Puberty blockers for 8 year old with precocious puberty?

[Ketzele]

Hi, does anyone have personal or professional experience of treating precocious puberty? We have been offered three options: wait and watch, puberty blockers, or put her on the Pill.

Could really do with some help with thinking through these options (none of which thrill me).

I thought age 8 was within normal limits for puberty and it is only precocious puberty if it starts before age 8.

I thought that too, pixie. But apparently it's more complicated than that: most 8 year olds in puberty are just at the early end of a normal curve, but some are experiencing an endocrine disorder. So they are not treating her because she is 8, but because of the gap between her chronological age and her body age (she has the bone density of a 14 year old). They have done scans, ultrasounds and hormone tests. There are lots of causes, but apparently it is particularly common in girls who were exposed to drugs and alcohol in utero (as she was) - I guess the endocrine systems gets damaged as it is forming.

That's what I think is the picture, anyway. I admit I was shocked - I thought 8 was early but normal, and didn't understand that it isn't just about the age. If you have the actual disorder, it means you have your teenage growth spurt early, and then stop growing. So one of the effects is that although she is now very tall, she will stop growing soon and be a very short adult.

How tall is she? If she's nearly the height of an averagely-short woman, I'd be less inclined to give. If she's nowhere near that, I'd be more tempted to try to buy a few inches.

She's about 4.10". Consultant reckons she will probably reach 5 feet, but not much more.

That's not as bad as I was afraid it might be. I would probably be tempted to give the puberty blockers a try, but with an understanding of abandoning them if problematic side effects... I do hope her school is being understanding.

Do you know much about the side effects, nocoolnamesleft? Or any long term implications? He's recommending Triptorelin.