Posted by inertia on August 1, 2002, at 18:08:45
In reply to My experience w/Effexor, posted by Etherize on August 1, 2002, at 15:18:27
> Hello, I'm new here. I'll try to make my message short. (note the word "try")
>
> I'm living with AIDS, and take a lot of medications, so my Effexor experience may not be "typical" at all, but I'd like to add my 2 cents.> ......
>
> Any thoughts or comments are appreciated.I thought you might be interested in these abstracts that discuss the mood enhancing effects of androgens in HIV+ patients:
1) Authors Rabkin JG. Ferrando SJ. Wagner GJ. Rabkin R.
Institution New York State Psychiatric Institute, NY 10032, USA. jgr1@columbia.edu
Title DHEA treatment for HIV+ patients: effects on mood, androgenic and anabolic parameters.
Source Psychoneuroendocrinology. 25(1):53-68, 2000 Jan.Abstract The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on depressed mood and fatigue in HIV+ men and women, unselected for baseline DHEA level. Secondary questions concerned treatment effects on libido and body cell mass, on serum testosterone levels, and elicitation of short-term side effects. Treatment consisted of an open-label 8-week trial using DHEA doses from 200 to 500 mg/day. Mood responders were maintained for another 4 weeks, then randomized to a double blind placebo controlled 4-week discontinuation trial. Forty-five patients, including six women, entered the trial. Of 32 week 8 completers, mood was much improved in 72%, and 81% were rated responders with respect to fatigue. Response on either parameter was unrelated to baseline serum DHEA level. Twenty-one patients entered the double blind discontinuation phase. No differences in relapse rate between placebo and DHEA groups were observed for either mood or fatigue. Body cell mass increased significantly by week 8, and this improvement was maintained throughout the double blind phase for patients in both treatment conditions. Libido increased significantly as well. DHEA therapy did not have an effect on CD4 cell count or on serum testosterone levels in men. In conclusion, DHEA may be a promising treatment for HIV+ patients with depressed mood and fatigue, although persistence of response even in placebo-treated patients during the discontinuation phase leaves unresolved questions. A parallel group double blind clinical trial is indicated as the next step to more clearly identify therapeutic efficacy.
2) Authors Wagner GJ. Rabkin JG. Rabkin R.
Institution New York State Psychiatric Institute, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Title Testosterone as a treatment for fatigue in HIV+ men.
Source General Hospital Psychiatry. 20(4):209-13, 1998 Jul.Abstract This study assessed correlates of fatigue and the efficacy of testosterone therapy as a treatment for fatigue in men with symptomatic HIV and clinical hypogonadism. We conducted a 12-week open trial of testosterone for HIV+ men with clinical hypogonadism (low libido plus at least one of the associated symptoms of depressed mood, fatigue, and weight loss), CD4 count below 400 cells/cu.mm, and serum testosterone level below 500 ng/dl. 108 men entered the trial; 50% were nonwhite and 72% had an AIDS diagnosis. Baseline correlates of fatigue, as measured by the self-report Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS), included elevated laboratory values (hematocrit, hemoglobin), lower overall physical functioning, greater psychological distress, and reduced quality of life. Sixty-six of 72 men who presented with fatigue completed the trial, with 52 (79%) rated as responders (much improved energy level) by the study doctor. Fatigue declined significantly among responders, but not nonresponders.
3) Authors Cofrancesco J Jr. Whalen JJ 3rd. Dobs AS.
Institution Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Title Testosterone replacement treatment options for HIV-infected men. [Review] [124 refs]
Source Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes & Human Retrovirology. 16(4):254-65, 1997 Dec 1.Abstract Hypogonadism is well documented in HIV-infected men, particularly as they progress to AIDS and in those with symptoms of wasting. Testosterone deficiency can be diagnosed with simple laboratory tests, and various treatment options exist. The benefits of androgen replacement are well documented from a large body of literature and experience with hypogonadal men without HIV infection. Hypogonadal men who are given testosterone replacement have improved sexual thoughts and functioning, more energy, and improved mood. Generally, quality of life improves with such therapy. Testosterone replacement tends to maintain or improve lean body mass. The benefit, dose, and timing of testosterone replacement treatment for men with HIV infection, however, are less clear and require further study. Appropriate history and a high degree of clinical suspicion, coupled with relatively simple laboratory measurements, can confirm the diagnosis of hypogonadism in men with HIV. Various options for testosterone replacement, including injections of testosterone esters and the use of transcutaneous patches, are discussed, as are the uses of pharmacologic doses of testosterone, primarily for its potential anabolic effect. [References: 124]
You may want to talk to your MD about this. Hope this is helpful to you.
poster:inertia
thread:114832
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020731/msgs/114849.html