TREATMENT DATABASE

Growth Hormone (GH) is a peptide hormone produced in the pituitary gland. It is primarily responsible for increasing height in children, although it has a number of other functions as well, including increasing protein synthesis, stimulating the growth of internal organs, maintaining pancreatic islets, and stimulating the immune system. Medically, it is prescribed for children with growth failure stemming from GH deficiency.

In rare cases, adults will develop GH deficiency. Usually, this is caused by structural problems in the pituitary gland (tumors), although unexplained disruptions in hormone production can also occur. When a physician suspects GH deficiency, he or she will test for the presence of IGF-1 in the body to determine if GH levels are low. (GH secretion leads to IGF-1 production.) As most GH is secreted during deep sleep, patients may be kept overnight to measure GH levels. Too much GH can result in acromegaly, or gigantism.

USES IN ME/CFS: Disturbances in the HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) axis have been well-documented in ME/CFS patients. One of the earliest studies to show that GH is affected by HPA axis dysfunction was conducted by Allain et al in 1997. The research team found that people with CFS/ME showed abnormalities of the GH-IGF (insulin growth factor) axis. A subsequent study by Moorkens et al, using a larger cohort, found that ME/CFS patients showed significant impairment of GH response during insulin-induced hypoglycemia, as well as a low nocturnal GH secretion. A number of studies have also shown low GH secretion among fibromyalgia patients.

The causes of GH deficiency in ME/CFS and FM patients are various. Disruptions in the HPA axis will certainly contribute to lower production of GH. It has also been speculated that because GH is secreted during stage 3 and 4 sleep, widespread insomnia in these two groups, and the subsequent reduction of deep sleep, may be a contributory factor.

Treatment rating for Growth Hormone