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Return To Fibromyalgia Article Archive   HGH and Fibromyalgia By R. Drysdale Is there a relationship between HGH and fibromyalgia (FMS)? HGH, or human growth hormone, is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. Though blood levels of the hormone decline naturally as we age, particularly after full growth is attained, both children and adults can suffer from a deficiency of this hormone. In recent years, it has been widely suggested that artificially increasing adult blood levels of human growth hormone can ward off both visible effects of aging and the onset of chronic health problems associated with being older. Naturally, these claims lead to disagreements about what constitutes an HGH deficiency. Are all adults, by definition, deficient in human growth hormone simply because their HGH levels have dropped? Some HGH treatment proponents suggest that many chronic diseases, such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, even obesity, are linked to low levels of growth hormone and can be treated with HGH injections. This is where there is a proposed link between HGH and fibromyalgia - the symptoms of FMS are intriguingly similar to those of documented growth hormone deficiency. Fibromyalgia is a chronic (long term) illness characterized by fatigue, muscle pain, and sleep disturbance. It is more common in women than in men, and usually begins after the age of 20. Scientific study does indicate that there is some relationship between HGH and fibromyalgia: in 1999, Leal-Cerro et al showed that fibromyalgia patients produced less human growth hormone than normal subjects (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 'The Growth Hormone (GH)-Releasing Hormone - GH - Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Axis in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome'), and other work published in the same journal (Landis et al, 2001: 'Decreased Nocturnal Levels of Prolactin and Growth Hormone in Women with Fibromyalgia') reports that the release of HGH from the pituitary is decreased in women with fibromyalgia during sleep. This last finding is significant because the natural release of HGH is highest during sleep at all ages. Despite the documented correlations between HGH and fibromyalgia, the medical community remains firmly adamant that there is insufficient evidence to support HGH treatment for fibromyalgia sufferers. The weight of medical evidence to date simply doesnt support it. In fact, although growth hormone therapy has been proposed for more two dozen medical conditions, it is approved for only five: clinically proven growth hormone deficiency of childhood or adulthood (and here, deficiency is defined by established normal levels in healthy adults), AIDS wasting, chronic renal failure, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Turner syndrome. A publication by the American Journal of Managed Care (Cook and Owens, Oct 2004: 'Developing a Rational Approach for the Use of Growth Hormone in Nonpediatric Patients') stressed the importance of limiting HGH therapy to those conditions for which there is solid medical evidence backed up by clinical trials, and the necessity of using reliable and accurate medical tests to diagnose growth hormone deficiency. Though future medical research may clarify the relationship between HGH and fibromyalgia, for now, the pieces of the puzzle just arent there. About the Author: R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. You can learn more about HGH and fibromyalgia on the AntiAging Information site. Exercise For Fibromyalgia

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