TESTOSTERONE & WOMEN + BENEFITS (LONG)

[Guest guest]

One more...

I just ran across this one in my own files (still trying to reorganize here). I thought some of you might appreciate these various clips I put together from many sources and it's probably wayyyyy more than you'd ever want to know but worth a read (I think).

Dee ; )

==================================

TESTOSTERONE BENEFITS FOR WOMEN by Dee Troll

Some specific effects testosterone has on a womans body are:

1. Stimulate the growth of pubic hair

2. Stimulate the growth of underarm hair

3. Stimulate the skin to produce more oil rather than drying out

4. Make nipples sensitive to sexual stimulation

5. Make clitoris sensitive to sexual stimulation

6. Make vagina sensitive to sexual stimulation

7. There are receptors in the brain that respond to testosterone by establishing the neurochemical basis for the experience of falling in love.

8. Anabolic actions such as: stimulation of linear body growth, nitrogen retention and muscular development & tone.

COMMENT: Just FYI, Anabolic" refers to a steroids ability to promote tissue growth, while "androgenic" refers to it's ability to promote the development of male sexual characteristics. This is where physicians or laymen can get mixed up with terms; the T. cream we use is anabolic. Dee

9. Based on our current knowledge, it is clear that some women develop symptomatic androgen insufficiency and that androgen replacement therapy has a beneficial effect on libido, sexual satisfaction, quality of life, and especially bone mineralization. (may be better for bones than even estrogen)

10. Androgen (T) replacement therapy should be given the same consideration that we give estrogen replacement therapy at the same time. Exogenous estrogen, particularly when administered 'orally', (means using HRT) increases SHBG, (sex hormone binding globulin) which, in turn, 'reduces' our free T. (the free and unbound & active part of T)

These SHBG proteins "cling" to testosterone, so even though testosterone may be present, it is not "free" or biologically available to do its work if only estrogen is used in HRT.

Without testosterone we become "catabolic" a state in which the maintenance and growth of affected tissues suffer a decline, in which we experience a loss of muscle tone, vital energy and sense of well-being.

Dr. , Research Director of the Jean Hailes Foundation Research Unit at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, (Very well known in the field of hormones) lists the following features of women likely to respond to androgen therapy: low or no libido, blunted motivation, lack of emotions, fatigue and mental fatigue as well, and lack of well-being even in the presence of normal plasma estrogen levels but low levels of bio-available testosterone. (the 'free' and unbound or active part)

WHAT ABOUT TESTOSTERONE, THE HORMONE OF DESIRE

Research has shown, definitively, that raising the level of testosterone 'above' a normal range level does not stimulate further increase in sexual energy but raising it above normal will give the side effects.

'Excessive' amounts of testosterone in a woman may cause virilization (masculinization ) why one would use a natural form more so than a Methyl form.

Testosterone 'deficiency' may contribute to the loss of muscle tone in the bladder and pelvis, resulting in symptoms of urinary incontinence. T deficiency may contribute to fibro. (as well as E.)

Without adequate testosterone sexual desire simply cannot exist.

By mid to late thirties adrenal androgen production decreases by more than half.

If the ovaries become damaged or are removed, the adrenal glands, which also produce testosterone, become less efficient in producing testosterone than with full functioning ovaries.

Removal of the uterus can lead to ovarian failure as a result of interference with the blood supply to the ovaries. (The uterine artery may be the source for up to two-thirds of the ovaries blood supply, and surgical removal of the uterus disrupts this source even if the ovaries are left in) Thus a dramatic reduction of testosterone production as a result of ovarian failure.

If one has had a tubal ligation, because of the alteration or diminishment of blood flow to the ovaries, its common for this to trigger PMS shortly afterwards. If the ovary's are removed during a hysterectomy there is a dramatic decrease in the loss of Testosterone within only 24-48 hrs. It's the same with menopause and our ovaries, we not only lose up to about 60% of the Testosterone production but 66% or more of the Estrogen production as well.

TESTOSTERONE EFFECTS:

(chart from Dr. Vliets book 'Screaming to be heard) I hope it keeps it's format.

Too Little Just right Too much

1.low energy normal energy hyper feelings

2.Loss of sex drive normal libido hyper-increased libido

3.Slowed down feeling alert, interested scattered thoughts

4.Mildly depressed positive mood Intense moods

5.Few dreams Normal dreams Violent or agressive dreams

6.Thin, fine hair, esp. pubic thicker hair Facial hair

7.Dry, thin fragile skin normal skin acne

The most obvious signs of testosterone 'deficiency' are:

1. Overall 'decreased' sexual desire

2. Diminished vital energy and sense of well-being.

3. Decreased sensitivity to sexual stimulation in the clitoris

4. Decreased sensitivity to sexual stimulation in the nipples.

5. Overall decreased arousability and capacity for orgasm.

6. Thinning and loss of pubic hair

7. Loss of bone mass, stimulates new bone growth & enhances bone strength

8. Lowers total cholesterol while raising HDL (the "good cholesterol")

9. Reduces weight, especially that middle age 'Buddah belly'.

10.Prevents age-related losses in mental acuity

TESTOSTERONE AVG. LEVELS (women)

T, ''total'' levels sh. be approximately around 40-60 ng/dl .

