HRT and Male Health

[bobbie (imported)]

I am not sure just where to ask this question.

What are the health risks of HRT in men?

I read about studies and the risks of HRT in older females. Some suggest not to take any HRT in the 50's and older. Health risks common are stroke among heart and cancer. Anyone listing to TV will hear about the risk in taking hormones related birth control pills. That is a form of hormones. It also mentions the age factor. That would be a factor in a male as well?

If there is known risk to females, then one can assume that there is similar risk to males taking testosterone HRT? I am sure that the studies are not in on that. One has to consider this risk when thinking that taking HRT after castration is a good and safe option. If there is undesirable effects. Think again!!

HRT does have risks and one should be well aware of that. Nothing is as good as what your body makes in regards to hormones.

[Batman (imported)]

From what I have learned being on TRT due to having low T issues, is that for women the biggest risks involve hormones that aren't bio-identical. Things like Premarin (made from urine of pregnant mares). Progestins an artificial form of progesterone.

It seems Testosterone is quite more straight forward and derived from natural sources so the problems aren't there like in women. One thing that needs to be watched if you are on TRT is your estrogen levels. They can be driven up via conversion of excess T to E.

Batman

[Batman (imported)]

Here is the Yahoo group I've learned about TRT and such from over the last few years http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/hy ... 2/messages

[clysmaniac (imported)]

Men and women are different. Nature has a natural menopause for women where their hormones are virtually absent after that time. Men will have a slow decrease in testosterone as they age but it will still naturally be present. Simply adding more T to a male does not conflict with his basic body process. But adding hormones to a post-menopausal woman is a change to what nature intended so is a more drastic change. And obviously has a number or associated risks.

[transward (imported)]

Unfortunately, conclusive information on this is simply nonexistent. Remember women have been doing hrt for the better part of fifty years, in numbers that are probably tens of thousands of times the number of men taking hrt. The majority of studies suggested that hrt increased their health and longevity. It is only after very long term ongoing studies of women that they began to realize that the opposite was true. In men conclusive information will take long term studies of many men that simply haven't been done yet. Obviously there are cancers like prostate that are driven by testosterone. The chance of getting those probably go up a bit with hrt. There are obvious benefits that may increase longevity, more energy, improved mood, etc. How these will all go together will not be known for a while. In the meantime remember the information you get is anecdotal and incomplete.

Transward

[paring (imported)]

I've done lot of rechearch on the web before I started TRT. None have proven any relation between TRT and prostate cancer but there is a relation between lack of vitamine D and many cancer that includes prostate cancer. That's why black men who avoid tanning salon and white men living in northern U.S.A.and Canada are more affected with this cancer. My P.S.A. level before I started TRT was at 1,5 and my free testosterone was at 3,5 which is about 100 in U.S.A. I've been on TRT (Androgel or Nibido) for 5 years now and my P.S.A is now at .3 (teen age level) while normal level for a 50 y.o. men should be around 3,5. I live in Canada and I go to sun tanning salon during the winter and I take 1000 IU of vitamine D every day. Till I'll see a study that proves a relation with TRT and cancer I will go on with it.

[mrt (imported)]

I am not sure just where to ask this question.

What are the health risks of HRT in men?

I read about studies and the risks of HRT in older females. Some suggest not to take any HRT in the 50's and older. Health risks common are stroke among heart and cancer. Anyone listing to TV will hear about the risk in taking hormones related birth control pills. That is a form of hormones. It also mentions the age factor. That would be a factor in a male as well?

If there is known risk to females, then one can assume that there is similar risk to males taking testosterone HRT? I am sure that the studies are not in on that. One has to consider this risk when thinking that taking HRT after castration is a good and safe option. If there is undesirable effects. Think again!!

HRT does have risks and one should be well aware of that. Nothing is as good as what your body makes in regards to hormones.

You ask a good question. Mrs T is in Menopause and I had my own hormone problems before that and an Orchi for Orchialgia later. Anyway, long story short I had to read a great deal about HRT and most of the material (at that time) was about women because male hormone problems were not too high on the radar (With the exception of the book by Dr Shippen and the AACE Guidelines of 2002)

What I got from all the reading was this. There was a large study of the Synthetic Female Hormones (Horse Types) and these were tested in large part on women who had been in Menopause for a long time and were fairly old. The saw an increase in heart attack (I'm thinking you put rocket fuel in a car thats been rusting 20 years?) and stopped the study. They made a lot of conclusions about the safety of female HRT and my impression is these people don't know how to do a very good study.

The idea of using human hormones? These were not tested nor is anyone interested because they can't be patented (God won't sign over the rights) and they don't cost much to produce. So... The people making the Horse Synthetics went to the FDA and tried to make these Illegal and used the study that said their Horse stuff was unsafe as a reason? A little circular logic? Or they just assume the FDA is stupid. Anyway, dear Mrs T takes a human identical dose of HRT and it includes female levels or Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone and she is once again very warm and wonderful.

I don't know how quality of life and obvious health issue fits in but we don't worry bone loss (for one thing) and we both seem to be functioning pretty well.

[Batman (imported)]

You are 100% correct across the board Mr T sir (don't hit me )

Seriously though the trouble for women is synthetic hormones (couldn't think of the word yesterday)

[mrt (imported)]

I pity the fool that thinks I would sock you Bats!

[devi (imported)]

The latest I have read is that estradiol is indeed beneficial for women with menopause, for their bones, and that the doeage should be .625 mg daily, and that this does not at all increase any risk of heart problems at all. And it has been found to be beneficial for the heart too which is why men have been more prone to heart attacks.

From a chemistry standpoint the body creates testosterone, estradiol, estriol, and estrone from the core compound androstenadione. Some of us creatures (eunuchs) have bodies that have never created as much testosterone as normal males and have also created an over-abundance of estradiol but which is still generally less than females. Most of the androstenedione in eunuchs remains androstenedione rather than being converted to either testosterone or estradiol et al. Most of the androstenadione in males is converted to testosterone, and in females to estradiol et al.

The body does back produce substances from one to another too. Therefore estradiol et al can be converted back into androstenedione and so can testosterone be back produced. When you have too many of any of these the body does not completely wash them out right away but instead converts one compound into another.

Anyway bottom line, I have been taking .625 Estrine with no adverse effects but I have noticed a little bit more facial hair growth (I do have some) which would mean that my pituataries have created some testosterone out of the deal. (My breasts had already budded at 14yrs and I had no concerns about them being more noticeable thanks to inheritance.)