Human growth hormone (HGH), also known as somatotropin, is a peptide hormone produced by the pituitary gland that stimulates growth, cell reproduction and regeneration. HGH levels peak during adolescence and decline with age. Due to its potential performance and anti-aging properties, there is significant interest in using synthetic HGH as a supplement. However, HGH is a prescription-only medication and cannot legally be purchased over the counter without a prescription.
There are several reasons HGH is prescription-only:
- Safety - Excess HGH can cause side effects like joint pain, edema, carpal tunnel syndrome, and increased cancer risk. Prescriptions allow medical supervision to minimize risks.
- Legal status - In most countries, HGH is a controlled or scheduled substance that can only be obtained with a valid prescription. Sale or distribution without one is generally illegal.
- Abuse potential - Healthy adults can only produce about 1 mg of HGH daily. Therapeutic doses are typically below 2 mg/day. Much higher doses are often abused for performance enhancement, necessitating prescription controls.
Despite prescription requirements, some sources
illegally claim to sell injectable HGH online or in foreign countries without a prescription. However, substances sold without prescriptions often lack quality control and may be:
- Counterfeit or unapproved products
- Contaminated, expired, or unsafely manufactured
- Diluted or containing inadequate amounts of actual HGH
- Entirely different drugs being passed off as HGH
This makes illegally obtaining HGH online extremely risky.
The only way to legally obtain real bioidentical human growth hormone is through a doctor's prescription, which requires an assessed medical need for HGH therapy.
Some dietary supplements are also marketed as "HGH boosters" or "HGH releasers". Examples include:
- L-arginine
- L-lysine
- L-glutamine
- Colostrum
- Certain amino acid blends
However, oral HGH boosters do not provide any actual HGH. Rather, they aim to encourage the pituitary gland to produce and secrete more growth hormone naturally using amino acids, vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts.
Their effectiveness at meaningfully increasing HGH levels is debated. As dietary supplements, HGH boosters can be purchased without a prescription since they do not contain any actual hormones.
In summary, while a few supplements claim to boost endogenous HGH production,
bioidentical human growth hormone itself requires a valid medical prescription and supervision. Obtaining real HGH without one is illegal and comes with health risks due to uncertain ingredient quality and high abuse potential. Consulting a licensed healthcare practitioner is necessary before using HGH therapeutically. Illegally obtaining this controlled medication without medical oversight is not recommended.