Human Growth Hormone Abuse By Adults

In the quest to stop time or improve physical appearance and abilities, some people resort to unauthorized treatments. Specifically, we are here to discuss human growth hormone abuse, a concern in many sports.

While it is not only athletes and weightlifters who show signs of HGH abuse, they do make up a significant sector of the illegal black market. The other aspect of abusing or misusing HGH goes to individuals seeking anti-aging miracles. HGH is not the fountain of youth. It cannot stop time or prevent aging.

What HGH can do is provide the body with missing human growth hormones to improve physical, physiological, and mental functions. For many people, that may seem as if the hands of time are turning backward.

HGH abuse is a significant problem. The ability to buy just about anything on the internet has made illicit HGH available to anyone willing to pay. Sadly, that has also brought out many unscrupulous companies that purvey inferior-quality HGH to unsuspecting buyers.

Even worse are the HGH abuse side effects on endocrine system functions, which can lead to the body shutting down its natural growth hormone secretion. If that occurs, a person might have to remain on HGH therapy for the rest of his or her life.

Further, as we will show below, HGH abuse symptoms can lead to significant health risks.

Human growth hormone abuse is not only dangerous; it is also illegal.

What Constitutes Human Growth Hormone Abuse?

We are often asked what defines HGH abuse. The simple fact is this: human growth hormone abuse is any usage of HGH injections in any of the following ways:

• Purchase and use without a doctor’s prescription
• Receipt of an HGH prescription for any purpose not approved by the FDA

There is a grey area when it comes to hormone HGH abuse when medically prescribed. For example, a doctor may authorize HGH use to help speed healing after surgery. While that is not standard medical use of HGH, it has been shown to provide some benefits in specific areas.

While some doctors may prescribe HGH for anti-aging purposes, it is not considered legal or safe. However, if a person receives a prescription because they have low growth hormone levels, accompanied by HGH deficiency symptoms, then it is not abuse.

The most likely abusers of HGH injections are male athletes and bodybuilders. In women, HGH abuse is not as common. Female athletes and bodybuilders do not use illegal HGH as often as their male counterparts.

Abuse of Human Growth Hormone in Sports

HGH abuse in sports is well-known, and those caught are often stripped of their awards, recognitions, and titles. All major sports associations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), have banned HGH from use.

How does HGH abuse in sports get detected?

Most sports associations regularly test athletes for banned substances, including HGH and anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), such as testosterone. Blood analysis checks for these illicit hormones, and those caught using face significant actions, including disqualification.

Human growth hormone abuse is an area of concern because the benefits do not warrant the downside of using. When asked, most athletes would say that they take HGH to improve lean muscle mass, strength, and speed, while decreasing fat mass. However, study after study has shown these not to be true. If the body makes enough growth hormone, then increasing those levels do not provide any further benefits.

The only area to show any promise in healthy young men is sprint speed, and even that is not enough of a change to warrant the risks. Any increases in muscle mass and strength are typically associated with AAS use since many bodybuilders and athletes use these substances together.

Consequences of Abusing Human Growth Hormone

The consequence of human growth hormone abuse can be dangerous to one’s health. Putting aside the risks associated with buying HGH illegally, such as prosecution, fines, and jail time, there are also concerns over receiving an inferior-quality medication. Some companies use fake labels to mimic brand-name HGH when they really ship out low-quality alternatives.

In some cases, these counterfeit products may contain substances dangerous to the body, including drywall and rat poison. For manufacturers that skip the final, critical step in HGH production, a leftover amino acid containing bacterial residue can cause problems for a person’s health.

How does HGH abuse affect the body when someone uses legitimate HGH when it is not needed?

The physical signs of HGH abuse show up in the following ways:

• Side effects of HGH abuse
  • Fluid retention
  • Swelling in the feet and hands
  • Nerve pain
  • Muscle aches
  • Joint pain
  • Excessive sweating
  • Insulin resistance
  • High LDL and total cholesterol
  • Low HDL cholesterol
  • Headaches

If HGH abuse continues long-term, it can lead to significant and potentially dangerous health issues.

• Health risks of human growth hormone abuse
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Impotence
  • Menstrual irregularities
  • Hypertension
  • Osteoporosis
  • Heart attack
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Acromegaly
  • Abnormal organ and heart growth
  • Malignancy

Long-term supraphysiological levels of HGH can impact respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic functions. For more information about HGH abuse effects, please contact Greenberg Health. We offer confidential consultations by phone at no charge.