TESTOSTERONE AND AUTO-IMMUNE CONDITIONS.....

[Marz]

.....Whilst reading Thierry Hertoghe's book - The Hormone Solution ' - I came across an interesting snippet. Apparently male hormones stimulate immunity....and testosterone protects the thyroid gland from auto-immune inflammation - which 10-15% of women over 40 have....

Maybe we should be looking at all hormones in order to find optimal health. The book is an interesting read if you want to learn more about the inter-connectedness of everything in the body. Maybe we girls should be having our testosterone levels checked ! Good levels do have other positive effects too.

Interesting that when men have prostate problems they are given a drug which is female hormone and supposed to suppress testosterone....and yet the book mentions that prostate cancer is more common in males with low testosterone. My husband was unable to tolerate the drug and quickly came off it. Later his Thyroid problem was diagnosed.....again I cannot help thinking there are connections.

.....and so the puzzles continue...

[merissa]

Marz howdie, will you pm me about information in regards to gut problems please and supplements that will help. Endo went well, says I need ibs sorted ,also had low iron and being started on t3, still have issues i need to adress.

tar x

[Marz in reply to merissa]

....will do when the TV man has gone ! Also have guests leaving ! Glad Endo meeting went well.......

M x

[roslin]

Hi

I find it very interesting too with the hormones. I asked for my sex hormones to be tested but was told there was no need after menopause? I used to have a mirena coil which releases progesterone and I can feel a definite difference after it was removed. I have now started using a progesterone cream to see if that works. I have also ordered pregnenalone which is a pro hormone and will transform to testosterone or progesterone as the body need (also cortisol). Probably simplistic but sounds good.

Roslinxx

[Confused77 in reply to roslin]

I was told the same thing by my GP - no need to test sex hormones as I've gone through the menopause. I find it hard to believe anything he tells me these days!

[roslin in reply to Confused77]

It was my endo that told me I DIDN'T need my sex hormones done!!!!

[Confused77 in reply to roslin]

I'm seeing my Endo this Sat so I'll ask her about it.

[muddywaters in reply to Confused77]

I have just tried to see if doc would test my sex hormones and she would only test for progesterone as long as I made a point to her that it was because I have abnormal periods.

She refused to test for testosterone without giving me a reason, and said she wont test for eostrogen because she wouldn't know what to do with the results and that there is no reason to do that test anyway.

I don't see the point in testing just progesterone without at least eostrogen to see the balance between the two.

Be good to hear what your endo says.

[Confused77 in reply to muddywaters]

This is all so confusing!!! I'll let you know what the Endo says after Sat's appointment.

[muddywaters in reply to Confused77]

Please do! x

[Confused77 in reply to muddywaters]

Hi there, I'm sorry this has taken so long but I completely forgot to ask at my Endo appointment and I only remembered a week later! So I emailed her and her response was that the measurement of sex hormones is not very helpful in a post/menopausal woman unless she is on HRT or you need to work out if menopause has started. Testosterone treatment has been used by some post-menopausal women, mainly to improve libido, but this has some side effects. She didn't say what those side effects are.

[Hidden in reply to Confused77]

What a load of bull. How many problems do we post menopause women suffer due to lack of oestrogen? Aren't we supposed to have a life over 50?? The women I have met where HRT works for them are positively glowing, and they sleep!

[greygoose]

Of course all hormones should be tested, and of course women's testosterone should be tested. Mine is low and that's no fun, I can tell you! BUT doctors can't even handle thyroid hormones, how do you think they'd get on if they had to juggle the whole lot! lol That's why anti-aging medecine is so good, it deals with the whole spectrum of hormones - which are, after all, closely linked and inter-dependant.

It's interesting what you say about about prostate cancer there (I had this book but lost t before I finished it, wish I'd finished it now!). Dr D in Paris told me that prostate cancer is caused by low testosterone, and as he explained it, it's logical. Testosterone protects men from prostate cancer. However, I've known two men with prostate cancer and both of them were told it was because their testosterone was too high. Now, one of these men was on statins for years, so there was no way his testosterone was high! And the other, you only had to look at him to see he had low testosterone. So, I'm getting suspicious here. Is there some sort of conspiracy? Or is it just total ignorance? Anyone else got any opinions on the subject?

Hugs, Grey

[Marz in reply to greygoose]

...thanks Grey - that is interesting. Will tell hubby too ! The book is written in conjunction with Jules-Jacques Nabet and he practices in Paris and London - so maybe sings from the same hymn sheet as your Dr D.

The prostate issue is obviously controversial and needs more research. Maybe the underlying cause is the dreaded T.

M x

[greygoose in reply to Marz]

Yes, Dr D was a student of Thierry Hertogh. I'm not sure about Nabet. I know his name, of course, but I don't know how he treats his patients.

But I find this high testosterone vs low testosterone highly worrying.

Grey x

[Hidden]

This is a subject I know a little bit about (yay, at last! :)).

You may remember my husband is now my herband after undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2007. She also has Hashimoto's. I won't get into the topic of whether the stress and major surgery was what caused an autoimmune condition (my guess is yes). Anyway, she also only has one kidney, removed when she (then he) was 22 after a surgical botch up.

I suspect some of her thyroid issues are to do with oestrogen dominance knocking her hormone levels off balance (she takes oestrogen, though only a tiny amount compared to some).

Back to the topic of testosterone.. It's produced in the adrenal glands, in the ovaries (in women) and in the testes (in men). My OH has no ovaries, just one adrenal gland and her testes were removed, fairly obviously. Her testosterone levels are rubbish. It was me who suggested this could be causing her thyroid problems to be worse than one might expect, and after some persuading, her endocrinologist agreed to prescribe Intrinsa patches (testosterone patches designed for menopausal women). We notice a drop in energy and mood when she hasn't used them. Unfortunately, you can't get them any more - they've been withdrawn from the market. The only testosterone replacement therapy available now is designed for men and is far too high a strength for women (after several years' worth of expensive and painful electrolysis to remove facial hair, OH is not keen on the idea of it growing back...).

Long story short, even if you're tested and found to be deficient in testosterone, there's nothing that can be done about it at present if you're a woman. My OH's endo is scratching his head over what to prescribe. Having done some more research I've suggested DHEA supplementation but the endo didn't seem too sure about that - he said he'd have to do more research...

Sigh.

[pinpink in reply to Hidden]

Hi I am on Testogel - not licensed for use by women in the UK however my Endo prescribed it and I use 1/8th of a sachet every day (not very scientific but very effective). I'm 44 and had a hysterectomy last year and then went into early menopause. I'm also on Oestrogel plus my thyroid meds. HRT has made all the difference for me. Hope this helps x

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

...think things are different in the States - where the guy practices that wrote the book..... DHEA is well explained in his book and it's role in the body. Maybe helpful for you to read up on before seeing the Endo next time.

Thanks for your post.....

[greygoose in reply to Marz]

Sorry, are you talking about Thierry Hertogh? He practices mainly in Belgium, doesn't he? He may do some work in the US but he is Belgian. He is Europe's leading hormone expert.

[Marz in reply to greygoose]

...yes I am. Yes I know he is Belgian. Quote from book - he is a member of the International Advisory Board of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. He lectures to medical professionals and laypeople in the United States and abroad on the subject of hormone deficiencies.

The book was printed in the States and there are other references to Americans etc. as the book seems targeted at the American people. eg America's perceptions about the inevitable effects of aging.......

So guess that is why I thought he practised there as well as Belgium - although it doesn't say that anywhere. Didn't mean to mislead....and if I have it wrong then apologies.....

[greygoose in reply to Marz]

OK. As I said, I never finished the book. lol In fact, I didn't even get past the first chapter... My son took it to read and it has never been seen nor heard of since! He, of course, denies all knowledge of it, never touched it, etc. Ah well...

I'm pretty sure he still practices in Brussels - although I no-longer have any contact with French forums (who talk about him endlessly! lol Well, he is rather good-looking... bit of a hormonal pop-star here.). But there is no reason why he shouldn't practice a bit in the US, I suppose. After all, that's where the money is! Pity he isn't a member of some international Advisory board to do with endocrinology, rather than Anti-Aging Medicine. He could make a difference, I'm sure.