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Home > Archive > Impotence Support > October 2004 > Going off Androderm: how long until body goes back to "normal?"
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Going off Androderm: how long until body goes back to "normal?"
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| Hello all,
I've been using 5mg Androderm patches for about a year now to treat
various symptoms (fatigue, lack of sex drive, etc.). As I'm quite
young to be taking the stuff (under 30), there's clearly something
else going on. I've had blood work done recently, and in addition to
the T issuse, my LH, FSH and prolactin levels were all low. Anyways,
my urologist referred me to an endocrinologist, who said I needed to
be off the patches for three months before he could get an accurate
reading through blood work. I realize that the body lowers its own
production of T once one goes on the patches, but does it really take
this long to get things up and going once treatment stops? While I
really want to find out what's going on, the idea of spending 3 months
feeling the way I did before treatment is rather unpleasant if I don't
have to go through it for that long. Any advice / input is much
appreciated.
K
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| Muerta 2004-10-07, 4:07 am |
| Well, Kurt, having done the withdrawel thing once, I can tell you that no,
it's not pleasent. The quickest way (and only way I'm *sure* of) to speed
the process is to immediately go to either HMG or HCG injections (google
those). They are fertlity drugs that will simulate LH and FSH and get
cellular growth going in the testicles quickly.
They are sub-q injections, done at home every 3 days. Believe me when I say
that sub-q injections are nothing at all. A 30 ga needle into a fat layer.
Usually in the stomach. I did that for a year.
See if your endo will work with you on that until the HPT axis gets
"kick-started" again.
"kurt" <kurtleeper@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1379ae10.0410060551.10c9bb12@posting.google.com...
> Hello all,
>
> I've been using 5mg Androderm patches for about a year now to treat
> various symptoms (fatigue, lack of sex drive, etc.). As I'm quite
> young to be taking the stuff (under 30), there's clearly something
> else going on. I've had blood work done recently, and in addition to
> the T issuse, my LH, FSH and prolactin levels were all low. Anyways,
> my urologist referred me to an endocrinologist, who said I needed to
> be off the patches for three months before he could get an accurate
> reading through blood work. I realize that the body lowers its own
> production of T once one goes on the patches, but does it really take
> this long to get things up and going once treatment stops? While I
> really want to find out what's going on, the idea of spending 3 months
> feeling the way I did before treatment is rather unpleasant if I don't
> have to go through it for that long. Any advice / input is much
> appreciated.
>
> K
| |
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| Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, I'm not sure my doc will give
me a prescription as I think he wants a "clean" reading of how
everything's working (although I know my LH level was relatively
normal before starting treatment). I've read some info suggesting
that Clomid may be of use, but again, that's prescription and the same
problem. I don't suppose there's anything over the counter that might
help at least a bit?
Thanks,
K
"Muerta" <not@home.com> wrote in message news:<7129d.213556$3l3.89814@attbi_s03>...[vbcol=seagreen]
> Well, Kurt, having done the withdrawel thing once, I can tell you that no,
> it's not pleasent. The quickest way (and only way I'm *sure* of) to speed
> the process is to immediately go to either HMG or HCG injections (google
> those). They are fertlity drugs that will simulate LH and FSH and get
> cellular growth going in the testicles quickly.
>
> They are sub-q injections, done at home every 3 days. Believe me when I say
> that sub-q injections are nothing at all. A 30 ga needle into a fat layer.
> Usually in the stomach. I did that for a year.
>
> See if your endo will work with you on that until the HPT axis gets
> "kick-started" again.
>
> "kurt" <kurtleeper@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1379ae10.0410060551.10c9bb12@posting.google.com...
| |
| Muerta 2004-10-09, 2:06 am |
| No OTC's that I'm aware of or have heard of.
Theoretically, once discontinuing the gel, the HPT axis should kick in and
start making LH and FSH like crazy to make up for the shortage. However,
even if it does, the leydig cells and sertoli cells in the testicles have
decreased or gone dormant from the TRT, and need time to rebuild.
