Impotence Support - Where to buy testosterone patch?

Author

Where to buy testosterone patch?

bill

2004-08-19, 10:08 pm

Can someone please give me the name of a source for testosterone
patches that does not require prescription? I don't have health
insurance (you guessed it: I live in the US), but I could really
use one of those patches.

Thanks,

bill

D Hamilton

2004-08-20, 2:08 am

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 01:30:10 +0000 (UTC), bill
<please_post@nomail.edu> wrote:

>Can someone please give me the name of a source for testosterone
>patches that does not require prescription? I don't have health
>insurance (you guessed it: I live in the US), but I could really
>use one of those patches.
>
>Thanks,
>
>bill

I'm sure that many of us here would suggest having some bloodwork done
before jumping into any trype of treatment.

A couple of years ago I was put on testosterone replacement therapy.
It didn't help and never would have at the time as I had other medical
issues (pituitary tumors) causing my problems.

I read the part about lack of medial insurance. I don't have a
solution for you there. However, if you do happen across
non-prescription patches, you really shouldn't use them without
knowing what is causing any problem you may be having; you could
actually make things worse.

Which brings me to the question -- what problems are you having? Loss
of libido? Erectile dysfunction? Depression?

I have not seen non-prescription (or 'generic') patches or gels being
marketed.

Doktor

2004-08-21, 2:10 am

"D Hamilton" <dhamilton@987vanner987.com> wrote in message
news:3qruh0lab73hkp9i64ldvn1rrk3sopnc98@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 01:30:10 +0000 (UTC), bill
> <please_post@nomail.edu> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> I'm sure that many of us here would suggest having some bloodwork done
> before jumping into any trype of treatment.
>
> A couple of years ago I was put on testosterone replacement therapy.
> It didn't help and never would have at the time as I had other medical
> issues (pituitary tumors) causing my problems.

If you don't mind discussing it what was your diagnosis? And treatment? BTW,
do you remember which tests you had?
>
>

I read the part about lack of medial insurance. I don't have a
> solution for you there. However, if you do happen across
> non-prescription patches, you really shouldn't use them without
> knowing what is causing any problem you may be having; you could
> actually make things worse.
>
> Which brings me to the question -- what problems are you having? Loss
> of libido? Erectile dysfunction? Depression?
>
> I have not seen non-prescription (or 'generic') patches or gels being
> marketed.
>

D Hamilton

2004-08-21, 10:10 pm

On Sat, 21 Aug 2004 05:52:32 GMT, "Doktor" <doktor@hospital.nu> wrote:
[vbcol=seagreen]
>
>
>If you don't mind discussing it what was your diagnosis? And treatment? BTW,
>do you remember which tests you had?

*** The short version:

Diagnosis: Tumors on the pituitary gland causing high prolactin
problems. Prolactin suppresses T.

Treatment: Dostinex

Tests: See below ... the bit that starts SHBG

*** The long version of the story:

This last May or June marked the 3-year anniversary of when I found
out I had low T -- about 140 on a scale of 300-1000. My Primary Care
Physician started me on Androgel. My T went up to 350 but I didn't
notice any big boost to my libido. The doc upped my dosage.

While I was on the increased dosage I found this group, started
lurking and asking questions. I determined that I'd probably started
TRT a bit too soon, discontinued use and tried to do some things to
boost my T naturally.

About a year after finding out I had low T I was back at the doc for a
physical. My T had dropped to 37 (300-1000). This would have been
months after discontinuing Androgel. (I don't know what to think of
this reading. Not long after this I was back up to roughly 140).

With the 37 reading my PCP suggested restarting Androgel. I decided
to ask my doctor for additional bloodwork. People in this group
suggested I ask for the following:

SHBG
FSH
Testosterone
Estradiol
Prolactin
TSH
LH
Free T
Total Estrogens
DHEA

I do not remember what all of the tests were for. In the time that has
passed I've paid attention to just those applying to my problem.

When I asked my PCP for the bloodwork I could tell I offended him a
bit. Not because I DEMANDED! the tests, but because it probably
appeared to him that another patient thought he knew better than the
doctor.

I finally asked my doc how long he'd been my doctor. He said, 'A long
time.' (Over 10 years, as a matter of fact). I asked how often I came
in. 'Hardly ever,' was the answer ... which convinced him that I
wasn't the typical hypocondriac, demanding, patient.

He ordered the bloodwork. My Prolactin came back high and my T low. He
told me I should see an endocronologist.

The original endo appointment was 3-months out. I was put on a
cancellation list and got in in 6 weeks. I took my bloodwork with me
and kept my mouth shut when the endo complimented my PCP for the
bloodwork he'd ordered.

The endo took some more blood. The prolactin was still high -- the T
still low. He ordered an MRI and it was found I have two tumors on my
pituitary gland which cause my problem.

The endo started me on Bromocriptine; actually, the generic version. I
paid $7.00 per refill. I started with the lowest dose and eventually
worked my way up to the highest dose suggested.

The Bromo didn't do the job and I was switched to Dostinex. (I happily
pay $45 per refill but get a bit pissed when I see the cost would
approach $900 without insurance) Again, I started on the lowest dose
(half a pill twice a week? That would be .25 mg if correct). I
currently take three 0.5 mg pills twice a week (The website for
Dostinex suggests two .5 mg pills twice a week as the high-end dose --
that didn't do it for me. I currently weigh 287 ... down from 360.)

My last bloodwork returned normal values for Prolactin, T and Free T.
This was the first normal reading since we started the tracking. My
prolactin is still at the high end of normal. My T is more toward the
lower end.

This last May or June marked 3 years since my the discovery of my
Testosterone problem. It looks like it has been almost two years
since I've been seeing an endo and taking meds. (My memory isn't all
it used to be. Googling one of my past posts turns up this early
entry:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...04ax.com&rnum=1

That URL is sort of long -- the search string was "d hamilton
group:alt.support.impotence" (without the quotes) The subject was
"T, Obesity and Ramblings."

If you bother to read the whole thing, please note that I now know
things about myself I didn't know then. I did have ED. I did have
depression. Obesity does affect T but not to the extent I
experienced.

I still have some ED but believe it is on the mend. I have some gyno.
Since I've started Dostinex I've dropped 80 pounds and continue to
lose weight (with my hormones out of whack I couldn't drop weight to
save my life.) I feel better in general and enjoy life more -- I used
to dread almost everything (even as I was dreading things, back then,
I was aware that I hadn't always been like that, but it never occurred
to me that something about me had changed that I could have fixed. I
still dread staff meetings but suspect that has nothing to do my
hormones.)

Doktor

2004-08-25, 11:34 am