Supplements (testosterone therapy)

[Guest guest]

Mel wrote:

<[PREFACE: Note, in accepting this post, that the Supertraining group does not

endorse the non-medical use of testosterone, nor does it imply that it is safe

for any individual to use, irrespective of age. Some of the risks in taking

such substances include cancer and heart disease in some individuals, so you

would be well advised to study your medical history and the medical literature

on these drugs.

Although Jim attests to experiencing no harmful side-effects during the two

years of his using them, this does not mean that they will exhibit long-term

safety for everyone. If you are using them, you would be well advised to have

regular clinical tests to determine the slightest hint of adverse

side-effects. Androgens, anabolic-androgenic steroids, hormone relacement

formulae and prohormones are not innocuous vitamin tonics, but serious drugs

which have to be used carefully according to medical guidelines - even though

many bodybuilders seem to think that all ergogenic substances are perfectly

acceptable hors d'oeuvres in their training menu. Mel Siff] >

**Mel's comments are certainly something that anyone must consider before

using any kind of hormone therapy, be it AAS, corticosteroids, thyroid

medications or anything else, prescription or not. I'm also not talking about

the insane excesses of anabolic steroid and other drug use in bodybuilding.

One must remember that excessive use of anything can lead to serious problems.

What I proposed for a middle-aged male is in no way comparable to the type of

steroid abuse and use in competitive bodybuilding.

One of the best ways to make sure that the therapy I was talking about does

not become harmful or excessive is to have your blood levels tested every few

months and, at the same time, have a complete lab workup done in general. As

long as peak testosterone levels stay well below 900 Ng/dl, you are probably

operating within a reasonably safe and healthy environment. Rather than me

making a fool of myself trying to provide references, I would refer again to

the very conservative and extensive documentation available on this subject at

the Life Extension Foundation site < www.lef.org >. A great deal of progress

has been made in the last two decades regarding hormone replacement therapy in

men. Over 20 studies are available on the LEF site and more references are

being added all the time.

Something I failed to point out in the original post, and Mel's comments

reminded me that I should do so, is that anyone considering male HRT have a

PSA (prostate specific antigen) test done and have a prostate exam to make

sure there is no benign or malignant prostate hypertrophy. A very interesting

part of this research is that doctors are beginning to explore the ratio of

estradiol to testosterone as a possible culprit in prostate cancer -- that is,

high estradiol/low testosterone equals high prostate cancer risk. This idea

is very new and needs much further research.

If someone were interested in trying hormone replacement therapy, but wanted

to be super-safe, they can do so in the following way. Begin testosterone

replacement therapy under a doctor's guidance. Start at a very low dosage. I

do not recommend this -- it is done all the time and seems to do nothing more

than raise estradiol levels, thus creating more problems than it solves. I

would recommend starting at a moderate dosage of about 200 mg a week (this is

assuming injectible test cypionate). I started at 400 mg/week and after

adding the Armidex, was able to drop the weekly dose to 200 mg, where it

remains and works perfectly. By not adding any non-prescription prohormones

talked about in the original post, one would have a perfectly safe and

non-anabolic dose. This does not mean that muscle gains would be foregone

because you would still experience improved mood and enhanced recovery, along

with numerous other benefits.

I cannot emphasize enough the profound positive effect that what I proposed

had on my overall health, but I also had very low endogenous testosterone to

begin with. This seems odd in someone that is such an easy gainer, but as

Kreiger pointed out, hypertrophy is caused more by high levels of IGF-1

and I have a very high level. The most amazing affect of the testosterone was

on my mood. The original post asked what works and my response was to name

the most effective of all available supplements. Furthermore what I propose

is legal, done under a doctor's care, reasonably affordable (except for the

Arimidex!) and safe in the sense that responsible testosterone therapy has

been around for decades and is safer than almost all other prescription

medications, not to mention a few non-prescription ones, such as aspirin or

other NSAID's.

What anyone attempting to do this will discover is that there is a incredible

" knee-jerk " resistance to even the subject of male hormone replacement

therapy. Since starting this and hiding it from no one, I have heard more

horror stories of what is going to happen to me and how I'm going to succumb

to " roid rage, " cancer, a perforated liver, shrunken testicles, and God knows

what. All are told to me with authority and unfortunately often coming from

those in authority (such as doctors) who should know better. I amuse myself

looking at them and seeing the occasional case of female bodyfat distribution,

signs of extreme stress, alcohol abuse, obesity, muscle atrophy, etc.

Jim Vernon

P.S. On " Oprah " today, two women doctors were talking about low to

non-existent female libido, especially after childbirth. The latest and

greatest is -- ta da!!! -- testosterone (albeit in very small doses) and

there are now even patches for the ladies. So T for women has now made talk

show TV which means that probably thousands of women will now be in their

doctor's offices demanding testosterone instead of estrogen. Some years ago

when my HMO physician tried to cram estrogen down my throat, I suggested I

would prefer testosterone. He smiled and said he wouldn't prescribe it, but

that I had a very good point. Time to make an appointment!

Rosemary