What's Wrong with Me? TRT Mess

Bigger Stronger Leaner Over 35 Lifter
21

Doc, my Vyvanse dose is 30 mg. My doctor thought that was too low to even make a dent, but it does enough without the side effects coming on. In my job, for what I do, creativity is very important, and a loss of creativity is a major reported side effect, so I’m not willing to impair creativity.

The big problem I had was that I was decompensating earlier and earlier in the day as I got older. I’d rearrange work tasks around that, but I was starting to have trouble around 3:00 p.m.

Now, I sleep much better. My tension level in a crowd is dramatically lower. I owe it all to paying attention as my eight year old was treated for Tourettes and ADHD. Strattera made my eight year old suicidal, so I’m passing on it.

I’d use Focalin, but it gives me tics. I’d use Tenex, but my cardio is clean and I don’t like the side effects it has on creativity, even at low doses.

I think I’ll try the DHEA supplmeent you mentioned. Do you have a preferred vendor or body weight dose? There is just so much garbage out there. Wellbutrin I’d expect to give me a similar effect to St. John’s Wort or I’d be trying that next.

But you and my wife are on the same page as to Vyvanse. I had thought of a stronger dose, as I’m only 60% out of the fog. She was adamant against it, pulled up ePocrates on her PDA and gave me a lecture. Wasn’t a single side effect I was willing to encounter. So, I’m studying non-drug approaches and treatments.

Anyway, I’m interested on hearing back on the 7 OXO. I am going to continue to train and to improve on my physical recovery, health and life. Your advice is really appreciated.

And yes, I’ve had a little stress in my life here and there. Survived it so far, but some of it was very, very rough.

22

[quote]Elaikases wrote:

I think I’ll try the DHEA supplmeent you mentioned. Do you have a preferred vendor or body weight dose?
[/quote]

Some absorb DHEA and pregnenolone well, some very poorly. You cannot cookie cutter this. Many start with 50mg ED. You can check with DHEA-s labs. Do not use DHEA labs.

23

[quote]Elaikases wrote:
Doc, my Vyvanse dose is 30 mg. My doctor thought that was too low to even make a dent, but it does enough without the side effects coming on.

In my job, for what I do, creativity is very important, and a loss of creativity is a major reported side effect, so I’m not willing to impair creativity.

The big problem I had was that I was decompensating earlier and earlier in the day as I got older. I’d rearrange work tasks around that, but I was starting to have trouble around 3:00 p.m.

Now, I sleep much better. My tension level in a crowd is dramatically lower. I owe it all to paying attention as my eight year old was treated for Tourettes and ADHD. Strattera made my eight year old suicidal, so I’m passing on it.

I’d use Focalin, but it gives me tics. I’d use Tenex, but my cardio is clean and I don’t like the side effects it has on creativity, even at low doses.

I think I’ll try the DHEA supplmeent you mentioned. Do you have a preferred vendor or body weight dose? There is just so much garbage out there. Wellbutrin I’d expect to give me a similar effect to St. John’s Wort or I’d be trying that next.

But you and my wife are on the same page as to Vyvanse. I had thought of a stronger dose, as I’m only 60% out of the fog. She was adamant against it, pulled up ePocrates on her PDA and gave me a lecture. Wasn’t a single side effect I was willing to encounter. So, I’m studying non-drug approaches and treatments.

Anyway, I’m interested on hearing back on the 7 OXO. I am going to continue to train and to improve on my physical recovery, health and life. Your advice is really appreciated.

And yes, I’ve had a little stress in my life here and there. Survived it so far, but some of it was very, very rough.
[/quote]

Your Vyvanse dose is low, this is good, this is a dose I give to 10 year olds with ADHD. I'm on 40, and the recent slight improvements I've gained from working out regularly will allow me to ask my doc to drop it to 30 next visit.

They recently came out with a 20mg pill, the lowest dose they make. The risk/reward situation for you, and me right now…clearly points to continuing to take it. Do everything else you can do to possibly get that missing 40% with other, benign ways, and then maybe you can drop to 20.

Meanwhile, many on this site and elsewhere are busy experimenting with other meds to increase dopamine. I am less thrilled with the existing group of drugs which are dopamine agonists or receptor antagonists (net result the same, increasing dopamine), although Dostinex may prove a more benign approach than the L-dopa drugs.

I have seen many Parkinson’s patients not tolerate these drugs very well with many side effects and long term issues as well. If Prolactin is truly the OP’s problem, the Dostinex clearly makes the most sense to try…

And who knows, I dont even know my Prolactin level right now…so busy checking T, E2, thryroid, IGF, PSA and others. Trying to recreate a normal endocrine mileiu once it goes awry in mid life is like trying to solve a Rubicks cube.

 Straterra is crap and I had MANY kids have severe mood abnormalities as a result of it and I do NOT use it anymore. One thing I can tell you is that Big Pharma knows that there are no really good non-stimulant treatments for ADHD, and they are actively looking for one, because it will mean BILLIONS of dollars if they really find a good one that is non-addictive.

