Testosterone Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis

Exclusion Criteria

• •1. Males unable to fulfill the above criteria and all female patients.
• •2. Males who have been on sex hormone treatment including androgens, estrogens, or anti-estrogens for hypogonadism or other medical condition during the 12 months prior to study.
• •3. Males who have taken DHEA during the 3 months prior to study.
• •4. Patients who have thrombosis, serious cardiac, pulmonary, renal, gastrointestinal, hepatic, immunologic, infectious, neoplastic (with particular focus on patients with known or suspected estrogen or testosterone-dependent tumors), or urologic disease (with a particular focus on patients with a history of prostatic hypertrophy/nodules).
• •5. Patients with an abnormal prostate as evidenced by prostatic masses or induration on rectal examination or prostate ultrasonography or elevated levels of prostatic specific antigen (PSA 4 ng/ml or higher).
• •6. Patients with testicular mass on exam.
• •7. Patients with hematocrit greater than 50%
• •8. Patients with major psychiatric illness (e.g. manic depressive states, schizophrenia)
• •9. Patients with active alcoholism.
• •10. Patients with a history of drug abuse within the past five years.
• •11. Patients who are greater than 130% or less than 80% of their ideal body weight based on Metropolitan Life Tables.
• •12. Patients with generalized skin disease that may effect absorption of testosterone (e.g. psoriasis) or a known skin intolerance to alcohol.
• •13. Patients with prolactin \> 40 mcg/L.
• •14. Patients with a cholesterol level greater than 300 mg/dl.
• •15. Patients with other conditions that would interfere with assessing neurologic functions such as deforming arthritis or a major amputation.
• •16. Patients who have received treatment with beta interferon (Betaseron or Avonex), glatiramer acetate copolymer-1 (Copaxone), ACTH, corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), or plasma exchange in the three months preceding enrollment
• •17. Patients who have received treatment with azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, mitoxantrone, cyclosporin A or experimental therapies in the six months preceding enrollment.
• •18. Patients who have been treated with total lymphoid irradiation, monoclonal antibody, T cell vaccination, cladribine or bone marrow transplantation.
• •19. Patients who have positive titers to HIV1,2; HTLV1; or VDRL.
• •20. Patients who have clinical evidence of Lyme disease.
• •21. Patients who are mentally or emotionally incompetent in the opinion of the examining neurologist or unable to give informed consent, or to understand and comply with the study protocol.
• •22. Patients with certain artificial heart valves, pacemakers, or other metallic/electronic material in their bodies.
• •23. Patients with known hypersensitivity to gadolinium-DPTA.