Patient's question:
A child who is 8 years old typically grows about 1 centimeter per month with growth hormone, and the doctor says this is a good result. So, how significant are the side effects of growth hormone?Doctor's answer:
In the use of growth hormone, there are now a large number of clinical trials that have proven that growth hormone produced domestically and abroad is safe and reliable. The common side effects are local redness and swelling and pain after anesthesia, which usually disappear on their own within 3 to 5 days. In addition, there is hypothyroidism, which often occurs 2 to 3 months after the start of treatment. It can return to normal after taking oral thyroid hormone. To prevent this, doctors usually recommend that patients have a medical check-up at the hospital once a month within the first year after the start of treatment, and then gradually reduce it to a check-up every 3 months to a year.