HGH Debate / Kid Phenoms / Mompreneurs
It's Hollywood's biggest secret to looking young...
How far would you go to look and feel younger? Anderson looks at the growing trend of people taking HGH (human growth hormone), which is said to reduce wrinkles, increase energy and help you lose weight. Some doctors warn this hormone is dangerous. Is it the Fountain of Youth or a life-threatening scam?
Meet a mom and her 23-year-old daughter who both use the drug. Find out why they say it's making them look and feel great, and meet the doctor behind their treatment. Are there legitimate uses for the drug?
Author and actress Alana Stewart joins the conversation and tells Anderson why she briefly used the hormone -- and why she stopped. Plus, hear from another medical expert who is incredibly concerned about the high rate of side effects.
Then, meet incredible kids with amazing talents, including a phenomenal child orchestra conductor and a 10-year-old fitness guru. How have these kids achieved greatness at such a young age, and what can we learn from them?
All season long, Anderson has met inspirational female entrepreneurs. Today, meet a mompreneur who is getting help with organizing her business. Get great business advice for moms with businesses.
Comments
Not personal familiar the HGHs, but know a little from anecdotes from friends who have HIV/AIDS. What they mentioned was that the side effects after a while were pretty significant, i.e., their feet and hands felt brittle. Their feet felt like they were going to crumble when they walked and they were in significant pain. Mind you that they were under doctor's supervision and the HGH treatment was stopped at once when those symptoms appeared.
I wouldn't do it. There's nothing wrong with growing old and cranky, and being set in your own ways. That's what happens when you grown older, you are also more open minded and tolerant about other things as well. Getting older gives you a thirst to know or to listen to people's life stories.
Outward appearance only go so far. How nice you are to your neighbor or to the person sitting next to you in the bus/subway goes a long way. It doesn't matter if you look like a prune or hot like Michael Phelps. So, there.
HGH just like anything else when abused or used improperly could cause side effects like these. Here is a list of the potential complications that could arise if Human growth hormone is abused. http://www.hgh10.com/hgh-side-effects-and-risks/
Anderson, at 41 I was diagnosed with a pituitary macroadenoma, a tumor on my pituitary gland that was 35mm in length. After surgery and radiation, my pituitary no longer produced several hormones/stimulating hormones, a condition known as panhypopituitarism, and I have to replace them pharmaceutically: testosterone, cortisol, and growth hormone. Yes, adults make a nominal amount of GH that helps us with everything from maintaining muscle mass, to cognition, to energy levels. I began the testosterone and cortisol therapy, but I was still literally unable to function normally and had to work part-time. My neurosurgeon and neuro-endocrinologist suggested I begin GH therapy. After about two months I started to feel like myself again and was finally able to return to work full time. As an adult, I take a very low dose via daily, subcutaneous injection, and it has returned my numbers to normal levels. What's more, it has made me FEEL better.
GH is directed for people with my condition, not as a "fountain of youth" but rather as a means of helping those who suffer with my condition to be able to function as close to normal as possible. We sincerely ask that you allow equal time to this discussion.
I'm sad now...I'm a huge fan, I've read one of your books I watch your shows, Anderson and Anderson 360... and I'm also a mother and my son has Russell-Silver Syndrome. He's too young to start GHT right now but will as soon as he can. He's almost a year and is the size of a 3month old. I really wish you had told THAT story. Our kids are so special and without this treatment they're lives are affected.
My daughter, Siobhan, has a condition called Panhypopituitarism. Lucky for her it was found at birth. She takes several medications on a daily basis. One of those being HGH. She is closely monitored by a pediatric endocrinologist who does blood work every couple months to make sure her dosings are correct. if anything is off, we alter her dosings. Anderson, I have been a fan of yours for quite some time but irresponsible journalism like this causes me to begin to look the other way when your show comes on. I believe you should do a follow up show on children with this condition and their families. Shows like this can cause insurance companies to re-evaluate their coverage of this HIGHLY important medicine for children such as mine. I doubt that will ever happen though, so far, you have neglected to respond to several people on this message board who have commented about this episode of your show. You have also failed to respond to a letter written to you from the MAGIC Foundation which my family is a part of. Perhaps you should take a look at the website for the MAGIC Foundation and read up on some facts and maybe even make a public apology to all of our families. the website is www.magicfoundation.org. You will find some interesting fact about our kids on that site. I look forward to hearing some sort of response from you.
