How is acromegaly diagnosed?

When a doctor notices signs or symptoms that suggest acromegaly, he or she will order one or more tests to confirm the diagnosis. These may include:

A blood test for elevated IGF-I levels
- This is the best way to diagnose acromegaly. High IGF-I levels almost always indicate acromegaly.
A blood test for elevated growth hormone (GH) levels
- A series of blood samples are taken over several hours. This test requires that the patient avoid food overnight, skip breakfast, and drink a glucose solution on the morning of the test.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the head
- This test allows the physician to look for a pituitary tumor that may be causing excess GH production.

What happens if acromegaly is not controlled?

If acromegaly is not controlled, it can cause diseases, such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Some of these diseases can even shorten your life.

The good news is that there are ways to control acromegaly and reduce some of the associated risks.

Important Information for Patients:

SOMAVERT is a medicine used to treat patients who have acromegaly.

Do not use SOMAVERT if you are allergic to SOMAVERT or any of its ingredients.

The stopper on the vial of SOMAVERT contains latex.

Some patients who have used SOMAVERT have developed liver problems.

Your doctor may do blood tests before and during your treatment with SOMAVERT to check that your liver is working correctly.

The most common side effects with SOMAVERT are pain, infection, reaction at the site of injection, flu symptoms, nausea, and diarrhea. These are not all of the possible side effects of SOMAVERT. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Be sure to tell your doctor if you use:

insulin or other medicines (oral hypoglycemic medicines) for diabetes. The doses of these medicines may need to be changed if you use SOMAVERT.
narcotic painkillers (opioid medicines). Your dose of SOMAVERT may need to be changed if you use any of these medicines.

For full patient information, click here.

The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a healthcare provider. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a healthcare provider, considering the unique characteristics of the patient.

The product information provided in this site is intended only for residents of the United States. The products discussed herein may have different product labeling in different countries.

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