@SDSue I think one thing that rules out HGH treatment in a lot of cases is that there are other hormonal abnormalities which need to be corrected first--HGH won't work if you have untreated HPA axis abnormalities, thyroid, sex hormones etc.
In my case all of these hormones were in an optimal range and GH "stuck out" as the lone culprit. Sorry I don't have the labs with me now but T4, T3 (corrected with naturethroid), FSH, LH, estrogen, testosterone, cortisol and DHEA were all mid-normal range.
Conversely (I've heard) if abnormalities in other hormone axes are corrected, then GH should return to normal unless you have a primary GH deficiency which is what the various stim tests are meant to detect. So basically it seems most people with real CFS/ME have a secondary, not primary GH deficiency.
But a primary GH deficiency, as others noticed, can mimic CFS/ME...so, as I've learned, it's important to rule out!
@adreno yeah this is a big debate in anti-aging medicine. as others have mentioned IGF-1 does increase cancer risk, so if you're taking HGH to boost your IGF-1 to a younger level (vs. taking it to maintain a mid-normal range for your age) then you may increase your cancer risk above the norm.
@amaru7 yep, with my history I tend to be wary too. All I can say for now is that after six weeks on GH replacement I feel pretty much like I did before my illness started...heh, with the exception of the anger and depression at having lost so many years, friends and opportunities to this!
Here's a complete list as you requested and hope this is helpful to anyone else who is investigating a possible primary GHD. Here is Hip's list, showing which symptoms I had and how much they are improved after GH replacement.
***Pretty much all of my symptoms were accounted for by Hip's list. The only symptoms NOT on his list are: intermittent low-grade fevers (from my autoimmune diseases?), a general low-grade feeling of malaise, and increased susceptibility to bacterial infections. My WBC count has increased from low-normal to mid-normal since starting the GH. GH deficiency can also cause immune issues from what I have read.
(Keep in mind, from what I've gathered, after a long-standing growth hormone deficiency it can take several months before symptoms reach their maximum improvement on GH. These are my results after approx. 6 weeks of GH).
Adult Human Growth Hormone Deficiency Symptoms
Psychological and Cognitive Symptoms
Anxiety, apprehension, nervousness.
-YES--Not improved much, but my life situation would make anyone anxious. I interpret my anxiety as a natural reaction to being stranded at age 34 with no "life" after years of illness.
Shyness, withdrawal from others, feelings of social isolation.
-YES--DRAMATICALLY improved. Before GH I felt incapable of enjoying others' company, now it seems to come naturally.
Sadness, hopelessness, depression.
-YES, DRAMATICALLY improved. My situation is very anxiety-provoking, but before GH I felt constantly suicidal (the suicidal thoughts felt very "chemical," like they were coming from something outside of my own psychology) and changing anything seemed futile, now I feel I have a decent chance of starting a new life. I feel more angry than depressed now--angry I lost my youth to these illnesses, and motivated to change my situation!
Labile emotions (ie, emotions change rapidly and unpredictably, and can be exaggerated).
-YES, MODERATELY improved. I feel more control over my emotions than before.
Poor memory and impaired concentration.
-YES, DRAMATICALLY improved. I felt like I was going senile before. I have occasional brain fog now but nothing like before.
Sexual
Decrease in sexual function and interest (low libido). This is associated with hair loss and baldness in men.
-YES, MODERATELY improved.
Energy Levels
Fatigue, tiredness, and reduced vitality.
-YES, DRAMATIC improvement. I no longer feel fatigued during the day although I still require more sleep than most people (9-9.5 hours)
Decreased energy due to decreased metabolic rate.
-UNSURE I am not clear on what my metabolic rate was. I feel I was in a catabolic state, losing muscle, prior to starting GH.
Lower tolerance to exercise (due to decreased cardiac output), decrease in strength and stamina.
-YES DRAMATICALLY Improved. I've started exercising again and it seems to be helping instead of causing crashes.
Metabolic
High levels of LDL (the "bad") cholesterol.
Changes in blood cholesterol concentrations (increase in LDL and decrease in HDL).
-YES to both. I haven't had these rechecked yet.
Low blood sugar (dizziness or fainting weakness or tiredness, headaches).
Insulin resistance.
-??? I had issues with reactive hypoglycemia early in my illness, but later on my blood sugar crept up gradually. A1C test suggested an average blood sugar of 90mg/dL.
Elevated triglyceride levels.
-YES have not rechecked this yet.
Increased sensitivity to cold or heat.
-YES, MODERATELY improved.
Heart and Circulation
Increased arterial plaque and blood pressure.
-??? on plaque,
-YES, DRAMATIC improvement I did have high blood pressure which has been decreasing.
Increased vascular wall thickness.
-???
Weakened heart muscle contraction and heart rate.
-??? unsure about the strength of my heart contractions.
Heart problems.
-YES, DRAMATIC improvement. My heart felt like it was always beating very hard (maybe to compensate for weakened muscle?) This has recently gone away.
Cool peripheries (cold hand and feet).
-YES, MODERATE improvement. I had feet that were so cold they were painful and I needed thermal insulation socks year-round, now my feet are just slightly cool (not enough to notice or cause discomfort).
Poor venous access.
-??? I had chronic venous insufficiency in my arms and legs (this was the cause of my POTS) and this has slightly improved--I can now tolerate walking part of the day without my compression stockings.
Muscles
Decreased muscle mass (muscle size) and strength.
-YES, MILD improvement: Improving gradually, I have been building muscle since I started GH.
Reduced exercise performance.
-YES I was unable to exercise and am building up to a mild/moderate exercise program.
Body Weight and Body Fat
Decreased lean body mass.
-YES I was underweight but with high body fat percentage. I think this takes time to change but I have already noticed an increase in weight which is probably more muscle because my body feels denser and less flabby.
Increase in weight and fat deposition all over the body, particularly, about the waist and trunk.
-NO I was always underweight, even with untreated Hashimoto's. I'm guessing this was from malabsorption from celiac disease damage (I was on a strict gluten-free diet with no detectable celiac antibodies, but my gut was not healing like it should have). Interestingly I have gained weight since starting GH. My hypothesis is the GH is helping to repair the gut damage, allowing me to absorb nutrients normally.
Bones
Decrease in bone density, making the bones brittle and weak.
Increase in rate of fracture in middle age and beyond.
-???--I have not had bone density tested.
Skin
The skin becomes dry, thinner, looses its elasticity, and fine lines and wrinkles make an appearance.
-YES, MODERATE improvement: my unexplained premature thinning and sagging of skin...definitely improving. My skin feels denser and thicker and I look younger.
Hair
Baldness (in men).
-YES, MODERATE improvement I'm a woman so baldness doesn't apply, but one obvious symptom of GHD is slow hair growth. My hair grew very fast before my infection (almost 1 inch per month) and then slowed down to only 1/4 inch per month a year later. From what I can tell so far it is growing 1/3-1/2 inch per month now, so an obvious improvement.
Sleep
Sleep problems.
-YES, MODERATE improvement: Severe sleep problems: alpha intrusions, excessive daytime sleepiness and delayed sleep phase. I find I need less sleep now: from 12-14 hour before to 9-9.5 hours now.
