Supplemental Test./Arimidex Question

[musclemom]

Hey all ... my husband just got back from his endocrine doctor with his lab results in .. he's going on not one, not two, but THREE different prescriptions, I can't read the amounts but it's Armour Thyroid, Arimidex, and a compounded testosterone cream that will be arriving directly from a lab (actually never heard of something like that). He's dropping the scripts off for the other stuff.

ANYWAY, my question is since he's going on Arimidex do I need to worry about putting him on anything as a prostate protector (like saw palmetto) or does the Arimidex take care of that?

(I'm certainly interested in seeing what's about to happen in the next few weeks ... might be like getting a whole new husband LOL)

Anyway, thanks for your imput!

Best, MM

 

[thefantom1]

Hopefully his doctor did a DRE and also a PSA test on him... DRE is Digital Rectal Exam (Finger up his butt) and Prostate specific anti-gen test..for prostate cancer...if those are good then he should have nothing to worry about...

 

[blut wump]

Arimidex is an aromatase inhibitor (AI), aromatase being the enzyme resposible for conversion of testosterone to oestrogen. The three commonly used, in order of strength, from weakest to strongest, being:
Arimidex (anastrozole)
Aromasin (exemestane)
Femara (letrozole)

There's also AIFM (aromatase inhibitor for men) sold by one of the sponsors on here which, I understand, is a modified form of exemestane with added DHEA. Contact macrophage69alpha or Ulter for more info.

Arimidex is the weakest of the AIs and is a competetive inhibitor. It competes with the testosterone in binding to the aromatase and results in a mild lowering of oestrogen formation. Personally, I find it ineffective on a cycle although many run quite strong cycles and find even a low dose to be quite adequate.

However, its function extends little beyond aromatase inhibition. If you have concerns about the prostate then Saw Palmetto is recommended which helps against DHT and also Nettle Root extract which helps to combat the effects of oestrogen on the prostate. Allegedly, oestrogen is as much a factor in prostate problems as DHT.

I take both saw palmetto and nettle root.

As a precaution against contaminating your own systems, avoid contact with the cream or areas on which he's spread it. I've also heard that the stuff can be quite smelly.

 

[blut wump]

By the way, assuming he's had a PSA test then prostate cancer is not the concern but rather benign prostate hypertrophy or BPH. The prostate commonly enlarges and causes a slew of problems. DHT and oestrogen are each implicated in the condition.

 

[musclemom]

K to both you gentlemen, thank you kindly!!!

He got the PSA and poked so that department is green lighted. I was just worrying about things NOT being okay once he starts the therapy. I hate the idea of starting ONE medicine then creating other problems *sigh* I don't even like him having to do this but his quality of life (and health) is impaired and I've tried everything I know.

I'm not wild about the cream, biggest problem is I know him ... the man won't even use sun screen or lip balm, he hates anything being smeared on him ... I wanted him to go on the pellets but I do find his doctor's approach interesting and can understand that the cream has more flexibility in terms of dosing.

 

[H_T_]

i think saw palmetto is bunk. arimidex. i didn't think they'd prescribe that for guys. just becuase i saw an ad for that in a womens magazine. it is for bitch tits, right? and it is pretty toxic shit. his test must have been low. and estrogen out of whack or something. i'd worry more about his prostate if this test creme was strong enough to consider being a cycle instead of HRT. `least you'll be getting laid more. early bird catches the worm, aye?

 

[musclemom]

i think saw palmetto is bunk. arimidex. i didn't think they'd prescribe that for guys. just becuase i saw an ad for that in a womens magazine. it is for bitch tits, right? and it is pretty toxic shit. his test must have been low. and estrogen out of whack or something. i'd worry more about his prostate if this test creme was strong enough to consider being a cycle instead of HRT. `least you'll be getting laid more. early bird catches the worm, aye?

I'm not worried about my sex life ... I'm worried about the fact that my husband is getting old before his time and not enjoying his life, sleeping a lot of it away in fact.

His hormones are low ... the polite word is "Andropause," it's the forum and he fits the bill (it's the male version of menopause, just not as dramatic). Low free testosterone, low serum testosterone (within the range of normal, but literally at the absolute bottom of the normal range). Thyroid screwed up. His GP would have written him a prescription for antidepressants, I wanted to eliminate all other health problems, we turned up not one but several treatable problems.

His progesterone and sex hormone binding globulin are also at the bottom of the normal range, but the big thing is what Blut said, that the doctor wants to prevent the testosterone he's being supplemented with being converted into estrogen. He's only taking it Monday/Wednesday/Friday, kind of odd ...

Toxic, great now I have to do more research and scare myself more

 

[macrophage69alpha]

if he has low progesterone then consider supplementing DHEA (precursor, guessing that he also likely has low DHEA and DHEA-s levels), use of an AI eliminates most of the E conversion issues. As far as the testosterone, reccomend pressuring the doctor to give him injectable, preferably cypionate or enanthate. would also ask about getting aromasin instead of arimidex, though dex is an OK option.

though thats JHMO

 

[blut wump]

MM, I just re-read your last post. In my PM I was assuming that you'd meant he'd be applying the cream MWF rather than the arimidex MWF. The arimidex has a reasonably long half-life and the MWF dosing shouldn't be an issue.

It's odd that SHBG levels are low. Usually, they're high in an older guy, resulting in lower free testosterone since SHBG binds to it. Macro, could aromasin compound this issue with its own affinity for SHBG? Maybe it's not an issue if he's receiving his testosterone exogenously.

 

[musclemom]

if he has low progesterone then consider supplementing DHEA (precursor, guessing that he also likely has low DHEA and DHEA-s levels), use of an AI eliminates most of the E conversion issues. As far as the testosterone, reccomend pressuring the doctor to give him injectable, preferably cypionate or enanthate. would also ask about getting aromasin instead of arimidex, though dex is an OK option.

though thats JHMO

I don't know SQUAT about male hormones, I freely admit it (and sometimes I wonder about what little I know about female hormones ...). Now how do men make progesterone since they don't ovulate? Purely from adrenal glands and Schwann's cells?

Anyway, he went into doc's office with me specifically saying "INJECTIBLE" because hubby TRULY hates creams, lotions. I was thinking of the slow release pellets, actually. His doctor wants to do it this way and since husband is just entering therapy maybe it's a situation where the doc wants to start off slow? I dunno. I like the doctor's treatment philosophy, more importantly my husband feels relatively comfortable with the doctor so I'm trying to keep my mouth shut here (gee, you'd never believe it but that's pretty damn hard for me )

He just came back from the second visit on Monday, scripts to fill, and we're waiting for the cream to arrive from the compounding lab. The pharmacy didn't even HAVE Armour Thyroid so that had to be special ordered as well.

First visit, physical, DRE, gallons of blood drawn (I'm afraid of what the lab. co-pays are gonna be). Everything that's off is basically borderline, not sky high, not rockbottom, if it's high, it's top normal, if it's low, it's bottom normal (e.g., serum test. 287, range 241-827; T4 .87, range .61-1.76; TSH 5.298, range .350-5.50, progesterone 0.3, range 0.3-1.2; DHEA is actually pretty good at 88 ug/DL, the range is 70-310).

Since he's having the test. and thyroid manipulated already I'm not interfering with his endocrine therapy in any way. My focus is keeping him healthy and side stepping any potential health issues that might crop up. Additionally, his liver enzymes are screwy which is one more reason not to add anything else to his oral therapies until that issue is sussed out (he's on antihypertensives, which can screw with your liver enzymes, I'm hoping that once his hormones come into line and he drops some weight maybe he'll be able to come off those).