BOSTON — Medical experts are raising concerns about a social media trend known as “heightmaxxing,” in which young men are reportedly using cancer medication obtained through the black market in an effort to grow taller.
Dr. Chas Hannum, a general pediatrician at Tufts Medical Center, said heightmaxxing is about “maximizing as tall as you can possibly get.”
Hannum said the drug involved is erdafitinib, a medication used to treat bladder cancer in adults. While the medication attacks cancer, one of its side effects can impact growth in other parts of the body.
Hannum said a small group of patients being treated for other medical problems appeared to grow very tall from the treatment, leading some people to believe the drug could help them.
But Hannum warned the effects can be serious and irreversible for adolescents.
“As your bones grow, they’re almost growing too fast for your body, so that then can lead to pretty significant spine problems or bone problems and scoliosis,” Hannum said.
Other side effects are vision problems, liver issues, and mouth sores, he said.
Dr. Ellen Braaten, a child psychiatrist at Mass General, also pointed to social media’s role in this troubling trend.
“It can normalize high-risk behaviors,” Braaten said about social media consumption.
She continued Friday, “It can be very confusing to think that all of a sudden at age 14 I’m damaged, and I need something to make me better, instead of how do I develop as a person, how do I become the person that I want to be.”
Braaten is encouraging parents to pay attention to the online trends their children are seeing and keep an open dialogue with them.
She recommends parents look at what their children are viewing, keep phones and screens out of bedrooms at bedtime, and ask children about what they are consuming online.
Braaten said social media trends are becoming more common in her practice and that she has seen spikes in anxiety among children and their parents. She said communication between parents and children is key.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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