Clarification and Information for those seeking Pellet TRT-long

[Guest guest]

First off without being critical of the author of the post quoted

below, I offer the following information.

> 3. The pellet is a crystilline form of testosterone and dissolves

> completely. These pellets have been available since the 50's if my

> memory is correct. Pharmaceutical houses can not legally

manufacture

Testopel(registered US trade mark)is made by Bartor Pharmacuetical

in Rye NY. The FDA specifically approved this comercially produced

medication (Testopel) on 7/13/72. The cost per pellet is $15.00

each. The FDA has only approved the 75 mg doseage for sale in the

US. However, in europe you can get larger sized pellets.

http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/rxdrugprofiles/drugs/tes1595.shtml

Doctors who use T pellets are out there if you look. Although the

web site for SottoPelle has a bit of marketing hyperbole to it, it

will direct you to a network of physicans trained in using

Testosterone Pellets for HRT. I have used their pellets and they are

very good quality. Also the link below provides a comprehensive

overview of pellet therapy.

http://www.sottopelletherapy.com/

This stuff is not rocket science. Any MD who has a minute amount of

surgical skill can implant them. The stainless steel implanter

Trocar Kit will cost your dotor $200 from Bartor Parmacutical

Company. The implantation of T pellets is a very minor surgical

proceedure and quite literally all you are going to find is that it

is slight pain in the butt.

Any MD in good standing with the DEA can order Testopel or

SottoPelle,or pellets made by the various compounding pharmacies and

most drug stores can special order Testopel for you provided your

doctor has sent them a valid current prescription.

Pellets are just not the preferred treatment by doctors who get

wined and dined by drug reps. Simply put most doctors push the brand

of drugs from the drug rep that gives them the most perks.

Furthermore, most insurance plans or HMO's have either androgel,

testim, androgel or sometimes injectiable T as their preferred and

approved treatment drug. I think we all know that HMO's take away

our doctor's choice as well as our choice of patinets to select our

own individual treatment program

Chances are that most doctors coming out of medical school in the

past twenty years have never even heard of or read the research on

pellet based TRT. Using Pellets for TRT and for women's HRT is old

technology. It started out in the 1950's or there abouts.

If you can get your health plan bean counters to listen to you and

to do the math, they will find out that pellet therapy is often

cheaper both for them as an HMO/insurer and for you as a patient.

Do the math for how much you would pay outright and for your copay

for Androgel for example, and then compare that with the mg of

T/dollar that you get from pellets. Keep in mind that most patients

have new pellets implanted every 4-6 months.

Here are the Medical Treatment/Diagnostic codes for T pellets and

the implanting procedure for pellet based TRT- 11980 & 50189. Your

doctor and insurance company will be able to look up these codes and

then the two of you can talk more intelligently and specifically

about pellet based HRT. Granted some doctors are put off by the

fact that you know more about the relevant medical codes and

technology than they do, and if they get bent out of shape about it,

there are plenty more doctors out there. Or in the words of Don

Trump--You're Fired!!!

Once you know how many pellets to implant for a given person to

reach the targeted level of Total T, it is just a matter of putting

new ones in before the amount of T from your old pellets dips below

a given target level.

This is no different than how antibiotics or psychotropic

medications are prescribed. Also, you have to account for the fact

that T like other medications has a half life. Taking these issues

into consideration, the doctor then times the new pellet

implantation so as to not let you drop out of " theraputic range " .

This prevents the up and down cycle of T levels common to

injectables and too a much less extent the topical gels and creams.

The real upside of pellet based TRT is the slow constant release

rate of T into your blood stream. A real good secondary benefit is

that this steady release of T cuts down on aromatization of T to E.

Also as it does not pass through the skin, you do not pick up

aromatization in the subquetanious fat and you do not have to deal

with absorbtion issues.

While the steady release of T from pellet based TRT is better than

the cycle of highs and lows found with most injectables and to some

extend topical products, it still DOES NOT MATCH the natural HPT

driven male FSH and LH release cycle.

Also and this is the clincher, becuase those men who have impaired

pituitary function have low or no LH or FSH, the full effects of

these gondaotropins can not be experienced. Having a slight surge

of LH due to the anticipation of a hot romantic evening and having

active FSH in your body to keep your testicles running and ready for

action will not take place if you have pituitary issues and if you

are on exogenous T. Thus you will likely not get the full impact

and or sensation of a sudden erection or all of the pleasant side

effects leading up to and during orgasam.

The cutting edge treatment for Hypo is to have a pump similar to the

ones that diabetics use to admisister insulin. These pumps can be

programmed to simulate the typical male hormone cycle and pattern.

For those whose testicles will no longer produce testosterone, a

similar pump can be programmed for just plain T.

In conclusion, the reason why MD's and Endo's who use and prefer T

pellets are smaller in number is becuase the drug reps do not push

pellets. It is all too common that doctors use the brand of meds

from the drug rep who wines and dines them to their liking or even

as simple as what company they the doctor have stock in.

If you peel back the veneer, you will find that business decisions

and ignorance quite often drive your treatment decisions more than

do medical desicions.

SB