Posted by Larry Hoover on January 8, 2003, at 8:15:05
In reply to Depression/ADD and Testosterone treatment, posted by DiscoPuppy on January 7, 2003, at 18:25:24
> Hi Everyone-
>
> Lately, I've seen quite a few print ads for this prescription "cream" of some sort for people who are testosterone deficient. It lists several indications, all of which I have.
>
> Then it suddenly dawned on me. Maybe I was headed the wrong directions with all of those endless psychiatrists with an infinite supply of various antidepressants and ADD meds, when all I needed to see was an endocrinologist.
>
> Among the plethora of symptoms the ad for this medication (I think it was Adrio gel or something like that), they mention fatigue, depression, diminished libido, inability to concentrate, etc. Up until now, I have taken Zoloft, Paxil, Effexor and Celexa for the depression and Adderall and Dexedrine for ADD, all with NO SUCCESS.
>
> Has anyone, particularly the men out there, tried any type of a testosterone-replacement therapy to treat depression and/or ADD? If so, how were the results?
>
> I'm planning on seeing an endocrinologist soon to have my testosterone level checked. I'm hoping that this is the answer that I've been looking for all these years.Hot off the presses:
Am J Psychiatry 2003 Jan;160(1):105-11
Testosterone gel supplementation for men with refractory depression: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.Pope HG Jr, Cohane GH, Kanayama G, Siegel AJ, Hudson JI.
OBJECTIVE: Testosterone supplementation may produce antidepressant effects in men, but until recently it has required cumbersome parenteral administration. In an 8-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the authors administered a testosterone transdermal gel to men aged 30-65 who had refractory depression and low or borderline testosterone levels. METHOD: Of 56 men screened, 24 (42.9%) displayed morning serum total testosterone levels of 350 ng/dl or less (normal range=270-1070). Of these men, 23 entered the study. One responded to an initial 1-week single-blind placebo period, and 22 were subsequently randomly assigned: 12 to 1% testosterone gel, 10 g/day, and 10 to identical-appearing placebo. Each subject continued his existing antidepressant regimen. Ten subjects receiving testosterone and nine receiving placebo completed the 8-week trial. RESULTS: The groups were closely matched on baseline demographic and psychiatric measures. Subjects receiving testosterone gel had significantly greater improvement in scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale than subjects receiving placebo. These changes were noted on both the vegetative and affective subscales of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. A significant difference was also found on the Clinical Global Impression severity scale but not the Beck Depression Inventory. One subject assigned to testosterone reported increased difficulty with urination, suggesting an exacerbation of benign prostatic hyperplasia; no other subject reported adverse events apparently attributable to testosterone. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings suggest that testosterone gel may produce antidepressant effects in the large and probably underrecognized population of depressed men with low testosterone levels.
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:134881
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030106/msgs/134932.html