Somatropin for Weight Gain

For all patients taking this medicine:

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take somatropin for weight gain. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• If you have high blood sugar (diabetes), talk with your doctor. This medicine may raise blood sugar.
• Check your blood sugar as you have been told by your doctor.
• Tell your doctor if you have signs of high blood sugar like confusion, feeling sleepy, more thirst, more hungry, passing urine more often, flushing, fast breathing, or breath that smells like fruit.
• This medicine may affect certain lab tests. Tell all of your health care providers and lab workers that you take this medicine.
• Have blood work checked as you have been told by the doctor. Talk with the doctor.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while taking somatropin for weight gain.
• Follow the diet and workout plan that your doctor told you about.
• If you have a history of cancer or tumors, talk with your doctor. The chance of new tumors may be raised in some patients.
• If you have Turner syndrome, talk with your doctor. The chance of ear infections, high blood pressure, and very bad blood vessel problems like stroke and bleeding in the brain may be raised.
• This medicine may affect how much of some other drugs are in your body. If you are taking other drugs, talk with your doctor. You may need to have your blood work checked more closely while taking this medicine with your other drugs.
• If you are 65 or older, use somatropin for weight gain with care. You could have more side effects.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks of using this medicine while you are pregnant.
• Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. You will need to talk about any risks to your baby.

Children:

• Some products have benzyl alcohol. Do not give a product that has benzyl alcohol in it to a newborn. Talk with the doctor to see if this product has benzyl alcohol in it.

Use somatropin for weight gain as ordered by your doctor. Read all information given to you. Follow all instructions closely.

• It is given as a shot into the fatty part of the skin.
• If you will be giving yourself the shot, your doctor or nurse will teach you how to give the shot.
• Follow how to use as you have been told by the doctor or read the package insert.
• Move the site where you give the shot with each shot.
• Do not give into skin that is irritated, bruised, red, infected, or scarred.
• Do not shake the solution.
• Do not use if the solution is cloudy, leaking, or has particles.
• Do not use if solution changes color.
• Wash your hands before and after use.
• Throw away needles in a needle/sharp disposal box. Do not reuse needles or other items. When the box is full, follow all local rules for getting rid of it. Talk with a doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

What do I do if I miss a dose?

• Take a missed dose as soon as you think about it.
• If it is close to the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your normal time.
• Do not take 2 doses at the same time or extra doses.

WARNING/CAUTION: Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of the following signs or symptoms that may be related to a very bad side effect:

• Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Signs of a pancreas problem (pancreatitis) like very bad stomach pain, very bad back pain, or very bad upset stomach or throwing up.
• Signs of a weak adrenal gland like a very bad upset stomach or throwing up, very bad dizziness or passing out, muscle weakness, feeling very tired, mood changes, not hungry, or weight loss.
• Signs of low thyroid levels like hard stools (constipation); not able to handle cold; memory problems; mood changes; or a burning, numbness, or tingling feeling that is not normal.
• Weakness on 1 side of the body, trouble speaking or thinking, change in balance, drooping on one side of the face, or blurred eyesight.
• Shortness of breath.
• Mood changes.
• Low mood (depression).
• Change in eyesight.
• Very bad headache.
• Chest pain.
• Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.
• Swelling in the arms or legs.
• Bone pain.
• Very bad muscle or joint pain.
• Change in color or size of a mole.
• Blood in the urine.
• Redness or swelling where the shot is given.
• Skin breakdown where this medicine is used.
• Thinning of the skin.
• Raised pressure in the head has rarely happened with somatropin for weight gain. The risk may be greater in patients with Turner syndrome or Prader-Willi syndrome. Signs most often happen within the first 8 weeks of starting this medicine. Call your doctor right away if you have change in eyesight, a very bad headache, upset stomach, or throwing up.

• Store at room temperature.
• After mixing, store in a refrigerator. Check with the doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about how long somatropin for weight gain may be used after mixing.
• Protect from light.
• Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
• Check with your pharmacist about how to throw out unused drugs.