hi all,
newbie here. tried reading through the forums for an answer but didn't get all the info i need.
i'm an HIV+ guy on many meds, including 2+ years of
TRT (200mg T cypionate/week) and almost 2 years of nandrolone (200mg/week). in April 08 i added Nexium 40mg, which i stopped a month ago after finding a lump in my right pectoral. via mammogram/sonogram/xray/MRI i was diagnosed with "focal gynecomastia".
for the past 2 weeks i've been taking 2.5 mg of
Femara (Letrozole) once a day, and already i notice the lump shrinking. based on what i've read in the 'Profiles" sections here and on other sites, Femara was the best choice to ask my doc for.
what side-effects should i be especially wary of? 2 weeks in, i definitely notice a big reduction in my libido, and my joints either feel strained or cramp up earlier when in any odd posture...so i'm much more careful during weight training. However, i'm concerned about other effects, especially after checking these links i found in this forum:
Estrogen Deficiency in Men Is a Challenge for Both the Hypothalamus and Pituitary -- Vanderschueren and Bouillon 85 (9): 3024 -- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in two men with aromatase deficiency: evidence that circulating estrogens are required at the hypothalamic level for the integrity of gonadotropin negative feedback -- Rochira et al. 155 (4): 513 -- European Journa
my sleep has always been choppy, so i'm not sure if i'd notice changes in my
GH-release without blood work...in fact, i have so many med side-effects (i chase pills with other pills) that i want to minimize any hypochondriac-style hyper-vigilance.
incidentally, my total
Testosterone on
TRT has measured between 700-1600, depending on what day of the week/time of day i'm tested (i inject every Tuesday) and i had Estradiol measured in June 08 at 50, in September 08 at 56, and 2 weeks ago i had another baseline taken...this time it was " <20 " ?! that last measurement was taken b4 i'd taken a single dose of
Femara n I haven't taken any other Estradiol-reducing compounds that i'm aware of. could that reading be a fluke?? This morning i had blood drawn for another estradiol
test, and i expect that result to be undetectable.
I have 2 refills left on the Femara. can i just take the full dose until the gyno is gone, or should i begin tapering down the dosage, as suggested here and elsewhere? if so, do i need to get a chemist's scale and start powdering the tablets to get those ever smaller fractions?
Does anyone have any comments or suggestions? My doc has previously mentioned the need for the 20-30/1 T/E ratio and that E-suppresion is very unhealthy long-term, but besides the side-effects i've noticed so far, what else should i be on the lookout for? My argument to my doc was that i only wanted Femara until the gyno was gone, n then i'd be happy to switch to lo-dose
Arimidex for long-term use...like 1/4 tab 3 times a week. However, that last Estradiol
test left me confused as to whether even that is a good idea.
thoughtful input is appreciated.
hello again, btw.