Dear Ellis,

Hope very much you can provide some answers to my dilemma. I am 46
years old and an avid believer of anti-aging therapies including HGH
Humatrope)and Testosterone (Androgel). Both are prescribed by my
physician and are carefully monitored through blood testing. My IGF-1
and Testosterone levels have been raised and as a result feel
considerably better and healthier.

Would like to know if anyone knows of any documentation in the
medical literature which would indicate whether or not HGH and/or
Testosterone could possibly cause or exasperate an Avascular Necrosis
(Osteonecrosis) [bone death] condition. The reason I ask this is... I
was told by an Orthopedic Surgeon in November 2002 that I have this
condition. Unfortunately, he failed to offer any treatment for my
condition other than suggesting that I stop, or at the very least,
reduce my HGH dosage which was then being administrated by my primary
care physician for a chronic fatigue condition.

[I don't see why growth hormone would cause or exasperate "bone death"
but I am not a doctor, so I can't tell you that I am certain. However,
you say you feel considerably better and healthier because you take
growth hormone and testosterone, and the bottom line is how you feel,
and not what the Orthopedic Surgeon thinks, especially since he did not
give you any reason why HGH would cause this, or offer you any treatment.
- Ellis]

The bottom line is that this surgeon left my Avascular Necrosis
disease untreated for over a year and consequently it progressed to
the point where I needed to get a hip replacement in February 2004.

Obviously my life has been turned upside down by my AVN disease and
subsequent surgery and believe my medical case was horribly
mismanaged.

I continue to receive HGH and Testosterone therapy to this day as I
personally believe that these therapies did not cause or further
advance my AVN. (My primary care physician holds the same medical
opinion.)

[I am not a religious person, but there are little curious tidbits
that I have read in my life that stick to my brain. I will tell you
what it says in a Jewish prayer book to decide what you should do if
you want to eat on Yom Kippur... If you think you should eat, and one
doctor thinks you should eat, and 1000 doctors think you should not
eat, then you should eat.

You have the support of your primary care physician, so you can
continue to "eat" your growth hormone. - Ellis]

I was on corticosteroids for three months in 2001, and believe this
was the likely cause of my AVN.

[Maybe... I don't know what is the cause. - Ellis]


Obviously, HGH and Testosterone replacement therapy still remains a
highly charged and controversial treatment issue with many untruths
about it floating around. I spent many hours on Internet search
engines looking to see whether or not HGH and or Testosterone can
cause or exasperate an Avascular necrosis condition. Unfortunately,
have achieved little success.

Can anyone direct me where I can find a definitive answer? I know many
doctors subscribe to Regeneration and like you, Ellis, are experts in
this field.

[If anybody can explain what causes AVN or "bone death", please let us
know. - Ellis]

I am not at all looking to disparage anti-aging therapies as I am a
long time convert and hold these therapies in the highest regard. I
believe that this Orthopedic Surgeon was more likely caught in the
mass hysteria about Human Growth Hormone and consequently failed to
provide proper and adequate medical care. As these anguished many
months are now behind me as I am off my steel cruthches and round the
clock pain medication, I am looking to set the record straight about
Human Growth Hormone. No person should ever again experience what has
happened to me due the possible negligence of a health care
professional.

Any information you can provide is greatly appreciated.

Thank You!

Robert (NYC)

[This is the first time anybody writes about AVN, so I have no
experience at all in it. Any doctor that knows some answers to
Robert's questions, please let us know. Three stars for this
post, to call attention to a possible side effect of taking
growth hormone! In the meantime Robert, read this page: HGH
and Pain (caused by an accident):

http://www.rajeun.net/pain.html

- Ellis]