Genetic Disorders Forum - Human Growth Hormone Deficiency

Conditions and Diseases > Genetic Disorders Forum > Human Growth Hormone Deficiency

Q: Human Growth Hormone Deficiency

asked by: clovest on February 25th, 2008

New User

Hello, I'm new to this so I hope I'm doing this correctly.

I am a 22 year old female, I weigh 75lbs and I'm 4'7" tall. All of my life I've tried to accept the fact that I'm extremely tiny. In my childhood it wasn't so bad. People mistakenly thought I was a toddler when I signed up for school, and through my elementary or primary school years it wasn't much of an issue. Even through Middle school and most of High school I wasn't bothered much about this. Now that I am a young adult, I'm finding it hard to deal with.

I am always mistaken for a 12 year old. Everyone I come in contact with knows that I am not the age I look because of the maturity in my voice, the clothes that I wear, but I constantly get asked "excuse me, ma'am.. how old are you?" and usually I shrug it off. It is upsetting but I'm trying to learn to live with this.

I recently went to get an annual exam at my GYN's office and it was the first visit I've had with this specific doctor. He told me I was abnormally small and asked me if I ever looked into what may have caused this. My parents really haven't done much because I'm a very healthy person and as a child it never seemed to bother me. He also asked if I have ever consulted with an endocrinologist (I think that is what he spoke of).

Now I know of a young guy, around 15 years of age I think, who is taking injections of what I believe is the Human Growth Hormone. And I know that people of the older generation take this to slow down aging (hopefully I'm correct - this is what I understand from online research)

What I'm asking is if this hormone would help me. What exactly is this hormone, what does it do, and am I too old to take this to get adequate results for what I would be expecting?

Replies(7)

Honeycomb

replied on July 24th, 2008

Experienced User

Human Growth Hormone Deficiency

Clovest, If you haven\'t already seen an endocrinologist you should make an appointment to see one. Your short stature could be caused by a pituitary cyst or tumor (benign). These usually grow slowly and growth hormone is supposedly the first of the pituitary hormones you will become deficient in if you have a cyst/tumor/lesion thingy. An MRI will usually detect any pituitary lesion.
At 22, you are too old for growth hormone injections to increase your height, however GH is needed for other body functions and may need to be given if your doctor feels it would be helpful to you. You will NOT be given GH if you do have a pituitary cyst (or other abnormal growth) for fear of enlarging the growth of the cyst.
I am the mother of a 12 year old son who has been diagnosed with a pituitary mass. After two MRI\'s his doctors still don\'t know if it is a cyst or another type of tumor. My son is 4\'5\" tall and has been since the age of 9.
If you do not feel ill, it is possible there is a simpler cause for your growth deficiency, but I would urge you to see an endocrinologist to rule out any problem that may rob you of your health in the future.
Good luck!

kaikay414

replied on September 21st, 2008

New User

Human Growth Disorder

Hi! I have this disorder! I took Humatrobe (synthetic human growth hormone) for 3 years. I wore toddler clothes up to 6th grade. I was 7 years old when i stopped growing. My mom took me to an endocrinologist when i was going into 7th because my family doctor wouldnt pass me for a physical until i did see one. It never really bugged me until now being small and short. the endocrinologist actually told my mom that if they found me dead on the side of the road nothing left but my bones then they would be looking for a 7 year old instead of an 11 year old, that crushed my mom. I still look like 12 though which i hate because i am now 18.5 years old. I had to stop taking it because they said once i hit puberty i couldnt, but since then they have released that there is such thing as Adult human growth defiency so now i'm going to go back and see if i can grow more. I'm only 4 foot 10 inches and 100lbs. ( i only weigh that much cuz my boyfriend doesnt like me to be too skinny cuz it looks unhealthy. i still look really skinny though cuz im made of muscle.) Humatrobe allowed me to grow about a foot taller though. so maybe i can get to what they said it would get me to, which is 5ft. 4in. if I'm allowed to get back on it. i hope this makes u less scared since the last person said a tumor. I had a mri done to figure mine out, they injected me with dye through an IV before i took the mri though.

Mame

replied on October 19th, 2008

Supporter

How tall are your parents? This is a non-specific complex genetic trait that can be somewhat estimated. GH deficiency cannot be ruled out but there are other potential ddx.

I would consult an endocrinologist or be referred to one by the family physician.

BabyCakes7

replied on May 11th, 2009

New User

First Hand

Hi,I'm 16 and have GHD. I take growth shots every single night and have been told I'll be on them for the rest of my life so I don't think its too late for you to start. I go to an endo doctor every month to make sure my GHD levels are contained. I have GHD because my pituitary gland stopped fuctioning correctly so it stopped producing hormones so here I am Smile

timeisshort

replied on May 11th, 2009

Experienced User

it might be of help

go to an educational site called ithyroid.com this will help you understand how the thyroid is involved in all of this & how you can use nutrition to assist or maybe eveneliminate some ailments such as i have had.

ghmom

replied on June 10th, 2009

New User

Poor academic performance in children with GHD?

Can anyone tell me if a deficiency in the human growth hormone can also cause symptoms like memory loss or poor academic skills in children?

concernedn

replied on August 18th, 2009

Experienced User

Is height and weight are all the bulls**t that count for someone to be called a nice person even when it's genetic and nothing can be done.

I wonder and I just wonder!

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