Acromegaly Treatment: What Works, What Doesn't, and How to Navigate Your Options

When your body makes too much growth hormone, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that controls growth and metabolism. Also known as growth hormone excess, it causes acromegaly — a condition where bones, organs, and tissues grow abnormally, often leading to enlarged hands, feet, and facial features. This isn’t just about looks. Left untreated, it raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and early death. The goal of acromegaly treatment, a set of medical and surgical approaches to reduce excess growth hormone and manage symptoms is simple: stop the overproduction, shrink the tumor causing it, and reverse or prevent damage.

Most cases come from a benign pituitary tumor, a non-cancerous growth in the brain’s pituitary gland that secretes too much growth hormone. Surgery to remove it is often the first step — especially if the tumor is pressing on your optic nerves. But not all tumors can be fully removed. That’s where drugs come in. somatostatin analogs, injectable medications like octreotide and lanreotide that block growth hormone release are the most common long-term treatment. They work for about 60-70% of people, shrinking tumors and lowering hormone levels. If those don’t cut it, pegvisomant, a daily injection that blocks growth hormone from acting on tissues is used. It doesn’t shrink tumors, but it fixes the symptoms fast. Radiation is a last resort, used only when drugs and surgery fail, because it takes years to work and can damage nearby healthy tissue.

There’s no one-size-fits-all plan. Your age, tumor size, hormone levels, and how your body responds to meds all matter. Some people need just one treatment. Others need a combo — surgery followed by shots, then maybe pegvisomant if levels don’t drop enough. Regular blood tests and MRI scans are part of the deal. You’re not just treating a tumor; you’re managing a lifelong condition. The good news? With the right approach, most people live full, active lives. The key is catching it early and sticking with the plan.

Below, you’ll find real-world insights from people who’ve been through this — from doctors’ take on medication choices to how patients manage side effects, cost, and daily life with acromegaly. No theory. Just what works.