Testosterone

[John2038]

Hi,

would you recommend taking testosterone caplets to prevent the lost of lean body mass for someone HIV-positive but not under medication ?

The following link is recommending doing so, what do you think ?

http://medicalnewstoday.healthology.com/hybrid/hybrid-autodetect.aspx?content_id=2561&focus_handle=hiv-aids&brand_name=medicalnewstoday

[Miss Philicia]

John, if your testosterone levels are low than yes it would be a possibility.  Your doctor can run a test for it, but I doubt that he would elect to do so absent of something like a bit of weight loss.  It's not used as a preventative measure then, no.  A doctor will not prescribe it for such nor will an insurance company cover it.

This is, however, generally an effect of advanced HIV infection and not often seen in a newly infected individual.  I think you may be worrying about an issue that you won't see for many years, if at all.  Why are you worry about wasting when you're actually overweight according to the figures you posted in an earlier thread?

[John2038]

I'm considering taking testosterone as I am willing to continue doing cardio (quite a lot) which burns fat & muscle.
As I'm planing to restart my sport training (interrupted since 10 days..) I'd like to prevent this to continue.

I did some weight training, but I still have loose muscle.

In the video above, it is said that hiv burn also muscle, because the immune system is taking there part of the energy it needs to fight the virus.

The testosterone I'm considering to take are those available to bodybuilder and available without a prescription in pharmacies.

[Miss Philicia]

Well, I hope you discuss whatever illegal medications/hormone treatments you plan on doing with your medical doctor.

[milker]

John,

you've been googling around too much already. Lack of exercise, stress, and possibly the fatigue you got during seroconversion is the reason of your loss of muscle mass. To get it back, exercise back. Remember, when we get HIV the first thing we do is to look at every part of our body from head to toe to see if anything has changed. It's possible that you think you have lost more muscle mass than the reality.

Do not take ANYTHING, including herbal supplements, DHEA, Testosterone etc without talking to your doctor first. There are supplements that are highly contra-indicated for people with HIV.

Milker.

[John2038]

 So what is said in the video is wrong as long as the doctor agree  ?

When you say "Do not take ANYTHING", do you means including vitamins, nutrients, protein bars, l-glutamine and  green tea as well ??

If so, I have to says that this is very confusing. Especially when some others thread over them details the benefit of the selenium, zinc, green tea and so

In more, I read a couple of time that its a good habit to take supplement when hiv.

In my test blood results, the vitamins level was within the standard range, despite these supplements i was taking during the 2 previous months.

But someone provided a link in another thread where it is mention that vitamins are not healthy.

[milker]

You read about the supplements like Selenium, green tea, etc on here, you compile a list of things that you think will be beneficial for you, you show the list to your doctor, and voila, that's all I'm saying.

Listening to doctors on video, reading doctor answers on websites and reading medical publications is something many enjoy doing so that we can understand what is potentially beneficial for our condition, but when it comes to taking action, only YOUR doctor has all the parameters necessary to let you know if what you're going to take is going to be good or bad for you.

Milker.

[Suntropic98]

John, everyone's body is different. Some people react better to some things than others. If you're looking to burn the fat and cut up while maintaining muscle (or slightly increasing it) I would suggest taking a blend of trenbolone and enanthate.....maybe even some winstrol or clenbueterol.

All of this in moderation and you MUST hit the gym and eat right.

Not to mention taking your vitamins. I'll go into that later.

[Dachshund]

John, everyone's body is different. Some people react better to some things than others. If you're looking to burn the fat and cut up while maintaining muscle (or slightly increasing it) I would suggest taking a blend of trenbolone and enanthate.....maybe even some winstrol or clenbueterol.

All of this in moderation and you MUST hit the gym and eat right.

Not to mention taking your vitamins. I'll go into that later.

And of course I'm sure Sun would agree that you honestly consult with a doctor before ingesting any of the substances he lists above.

[bear60]

What are anabolic steroids?
Anabolic steroids are synthetically produced variants of the naturally occurring male hormone testosterone. Both males and females have testosterone produced in their bodies: males in the testes, and females in the ovaries and other tissues. The full name for this class of drugs is androgenic (promoting masculine characteristics) anabolic (tissue building) steroids (the class of drugs). Some of the most abused steroids include Deca-Durabolin® , Durabolin ® , Equipoise® , and Winstrol® . The common street (slang) names for anabolic steroids include arnolds, gym candy, pumpers, roids, stackers, weight trainers, and juice.

The two major effects of testosterone are an androgenic effect and an anabolic effect. The term androgenic refers to the physical changes experienced by a male during puberty, in the course of development to manhood. Androgenic effects would be similarly experienced in a female. This property is responsible for the majority of the side effects of steroid use. The term anabolic refers to promoting of anabolism, the actual building of tissues, mainly muscle, accomplished by the promotion of protein synthesis

Physical & psychological dangers
There is increasing concern regarding possible serious health problems that are associated with the abuse of steroids, including both short-term and long-term side effects (see Appendix B). The short-term adverse physical effects of anabolic steroid abuse are fairly well known. Short-term side effects may include sexual and reproductive disorders, fluid retention, and severe acne. The short-term side effects in men are reversible with discontinuation of steroid use. Masculinizing effects seen in women, such as deepening of the voice, body and facial hair growth, enlarged clitoris, and baldness are not reversible. The long-term adverse physical effects of anabolic steroid abuse in men and in women, other than masculinizing effects, have not been studied, and as such, are not known. However, it is speculated that possible long-term effects may include adverse cardiovascular effects such as heart damage and stroke.

Possible physical side effects include the following:

High blood cholesterol levels - high blood cholesterol levels may lead to cardiovascular problems
Severe acne
Thinning of hair and baldness
Fluid retention
High blood pressure
Liver disorders (liver damage and jaundice)
Steroids can affect fetal development during pregnancy
Risk of contracting HIV and other blood-borne diseases from sharing infected needles
Sexual & reproductive disorders:
Males  Females
Atrophy (wasting away of tissues or organs) of the testicles 
Loss of sexual drive
Diminished or decreased sperm production 
Breast and prostate enlargement 
Decreased hormone levels 
Sterility
 Menstrual irregularities
Infertility
Masculinizing effects such as facial hair, diminished breast size, permanently deepened voice, and enlargement of the clitoris.
 

Possible psychological disturbances include the following:

Mood swings (including manic-like symptoms leading to violence)
Impaired judgment (stemming from feelings of invincibility)
Depression
Nervousness
Extreme irritability
Delusions
Hostility and aggression

[NYCguy]

I would have to agree with Milker that before taking anything stronger than a multi-vitamin, and most definitely the things Sun is suggesting, PLEASE talk to your doctor.  When I first tested Poz I talked to my Dr. about what vitamins I should take and periodically run things I read about, like Selenium for example, by him.  I'm planning to take a body-building supplement, and first thing i did was ask the doctor, as well as consult some websites, like this one, for other perspectives, which I got.  My doctor also proposed a very intellegent way of trying this supplement (start with low dose), which was very helpful. 

If you don't have this kind of relationship with your doctor, GET ANOTHER ONE!