Introduction
Omnitrope is a medicine that is identical to the main form of the naturally occurring human growth hormone. It is used to treat children with growth failure due to inadequate secretion of endogenous growth hormone (GH). It is used to treat short stature in adults also.
Omnitrope is given as an injection into the skin under the supervision of a doctor. Your doctor or nurse will help you to learn the exact method of self-administration. You should receive appropriate training and instructions from the physician before using it. The dose and how often you take it depends on what you are taking it for. You should take this medicine for as long as it is prescribed for you.
The most common side effects of this medicine include injection site reaction, headache, and rash. If these bother you or appear serious, let your doctor know. There may be ways of reducing or preventing them.
Before taking this medicine, tell your doctor if you have ever had diabetes, or have a thyroid disorder. Your doctor should also know about all other medicines you are taking as many of these may make this medicine less effective or change the way it works. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding. You may be asked for regular monitoring of blood sugar levels, kidney function and level of growth hormone before and during the treatment.
Uses of Omnitrope
- Growth failure due to growth hormone deficiency
Side effects of Omnitrope
Common
- Injection site reactions (pain, swelling, redness)
- Headache
- Rash
How to use Omnitrope
Your doctor or nurse will give you this medicine. Kindly do not self administer.
How Omnitrope works
Omnitrope has the same structure as natural human growth hormone which is required for the growth of bones and muscles. It also helps the fat and muscle tissues to develop in the right proportion.
Indication
Growth hormone deficiency, HIV-associated wasting or cachexia, Short bowel syndrome
Adult Dose
Growth Hormone Deficiency
Weight-based dosing
Not to exceed 0.004 mg/kg/day SC initially for 6 weeks; may increase up to 0.016 mg/kg/day maximum
Nonweight-based dosing
0.2 mg/day (0.15-0.3 mg/day range) SC initially; may increase every 1-2 months by 0.1-0.2 mg/day based on clinical response and/or serum IGF-I levels
Short-bowel Syndrome
0.1 mg/kg/day SC (rotating injection sites to avoid lipodystrophy) for 4 weeks; may increase up to 8 mg/day maximum; treatment exceeding 4 weeks not studied
HIV-associated Wasting or Cachexia
0.1 mg/kg/day SC at bedtime (rotating injection sites to avoid lipodystrophy) up to 6 mg/day;
Alternatively:
>55 kg: 6 mg/day SC
45-55 kg: 5 mg/day SC
35-45 kg: 4 mg/day SC
<35 kg: 0.1 mg/kg/day SC
Elderly: Lower doses may be required.
Child Dose
Growth Hormone Deficiency
0.024-0.034 mg/kg/day SC 6-7 days/week
Small for Gestational Age
Not to exceed 0.067 mg/kg/day SC
Nooman Syndrome With Growth Hormone Deficiency
Not to exceed 0.066 mg/kg/week SC
Turner Syndrome With Growth Hormone Deficiency
Not to exceed 0.067 mg/kg/day SC
Contraindication
Acute critical illness due to heart or abdominal surgery, multiple accidental trauma or respiratory failure; active neoplasms, proliferative or preproliferative diabetic retinopathy; lactation; patients with closed epiphyses. Intracranial lesions. Patients with Prader-Willi syndrome who are severely obese or have severe respiratory impairment.
Mode of Action
Somatropin is a synthetic human growth hormone of recombinant DNA origin. It stimulates skeletal and soft tissue growth by promoting cell division, amino acid uptake and protein synthesis. It also possesses both insulin-like and diabetogenic effects.
Precaution
Monitor thyroid function; benign intracranial hypertension. DM; may require dose reduction in insulin. Pregnancy. Discontinue treatment if there is evidence of tumour growth. Monitoring in patients with scoliosis is recommended due to risk of progression of scoliosis.
Side Effect
Hypothyroidism, peripheral oedema; headache; muscle and joint pain; benign intracranial hypertension. Loss of glycaemic control in diabetics, New onset type 2 diabetes mellitus, Scoliosis,Hypoglycemia,Seizures,Pancreatitis,Exacerbation of psoriasis,Hematuria,Hematoma,Leukemia,Papilledema, Arthralgia,Hyperlipidemia,Otitis media,Ear disorders,Respiratory Illness,Urinary tract infection.
Interaction
High doses of corticosteroid may inhibit growth-promoting effects of somatropin.