Health Wanted: Testosterone

The Episode

Hey men! Are you feeling as manly as you could be? Do you have enough man juice flowing through your veins? Did you know hormones aren’t just for girls anymore? They’re manly! This week on Health Wanted…are you man enough to learn about testosterone therapy?

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The Listener Questions

Can ivermectin treat head lice?

Ivermectin does work against lice, because they are parasites! Caveat: Oral ivermectin is not FDA approved for treating lice, so it would need to be prescribed off-label. Please don't give your family the pills from the livestock store that are formulated for horses.

There was a study of over 700 people from over 300 households which found giving oral ivermectin at a dose of 400 micrograms per kilogram on days one and eight of infection resulted in over 95% of the people in the ivermectin group being head lice free, compared to 85% of people in the malathion topical lotion (the typical treatment) group.

The way ivermectin works is that it gets into your blood, and then when the lice (or other parasites) feed on your blood it goes into their louse bodies and paralyses them so they die. You have to do two treatments, because you need to kill anything that’s hatching from eggs. And you still have to do decontamination to prevent re-infestation.

With growing resistance to traditional lice treatments like pyrethroids, OTC options have become less effective. The hesitancy about using oral ivermectin is that you don’t want to create resistance to a stronger drug. So it really should only be used in cases of treatment failure. Combing is a pain but it’s also highly effective and has no side effects.

Oral ivermectin is a pretty safe drug, and when side effects do happen they tend to be things like gastrointestinal distress, dizziness, fever, and rash. It’s probably not been approved because the risk of side effect isn’t necessarily less than the benefits of ease.

It also can’t be given to pregnant people or anyone weighing less than 33 pounds, but other than that, this is a rare example of someone suggesting a use for ivermectin that makes sense and is supported by research.

Do I actually need electrolyte drinks?

In general, we know that electrolytes are good. They’re essential minerals that help your body function, regulating your blood pressure, blood glucose, heart rate and rhythm, and water balance. These minerals include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium. And while electrolytes are typically marketed to us as something that comes in a powder, tablet, droplet, or sports drink, there are also plenty in our everyday diets. Most people actually get enough electrolytes simply by eating a balanced diet and drinking water. 

Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to who needs extra electrolytes in their diet. Unless you are exerting extreme physical effort or sweating a lot, you probably don’t need regular electrolyte supplements. If you want to use them, just remember that more isn’t necessarily better. Overconsuming electrolytes can lead to health problems like fatigue, nausea, and heart rhythm issues and impact your kidneys over time.

So many of the electrolyte supplements and beverages out there contain large amounts of added sugar, so look for options without all that extra sweet stuff. While you’re looking at the nutrition label, also take a peek at ingredients like vitamins and minerals. It is possible to have too much of a good thing, so you may want to avoid options that contain more than 100% of the daily value for any one ingredient. 

Do "GLP-1-like" supplements work?

The short answer is no, these products don’t have real science behind them. “GLP-1-like” has just become a catchphrase of nothingness that gets people to think they’re taking a proven weight loss product.

Companies claim that, because their products contain polydextrose (a soluble fiber) that has been shown in some studies to increase the release of your own GLP-1, that means it’s similar to taking a synthetic GLP-1.But just because it’s in studies doesn’t mean that it’s the same amount, or formulation, or delivery. The idea that six grams of polydextrose is going to have the same effect as injection 2.5 mg of semaglutide is pretty silly and definitely has no published studies to show it’s true. 

Experts have warned that these supplements aren’t remotely as effective as GLP-1 agonist medications, and the lack of regulatory oversight makes it hard for consumers to know what exactly they’re buying. Some of these products don’t even tell you what ingredients are in them at all. 

Catch all the listener questions and Laurel’s answers on the full episode of Health Wanted by:

• Streaming at wabe.org or the WABE app
• Subscribing on Apple or Spotify
• Watching on WABE's YouTube channel