Saizen

Before taking this medicine

Somatropin should not be used in people with: • Acute critical illness caused by complications after open-heart or abdominal surgery, multiple accidental injuries, or acute respiratory failure. • Active cancer, or evidence that a brain tumour is progressing or has returned. Previous cancer must be inactive and its treatment completed before starting somatropin. • A known allergy to somatropin or any ingredient in the medicine. • Active proliferative or severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, which are serious forms of diabetes-related eye disease. It must not be used in children with Prader-Willi syndrome who are severely obese, have a history of upper airway blockage or sleep apnoea, or have severe breathing impairment. Sudden deaths have been reported in these patients. It must not be used to promote growth in children whose growth plates have closed. Medical assessment and monitoring are needed for people with previous tumours, diabetes or impaired blood sugar control, adrenal insufficiency, an underactive thyroid, or scoliosis. Childhood cancer survivors treated with somatropin have an increased risk of a second tumour, particularly meningioma after radiation treatment to the head. Blood sugar should be monitored, and diabetes or steroid replacement medicines may need adjustment by the prescriber. An eye examination is needed before treatment to check for swelling of the optic nerve associated with raised pressure inside the skull. Somatropin can cause raised pressure inside the skull, fluid retention, joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome, especially in adults. Children with Prader-Willi syndrome need assessment for upper airway blockage and sleep apnoea before treatment; treatment should be stopped if these signs develop. A new limp or hip or knee pain in a child requires assessment. Persistent severe abdominal pain requires assessment for pancreatitis. Seek prompt medical attention for an allergic reaction.