Provigil was another drug with some promise, but doesnt really help with focus, just slight lifting of mental lethargy. Doc

24

KSman DHEA-s labs. Do not use DHEA labs.

I’m not sure I understand the difference, but I gather that “DHEA-s labs” is an entity different from “DHEA labs”.

Appreciate the warning.

I’ll try to find 7 Keto DHEA there and start with the 50 mg tablet or capsule?

Doc, I’m excited. I had tried to start with 20 mg and could not get it. I’m going to switch to that my next prescription. That is good news.

Tenex worked pretty well for my eight year old, but it calmed her down just a little too much. Since her tics have really subsided (which is common), we’ve weaned her off of it altogether.

But you are right, if the stimulant type drugs cause you problems, it is really hard to find anything else that works. At least I can quit carrying Tenex around in my glove compartment (we were pretty careful to avoid rebound hypertension problems).

Appreciate your advice.

Any suggestions on sources for 7 Keto DHEA or is “DHEA-s labs” the place to go?

Parkinsons drugs are scary. I saw my dad go through some dosage problems that were scary. On the other hand, they got them fixed and he is much better now than he was a year ago when everyone doubted he would live another month. He is even putting weight back on and walking again.

Thanks to both of you.

25

Elaikases: What Ksman was talking about with the dhea-s labs is that when you have lab work to check for your dhea level make sure the test is for dhea-s not dhea.

26

Thanks cowpaddi – I really misunderstood.

As soon as I’ve had my colonscopy (i’m in my 50s and my doc insists on one), I’ll be back to my doc for a check up and will bring up getting a full screen.

Thanks for the help.

27

My neurologist just gave me selegiline and he wants me to start wellbutrin in the morning and trazadone at night for sleep. Hopefully after sinus surgery tomorrow that combo will work for me.

Selegiline has been interesting, I normally always hungry and planning out my next meal but I almost forget to eat now. Just dropped about 3 pounds this week without trying. BBB or headdoc, have you seen this combo of meds used before?

28

[quote]rfish1966 wrote:
My neurologist just gave me selegiline and he wants me to start wellbutrin in the morning and trazadone at night for sleep. Hopefully after sinus surgery tomorrow that combo will work for me.

Selegiline has been interesting, I normally always hungry and planning out my next meal but I almost forget to eat now. Just dropped about 3 pounds this week without trying. BBB or headdoc, have you seen this combo of meds used before?[/quote]

BE CAREFUL. Wellbutrin and Trazodone are a wonderful combination which I use all the time and several on this site do as well. Adding these to selegeline is a RISK. Selegline is an MAOI, and there is a risk of serotonin syndrome (overload) in combination with any other drug that can raise serotoni (both Wellbutrin and Trazodone MILDLY elevate serotonin.

 Now, I will say selegeline is a SELECTIVE MAO-B, meaning they have re-engineered the earlier primitive MAO-I's like Nardil and Parnate which were effective antidepressants but so hazardous you couldnt eat cheese or even a banana with them without having your blood pressure go through the roof. The selective MAO-B drugs (there is a patch out of selegeline called EMSAM) promise to possibly NOT have these dangerous side effects, although they are STILL conraindicated with SSRI's like Prozac and Zoloft.

 I used EMSAM a few times on critically depressed patients and it is a very good drug, although expensive as hell. I would suggest proceeding with caution, monitoring blood pressure and being aware of warning signs such as headaches, tremors, dizzinesss, nausea. 

 I used to be the bold doc pushing the envelope with these kinds of combos, but I've learned to be more careful due to a few disasters.                          Doc
29

Amen on the being careful. I’m always amazed at how different different people are in how they react to drugs, even close relatives.

30

be careful with Dostinex…

New England Journal of Medicine:

31

I think this was in really high doses say 4.5mg a day where most guys will be using .5mg a week. I wonder how problematic it is at that dose?

32

How are things treating you brentf13?

ks, bbb and doc thanks as always, I came thru surgery fine and can already breathe better. Maybe I will just stick with selegiline and trazadone. I do have months worth of the emsam patch as well as sublingual and after those run out I have a script for selegiline.

Sinement worked the best for me but I augmented within weeks so that’s still not an option.
Pain killers are kicking in, I will check monday to see if this post made any sense.

33

If you had the euphoric effect of T replacement that faded take a look at this. Our antidepressants, SSRIs, kill libido and sexual function. In Europe they do the opposite. Meet the SSRE.

The FDA probably wouldn’t like this drug because it doesn’t chemically neuter us. Yes this antidepressant works on serotonin and INCREAASES libido and sexual function.

http://www.servier.com/Pro/ContentPro.aspx?id=158

It turns out someone in the world knows how to make an antidepressant so what’s wrong with us?

34

How does this relate to the euphoric effect you get in intitial stages of trt? I’m curious does everyone get it then lose it? I only got it when they added the clomid with my T shots. I still feel great but I sure don’t feel like I did for that week lol.

If your looking for a drug that releases serotonin try MDMA.