Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
(http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi) |
Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Low Testosterone Link
(Message started by: noranate on Dec 29th, 2006, 9:48pm) |
|
Title: Low Testosterone Link
Post by noranate on Dec 29th, 2006, 9:48pm
Has any one heard of the new study in men of the link between low testosterone and CH. My wife has been doing alot of reserch and has come up with some information on some studies that are being done on this. The reason why we found this curious is that I was diagnosed with very low testosterone levels when we first tried having childern and the doctor said that it is a condition that will go unnoticed for years until tests are ordered to target that specifically. Alot of men may not know of an issue with their levels. Anyway if people are interested I can see if she can find the links to the sites she found and post them so others can read up on it. It may be another small bit of good news for all of us if they can start finding causes for this. Happy New Year. |
Title: Re: Low Testosterone Link
Post by E-Double on Dec 29th, 2006, 9:59pm
Quote:Eur Neurol. 1985;24(1):53-6. Related Articles, Links
Use of testosterone in the treatment of cluster headache.
Klimek A.
The study was carried out on 15 men suffering from the episodic form (12 patients) and the chronic one (3 patients) of cluster headache. Before treatment the patients did not receive any drugs, and after determining the index of attacks the treatment was commenced. For 7-10 days patients were given testosteronum propionicum (25 mg) once a day intramuscularly, and then for the same period of time testosterone (10 mg). Before treatment the index of attacks was 3.66 (total number of attacks 308). In the 1st week of treatment the index decreased to 1.11 (total number of attacks 94) and to 0.16 in the 2nd week. In 3 patients with the chronic form of cluster headache testosterone was ineffective.
PMID: 3967676 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] |
|
Quote:Testosterone Replacement Therapy for Treatment Refractory Cluster Headache Mark J. Stillman, MD Objectives.—To describe the clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of cluster headache patients whose headaches responded to testosterone replacement therapy.
Background.—Current evidence points to hypothalamic dysfunction, with increased metabolic hyperactivity in the region of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, as being important in the genesis of cluster headaches. This is clinically borne out in the circadian and diurnal behavior of these headaches. For years it has been recognized that male cluster headache patients appear overmasculinized. Recent neuroendocrine and sleep studies now point to an association between gonadotropin and corticotropin levels and hypothalamically entrained pineal secretion of melatonin.
Results.—Seven male and 2 female patients, seen between July 2004 and February 2005, and between the ages of 32 and 56, are reported with histories of treatment resistant cluster headaches accompanied by borderline low or low serum testosterone levels. The patients failed to respond to individually tailored medical regimens, including melatonin doses of 12 mg a day or higher, high flow oxygen, maximally tolerated verapamil, antiepileptic agents, and parenteral serotonin agonists. Seven of the 9 patients met 2004 International Classification for the Diagnosis of Headache criteria for chronic cluster headaches; the other 2 patients had episodic cluster headaches of several months duration. After neurological and physical examination all patients had laboratory investigations including fasting lipid panel, PSA (where indicated), LH, FSH, and testosterone levels (both free and total). All 9 patients demonstrated either abnormally low or low, normal testosterone levels. After supplementation with either pure testosterone in 5 of 7 male patients or combination testosterone/estrogen therapy in both female patients, the patients achieved cluster headache freedom for the first 24 hours. Four male chronic cluster patients, all with abnormally low testosterone levels, achieved remission.
Conclusions.—Abnormal testosterone levels in patients with episodic or chronic cluster headaches refractory to maximal medical management may predict a therapeutic response to testosterone replacement therapy. In the described cases, diurnal variation of attacks, a seasonal cluster pattern, and previous, transient responsiveness to melatonin therapy pointed to the hypothalamus as the site of neurological dysfunction. Prospective studies pairing hormone levels and polysomnographic data are needed.
(Headache 2006;46:925-933) |
|
|
Title: Re: Low Testosterone Link
Post by noranate on Dec 29th, 2006, 10:01pm
Boy that was a quick response. I guess there is a link between the two. |
Title: Re: Low Testosterone Link
Post by E-Double on Dec 29th, 2006, 10:20pm
Not necessarily. Some may have and some may not. There are so many different treatments that work for some and not others. It's pretty damn baffling |
Title: Re: Low Testosterone Link
Post by UN solved on Dec 30th, 2006, 1:35am
I've never heard that there was a "link between low testosterone and CH".
I did read the article about testosterone replacement therapy and had my neuro check my levels and they were in the low-normal range. I asked for testosterone injections to see if it would do anything for the cluster attacks. It made no difference for me. :-/
UNsolved |
Title: Re: Low Testosterone Link
Post by Pinkfloyd on Dec 30th, 2006, 1:45am
on 12/30/06 at 01:35:02, UN solved wrote: I asked for testosterone injections to see if it would do anything for the cluster attacks. It made no difference for me. :-/
UNsolved |
|
That could be because it's what is causing the commonality...not the commonality itself. If the same thing that is causing clusters, is causing a low testosterone level, adding T won't necessarily have much of an effect.
15 guys walk into a doctors office with a broken arm and a broken leg. He sets all the arms in casts, but surprisingly, none of the legs heal properly.
Someone needs to find the guy with the baseball bat that keeps breaking everyone's arms and legs.
Bobw
|
Title: Re: Low Testosterone Link
Post by UN solved on Dec 30th, 2006, 1:51am
If I could only find the bastage !!
UNsolved |
Title: Re: Low Testosterone Link
Post by Bob_Johnson on Dec 30th, 2006, 12:36pm
I posted Stillman's article several months ago. It evoked several people who had/did try this approach but, as I recall, the overall impact was very modest.
You might do a search of the messages to find this string. |
Title: Re: Low Testosterone Link
Post by Ob1kanobee on Dec 30th, 2006, 4:02pm
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/aug2004_ch_02.htm
There is an excellent article about this in the August 2004 issue of Life Extension Magazine. If that link does not come up, just Google the words "Life Extension" "headache" "testosterone" and you will find it.
It tells you all about it and the exact blood tests you need to have done to check for this, I am considering having these blood tests in addition to regular bloodwork.
Let me know what you think about the article. |
Clusterheadaches.com Message Board » Powered by YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.3.1!
YaBB © 2000-2003. All Rights Reserved. |