Could ESTROGEN BALANCE be the most powerful anti-depressent of all...?

[CHIP WADOWSKI]

To date, there is currently no blood test that can measure the level of Serotonin re-uptake in the brain. THERE IS A SERUM SEROTONIN BLOOD TEST, however this ONLY measures the amount of Serotonin in the blood stream, NOT the level of re-uptake in the brain. So how and why are so many doctors so quick to shove anti-depressants down our throats if there is truly no way of knowing, MEDICALLY SPEAKING, if Serotonin is even the issue?? I DO believe, though, that there IS a blood test that shows where our estrogen levels are at....

Anyone who follows me knows that I am a firm advocate of the use of AI's (Aromatase Inhibitors) and that HRT/TRT is NOT therapy unless estrogen control is a PRIORITY.

So, my question would be, how can ANYONE inside OR outside of the medical community possibly frown upon HRT/TRT, IF ADMINISTERED PROPERLY, and there are actual blood tests that correspond to individual hormonal values within the body, yet, they can advocate a medical practitioner handing out Prozac "Pez dispensers"(not literally), when there is not test, to date, that can show any Serotonin re-uptake values?? I know, its all about money. But the point is this.....

Don't estrogen levels that are either crashed or through the roof yield many of, if not all the side effects that the re-uptake of too much Serotonin does?
Libido issues, insomnia, mood swings, sexual dysfunction... in fact, how many people with "Fibromyalgia" are on LYRICA.... YET THERE IS NOT BLOOD TEST, TO DATE, FOR THAT EITHER. I'll tell you this.... I've crashed my own estrogen before. You feel like someone has knives in your joints with every move you make. The pain is terrible. MUCH LIKE THE PAIN DESCRIBED BY SUFFERERS OF "FIBROMYALGIA".

Here are two "MEDICAL CONDITIONS" recognized by the medical community, while the method of treatment is EMBRACED by them.... YET THERE IS NO PROOF THAT THEY EXIST?

How many millions of people are on drugs to treat these two conditions, yet they've never had their estrogen levels tested... WITH A REAL TEST.... THAT CAN "CLINICALLY" DIAGNOSE A REAL ABNORMALITY????

I am NOT stating that clinical depression or Fibromyalgia do not exist or that they are not real conditions. I am stating that, according to my research, THERE ARE NO TESTS THAT EXIST that can "CLINICALLY" support medicating those conditions.

ON THE FLIP SIDE..... THE PROPER ADMINISTRATION OF HRT/TRT IS BASED FIRST AND FOREMOST ON REAL VALUES DERIVED FROM HORMONE SPECIFIC BLOOD WORK....

 

[cjw2021]

Great thinking here. Testosterone is the best neuro-stimulant there is. It is pro-dopamine. Excess serotonin actually causes all kinds of dysfunction. I'm sure administering testosterone simultaneously probably mitigates some of it though. I see too many older men who have depression being medicated with SSRIs which make them forgetful and arthritic when in reality what they need is testosterone. A high testosterone level will significantly reduce chances of developing alzheimers and other metabolic syndrome or auto immune diseases. Some researchers call alzheimers the diabetes of the brain. Since testosterone increases the sensitivity of insulin, it is more important than insulin itself for any type of diabetic. Most diabetics are suffering from autonomic nervous dysfunction or an excessively toned sympathetic nervous system with constant cold hands and feet. For a while I kept saying to myself that I was going to wait and see if I could recover without testosterone. Then I realized that testosterone is the hormone of life and I was losing and doing myself a disservice not taking it. I cannot imagine in how bad of shape I'd be in had I not got treatment. Now I am an animal.

 

[JOWS6]

I feel like an animal too right now, . . . a squirrel at best. Waiting to get something started with Chip so I could at least upgrade to a raccoon.

It's simply due to: lack of training, lack of education, lack of awareness, and plain ol' disregard to the potential of Testosterone. I was talking with Chip on the phone and I was explaining that the day I was diagnosed with hypogonadism I went out to Borders and bought a book so that I could learn more about what's going on with me. I have to admit that my view on steriods was that of the general public and as I was reading through the book, I thought to myself, "This sounds a lil' too good to be true." I compared the author of the book to all those late-night infomercials that claim to cure all of your ailments with a vitamin shake, or lose all that weight and gain muscle with that shaking dumbbell or how to make 100k a year by purchasing their book. I decided to do my own research (and still continuing) and time after time, I've read nothing but positive effects. I decided to write a paper on Testosterone for my Neuropsychology class as it was a good excuse to research intensively and was amazed by what I learned. Low testosterone was linked to obesity, Alzheimer's, increased risk of mortality, diabetes, and depression. Administering testosterone had a positive effect on those aforementioned illnesses and it also has it's cardio-protective properties. Not to mention it's effect on libido.

It angers me that doctors don't at least try to figure out why you are experiencing symptoms. I pushed my doctor to test for testosterone and sure enough, I was low. In my case, I was the doctor and "my doctor" was a dingle-berry.

Continued Rant: Before this whole ordeal, I didn't know anything about hormones and I didn't even know we produced estrogen. After reading and reading I touched on Hypothyroidism and the therapuetic levels of TSH. My mom has Hypothyroidism and has been complaining of symptoms for years despite being on medication. Now I am learning that she could potentially be under-treated for her condition. It angers me that she's been in that state for that long: the fatigue, loss of energy, poor concetration and the other symptoms that bother her is the brittle hair and puffy skin.

