Testosterone Risks

[kristoff]

Many people seek castration for the impact of loss of testosterone (MtE people, others); others seek castration for purpose of body congruence (BIID); a number because of illness or injury; some because of a history of or proclivity for sexual offenses. Some refuse to use HRT after castration, others insist upon it, and some just find that they need it to function in society, but try to minimize the issue.

Out of curiosity I started researching known risk factors for both high and low testosterone levels. What are your thoughts, desires, and needs? Anything to add to the list?

Risks associated with LOW testosterone:

* Reduced energy

* Loss of muscle mass

* Increased risk of diabetes

* Increased risk of obesity

* Metabolic Syndrome

* Osteoporosis

* Cardiovascular issues?

* Poor mood (irritable, angry)

* Memory issues?

* Depression

* Lack of concentration

* Gynecomastia

Risks associated with HIGH testosterone:

* Elevated Red Blood Cell Count

* High Hemoglobin

* Elevated risk of stroke (double)

* Elevated risk of blood clots

* Sleep Apnea

* Increased risk of prostate cancer

* Increased risk of BPH

* Heart attack (double)

[AtomicMush (imported)]

Well I "was" on T-supplements (Testopol) but last week diagnosed with prostrate cancer. I see my Uro on Tuesday. I assume my T replacement days are over...

g

[Eddie (imported)]

New study shows testosterone replacement has been linked to heart attacks and strokes. I was taken off Androgel my last visit to my endocrinologist.

[erikboy (imported)]

Low testosterone could cause bad sleep and pain in joints.

High testosterone could make you too agressive,

also could lead to uncontrollable sex drive, causing problems in every day life.

[daifu-orchid (imported)]

All true, but there's nothing like a heart attack or stroke to spoil your whole day.

The info is all public to search. Suggest keeping to peer-reviewed medical sites if you want more than gossip.

The stroke and heart risks are real, now repeatedly shown. You can contemplate these while sleeping badly on account of the bad joints?

The mileage varies, of course, but the risk is real.

[janekane (imported)]

It has come to my attention that at least a few law firms are advertising on TV for clients who took testosterone as a drug and who developed problems attributable to testosterone thereafter.

For myself, I chose to avoid testosterone as soon as avoiding it became practical, when I was 47. My understanding of my family medical history strongly suggested to me that testosterone was, for me, either or both an effective carcinogen or an effective cancer promoter (perhaps by interfering with apoptosis?), and I decided that I would rather have a dead colon and dead testicles than to have a totally dead body, as happened to my dad and brother, and others.

I happen to be licensed as a professional engineer, and have both professional and research (doctorate) degrees in bioengineering, and find that my license as a professional engineer doing bioengineering requires that I be competent in all areas of biology that are relevant to my bioengineering work.

Physicians and surgeons have to learn a vast array of diagnoses, and that effort is formidable in terms of the time it takes to be professionally competent as a physician/surgeon. I had far more time to study biology, and especially, to work with theoretical biology, than any physician/surgeon I have ever known of was allowed.

Far more than when I got my orchiectomy in 1986, the after-the-fact wisdom of my surgery decisions has only increased, as I see it.

Since the genetic cancer condition I inherited (attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis) was first identified, in the early 1990s, my physicians have come to recognize that I, however it happened, got the biology right regarding my personal cancer risk and its practical minimization.

Consider the testosterone risk list provided by kristoff and my personal evaluation of them in italics:

* Reduced energy not my experience

* Loss of muscle mass not my experience

* Increased risk of diabetes not my experience so far

* Increased risk of obesity can't tell

* Metabolic Syndrome can't tell

* Osteoporosis not sure, while I do have some osteoporosis, there is no evidence that it was not present before my orchiectomy

* Cardiovascular issues? none in evidence

* Poor mood (irritable, angry)

no more nor less than before my orchiectomy

* Memory issues? no

* Depression no

* Lack of concentration my concentration only improved

* Gynecomastia as someone who is of the transgender/two-spirit human basic form, Hurray!

[Paolo]

You forgot increased stupidity in areas such as craving a new red sports car.

[daifu-orchid (imported)]

But I like my red sports car!

[daifu-orchid (imported)]

-But I also like my recent chat with my American PCP, who was interested in how little HRT could be used to keep by T just in the "normal" range. The real risks of excess T seem very clear to docs now.

It seems that if excess weight is avoided for diabetes risk, a cheerfully low T life has much to recommend. -To state the obvious to many here!

The longer I enjoy my eunuch chemistry, the more it has to offer!

[DavidB (imported)]

A few points I think I can add

1. I like my little red car too.

2. I was castrated just over 2 years ago. For the first year I didn't take any T. Pretty much went through a lot of the negatives on Kristoff's list for about 6 months. Then my body and mind seemed to adjust and come back to center. Still, even though I didn't gain much weight (totally got lucky there), I couldn't loose what I did gain. Overall. I was very happy with the results.

3. About a year ago I let my Dr. talk me into using a low dose of T as a preventive of some of the negatives. I only use 1 pump a day of a 1% gel. Prior to this my post castration level was 38 and now I am at 97. So I am still well below normal. Got a little bit more energy and lost 5 pounds. Still zero sex drive which I am very happy about.

