This is actually about Testosterone but thought I would put �sex� in the title to get more attention or to forewarn anyone who might be uncomfortable talking about sex.

I had a mother-son lunch with my son, Paul yesterday because I�ve been worried about his health. He seemed a little depressed and works at home as a software developer, only going into the Chattanooga office (from Knoxville) for a week every couple of months. He had a check up with his family doctor recently and found out he has high blood pressure, he�s pre-diabetic and a little overweight (40 lbs.) altho� he has shown some progress losing and is following a healthier life style.

His doctor told him he had a low testosterone level of 175, the normal range being between 200 � 400. He is on BP meds �Lisinopril�, 20 mg per day. I looked up effects of the�Lisinopril� and the short list notes: � dizziness, drowsiness, headache, depressed mood. . .� I think the low Testosterone is depressing him. He�s always been very sexually active in his relationships and especially since his relationship of about 4 years with his live in girlfriend.

He said the doctor told him his cancer history prohibits a Rx for Testosterone until lifestyle changes to exercise and to reduce weight are assessed. He also said something about Viagra being a risk to the heart. I was surprised at this and I asked Paul to see if the doctor could be more specific about a �heart problem� or whether it could be genetic. As a child, I had what was referred to as an �enlarged heart� and my daughter at around 4 had a �heart murmur� but I have never had any problem with a heart condition, nor has my daughter and she runs � marathons every couple of months and runs several miles almost every day. I reminded Paul about this and he said he would check with the doctor.

Something else Paul had mentioned in the past is that the �spot� on his lung (see my signature) sometimes hurts when he coughs or breathes deeply or during sex.

So, mainly, I�d really appreciate it if anyone has any suggestions I could pass on to Paul, about the effects of the �spot� on his lung, or Testosterone and how it affects cancer survivors, or the BP med �Lisinopril� or Viagra vs cancer history or any questions he should be asking the doctor.

One funny thing that happened at lunch is that while we were talking about Viagra and Testosterone, Paul suddenly switched to speaking in French so that others would not understand/hear our conversation! His very Quebec accent made me laugh and really miss my Quebec friends and also made me wonder what was wrong with saying "Testosterone"! Must be a "guy" thing.

Other than insight, guessing, assuming, the questions are best answered by his doctors. There can be many reasons for LT, cancer treatment being one, having high BP, being pre-diabetic, overweight may not help. I'm diabetic about 14 years, and take insulin everyday.

As far as testosterone, steroids, I always thought they can increase tumor size, accelerate its growth, but one of my doctors says there is no link, and in fact, doubt it's involvement with prostrate cancer even, but may cause harm with the organs, and needs to be properly cycled, tapered and monitored. They can increase bp too, and known many "Juicer's" in my time, and have not seen anything positive in the long run with them using unless competing in the Olympics. If already depressed, these can be even more hazardous to one's mental health making them more depressed, aggressive, and even dangerous. Besides, what goes up, eventually comes down lol. High bp and Viagra do not mix either.

I would see about natural cures for weight loss, exercise, diet, nutrition, LT, sunshine, glucose control, and ED before doing any medication, unless really needed, and prescribed by a doctor, but you can always find a doctor that will prescribe anything.

There are several members very knowledgable with nutrition, supplements, and exercise like Uptown, EricS, even DonFoo is putting his gi back on, and maybe they can add.

There has been some talk over the years about oral cancer treatments messing with testosterone levels. Im sure it was Charm who was one of the more knowledgeable members on this subject. Have you done a search yet on the forum for testosterone?

Thanks, PaulB - My son did say that his prostate had been checked and it's ok. I am forwarding your comments to him.

Christine - I just did a search and you are right! Lots of info on testosterone. First one I came to was ErisS. and am forwarding it to my son. And will check the others, too! Thank you so much Christine and PaulB!

Hi Anne-Marie,

I applaud the openness of your relationship with your son. I couldn't begin to imagine having that conversation with my Mom at lunch or any other time! ~lol~

You didn't mention if he was actually suffering from ED but I assume from the post he is based on the mention of Viagra and his relationship history. There's no doubt that ED can contribute to depression. That along with other factors can be indeed trigger depression. 33 years old is a little on the young side for ED but based on his medical history and drugs he's on, it certainly can present itself.

I have cardio vascular disease and have had two heart attacks, triple bypass surgery and stents placed in the last five years. One of the symptoms of cardio vascular disease is ED. Being overweight, sedentary, stressed and/or depressed can aggravate a cardiac situation. 20mg a day of Lisinopril is a rather high dose from what I know of the med. I was taking 10 mg and my cardiologist knocked it down to 5mg during treatment as my BP was low (still on 5mg). I also take a beta blocker 2x daily (Carvedilol 3.125mg) and Plavix 75mg 1x daily. BP/heart meds definitely can have a adverse affect on one's sex life and can contribute to ED. While a low testosterone count can be a cause, it's typically not the sole reason. Certainly, if he suffers pain in his chest/lung, it can be hinder sexual activity.

Even with my history, my cardiologist was fine with me taking an ED drug (Cialis). I would highly recommend your son get checked thoroughly concerning his heart. Chemo can have short and long term adverse side effects on the heart and another reason he should be looked at by a cardiologist. The previous factors as well as a family history of cardiac anomalies would be another reason to be checked out by a cardiologist.

There are some baseline tests that can determine if he is indeed suffering from depression. Again, I recommend a professional in determining this. I had a bout with depression after my open heart surgery and now, 3 weeks post treatment, I'm seeing a few signs that I may be dealing with some mild depression (very common in cancer patients). In my opinon, based on the information provided, this is something beyond a slightly low testosterone reading.

Positive thoughts and prayers

"T"

Actually, head and neck cancer has one of the highest rates of depression and suicide, i think 4th, for cancer patients. One of my best friend's, who had prostrate cancer, and was doing testing for another type, not yet confirmed, shot himself in the head about 8 years ago.

http://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?Sec=sup&sub=orc&pag=dis&ItemID=310617

Hi Mark - I really appreciate your input and your experience. My son is actually 40 now - he was 33 at his cancer diagnosis 6 years ago. I did infer from our lunch talk that there was some ED but he didn't go into detail. I didn't realize that 20 mg of Lisinopril is considered a high dose and I will mention it to Paul so he can check with his doctor. As for chemo, he didn't have chemo during his Tx, only surgery and Radiation. During his cancer treatment he was in therapy for depression so he is aware of what to watch out for and to take care of it. I think just being aware and recognizing it helps to be able to handle it. He also assured me he would get more clarification from his doctor about any heart related problems.

PaulB - I was so sorry to hear about your friend's suicide - the rate is so high for cancer patients. During Tx when my son's depression seemed to be getting worse, I checked his meds and one of them carried a warning about "suicidal thoughts". I showed my son who called his doctor and the doctor reassured him the meds would still be ok after which he (my son) was a little better, so being aware of side effects I think is a good idea. Thanks for the great link on suicide rates with Brian, our founder. I think I had seem this on the OCF News site a while back. It helps anyone to realize that depression is temporary and that there is hope.

Hi Anne Marie,

I looked it up and double checked on the dosage. 20mg of Lisinopril is considered a maintenance dose in some cases. The "usual" dosage is 5-10 which I'm on for heart disease issues. The drug is also used to treat a variety of other ailments. Dosage and maintenance dosages depend on what it's being used for varies from 5mg to over 40mg.

"T"

Thanks "T". Will keep that in mind and pass it on.