I would like to try it! I am interested in knowing more. I would love to see a 2 hour program dedicated to this! Thanks
a very inspiring GHD story is that of Lionel Messi (one of the best soccer players in the world)
Anderson, I watch you regularly and love your ability to report on REAL topics. But this time I am completely disappointed. My daughter was diagnosed with Russell-Silver Syndrome and small-for-gestational-age and at age 5, she was the size of a 2 year old. Her body needed more growth hormone than it could produce. She began nightly growth hormone injections (obviously supervised by a board certified pediatric endocinologist) and at 16 years old, is now at the height she should have been based on us, her parents. Without GHT, she was projected to have been 4'7" or so. Shows like yours continue to promote the superficial use of a medication that is very real and needed by many patients. People begin to question the validity of using a very valuable medication. This in turn can cause insurance companies to question their coverage of a very valuable medication. The end result is that children who very much need this medication are unable to get it. Please take the time to include information in your shows that are 100% accurate about the REAL uses of growth hormone therapy. Thank you. Jennifer
I was diagnosed with growth hormone at the age of 6, when I hadn't grown even a millimeter since I was 3. Without the HGH shots, we were told I would have been very lucky if I made it to 4 feet. Deciding whether to seek treatment is a difficult decision for many families, and it makes me sad to think that some parents may have seen your show and decided not to allow their children the treatment that will make such a positive impact in their lives.
I feel so grateful that I was able to receive this treatment so that I am now tall enough to be considered short.
Anderson, please read these comments and schedule a show that features the real approved uses of GH. I have fought for years for good health. First it was found that I had excess levels of cortisol, a condition called Cushing's disease. I had a brain surgery where they took almost half of my pituitary gland. That surgery didn't cure the excess cortisol production, so I also had a bilateral adrenalectomy. I am now cured of Cushing's and have a much better, healthier life. However I am left replacing many of the hormones that I need to live. Growth hormone is one such hormone. Without it my life expectancy may be cut greatly due to heart disease, including but not limited to cardiomyopathy (GH deficiency causes muscle wasting and, like many have reminded you here the heart is a muscle), atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, etc. Deficiency also makes me want to sleep all of the time, I am a full time worker contributing to the economy. Sleeping all of the time isn't conducive to working, neither is terrible joint pain from no GH. Do you know what it takes to be approved to take this hormone legitimately? It is, at best, grueling. If you prove that you're deficient, then comes the battle with insurance. Praying that the insurance company believes your endocrinologist's opinion/evidence is pretty sad. The doctor that has the experience, the license, and the knowledge to treat me vs. someone behind a desk that may or may not have watched shows that present the view of yours and the like. I can't imagine watching my child go through growth hormone deficiency, like the thousands of parents do. You truly are contributing to hype, that leads to legislation, that may end, or seriously decrease so many peoples lives. Further, I lived almost 10 years in a body that produced mass amounts of a hormone over what I needed. People need to be very careful using a hormone that they have not been tested deficient in. Acromegaly is not something I'd risk just to look/feel younger. Your ignorance and callous attitude about this subject has disappointed. I am also a nurse and I do all that I can to foster knowledge and acceptance about this and other endocrine conditions. You could do a lot by airing an episode (or multiple episodes), about these diseases that affect thousands of your viewers, and millions of people in their lives. Thank you for your consideration of this request. It is important to us, our children.
