Effects of Testosterone in Women With Depression: A Pilot Study

Detailed Summary

The purpose of the study is to determine whether adding a low dose of testosterone to current antidepressant therapy improves depression and fatigue in women who remain depressed despite necessary adequate doses of anti-depressants. Testosterone will be given over an 8-week period. Testosterone is a hormone that occurs naturally in the body. In women it comes from the ovaries and adrenal glands and is found in amounts that are ten to twenty times lower than in men. In early research studies, testosterone has been shown to have some antidepressant effects in the following groups of subjects: * Women with anorexia nervosa * Women who have low testosterone levels because their pituitary glands do not work * Men with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)-resistant depression. However, testosterone administration in women with SSRI or Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) -resistant depression has not been studied.

Study Details

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Interventions