getting breast implants. In all liklihood, she would be fine, but there are risks involved for a developing body and it's simply not worth the risk.
Fact of the matter is, the body chemistry of a teenager is in a state of flux, one that we do NOT understand fully, and to screw with it is monumentally stupid.
Yes, the patients are children… which means that their parents must be part of the risk assessment.
Well, basically… this is where you and I diverge. Once I’m convinced that the patient (and their parent[s], when necessary) is fully apprised of the risks, and have expressed my opinion as to the non-medically indicated nature of the procedure, I’d leave the decision up to them and would not continue to express disagreement if they decided to proceed.
Yes, the patients are children… which means that their parents must be part of the risk assessment.
Yes, and some parents allow their teenage daughters to get breast implants, and other such nonsense. Sometimes the parents are dumb. I'm sure I've made my share of dumb decisions in regards to Alexa's healthcare. ;)
Well, basically… this is where you and I diverge. Once I’m convinced that the patient (and their parent[s], when necessary) is fully apprised of the risks, and have expressed my opinion as to the non-medically indicated nature of the procedure, I’d leave the decision up to them and would not continue to express disagreement if they decided to proceed.
Well, I wouldn't be standing in front of their house with protest signs or anything, nor would I say, "Oh good for you" because it's not just silly, but unnecessarily risky.
There is more than enough proof that dumping extra hormones into the body is extremely unhealthy. In fact there are now some studies that are proving that bovine growth hormones that are being pumped into cattle are actually bad for us. One study actually showed that more and more girls are getting their period earlier because of growth hormones in meat and milk. You can't tell me that creating a hormonal imbalance is healthy.
Tiger
10-09-2003, 06:09 PM
This is strange - because I am pretty sure it is not a new thing.
9 or 10 years ago the fraternal twin boys that lived down the block from us were growing differently. Their parents were both semi-short, dad about 5'9 and mom about 5'3 or so. One of the boys was on track but the other was very small. I remember the parents discussing whether or not Brad would take injections that would make him taller in the long run. He took them and now at 19 or 20 he is about the height of his dad. He took them every day. They must have been hormones - I don't know - but he did grow.
He had to take them while there was still a chance for him to grow. I wonder now if he will have greater chance for cancer down the road.
However - I have looked into subcutaneous injections of HGH. Have to get them from out of the country - but they are getting good results - or so I read. Not the pills. They aren't worth a hoot.
I am not sure what I would do as a parent. Is it better for a boy to be taller? Hmmmm..................... Maybe it is easier for a girl to be short.
I love being tall - so I might be prejudiced that way. But risking a child's health is an iffy thing.
I tried to stretch my daughter to make her taller - but she ended up at 5'6 anyway. I love her no matter. But my Mother in Law is about 4 foot tall and 4 foot wide.
I think it is an advantage to be taller. At least in the business world. I think Squirt is wrong about tall folks being more ill. If any group is suspect - I think it is fat folks.
Of course - as each generation gets taller - we use more natural resources - we need taller doors, ceilings, etc. More fabric for those sleeves. ;D
I tried to stretch my daughter to make her taller - but she ended up at 5'6 anyway. I love her no matter. But my Mother in Law is about 4 foot tall and 4 foot wide.
And your MIL… you love her no matter, too? ;)
How did you try to "stretch" your daughter?
How did you try to "stretch" your daughter?
A rack I'm sure.
A rack I'm sure.
LOL, I cannot even begin to imagine how you would try to stretch someone.
McBp_2003
10-10-2003, 09:40 PM
How did you try to "stretch" your daughter?
Yoga?
vBulletin® v3.7.1, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.