 

[gabagool]

Ive been suffereing from depression for years now. Cause? Beats the crap out of me.

My old possiblities:
1. A disease......told to me by docs, maybe I buy it, maybe I don't. Was forced to take med by wife under threat of leaving me. That was years ago, now she says I could beat it if I just tried hard enough.............
2. An overbearing controlling wife.
3. A learned response when faced with lifes problems....for years i had a problem i could do NOTHING about......since then, I've been blue, not before though.

New possibilities:
I was SURE hoping that this testosterone was the answer, like it seems to be for somemany. So far, sometimes I feel great, sometimes not so good. Under an MD's care, i had was I guess is called a test "crash". BIG TIME DEPRESSION. I MEAN OPEN MOUTH INSERT MY HANDGUN DEPRESSION. That lasted two days. Now, I am under one of the sponsors here and the difference is amazing as far as me realizing how much was missing from my MD's protocol. I was so pumped about this that maybe I set myself up for a let down. I really think it is all about optimizing dosages...and I've only on like my 5 week.

ANd lastly, I think I crashed my Estrogen, at least that is what my sponsor thinks, he cut back on arimidex and I do feel better. The E crash wasn't as strong as the T crash, but depression, lethargy, sweating, gave a rats azz about nothing.....it sucked azz big time.

So the OP has a good point about E and depression, its a possiblility. WHy not, all the pills I've taken have done NOTHING.....AND, I am really beginning to see that HRT testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is SO MUCH MORE COMPLICATED than shooting me in the ass once a week with 100 T and sending me home. It seems to be a balance that one fine tunes through trial and error.

I am NOT exaggerating when I say that my very life DEPENDS on this working for me. To go thru the HELL my life was.......again.......no effin way.

 

[Jusselin]

great read chip, i sent you a PM...questions about HRT.

 

[THE-DET-OAK]

Good info Chip..........I believe esrogen levels may be more important than T levels.......

 

[RJ]

same thing with ADD, ADHD and all that new bullshit.

How many of us had that when we were kids? All of us. You know why? Cause kids are hyper. We went outside and played and burn it all up. Then we came inside and went to sleep.

Parents now plop the kid down in front of a TV, DVD or video game from an early age and they wonder why they can't pay attention.

Sorry for the soapbox, i just hate Western medicine and can't stand doctors who just put someone on meds without knowing the real reason why.

Nice read CHip.

 

[cjw2021]

Agree.

 

[JOWS6]

Ive been suffereing from depression for years now. Cause? Beats the crap out of me.

My old possiblities:
1. A disease......told to me by docs, maybe I buy it, maybe I don't. Was forced to take med by wife under threat of leaving me. That was years ago, now she says I could beat it if I just tried hard enough.............
2. An overbearing controlling wife.
3. A learned response when faced with lifes problems....for years i had a problem i could do NOTHING about......since then, I've been blue, not before though.

New possibilities:
I was SURE hoping that this testosterone was the answer, like it seems to be for somemany. So far, sometimes I feel great, sometimes not so good. Under an MD's care, i had was I guess is called a test "crash". BIG TIME DEPRESSION. I MEAN OPEN MOUTH INSERT MY HANDGUN DEPRESSION. That lasted two days. Now, I am under one of the sponsors here and the difference is amazing as far as me realizing how much was missing from my MD's protocol. I was so pumped about this that maybe I set myself up for a let down. I really think it is all about optimizing dosages...and I've only on like my 5 week.

ANd lastly, I think I crashed my Estrogen, at least that is what my sponsor thinks, he cut back on arimidex and I do feel better. The E crash wasn't as strong as the T crash, but depression, lethargy, sweating, gave a rats azz about nothing.....it sucked azz big time.

So the OP has a good point about E and depression, its a possiblility. WHy not, all the pills I've taken have done NOTHING.....AND, I am really beginning to see that HRT testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is SO MUCH MORE COMPLICATED than shooting me in the ass once a week with 100 T and sending me home. It seems to be a balance that one fine tunes through trial and error.

I am NOT exaggerating when I say that my very life DEPENDS on this working for me. To go thru the HELL my life was.......again.......no effin way.

Thanks for sharing your story! It is very inspirational to those who have not yet undergone testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) quite yet like me.

In my case, I never fit into any of the DSM diagnostic criteria for Depression. I jus' felt somewhat down. I didn't fit neatly into the Dysthymia category either but the closest I was able to fit into was "atypical" Dysthymia. Instead of the chronic low-grade depression, I am able to pick myself up and not get too depressed. It's jus' a nagging sadness, not too prominent.

Despite not being on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) yet, I am not depressed or sad anymore. I've noticed that the year before my first clear and obvious symptom of hypogonadism (low libido), I was sad. But as the year went on, the sadness "loosened". Do you guys think it was my estrogen levels off? I'm guessing that since I am overweight, my estrogen levels were still somewhat high and that ratio was off. What is more important, Estrogen level or ratio?

 

[cjw2021]

E2 is high if you are fat

 

[railrider]

Yes estrogen has been a nightmare for me. My body absolutely hates Arimidex no matter what the dose is. I go to high I feel like shit then I blast through my sweet spot and feel like shit. My Dr
Refuses to try a different Aromatase inhibitor (AI) so I ordered some aromasin to try myself and heading to chip for HRT from here on. I haven't felt good or had a sex drive in months. And it don't help that my Dr will only let my test get to 600 or so when he even admits he likes his at 900-1000.