posted
Dr C prescribed me testosterone 1% lipoderm. I start with 1/5th ml daily and try to increase dose to half ml twice daily as directed.
The problem is there are no further directions. Where do you apply this stuff?
And how do I know when I'm gradually ready to begin applying more - gradually working my way up to half ml twice daily?
Posts: 81 | From Birmingham, AL | Registered: Mar 2009
| IP: Logged |
Abxnomore
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18936
posted
Call the pharmacy that provided you with it. They will know.
Posts: 5191 | From Lyme Zone | Registered: Jan 2009
| IP: Logged |
Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16359
posted
ic, i'm assuming you're male?
If so, age? There are better alternatives than T creams or straight T...
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
| IP: Logged |
Abxnomore
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18936
posted
Not necessarily, women use it too!
Posts: 5191 | From Lyme Zone | Registered: Jan 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks! My doctor said apply to arms and shoulders.
FYI - I am female. Girls need testosterone too. Males have estrogen as well. These are facts that I did not know until this week either!
Posts: 81 | From Birmingham, AL | Registered: Mar 2009
| IP: Logged |
Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
I called the compounding pharmacy because my naturopath gave no instructions. For females, the pharmacist said to apply to fatty areas - abdomen, thighs, arms.
Because I'm so sensitive to everything, I used half the dose most of the time. I had bloodwork done recently and I went from having almost none to having way too much - so now I don't know what to do. So be sure to get retested.
Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
| IP: Logged |
Abxnomore
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18936
posted
I hope you stopped taking it or reduced your dose. It can lead to hair lose in women just as it does in men by way of DHT.
Posts: 5191 | From Lyme Zone | Registered: Jan 2009
| IP: Logged |
Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16359
posted
Yes, I know women use it too lol...thanks for the bio lesson though...
Carry on...
Creams are not always the best for the guys but my point is not very helpful in this case...
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
I was on testosterone, and I'm female, and it was applied to the outer mucous membranes of the genital area. Just be careful. My levels were initially low enough to warrant the medication, but the doctor prescribing it admitted she had little experience with the medication.
To make a long story short, about 2 months (?) into treatment, my low levels of testosterone (maybe 16?) shot up to over 700 - more than most men have. I had the sex drive of an entire football team, the zits on my face screamed puberty, but what finally sent me back to the doctor for a retest was the mustache I began to grow on my upper lip.
I should also mention that I developed some mean looking muscles and could even lift fallen trees, which looked pretty frightening at 94 lbs.
Abxnomore
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18936
posted
When using any hormones one needs a doctor who really knows what he/she is doing. Testosterone for women is used in low doses for obvious reasons.
My dose is 0.5mg 2 x a week. It's been adjusted many times during the five years I have used it.
It can be applied to the skin or applied internally directly into the vaginal canal for the best absorption. Levels must be checked frequently, no less than every two months and adjusted as needed.
Initially, it is not uncommon for levels to get a bit high until the doctor gets a feel for how a particular patient's body will respond.
Blaze, I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Your doctor not only did not know what she was doing but she was negligent. She could have caused you much harm. There are terrible side effects, some cosmetic some dangerous, for women if too much testosterone is given and levels rise that high.
Posts: 5191 | From Lyme Zone | Registered: Jan 2009
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Abxnomore: [QB] When using any hormones one needs a doctor who really knows what he/she is doing. ----------------------
Blaze, I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Your doctor not only did not know what she was doing but she was negligent. She could have caused you much harm. There are terrible side effects, some cosmetic some dangerous, for women if too much testosterone is given and levels rise that high.
That dr needs a short course on testosterone!! ( or maybe a long course?? )
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
Yes, I second what Blaze said. As I posted earlier, my naturopath prescribed it (cardiologist approved, too, due to my having almost no testosterone when tested), but I skyrocketed at even half the dose to way over normal.
I stopped the testosterone and won't even think of starting again until I get re-tested and am letting a holistic MD handle it this time around. I think I will need to pulse it. The holistic MD asked me if I had gotten acne from it, and I said no, so he was relieved.
My cardiologist felt it could help my muscle strength and stamina, but I'm not willing to risk a mustache as a female!! This has to be handled by someone who can monitor it. My naturopath is a specialist in bio-identical hormones, so maybe it was an issue of just not testing frequently enough - and I just can't afford to see her so often.
Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
| IP: Logged |
blaze
Unregistered
posted
Testosterone is definitely a better hormone in many ways than estrogen. If it weren't for the mustache, I'd try it again. I believe it's the hormone that makes a woman feel human.
But definitely get tested frequently until you figure out how your body handles it. I'd get tested monthly at least.
Actually, bioidentical is probably the way to go, if you can find a doctor to swing it.
IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic