What to Expect with Humatrope
As with any medication, children's responses to Humatrope vary, and some children respond to treatment better than others. Also, a child's catch-up growth will not occur all at once. If your child is responding well to treatment, within a few months you may start to notice certain changes that signal an increase in the speed of growth such as:
- Increase in appetite – Growth requires fuel, so you may find that your child is frequently hungry. If so, it is important that he or she receive good, nutritious meals and snacks – rather than junk food – to satisfy the hunger.
- Larger shoe size – Often the feet will show a growth spurt before the body does, so you may find yourself needing to replace last year's sneakers well before they are worn out.
- Need for new clothes – When your child's legs start to grow, those three-year-old jeans may need to be replaced, because they're too short – not because of holes in the knees.
These are all signs that your child's growth is increasing. But rather than measuring your child's height at home, it is best to wait until you return to the pediatric endocrinologist to have your child's height measured, as this will give the most accurate picture of how well he or she is responding to treatment. Of course, a good response to treatment requires that the medication be taken regularly and at the correct dose as instructed by your child's doctor.
What are the side effects of Humatrope?
As with all medications, side effects do occasionally occur. The most common side effects in children treated with Humatrope for any growth problem are generally related to rapid growth, including muscle and bone aches and pains, swelling of hands and feet, and injection site pain. Middle ear infections may also be more common during Humatrope treatment in certain conditions. This is not a complete listing of the possible side effects of Humatrope treatment. For more information about safety, please refer to the important safety information link on this page.
