A good link on nandrolone for HRT: http://www.mesomorphosis.com/exclusive/ullis/contrarian-01.htm Other good articles by Karlis Ullis: http://www.mesomorphosis.com/exclusive/ullis/index.htm More good articles on HRT (more specific to HIV and other wasting diseases): http://www.medibolics.com Good books on HRT: Super "T" by Karlis Uliss (discusses diets and supplements for optimum hormone fuctioning) Maximize Your Vitality and Potency by Jonathan V. Wright (discusses natural T replacment) Testosterone Sydrome by Eugene Shippen (discusses ways to treat andropause) Great Magazine Article on male HRT: Life Extension Foundation magazine (Dec 99 issue) http://www.lef.org The links and books above are all good starting points for those wishing to learn more about HRT. Of course, like all subjects, the experts do have varying opinions on how to perform HRT. In that case, I would just suggest that those interested in HRT read the above for valuable nuggets but I wouldn't embrace the totality of what they have to offer (just as I don't embrace the totality of Neanderthin). The bottom line is this. DHEA is a good way for older women to start a HRT program, but often a more aggressive approach is needed. For women, I am a huge fan of nandrolone. I've seen it work miracles for my grandmother, another girl I met on the internet who is HIV positive (her T cell count doubled in only a few weeks), my girlfriend, and a few others. It's also proven itself in several controlled studies. I personally don't put a lot of weight into the scientific method b/c I find anecdotal evidence to be the strongest (and to all of those who put a PhD after their names, bring on the flames). If a woman decides to do a HRT program with a moderate dose of nandrolone and a lose dose of T and gets excellent results, then those results stills exist - even if a scientist hasn't physically quantified it in an experiment. Usually it takes the scientists several years to catch up to what is already occuring the real world. >That's great about your grandma, but what I had in mind was achieving >the >sort of hormonal balance we were designed to have, not changing >our >nature. I was unaware that you were familiar with the "hormonal balance we were designed to have." This is currently being studied, investigated, applied, and then modified to reflect new findings by the scientific community on a daily basis. Damn, I guess I should just drop all that reading I've been doing on HRT and start researching your protocol for female HRT. What was your protocol again? Oh, I forgot, you don't have one. You are in a fantasy world where older people don't benefit from aggressive HRT programs. Well Ginny, if you want your body to gradually deteriotate into some pathetic, menopausal, no libido, weak immune system, then go ahead and do it. But where I get annoyed is when you start scaring other women with virilization (shaving, aggression, etc) if they decide to take a moderate dose of nandrolone. You know next to nothing of anabolic pharmacology and HRT. If you think a moderate dose of nandrolone combined with a low dose of T for women causes virilization, then you're either a moron or a damned liar. Take your pick. >If you can demonstrate that a healthy woman produces this much >nandrolone, >or anything that works like it, naturally, I'd like to >hear about it. Why would I want to demonstrate that? One, I couldn't b/c it's physiologically impossible for menopausal women to produce high doses of progesterones, androgens, or nandrolone. Secondly, HRT exists for the very reason that the bodies of otherwise healthy women do not prouce an optimum amount of hormones in the proper amounts and ratios. >What is usually meant by HRT refers to supplementation with synthetic >or >equine-derived estrogen, with or without synthetic progresterone >(progestin). Estrogen supplementation is the exact opposite of what >women >need; many of our health issues are caused by overproduction, >lack of >suppression, and environmental exposure to estrogens. No shit, really? Damn, thanks for clearing that up. >Remedying this by diet, and supplementing a hormone already produced >by >the body seems to me to be the best way to health. Post menopausal women who use an aggressive HRT program almost always function better mentally, emotionally, and physically than those who do not. Feel free to call that a placebo effect if you wish, but I doubt these women care that you don't believe their HRT programs are the "best way to health." >As far as being biologically and functionally sound, it's a >birthright, >not a pinnacle. It's those pinnacles that get people to >want drugs. Well, my grandmother is at a pinnacle right now. I guess I should get her off the drugs so that she can be "biologically and functionally sound." >I am an ex-bodybuilder and bicycle racer. You may have competed in a few local shows, but your subpar knowledge of HRT indicates that you were not involved in bodybuilding at the upper levels (NPC and above). >I am very aware of my talent limitations, and also aware of how much >more >I could have achieved had I chosen to use drugs. Hey Ginny. I never even suggested that women should boatload steroids so that they can improve their athletic performance. I'm talking about taking anabolic steroids at a ~therapeutic dose~ to allow optimum functioning for emotional and physical health. >Had your grandma considered HGH or DHEA? She cannot afford hGH. Her body had atrophied to a level where DHEA would have improved her physical health, but wouldn't have done much for her physical mobility and bone density problems. I had to convince her doctor that a more serious approach was needed. Don't get me wrong, I believe DHEA has it's place, especially for women looking to initiate a simple (not to mention cheap) HRT program, but it wouldn't have been enough for ole grandma. >There is nothing, however remarkable, in your list of her results >which >could not also result from a healthy low-carb diet and more >sleep. Did she >change these elements also? Please tell us the >details. She follows a paleo diet, but not as closely as I would like. She's old and is reluctant to change her diet just b/c her grandson wants her to. She goes to lots of old people functions where they often have non paleo munchies. I'm not exactly a paleo purist myself (I still haven't kicked my once per week ice cream habit), so I'm not going to badger her about eating a jelly donut when she goes antiquing wiht her friends. Justin Hasselman