somatropin

If you use a steroid or any medicine to treat diabetes, your doses may need to be changed when you start using somatropin. Do not stop using or change the dose of your steroid or diabetes medication without your doctor's advice.

If you are using somatropin to treat short bowel syndrome, it is very important to follow the diet plan created for you by your doctor or nutrition counselor. Somatropin is not a cure for short bowel syndrome.

If you have Prader-Willi syndrome and are using somatropin, call your doctor promptly if you develop signs of lung or breathing problems such as shortness of breath, coughing, or new or increased snoring.

Call your doctor at once if you have sudden and severe pain or tenderness in your upper stomach, with nausea, vomiting, sweating, fever, fast heartbeat, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. You should also call your doctor promptly if you have vision changes and sudden, severe pain behind your eyes.

How you store this medicine will depend on what brand you are using and what diluent (liquid) you are mixing somatropin with. Read and carefully follow the instructions provided with your medicine about proper storage of somatropin before and after it has been mixed.

Somatropin is a form of human growth hormone. Human growth hormone is important in the body for the growth of bones and muscles.

Somatropin is used to treat growth failure in children and adults who lack natural growth hormone, and in those with chronic kidney failure, Noonan syndrome, Turner syndrome, and other causes. Somatropin is also used to prevent severe weight loss in people with AIDS, or to treat short bowel syndrome.

Somatropin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Before you receive somatropin, tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a growth hormone medicine, or to drug preservatives such as benzyl alcohol, metacresol or glycerin.

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to somatropin, or if you have:

• diabetic retinopathy (a serious eye condition caused by diabetes);
• cancer; or
• Prader-Willi syndrome and are also overweight or have sleep apnea or severe respiratory (lung) problems.

You should also not use somatropin if you have a serious medical condition after having:

• open heart surgery or stomach surgery;
• trauma or other medical emergency; or
• breathing problems (such as lung failure).

Before using somatropin, tell your doctor if you have:

• liver disease;
• kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);
• diabetes;
• scoliosis;
• high blood pressure (hypertension);
• a pancreas disorder;
• cancer (past or present);
• carpal tunnel syndrome;
• underactive thyroid; or
• a brain tumor or lesion.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use somatropin.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether somatropin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use somatropin without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Use this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not use the medication in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your dose of this medicine and how often you give it will depend on what you are being treated for.

Somatropin is given as an injection under the skin or into a muscle. Your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider will give you this injection. You may be given instructions on how to inject your medicine at home. Do not use this medicine at home if you do not fully understand how to give the injection and properly dispose of needles and syringes used in giving the medicine.

Your doctor or nurse will show you several areas on your body where you can inject somatropin. Use a different injection place each time you give yourself the shot. Do not inject this medicine into skin or muscle that is red, sore, infected, or injured.

Do not shake the medication vial (bottle). Vigorous shaking can ruin the medicine. When mixing somatropin with a diluent (liquid), use a gentle swirling motion. Do not use the medication if it has changed colors or is cloudy. Call your doctor for a new prescription.

Use each disposable needle only one time. Throw away used needles in a puncture-proof container (ask your pharmacist where you can get one and how to dispose of it). Keep this container out of the reach of children and pets.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition and not causing harm, your blood and growth progress will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your eyes may also need to be checked. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

If you are being treated for short bowel syndrome, follow the diet plan created for you by your doctor or nutrition counselor to help control your condition. Somatropin is not a cure for short bowel syndrome.

If you use a form of somatropin that comes in a cartridge for use with an injection pen, use only the pen injection system provided with the somatropin brand you use.

How you store this medicine will depend on what brand you are using and what diluent you are mixing somatropin with. After mixing somatropin, you may need to use it right away or you may be able to store it for later use. Read and carefully follow the instructions provided with your medicine about proper storage of somatropin before and after it has been mixed. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about proper storage of your medication.

Throw away any somatropin left over after the expiration date on the label has passed.

Use the medication as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and use the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Call your doctor if you miss more than 3 doses in a row.

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include tremors or shaking, cold sweats, increased hunger, headache, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, fast heartbeat, and nausea. Symptoms of long-term overdose may include excessive growth.

If you use Zorbtive to treat short bowel syndrome, avoid drinking fruit juices or soda beverages. Follow the instructions of your doctor or nutrition counselor about what types of liquids you should drink while using Zorbtive.

Avoid drinking alcohol if you have short bowel syndrome. Alcohol can irritate your stomach and could make your condition worse.

If you have Prader-Willi syndrome, call your doctor promptly if you develop signs of lung or breathing problems such as shortness of breath, coughing, or new or increased snoring. Rare cases of serious breathing problems have occurred in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome who use somatropin.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• sudden and severe pain or tenderness in your upper stomach;
• nausea, vomiting, sweating, fever, fast heartbeat, yellowing of the skin or eyes;
• increased thirst and urination;
• sudden and severe pain behind your eyes, vision changes;
• swelling in your head, face, hands, or feet; or
• numbness or tingling in your wrist, hand, or fingers.

Less serious side effects may include:

• headache;
• redness, soreness, swelling, skin rash, itching, pain, or bruising where the medicine was injected;
• breast swelling;
• joint pain, swelling, or stiffness; or
• mild nausea, stomach pain, gas.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

Before using somatropin, tell your doctor if you use insulin or take oral (by mouth) medicine to treat diabetes. Somatropin may affect blood sugar levels and you may need to adjust your dose of the diabetes medication. Oral diabetes medicines include acetohexamide (Dymelor), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Diabeta, Micronase), tolazamide (Tolinase), and tolbutamide (Orinase). Do not change the dose of your diabetes medication without your doctor's advice.

Tell your doctor if you use any type of steroid medicine such as cortisone (Cortef, Cortone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), prednisolone (Prelone, Pediapred), and dexamethasone (Decadron). Steroids can make somatropin less effective and your doses may need to be adjusted. Do not stop using a steroid suddenly. Follow your doctor's instructions.

This is not a complete list and there may be other drugs that can interact with somatropin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Your pharmacist can provide more information about somatropin.