Suzanne Somers didn't even start HGH until 7 years after her cancer diagnosis! Dr. Perls needs to do some fact checking and Anderson - you should correct this. Suzanne put out a formal response on Facebook and Twitter.
Hello! My name is Wanda and I say if after taking that drug for 12 years and she looks the way she does then she needs to stop. I am 50 years old and I have never taken prescription/non-prescription drugs to enhance my looks. There are all kinds of commercials for weight loss but none for weight gain. I am 5'5" and weigh 110 pounds. I do not have kids but am VERY youthful for my age. I am ALL natural and there are others like me. What about us?
I have a disease called Acromegaly my Dr. found a pituitary adenoma on my pituitary my HGH levels were very high. They had to remove the adenoma surgically. I also had breast cancer before they found the adenoma and I always felt because of the increased production of HGH that it caused my breast cancer. I also had poor circulation from the disease. I would never want anyone to go throught what I went through. Also the breast cancer was a cake walk compared to the Acromegaly disease. It took me along time to get back to normal after the removal of the adenoma.
I have to say that I'm disappointed that you missed the most important reason for HGH (and maybe what should be considered the only true reason...medical). My 8 year old grandson has bilateral ONH (Optic Nerve Hypoplasia) which includes insufficient HGH among many other conditions. He is required to take a daily injection. He doesn't just need the HGH for puberty but from his diagnosis (around a year old) and for the rest of his life. Because of the hype to use HGH for cosmetic reasons, there are actually families in some states that are fighting to continue receiving this "life necessary" medication. To find out more about these kids, please visit www.magicfoundation.org (I am not affiliated with Magic but I do subscribe to their newsletter). I hope you will consider telling our side of the story. To be honest, HGH is so VERY expensive and perhaps if only the people who really need it were using it, the cost could become more affordable. Dealing with the severe conditions of these children is hard enough but to add the high cost of medicine is sad. A parent should never have to choose between clothing or medicine for their child.
HGH is a beautiful addition to my daily bio=identical hormone therapy and my supplements, determined by blood testing. HGH is the final kiss.
i have been injecting HGH for 15 years. when my house burned down, my first call was to my doc to replace my HGH; yes, it's that important.
our bodies naturally produce HGH. it is not some mysterious concoction cooked up in someone's garage.
your doctor tests for your levels and then replaces what you have lost in the aging process; it's that simple. it's only available by prescription. the HGH online is likely a hustle.
unfortunately athletes take a hundred times their normal doses to bulk up and perform better, so HGH is highly controversial and has a very bad name.
doctors who are trained in this therapy are rare,
if your doctor doesn't know anything about HGH except it's dangerous and controversial, run, don't walk and get yourself to an endocronologist who specializes in anti aging therapies; restoration vs deterioration.
i am 75.
i perform physically as i did in my 40's; not bragging, ask my wife.
last year my biological age was acurately measured at the
Chaum Health Center in Korea; my biological age is 38.
most doctors who put down HGH, bio identical hormone therapy and other anti aging protocols are practicing 50 year old allopathic medicine...that is,
here's the symptom, here's the pills.
they are usually paid speakers for drug companies who dont want you to be savvy about slowing down the clock and being healthy and vital. cause if you are, the drug companies will lose all that pill money.
i do not take one pharmaceutical drug. l am the drug companies' worst nightmare.
take an igf 1 test to determine your HGH levels. it's likely if you are over 35 or 40, your levels are down and all you do is top up the tank.
i do the same with my hormones; daily testosterone, dhea, aldosterone, etc. i also wouldn't go without my testosterone which keeps my bones strong, my brain young and my muscles hard. foreverhealth.com has doctors who know this stuff.
btw, abraham morgantaler md at Harvard just finished a test where he gave men with prostate cancer testosterone and their tumors regressed; just the opposite of what most doctors practice and believe. you can read about in Bombshelll, suzanne somers new book.
HGH is not about looking and feeling younger...it's about living a long and healthy and vital and sexual life without compromise and sharing it with your loved ones.