Turner Syndrome

Most likely, you already know that you have Turner syndrome. This is because most girls with Turner syndrome are diagnosed either as newborns or in childhood. In both cases it is usually some physical difference that is the first sign, like babies with puffy hands and feet, thicker than normal neck skin, or later because they seem to stop growing. However, you may just be finding out now because you aren't as tall or developing like the other girls in your class. In either case, you are probably here for some answers.

Here are a few basic facts about Turner syndrome:

It is genetic, which means you were born with it.
It is caused by a problem in one of the 2 X chromosomes. These chromosomes are responsible for being born a girl, which is why only girls have Turner's.
There are many different degrees to which Turner's affects a girl, but the most common symptom is not growing as fast or tall as other girls.
There are medications to help treat a lot of the symptoms of Turner syndrome, including problems with growing taller.

Treatment With Norditropin®

Short stature in girls with Turner syndrome is not due to a lack of growth hormone (GH), but for unknown reasons, the girl does not respond to the GH she makes herself. Fortunately it has been shown that giving GH in the form of a drug, such as Norditropin®, can increase height during these crucial years so that girls with Turner's can reach close to their projected "normal" height.

Norditropin® is usually given in a once-daily shot. Nobody likes shots, but they may not be as bad as you think. Norditropin® comes in a pen that has a very small needle, and it's easy for you or your parents to learn to use.*

The other cool thing about the pen is that it comes with the medicine already inside. And some Norditropin® pens don't have to stay in a fridge all the time. This means you can just put it in your backpack and pretty much take it almost anywhere you want to go. Most other growth hormone medicines can't do that.**

If you have more questions about Turner syndrome or Norditropin® treatment, ask your parents, and if they don't have the answers, you can ask your doctor. In fact, you might want to check out the Questions for Your Doctor section of this web site for questions to consider asking the doctor at your first visit. And remember, once you start GH therapy, it's important to take it exactly as the doctor tells you and not to stop until the doc says it's ok.

*Needles are sold separately and may require a prescription in some states.

**All Norditropin® products must be refrigerated prior to first use. Do not freeze. After initial use, FlexPro® 5 mg/1.5 mL and 10 mg/1.5 mL delivery pens can either be stored outside of the refrigerator (at up to 77°F) for use within 3 weeks, or in the refrigerator (between 36°F and 46°F) for use within 4 weeks. The FlexPro® 15 mg/1.5 mL and NordiFlex® 30 mg/3 mL delivery pens must always be refrigerated (between 36°F and 46°F)—both prior to and after the initial injection—for use within 4 weeks.

Learn More

The information here focuses on the short stature related to Turner syndrome, which is the only part that Norditropin® treats. But Turner syndrome can affect many other body systems, so there is much more to learn.

For more detailed information please visit the following web sites:

The Turner Syndrome Society of the US www.turnersyndrome.org/

More detailed disease state information from the National Institutes of Health http://turners.nichd.nih.gov/

The Magic Foundation® is a patient group with information on Turner syndrome and other growth-related issues http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/ 981.1070/turner_perspectives_jamie_harvey_erica _eugster.html

Check Out Norditropin Parents and Caregivers

Indications and Usage

Norditropin® (somatropin [rDNA origin] injection) is used to treat: children who have growth failure because of low or no growth hormone; children who are short (in stature) and who have Noonan syndrome or Turner syndrome; children who are short (in stature) because they were born small (small for gestational age-SGA) and have not caught-up in growth by age 2 to 4 years; and adults who do not make enough growth hormone.

Important Safety Information

Do not use Norditropin® if: you have a critical illness caused by certain types of heart or stomach surgery, trauma or breathing (respiratory) problems; you are a child with Prader-Willi syndrome who is severely obese or has breathing problems including sleep apnea; you have cancer or other tumors; your healthcare provider tells you that you have certain types of eye problems caused by diabetes; you are a child with closed bone growth plates (epiphyses) or you are allergic to any of the ingredients in the medicine.

Before you take Norditropin®, tell your healthcare provider if you: have diabetes; had cancer or any tumor; have any other medical condition; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant; are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed.

Norditropin® can cause serious side effects, including: high risk of death in people who have critical illnesses because of heart or stomach surgery, trauma or serious breathing (respiratory) problems; high risk of death in children with Prader-Willi syndrome who are severely obese or have breathing problems including sleep apnea; return of tumor or cancerous growths; high blood sugar (hyperglycemia); increase in pressure in the skull (intracranial hypertension); swollen hands and feet due to fluid retention; decrease in thyroid hormone levels; hip and knee pain or a limp in children (slipped capital femoral epiphysis); worsening of pre-existing curvature of the spine (scoliosis); middle ear infection, hearing problems or ear problems in patients with Turner syndrome.

Patients with Noonan syndrome and Turner syndrome should be closely monitored by their doctors as they are more likely to have congenital heart disease.

The most common side effects of Norditropin® include: headaches, muscle pain, joint stiffness, high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), sugar in your urine (glucosuria), swollen hands and feet due to fluid retention, and redness and itching in the area you inject. If you have headaches, eye problems, nausea or vomiting (these may be symptoms of raised pressure in the brain), contact your healthcare provider right away.

Norditropin® may affect how other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how Norditropin® works so be sure to tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take: glucocorticoid medication, thyroid hormone, insulin or other medicine for diabetes, medicines that are metabolized by the liver (e.g., corticosteroids, sex steroids, anticonvulsants, cyclosporine), or oral estrogen replacement medicine.

For more information, please click here for complete Norditropin® Prescribing Information.

Norditropin® is a prescription medication.

Novo Nordisk provides patient assistance for those who qualify. Please call 1-866-310-7549 to learn more about Novo Nordisk assistance programs.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088

Norditropin®, FlexPro® and Norditropin NordiFlex® are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk Health Care AG. NovoFine® and Novo Nordisk® are registered trademarks and Growth Track Wizard™ is a trademark of Novo Nordisk A/S.
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