How Important is it to use Testosterone and Anastrozole in pellet form when treating men?
This week we are looking at the concept of homeostasis. The question is how we get our bodies (in particular our hormones) to balance properly as we age. Men, in particular are the focus of this week’s conversation. We know that as men age, they lose testosterone which needs to be replaced. What many men do not know, however, is that they also make estrogen and that estrogen too, needs to be replaced in the appropriate amount. The challenge is the balance point. How do we learn just how much of each hormone we need, and how do we obtain them? Those questions are the focus of our conversations this week.
An amazing adjunct to T pellet replacement for men: Anastrozole/Arimidex+T pellets.
Anastrozole is an enzyme blocker, called Aromatase inhibitor (AI). It blocks the aromatase enzyme from converting Testosterone into estrogen. The side effects of oral anastrozole listed are not present in pellet-anastrozole. The dose is uniform and lasts 4-6 months, therefore there are no large swigs in T blood levels with pellet anastrozole. Anastrozole is one of three Estradiol/estrone blockers. It is the only one that is reversible (does not permanently damage the aromatase enzymes) and the only aromatase inhibitor enzyme blocker that causes weight loss rather than gain. This drug was designed to treat and prevent Breast Cancer. We now have expanded the uses for anastrozole and other AIs to treating endometrial cancer, man boobs, endometriosis, obesity, infertility agent for men, and to shrink fibroids in women.
At BioBalance Health, the focus of our work is to determine the appropriate amount of which hormones need to be restored and the appropriate amount so that a man (or woman) is able to live a healthy and independent life as they age. Any preexisting concerns regarding their health need to be addressed and the correct balance of hormones needs to be maintained.
Side Effects of oral anastrozole (Arimidex), not in pellet-anastrozole:
Arthritic pain in small joints
Blood clots
Headaches
Swelling
Patients who take Arimidex orally can have the above side effects but do not experience these side effects of Arimidex if they take it in pellets combined with testosterone. The purpose of using the anastrozole pellets in men is to stop the conversion of testosterone into estrogen.
High Estrogens in Men can be caused by:
- A genetic problem where a man has the genes to convert more T into estrone and estradiol than other men
- Aging increase T conversion into estrogens
- Obesity: fat tissue is where the T is converted into estrogen
- High alcohol intake
- Insulin resistance
- Adult onset diabetes, high carb intake
Men as they age begin to convert more of their testosterone into estrogen and this leads to fat around the belly and breasts and face. A man will get more- plump and less muscular. To avoid this problem, we want to restrict the conversion of testosterone into estrogen to the minimal amount that a man needs to be healthy. The excess leads to vulnerability to other diseases that we want to avoid.
This treatment was originally used on women to help prevent breast cancers. It was a case of serendipity that doctors began to use it in treating men, particularly young men who were suffering from being less masculine in appearance because of the fat tissues from estrogen. Many of these young men develop man boobs and are teased unmercifully as teen -agers. Doctors were trying to find a way to help them avoid this problem.
If either a woman or man are taking arimidex orally they tend to have side effects like headaches that can be avoided entirely if the arimidex is given along with the testosterone in a pellet that is injected in the abdomen. Once the ideal response occurs, then men can be put on a maintenance dose of testosterone and the balance of estrogen conversion is in the correct range, they can sometimes stop taking the arimidex. If the balance is correct, they do not develop side effects and they feel good.
Why are there concerns about high levels of estrogen in men as they age? Estrogen in men causes prostate enlargement. If you are obese and have a lot of fat your prostate will enlarge and increase the likelihood of your getting cancer. Obesity and diabetes can also increase your chances of getting Alzheimer’s and of getting cancer. Men must work on their diet and exercise and take the correct hormone replacement in order to avoid these illnesses and be able to remain muscular and active as they age.
Dr. Maupin has been following the research of Dr. Rebecca Glaser, MD that has supported what she has been doing at BioBalance health for 15 years. In Dr. Gaser’s research she finds that other uses of Anastrozole in men to consider are:
- Stimulate the production of testosterone in young men who still produce their own T
- Male infertility
- Treating man boobs
- Weight loss
The more estrogen a man makes the more likely he is to have emotional flooding and cry more easily. High estrogen causes weight gain, prostate enlargement, decreased sex drive, ED. Men who take testosterone by methods other than pellets, often develop side effects that cause them to be miserable and to develop some symptoms of diseases that we are trying to avoid. If you replace your lost testosterone with pellets you will avoid those diseases and feel better as you age! Dr. Maupin will put you on a diet, develop a personalized exercise program and maintain your correct hormone balances and you will be able to lose weight, regain your sexual drive, lose your man boobs, some of your belly fat, and be able to grow muscles to get yourself back into shape. If that sounds too good to be true, you need to make an appointment at BioBalance Health and discuss your options with Dr.’s Sullivan and Maupin. You will be glad you did!
This Health cast was written and presented by Dr. Kathy Maupin, M.D., Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Expert and Author, with Brett Newcomb, MA., LPC., Family Counselor, Presenter and Author. www.BioBalanceHealth.com.
