What’s the right dose for HIV Drugs like PrEP Truvada?

High dosages vs. Low Dosages

There is some discussion Truvada regarding the appropriate dosage level of anabolic steroids in combating wasting and hypogonadism. There is little doubt that low doses of anabolic steroids will produce a modest effect, while large doses will result in a progressive augmentation of lean body mass.

However, the goal of optimum dosage is to achieve the appropriate effect at the lowest possible dosage. The appropriate dosage level of anabolic steroids also depends on the individual patient’s sensitivity to the dosage used and the androgenic properties of the anabolic steroid.

The recommended dosage level of injectable anabolic steroids, like nandralone decanoate, is 100 mg per week.

The recommended dosage level for an oral anabolic steroid, like Oxandrin, is 140 mg per week. At this recommended dosage level there have been no reports of negative side effects.

Approximately 30% of oxandralone is excreted in the urine unconjugated and unchanged, which accounts for the higher recommended dosage level in comparison to nandrolone decanoate.

Too High a Dose Is Dangerous
There are a number of individuals advocating the use of hormone therapies that recommend protocols of as much as 300 mg to 600 mg of medication administered weekly. Experts agree that this is not only a bad idea, but also dangerous in the long term.

Pyramiding Medication Dosage
The practice of escalating and then de-escalating the dosage level, sometimes referred to as “pyramiding” the medication, is, again, a common practice among bodybuilders. The idea is that it is safer to utilize the medication by prescribing smaller dosages within the first few weeks of the treatment period, and then increasing and decreasing the dose in a “pyramid” fashion, and eventually weaning the patient off the medication. While no formal scientific studies support this practice, experts agree that when using dosages higher than 100 mg of Deca-Durabolin or injected testosterone or 140 mg per week of an oral anabolic agent, a “pyramid” regimen is safer than starting the patient on a high dosage.

Monotherapy vs.

Combination therapy
Skeletal muscle contains androgen receptors to which anabolic steroids bind.22,23 Steroid receptors are therefore regarded as mediators of hormone action. The presence of such receptors in tissues reflects their hormone sensitivity and the receptor levels are an indictor of potential hormone action.

Anabolic steroid receptors are sensitive which is the reason why there is reversal of negative nitrogen balance even after very low doses of anabolic agents are utilized.

Like all receptors, tolerance to the stimulating agent develops over time if the medication is used without any treatment breaks. This may lead to the medication becoming ineffective or having reduced efficacy.

Combination therapy (using more than one medication at a time to treat a condition) should be instituted only if a patient is not responding to monotherapy (using only one drug).
The practice of prescribing 100 mg of highly androgenic testosterone, in combination with 100 mg of a different anabolic steroid, is not considered standard protocol; instead, such combination therapy is considered a secondary treatment protocol.

Long Term vs.

Short term therapy
Experts feel that to get the best results from hormone therapies the treatment should be prescribed for at least 10 weeks, to give the medication the necessary time to do its work. Nonetheless, hormone therapies are not designed to be long-term and should be prescribed only when necessary. They are specifically designed to control hypogonadism and wasting.

In addition, experts agree that long-term use of hormone therapies may create receptor insensitivity necessitating the use of higher dosages of the medication(s) to receive the same benefit. Impotence and low energy levels are side effects that are potential indicators of either over-medication or a treatment period that is too great a duration.

There is also a risk of psychological dependency on these agents which needs to be clearly articulated.

Many men, independent of their HIV status, now view exercise not as an important health activity but concentrate only on their desire for an increase in muscle mass. Of greatest concern is when weight lifting is viewed as ineffective or too slow to get the job done. every healthcare practitioner should discuss the potential for anabolic steroid abuse with his or her patients.

What every person with HIV-related wasting should know about…