Medical experts are sounding the alarm over a troubling trend among teenagers who are misusing a cancer drug in hopes of growing taller, highlighting the serious health risks involved.
In recent months, a disturbing trend known as “heightmaxxing” has emerged on social media, prompting medical professionals to issue warnings about the dangers associated with it. This trend involves teenagers, particularly boys, taking erdafitinib, a prescription medication originally approved for treating advanced bladder cancer, in an attempt to increase their height.
Adolescents are reportedly turning to this drug, often referred to online as “ERDA” or “Erta,” after encountering discussions suggesting it could promote growth. However, medical experts are expressing deep concern over the misuse of such a powerful medication.
“It’s extremely concerning that teenagers are experimenting with powerful cancer medications in an attempt to grow taller,” said Dr. Stephanie Widmer, an emergency medicine physician based in New York City and a contributor to Fox News. “These drugs were developed to treat serious medical conditions, not to enhance physical appearance, and taking them without a legitimate medical indication or physician supervision can have devastating consequences.”
Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of erdafitinib, has condemned the misuse of the drug, stating that it has never been approved for height enhancement. The company emphasized that the safety and effectiveness of the medication for pediatric or adolescent use have not been established.
Interestingly, some medical research has noted unexpected growth spurts in children receiving erdafitinib for brain tumors. A 2024 study published in *Hormone Research in Paediatrics* documented accelerated growth in two pediatric patients. Another case report highlighted a teenager who grew more than five inches during treatment but subsequently developed serious skeletal complications.
However, physicians caution that these growth spurts do not equate to healthy skeletal development. Dr. Jessica Gray, a family physician in Lubbock, Texas, warned that rapid, forced growth can lead to dangerous structural issues, including premature growth plate damage and bone fractures.
Dr. Widmer explained that erdafitinib works by blocking specific cellular signaling pathways involved in cancer cell growth. These same pathways also play a role in bone development, which may explain why some pediatric patients experienced unexpected growth during treatment. However, she emphasized that height is primarily determined by genetics, and there are no shortcuts to achieving greater height.
Once growth plates close at the end of puberty, medications cannot reopen them. This means that older adolescents taking erdafitinib are exposing themselves to significant health risks without any realistic chance of gaining height.
Among the serious side effects associated with erdafitinib are potentially permanent vision damage, elevated phosphate levels, and various metabolic abnormalities. “We’re talking about adolescents whose bodies are still developing, and exposing them to these risks for a cosmetic goal is particularly troubling,” Dr. Widmer noted.
Additional warning signs linked to the medication include skeletal pain—especially in the hips or knees—mouth sores, loose nails, and skin disorders. The trend has raised broader concerns about the influence of social media on teenagers’ health decisions. Dr. Widmer pointed out that discussions surrounding physical appearance and self-improvement can lead young people to engage in unsafe practices that lack medical backing.
“Parents need to understand that this goes beyond teenagers being insecure about their height,” she said. “We’re talking about young people potentially obtaining prescription cancer medications and experimenting with them outside of medical supervision. If a child has concerns about their growth, that conversation belongs in a pediatrician’s office, not on an internet forum.”
Doctors advise parents to be vigilant for symptoms such as unusual joint pain or unexplained physical changes and to have open conversations with their children if they suspect they are using medications obtained online. Teenagers who are worried about their height or growth should consult a pediatrician before considering any medication.
“We should be encouraging teenagers to prioritize their health, not teaching them to gamble with it,” Dr. Widmer concluded. “No amount of additional height is worth risking permanent damage to your vision or other serious and potentially unknown medical complications,” according to Fox News.