Hi Carol,

We seem to have the same name and, coincidentally, my son used to take growth hormone shots, though we have since discontinued them. Re. your question about postives and negatives of GH:  Positives would mostly be in the "nothing ventured, nothing gained" category.  In other words, they may not do any good, but how do you know, if you don't try?  Negatives would be that GH could possibly make your grandson's CAH much more difficult to control, because they increase the activity of the enzymes that metabolise cortisol. Also, unless your grandson will be in a study of some sort, or the doctor is willing to make other arrangements on your behalf, the drug is also extremely expensive, upwards of $15,000-$20,000/year.  And because it is not FDA approved for treatment of CAH, and thus is still considered experimental, it is not usually covered by insurance.

Before resorting to the shots, I'm wondering if there might not be other things about your grandson's treatment that could be changed, in order to improve his growth.  For example, I am wondering why your grandson is on hydrocortisone AND prednisone.  That is really somewhat unusual.  Could it be that he is oversuppressed and his growth has slowed, as a result of that?  Can you tell us a bit more about his history?  How long has he been treated for CAH?  How big is he---height and weight?  What kind of doses is he currently taking and when?  Sorry, for all the questions, but it helps to consider things in context.

Best Wishes,

Carol M.