Growth Steroids

Growth steroids are commonly confused as being Steroids or Human Growth Hormones (HGH), however the two are very different compounds with ‘Growth Steroids’ merely being a slang term that is interchangeable to describe either.

Human Growth Hormones are produced in the pituitary gland. Both HGH as well as Somatostatin SST are both released by the hypothalamus, the body’s mechanism for controlling homeostasis, and this process determines whether more or less HGH will be produced by the pituitary gland.  Steroids are synthetically derived and based on the male sex characteristic testosterone.

History of HGH:

HGH was first isolated in 1956 and its structure was identified in 1972. Before anything was ever discovered about genetic engineering HGH was only used from human sources. Pituitary glands were removed from human corpses, processed and the hormone was injected into people where HGH was deficient. This method had been helping children in the UK since 1959.  This was soon discontinued as these patients were beginning to develop a brain disease that was fatal and this was linked to the human variant of mad cow disease, Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease.  In 1981 Genentech developed the very first synthetic HGH. The modern drug is called Somatropin and because it is synthetically made it does not carry the risks that the old days of processing pituitary glands did.

Somatropin:

Somatropin is supplied in multi-dose vials containing white powder which does require reconstitution with sterile water before use. The dosage may vary but it is between 1mg to 24 mg or more per vial. Athletes use it as a performance-enhancer as it increases muscle size as well as strength.  HGH has been found to be more effective in sports that require quick burst of muscular power and in cases where muscles are allowed to recover after exertion.

Side Effects of HGH:

The side effects of artificial HGH should not be ignored.  The adverse side effects of Somatropin include headache, flu-like symptoms, water retention, and joint pain.  Less common side effects of Somatropin include dizziness, upper respiratory infection, numbness or tingling, sore bones, carpel tunnel and insomnia.  If Somatropin is abused the side effects include increasing of the brow and jaw bone size, enlarged tongue and damage to liver, kidney and heart.  

Just to be noted, if Somatropin is injected it can cause redness, itching and lumps at the injection site.

Where is Somatropin Found?

Somatropin is found in many countries and is produced under different trade names. The most common brand names include Humatrope, Omnitrope and Genotropin. This product, however, is very likely to be counterfeited and resembles HGH vials but these vials have been relabelled. It is advised not to take any product that contains loose powder.