title: Octreotide treatment of acromegaly.
abstract: The experience of St Bartholomew's Hospital in the treatment of acromegaly with octreotide is presented. When administered intravenously and subcutaneously, octreotide had a longer circulating half-life than natural somatostatin. Subcutaneous octreotide in a range of doses (50-400 micrograms) caused a very similar degree of growth hormone (GH) suppression, but the duration of suppression increased with size of dose. A dose of 100 micrograms octreotide 8-hourly provided very good suppression of GH in acromegalic patients; occasional nocturnal escapes may be a problem of inadequate dosage. Long-term octreotide treatment in 14 patients reduced GH to below 20 mU/l and only 1 case was apparently unresponsive. No serious side effects have so far been seen. Octreotide antibodies have been detected in 1 patient unresponsive to octreotide infusion. Gallstones have been found in 6 of 14 patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, London, UK.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wass
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D015282:Octreotide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004338:Drug Combinations; D001971:Bromocriptine; D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D015282:Octreotide