Managing Symptoms of Acromegaly 

People diagnosed with acromegaly may experience acromegaly-related symptoms even after receiving treatment or having normalized levels of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).  

People with acromegaly may experience symptoms caused by periods of GH and IGF-1 levels being outside of a normal range and/or inconsistent symptom control with injection treatments. Individual responses to treatment responses vary from person to person.  

Tracking your acromegaly symptoms can give you a greater sense of control in your treatment plan and let you know when it is time to speak to your healthcare provider team about making adjustments in medications. It also documents aspects about your acromegaly that is more than laboratory tests, something that is often difficult to verbalize in real-time with your care team. 

• Wear-Off Effect 

Sometimes, the positive effects of long-acting injection treatments start to fade toward the end of the 28-day cycle, leading to the onset of acromegaly-related symptoms.  Common symptoms include sweating, headaches, fatigue, body aches, and joint pain. 

• Breakthrough Symptoms 

Some people living with acromegaly may also experience symptoms despite having received treatment. These are known as “breakthrough symptoms” and are often characterized by swelling, sweating, headaches, fatigue, body aches, and joint pain. 

• Acro-Rage & Acro-Fog 

Changes in the body on a biological level, caused by the pituitary tumor or by medications, may also cause hormone-induced mood swings (labeled “acro-rage” by the patient community) or mental impairment in the form of forgetfulness or short–term memory loss (“acro-fog”). 

Acromegaly Symptoms Tracker 

Since people with acromegaly may experience symptoms even when their GH and IGF-1 levels are within a normal range, this is a valuable tool that can better prepare you and your healthcare provider to make decisions about your treatment plan.  

Tracking your acromegaly symptoms can help you know when it is time to talk to your healthcare providers. Common symptoms such as fatigue and pain may have a negative impact on your quality of life, therefore tracking symptoms is an important aspect of managing this condition. 

This downloadable symptom tracker makes it easy for you to record symptoms on a weekly basis and discuss how you are feeling with your health care provider at your next visit. Download this acromegaly symptoms tracker and after each visit to your doctor and begin tracking the symptoms you experience. At your next appointment, bring the completed tracker to share with your healthcare team.