Somatropin

Somatropin 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.

Somatropin 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.

• Growth failure due to growth hormone deficiency

Growth failure due to growth hormone deficiency
Somatropin acts as a replacement for growth hormone, and helps restore normal growth and development of bones and muscles in individuals suffering from growth hormone deficiency. It helps children grow taller and also enables muscle growth in both children as well as adults. However, it should be used only if prescribed by a doctor and should not be self-administered.

Most side effects do not require any medical attention and disappear as your body adjusts to the medicine. Consult your doctor if they persist or if you’re worried about them

Common side effects of Headon

• Injection site reactions (pain, swelling, redness)
• Headache
• Rash

Your doctor or nurse will give you this medicine. Kindly do not self administer.

Somatropin 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.

• Somatropin helps treat deficiency of growth hormone.
• It is given by an injection into the fatty tissue just under your skin by your doctor.
• Inform your doctor if you have diabetes or if you are receiving treatment with thyroid hormones.
• Inform your doctor if you start to limp due to pain in your hip, while on treatment with this medicine.
• Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Parker KL, Schimmer BP. Introduction To Endocrinology: The Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis. In: Brunton LL, Chabner BA, Knollmann BC, editors. Goodman & Gilman’s: The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 12th ed. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2011. pp. 1115-17.

ScienceDirect. Human Growth Hormone. [Accessed 03 Apr. 2019] (online) Available from:

Somatropin. Sandwich, Kent: Pfizer Limited; 1998 [revised Jun. 2018]. [Accessed 28 Jan. 2019] (online) Available from:

Drugs.com. Somatropin. [Accessed 03 Apr. 2019] (online) Available from: