T and autoimmune diseases?

[mikke]

So I have a question. I've been on T for 9 months now, and was recently diagnosed with lupus. My doctor has no idea how taking hormones could/are affecting me. His brilliant idea was to 'just go off the T and see' which I shot down immediately, I mean...a bio guy wouldn't have to take T suppressors right??

But I've been very, very sick and my doctor is very insistent that it could help. Call me crazy, but I don't want to go off T!

[Christo]

Dunno dude.  I'd get a second opinion. 

[LynnER]

Im totaly unsure myself, Id ask for a second opinion though...  Im frequently Ill, but I know that what Im taking neither helps nor hinders the problem. <well, it does make it worse if Im coming off of it... withdrawls are a bitch>   Get a second opinion, if they also tell you to TRY going off, agree to it for a short period of time, again withdrawls are probably going to be a bitch, but if you stop and your situation dosnt QUICKLY improve <T has a very very short half life>... then its not the T and you can go back to being relitivly better off <and far more stable>

[Tanya1]

I heard T strenghtens the immune system and many HIV patients report it to make them feel better....

Don't know, but follow his advice for 2-3 weeks- if nothing improves then go back to him nagging the heck out of him and if he doesn't listen- find another doc....

[Dennis]

More women than men have lupus and it's been speculated (I can't remember where - I just remember seeing it somewhere - my ex had lupus) that testosterone might actually help people with lupus. I'd do some googling and see if you can get some articles.

Dennis