My girls recently saw an endocrinologist and she is recommending growth hormones to help make up for the growth they missed out pre-Crohns diagnosis. Have any of you ever had that recommendation for your children?
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Human Growth Hormone??
- Thread starter bethhall3434
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We did not but I recommend doing it. They could possibly catch up on their own but for their self confidence sake I wish I had done it for mine.
I think it depends on how far behind they are, where they are at in development. It seems I've heard at most it might add a couple of inches.
For what it's worth my son was delayed, did a lot of testing with an endocrinologist but really once we had the Crohn's disease under control the growth and development took off.
He started on remicade (which ended up being his magic medicine) at 14 1/2 and was 5'1" and weighed 89 pounds and in very early stages of puberty. He is 18 now and is 6'1" and 149 pounds. He grew 9" over a years time! Puberty hit hard and he had about 3 years worth over a single year.
For what it's worth my son was delayed, did a lot of testing with an endocrinologist but really once we had the Crohn's disease under control the growth and development took off.
He started on remicade (which ended up being his magic medicine) at 14 1/2 and was 5'1" and weighed 89 pounds and in very early stages of puberty. He is 18 now and is 6'1" and 149 pounds. He grew 9" over a years time! Puberty hit hard and he had about 3 years worth over a single year.
We are on them now with my oldest son. They want to treat both since he is so far behind. It's very expensive and you have to prove that it is needed. So we had to have a test done called a Growth Stimulation Test. That tests to see if the body is releasing hormones with glucose changes. It does not hurt but it takes about 4 hours and they increase and decrease your glucose so not the most wonderful feeling when you leave. After that if they see a deficit they make you have a MRI of your childs brain. That kind of freaked me out, because tumors can press on the pituitary which could be the reason for delay. This is not the case most of the time. Once that is ruled out they start you on daily injections each night. They have a co-pay program that helps thankfully, so don't worry to much about that. The injections do not hurt they are smaller then a insulin needle. I am not sure how much it will help my son as I tend to agree with JMRodgers that once the Crohn's is dealt with then the body can absorb nutrients etc. As a boy I didn't want him to be stuck at 5ft as a adult so we are doing it, along with his Crohn's medications. Fingers crossed and lots of prayers I hope to see some growth!! You can contact me if you have any other questions