So my original thought was that a little T isn't such a bad thing but I was also doing very well without it. Now I going to talk to my Dr. about the potential risks and benefits of taking it. I might just go back to no T

[butterflyjack (imported)]

There has been no mention of these eunuch risks being abated by the use of estrogen replacement...I'm seriously contemplating castration ..I take 5mgs daily of finasteride and 2 mgs daily of estrofem...Would continued use of the estrogen help allay some of the bad aspects of eunchry ?? I really don't want any manly T stuff raising any ugly heads..Anyone with any answers?? Thanks Jackie

[JesusA]

Going in the opposite direction - the addition of testosterone to supplement what an intact male is producing - here is a piece from the Clinical Trials Update column of the Journal of the American Medical Association:

Testosterone Therapy Boosts MI Risk

Anita Slomski

Journal of the American Medical Association. 2014; 311(12):1191. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.3044.

Men treated with testosterone therapy (TT) are at substantially increased risk of acute myocardial infarction (MI), concluded authors of a cohort study of 55 593 men (Finkle W et al. PLoS One. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0085805 [published online January 29, 2014]).

Men aged 65 years and older doubled their risk of MI within 3 months of filling an initial TT prescription. Younger men with a history of heart disease doubled or tripled their risk of MI within 90 days, but risk did not increase in younger men without heart disease.

The authors expressed concern that use of TT is rapidly increasing, including among younger men. In this study, 10% of the younger men taking TT had a history of heart disease.

Until clinical trials provide evidence of the risks and benefits of TT, "clinicians might be well advised to include serious cardiovascular events in their discussions with patients of potential risks, particularly for men with existing cardiovascular disease," the researchers said.

[janekane (imported)]

I suppose it is time to mention the use of estrogen and progesterone to reduce the risks associated with testosterone reduction post-orchiectomy. Somewhat after my orchiectomy, I did, which fact I have mentioned previously in Archive posts, seek out an endocrinologist who prescribed those for me. My brain response to my orchiectomy was, "At last! Hurray." My brain response to the estrogen and progesterone was also, "At last! Hurray!"

As for the resulting gynecomastia, my brain response was, regarding whatever form of BIID I may have, "At last! Hurray!"

From my understanding of biology, I had long suspected that testosterone supplements might lead to circulatory system problems, which is why, in part, I never entertained any form of post-orchiectomy testosterone replacement.

Luckily for me, given my understanding of biology, I find that the only accurate cause of death that a pathologist can truthfully put on a death certificate is, "conception." Haploid gametes and diploid cells means death after life.

Luckily for me, given my understanding of biology, life is made of death no more nor less than death is made of life; therefore, whether I am alive or have died, I remain an aspect of life?

So, I figure that I am in the ride of my life, with a little control over it.

As what is, is; and as what isn't isn't, I choose to be satisfied with what is, as it is.

Post script: "

risk did not increase in younger men without heart disease

" cannot actually be true, methinks. What I am willing to allow is that measured risk did not increase. Here, my grasp of semiotics and biosemiotics announces itself.

Semiotics is the science of the relationships of signs to what the signs signify. No sign can be what it signifies. Therefore, the measured risk over the duration of a study is not the actual risk the person has, because it may take longer than the duration of the study for the risk to become measurable.

Had I never been conceived, I would not have the problems of my life?

If I do not have any problems, can I be other than in the place of perdition?

[A-1 (imported)]

But I like my red sports car!

Mine is BLUE... but the GTO was yellow... in its day...

Going in the opposite direction - the addition of testosterone to supplement what an intact male is producing - here is a piece from the Clinical Trials Update column of the Journal of the American Medical Association:

Testosterone Therapy Boosts MI Risk

Anita Slomski

Journal of the American Medical Association. 2014; 311(12):1191. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.3044.

Men treated with testosterone therapy (TT) are at substantially increased risk of acute myocardial infarction (MI), concluded authors of a cohort study of 55 593 men (Finkle W et al. PLoS One. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0085805 [published online January 29, 2014]).

Men aged 65 years and older doubled their risk of MI within 3 months of filling an initial TT prescription. Younger men with a history of heart disease doubled or tripled their risk of MI within 90 days, but risk did not increase in younger men without heart disease.

The authors expressed concern that use of TT is rapidly increasing, including among younger men. In this study, 10% of the younger men taking TT had a history of heart disease.

Until clinical trials provide evidence of the risks and benefits of TT, "clinicians might be well advised to include serious cardiovascular events in their discussions with patients of potential risks, particularly for men with existing cardiovascular disease," the researchers said.

Watch late night T.V. on satellite and learn what the shyster attorneys can sue testosterone producers for when you become a statistic... provided you live through the crisis... something to do in ICU after they remove the breathing tubes and the feeding tubes... you cannot do much else...

The list is quite impressive...

[jcat (imported)]

Well I "was" on T-supplements (Testopol) but last week diagnosed with prostrate cancer. I see my Uro on Tuesday. I assume my T replacement days are over...

g

I have had prostate problems for some time and recently looks like flaring up again. I have been doing some reading and found some interesting research:-

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 121353.htm

http://www.medivo.com/blog/low-testoste ... te-cancer/

https://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2008/de ... cer_01.htm

Here is another one:

http://www.livescience.com/36491-testos ... -risk.html

From the evidence it looks like a case of if you have it in you, low testosterone could be a trigger and T replacement will make no difference! Interestingly my PSA has gone up as my T levels have gone down.

[daifu-orchid (imported)]

Jesus would appear to be right. The evidence supporting increased cardiovascular risk with super-normal T seems repeatedly sound. I just wonder at the moneytree that has come from agressively marketed transdermal T.

Are the patients fully informed? They should be. Are the T levels appropriately verified before supplementation? There seems mounting opinion, though without hard evidence as yet, no.

Questions of ethics, freedom and economics are only the start....

[janekane (imported)]

The historical medical evidence of cardiovascular risk at supposedly normal testosterone levels was well established, if one knew where in the medical literature to look, by the 1950s.