Testosterone/Thyroid/Adrenal Deficiencies
Quote:
>Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 20:07:15 UTC
>Subject: Testosterone/Thyroid/Adrenal Deficiencies
>Hello.
>I have a few questions about hormone deficiencies in young men (20s) -
>testosterone, DHEA, thyroid, cortisol, adrenaline and aldosterone are
>all low.
>1. What neurological problems are associated with such deficiencies?
> (Thyroid-related ones are well known - what about the others?)
> Do they tend to clear up with replacement?
>2. What causes exist besides poor pituitary or hypothalmus function?
> How would you distinguish them? How would your treatment differ?
>3. How do you replace testosterone, cortisol and aldosterone? Cortisol
> and androgens are perceived to have {*filter*} effects when used in
> high doses. Will these be a problem when taken to remedy an
> endogenous hormone deficiency? My understanding of the pros and cons
> of replacement is as below:
> Testosterone - gonadal atrophy, sterility, liver, prostate, cardio-
> vascular problems if you replace. If you don't, osteoporosis and
> perhaps cerebral deterioration.
> Cortisone - adrenal suppression with override of sensitive negative
> feedback. Manual adjustment of dosage leaves you vulnerable to
> interruption of treatment and to extreme stress.
> Are things really this bad?
>4. Testosterone replacement - which derivative to use, and how to administer?
> I've heard that testosterone undecanoate is okay since it does not
> completely suppress endogenous production while breaking down into all
> the right metabolites that might have some specific action of their own.
> Thanks in advance for any help...
I'm afraid I can't provide any info on the treatments you are asking about,
but I thought you might be interested in some _general_ info about the effect
of toxic iron excess.
Toxic iron excess, caused by mostly by hemochromatosis, can in some people
cause all the symptoms you are describing. The iron attacks the endocrine
system causing diabetes, also hypogonadism, and a host of other problems. In
these cases, the proper treatment is to remove the iron excess first, then
deal with any other problems which are not relieved.
Obviously, this is not intended as a diagnosis, and everyone must consult
their health provider regarding their own specific case. But in general, it's
often a good idea to have a _fasting_ TIBC Saturation test to eliminate
hemochromatosis or other iron exces diseases (serum iron or ferritin alone are
not enough!) These diseases are far more common than most people believe, so
it's a good idea to have the screen at least once before moving on to other
causes.
I know this doesn't answer your questions, but I hope you find this
info useful. Good luck!
Tim Casey
Hemochromatosis Foundation