When I went on HMG, over about a 6 week period my testicles got huge. Lots
of cellular growth. I was on HMG for over 6 momths in increasing doses and
then went to HCG. The main difference being HMG more heavily simulates
Follicle Stimulation Hormone which causes the sertoli cells to produce
sperm, and the HCG more heavily simulates Luetinizing Hormone, which causes
the leydig cells to produce testsoterone.
Now, if the testicles work fine when thwey get a taste of LH, and they
produce testosterone, but you're just not naturally putting out any LH,
that's called "secondary hypogonadism", and that's treatable with HCG
injections, and, very possibly (though I have not seen a case yet),
theoretically, curable, *if* the HPT axis starts again.
However, if the testicles get a good shot of LH, and over time will not
respond, then that's called, "primary hypogonadism", and TRT is the only
option I'm aware of.
As far as your doc, Kurt, I don't have the link available, but the A.A.C.E.,
the Enocronolgists association, reccomends that candidates for treatment of
secondary hypogonadism be given a *large* dose of HCG and then be tested in
like 72 hrs or something to see if the testicles respond. That is their
guidelines.
You can print their guidelines, it's PDF, and show it to your doc, just
google "A.A.C.E. hypogonadism" and it should take you to it, if some other
kind soul in the group doesn't post the link here.
If you like, I can find the exact page number the info is on, or paste it
into a post here.
"kurt" <kurtleeper@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1379ae10.0410071219.5e304dd1@posting.google.com...
> Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, I'm not sure my doc will give
> me a prescription as I think he wants a "clean" reading of how
> everything's working (although I know my LH level was relatively
> normal before starting treatment). I've read some info suggesting
> that Clomid may be of use, but again, that's prescription and the same
> problem. I don't suppose there's anything over the counter that might
> help at least a bit?
>
> Thanks,
> K
| |
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| Thanks Muerta- I really appreciate the info. I'll hunt down that info
and see what I can find.
K
"Muerta" <not@home.com> wrote in message news:<W2J9d.95181$He1.13063@attbi_s01>...[vbcol=seagreen]
> No OTC's that I'm aware of or have heard of.
>
> Theoretically, once discontinuing the gel, the HPT axis should kick in and
> start making LH and FSH like crazy to make up for the shortage. However,
> even if it does, the leydig cells and sertoli cells in the testicles have
> decreased or gone dormant from the TRT, and need time to rebuild.
>
> When I went on HMG, over about a 6 week period my testicles got huge. Lots
> of cellular growth. I was on HMG for over 6 momths in increasing doses and
> then went to HCG. The main difference being HMG more heavily simulates
> Follicle Stimulation Hormone which causes the sertoli cells to produce
> sperm, and the HCG more heavily simulates Luetinizing Hormone, which causes
> the leydig cells to produce testsoterone.
>
> Now, if the testicles work fine when thwey get a taste of LH, and they
> produce testosterone, but you're just not naturally putting out any LH,
> that's called "secondary hypogonadism", and that's treatable with HCG
> injections, and, very possibly (though I have not seen a case yet),
> theoretically, curable, *if* the HPT axis starts again.
>
> However, if the testicles get a good shot of LH, and over time will not
> respond, then that's called, "primary hypogonadism", and TRT is the only
> option I'm aware of.
>
> As far as your doc, Kurt, I don't have the link available, but the A.A.C.E.,
> the Enocronolgists association, reccomends that candidates for treatment of
> secondary hypogonadism be given a *large* dose of HCG and then be tested in
> like 72 hrs or something to see if the testicles respond. That is their
> guidelines.
>
> You can print their guidelines, it's PDF, and show it to your doc, just
> google "A.A.C.E. hypogonadism" and it should take you to it, if some other
> kind soul in the group doesn't post the link here.
>
> If you like, I can find the exact page number the info is on, or paste it
> into a post here.
>
> "kurt" <kurtleeper@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1379ae10.0410071219.5e304dd1@posting.google.com...
| |
| D Hamilton 2004-10-10, 2:07 am |
| On 9 Oct 2004 16:05:10 -0700, kurtleeper@yahoo.com (kurt) wrote:
[vbcol=seagreen]
I'm a little late to the party, but I think this might be the link:
http://www.aace.com/clin/guidelines/
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