Growth hormone causing insomnia

[mhr4]

Hey Group and Dr. Mariano,

I have been on and off of growth hormone for about 6 months now. I can’t stay on it because it causes me to experience severe insomnia. When I take it, I wake up every 2-3 hours and I never feel refreshed in the morning. I also have adrenal and thyroid issues that I am still in the process of getting resolved. Does anyone know why this is and what I can do about it?

Thanks,

Mike

[DrMariano2]

Generally, when problems are occurring in treatment, there are problems which need to be first addressed.

When it comes to obtaining mental health and physical health, there are a hierarchy of areas where problems have to be first addressed:

1. Nutrition
2. Immune system problems
3. Nervous system problems (this includes brain, psychological and social issues)
4. Adrenal signaling regulation
5. Thyroid signaling
6. Testosterone signaling
7. Estrogen signaling
8. Growth Hormone

Diabetes can be assessed for and treated at any level. However, it may also be reduced significantly by the time testosterone is addressed.

If problems at one level are addressed prematurely, then the foundation for the treatment may not have been set to either self-correct or minimize adverse effects.

Growth Hormone generally should be the last hormone to add in order to avoid adverse effects, but to also improve growth hormone production with the problems higher in priority to address first.

Growth Hormone, for example, can cause problems by reducing adrenal function by up to 30 %. If a person is already having problems with this signaling system, then a further reduction in signaling (e.g. reduction in cortisol, progesterone, DHEA, etc.) can impair one’s ability to adapt to stress, and stress signaling/norepinephrine signaling can increase causing insomnia.

Growth Hormone, in some, can reduce Free T4. This may result in reducing overall thyroid hormone signaling. This can result in increased sympathetic nervous system signaling to increase energy and body temperature. This can contribute to insomnia.

Growth Hormone can increase insulin resistance, sometimes precipitating diabetes. This can increase stress-signaling – and insomnia.

These adverse effects can be avoided – and the final dose of growth hormone can be lowered – by addressing higher priority targets which lay the foundation for growth hormone treatment, if needed at all.

[pmgamer18]

What Dr. M said is about what I did before adding HGH. I am Hypopituitary and have had low GH for yrs. I am now recovering from Heart Bypass Surgery the Heart Dr. I see was an Endo and know all about my Problems with hormones he feels I had blockage to my heart from the low Hormones and the main one he felt was the Growth Hormone.

I treat my low Testosterone, Cortisol, Thyroid, Aldosterone/Renin and Ferritin levels now last Nov. I added Growth Hormone. At first I would wake up in a sweat on it about 2 weeks. I started at .3 mgs or .9 IU’s of Humatrope it comes in a 6 mg Pen. What was going on was my sugar levels were falling so my Dr. told me to take the shot in the morning for a month then try it at bedtime again this worked.

Now after on GH for about 3 months I started sweating with a high heart rate and my BP was up. Labs showed my Thyroid started working on GH and I was going hyper on 4 grains of Armour / day. We started lowering the dose to the point I was off the Armour. Then about 2 months later having good labs I started to hold a lot of water and my hands and feet were going numb.

My Dr. said the dose of GH was to high and took me off it in about 6 weeks he put me back on it but by then my TSH was up at 5.7 and Total T4 with Free T3 below mid range.
So when I went back on GH he put me on Synthroid to bring my T4’s up so far it good now and T3’s are above mid range. I am now doing .15 mgs of GH and sleep like a baby some morning my sugar is on the low side if I don’t eat some nuts or cheese before bedtime to help keep my surger levels up.

I think in my case the first time the dose was to high now I am doing great.

[Author]

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