Your body is meant to function together as a well-tuned instrument or a high-performance machine. It just doesn’t work as well when something is “off.” You know when something isn’t right, even if you can’t pinpoint the exact problem or know a diagnosis.
The Importance of Hormones
This is particularly true when it comes to hormone levels. Hormones are meant to work together to create energy, give strength, provide focus, and help all organs function correctly. When the levels of one or two drop, you can feel it.
Everyone knows about hormones like testosterone and estrogen and how they relate to things like reproduction and sexual function, but another important hormone is the human growth hormone (HGH).
The growth hormone is most prolific during youth. It is then it is produced in large amounts to accommodate the growing needs of children. It helps them grow taller, stronger, developmental awareness, and focus. It also helps give them energy, promotes sexual function, and other aspects of puberty and young adulthood.
Production of the human growth hormone drops during middle-age, beginning at 30 but really taking a dip after 40. Some studies show it can drop as much as 12 to 15 percent every 10 years. This is typically when people start to feel older. They don’t have the energy, sexual drive, muscle mass, or mental stamina they used to have when they were younger.
This is why it is important to keep hormone levels at an optimal level. When all hormones are functioning correctly with proper production, people can feel better, longer, and have a much more enhanced quality of life well into their older years.
Types of Hormone Treatments
There are several options for those seeking to keep their hormones at their best levels. There are pills, gels, patches, and injections. Some of these are available over-the-counter while others require a prescription.
Growth hormone therapy is linked to anti-aging because of what it does. Specifically, human growth hormone therapy can help:
- You exercise longer, harder
- Keep and even improve bone thickness
- Improve muscle mass
- Reduce body fat as it increases metabolism
Supplements
Supplements are a safe, natural way to increase your hormone production without a prescription. They may be the best way to go if you have a natural decline in hormones and want something to be at your best.
Supplements for testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and even a natural HGH are available in pills, gels, and patches. Bear in mind the strengths in the supplements are not what you would get if you saw a hormone replacement therapist or got injections. They do not contain the growth hormone but are called “releasers” because they help your body naturally produce more of the growth hormone.
HRT Treatments
Those who have an unnatural drop in hormone levels that can be documented by a doctor are great candidates for HRT treatments. These are clinics where a doctor and therapist customize a plan to increase your hormone level that is right for you.
Most specialists recommend injections in HRT treatments because they are the most effective. The hormone is delivered straight into your body for quick working action.
Injections can achieve good, controllable outcomes of hormone levels in most everyone who using them. Patches have been known to cause irritation in the area where they are applied. A study showed that up to 40 percent of men using a testosterone patch end up with a red area on their skills.
Topical gels are the most commonly prescribed treatment by doctors. It is easy to use and effective to up to 85 percent of men, but there is still around 15 percent it doesn’t help.
Injections do involve a long-term commitment as the best results aren’t noticed for several months.
Safety of HGH Injections
While there has been some debate over the safety of growth hormone therapy, injections are safe when prescribed by a doctor and supervised by an HRT therapist. There is a risk of cancer over the long-term, but that is minimal for those with a true unnatural drop in the growth hormone.
Where HGH injections are dangerous, and truly a health problem, is when people use them illegally.
Choices of Injections
It may surprise people considering HRT treatments that there are several types of synthetic hormone injections to choose from. They come from several drug manufacturers and are available in an array of price ranges. They also have different types of potential side effects. It pays to do research before deciding which brand is best for you. Most brands will have the generic name of somatropin.
Norditropin is one of those known generically as somatropin. It comes in injection and a solution. While the brand name has been discontinued in the United Stations, there are generic versions available.
Those considering using this injection must have a fundoscopic exam before starting treatment as well as on a routine basis. Additionally, those who are treated with somatropin as a child should be re-evaluated before using the drug as an adult with an HGH deficiency.
These hormone replacements must be taken by the exact dosage daily. You can start off with a small amount and slowly increase it or get a prescribed dosage based on weight and according to your specific requirements.
Genotropin is the oldest and most well-known brand of synthetic HGH with the generic form known as somatropin. It has been available in America since 1996 and has the original injectable HGH patent. It is also one of the higher priced options.
Those who have a recent injury, medical trauma, lung failure, active cancer, diabetes eye problems, sleep apnea, scoliosis, or a pituitary gland disorder are advised not to take this injection.
The dose you take will depend on the exact condition requiring treatment. It is important to follow directions exactly as they appear on the label and maintain doctor’s appointments.
According to hghtherapydoc.com, Humatrope comes generically as somatropin and is almost as long-lasting in the market as Genotropin and received its FDA approval in 1998. It has 191 amino acids in its formula and is also relatively high priced. It comes as an injection and in an injectable pen.
Those who are allergic to benzyl alcohol shouldn’t take Humatrope. Also, those who have lung failure, active cancer, diabetic eye problems are Prader-Willi syndrome also are advised to not take this injection.
Anyone taking this injection will need frequent medical tests and will need to be on a diet plan advised by your doctor.
Saizen is a newer injection available to HRT therapists and it is closely aligned to Norditropin in both price and purity. It is used for adults who either develop a human growth hormone deficiency as an adult because of pituitary or hypothalamic disease, surgery, trauma or radiation, or those who had a deficiency as a child and need continual care as an adult.
This injection can be given daily either by a customized weight-based plan or starting with a small amount and going with a gradual increase.
Those interested in learning more about hormone replacement therapy should fill out the form below.