Less that 40 causes sexual dysfunction

Free and 'unbound' testosterone should be 1-3 % of the whole total

Lower than 40ng/dl leads to loss of libido and other symptoms.

If low enough may be reported as "non-detectable"

which means it's below the sensitivity of the test at about 10 ng/dl.

Women who take physiologic doses of testosterone do not have to worry about growing a beard, because women simply are not genetically programmed to grow a beard But fine, downy facial hair can appear IF we take too 'high' a dosage and especially with a methylated form.

Isn't strange that we are just starting to treat women with supplemental testosterone when there has been 40 years of research on it for men?

Last year I (Dee) listened to a very long seminar from the 6th European congress on menopause and guess what the opening title was...''The Taboo'' on women being sexual after 50''... and went into the whys of it with the bias's of society and physicians and then went on to the androgens and the wonderful benefits for women. It was very fascinating and it's about time the medical community is 'finally' considering womens concerns as well as men with their Viagra, Cialis, etc.

( UPDATE: Unfortunately they were close in the process of getting a T. Patch approved for women, one was called 'Intrinsa', but the FDA rejected it and it's claimed it may take another 5 yrs before it would be approved and it's likely that no drug company wants to spend another 5 years on R & D with the costs involved that it might end up being shelved. Again, women being put on the back burner. *sigh* Dee T

Testosterone is not only for the libido, Testosterone can have a tonic effect in the body by stimulating the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells, which helps thickens the blood. This may be an important consideration in some high risk patients especially men, who typically take much higher doses of testosterone than women.

Testosterone is thought to have a natural anticoagulant against blood clot effects. Therefore if on an anticoagulant therapy it might be contraindicated.

'Some clinical and genetic evidence suggests, that endogenous androgens normally ''inhibit'' estrogen-induced mammary epithelial proliferation (MEP) and thereby may 'protect' against breast cancer.' (from the N. Amer. Menopause Soc)

From Reuters: When added to conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT), testosterone may reduce the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, results of a study suggest."

(COMMENT: That is exactly what Dr. Vliet just mentioned in the last email I sent with her radio blog.) Dee

In 1994 researchers at Columbia Medical School reported that they found an inverse correlation between testosterone levels and degree of coronary artery disease. They found that men with higher levels of testosterone have a better blood supply to the heart muscle and higher levels of HDL than do men with lower levels of testosterone (and this is most likely with women as well)

Current blood tests to measure total and free testosterone ''cannot'' yield accurate data when a person is taking 'methyltestosterone'. Only the non-methylated form such as the bio-identical T or in the T creams can. (By the way many european countries have already banned the Methyl form of T. Dee )

**** THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT in my mind and why I want the natural form... and 'not' the methylated form as there are more side effects with a methyl form because no matter how much you use of the Methyl form of T, the blood levels won't show up as increased and it's far too easy to go overboard and risk those side effects but it generally is NOT the form used in the cream or the compounded T used sublingually. Dee ***

The methylation of testosterone is an attempt to reduce the quick metabolism in the liver.

Free testosterone in the blood has a greater affinity for receptor sites than the methyl-testosterone in the blood. That's where we want it to fit 'lock & key' in those receptor sites.... and that comes from the free and unbound portion of our T.. usually 1-3% of the total T.

There are correlation's of testosterone levels with regard to behavior and emotions. Some of the observations are as follows:

1. Testosterone levels cycle daily. They are highest in the morning, on awakening, and fall by as much as one-third to one-half throughout the day.

2. Testosterone levels rise and fall with experiences of success and failure in social encounter.

3. Sexual experience stimulates a rise in testosterone, more for women than for men.

4. In an initial study of ninety-two men in eight occupations and an un-employed category, ministers were the lowest in testosterone, while professional football players and actors were highest.

5. Trial lawyers have higher levels of testosterone than nontrial lawyers. (I had to chuckle at that one, Dee)

The conclusion to this study was that men and women with relatively higher levels of testosterone have both the challenge and the opportunity to access more aggressive energy than do men and women with lower levels.

For a good read on how ''Androgen Insufficiency May Lead to Vulvar Vestibulitis and Genital Pain'' try this link. So Androgen loss is not only connected with LS (and is a well known 'fact) as many may assume but general vulvar pain as well.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/492121?src=mp

Hope you found this interesting,

Dee~