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Therapeutic Use Exemption
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 2010-06-24 2:27 PM |
Member  41  New York |  Subject: Therapeutic Use ExemptionLooking for a little supportive guidance from the BT crew. I feel a little weird divulging too much personal information on the web, but here goes. I currently take Testosterone as per my doctor's orders. I really don't mean to make this a thread relating to doping, or even some sort of pity party. Suffice it to say, I have a medical condition that caused me to need Replacement Therapy, and I trust my doctor. I was diagnosed long before I started training for Triathlon, and in fact, my medical condition is what turned my life around in order to pursue this sport as a way of getting healthy. So, I am by no means taking drugs in order to get some sort of advantage, only to be as healthy as the next person. So, this is my first year competing in Triathlons (doing the NYC Triathlon & the Half-Ironman Syracuse along with some Sprints), and I realized that I'm required to submit a Therapeutic Use Exemption form in order to get approval for taking Testosterone. I feel a little odd having to do this because I'm by no means going to win, and I'm not even in any sort of Elite AG category. Just to be safe, I submitted it, along with my doctor's approval and some lab work showing my levels, but I just got it returned to me because they require a "complete medical history". Anyway, I'm wondering if there are any BT'ers that have gone through this process. What else is included in the "complete medical history" other than the lab work showing your original diagnosis? Did your doctor write up a whole document? I would try to help my doctor out, but I wouldn't even know what to write seeing as I don't know all the medical terms. Just feeling a little frustrated and nervous that this isn't going to turn out well. I mean, I know that I have a valid reason for taking this medication, but I'm afraid that this committee is going to say it doesn't pass their test. I would be crushed to find out that I'm not allowed to participate after all the work that I've put into this sport. Sorry to sound so pathetic. |
| 2010-06-24 2:47 PM in reply to: #2942030 |
Elite 4048 Gilbert, Az. | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption acerbins - 2010-06-24 12:27 PM Looking for a little supportive guidance from the BT crew. I feel a little weird divulging too much personal information on the web, but here goes. I currently take Testosterone as per my doctor's orders. I really don't mean to make this a thread relating to doping, or even some sort of pity party. Suffice it to say, I have a medical condition that caused me to need Replacement Therapy, and I trust my doctor. I was diagnosed long before I started training for Triathlon, and in fact, my medical condition is what turned my life around in order to pursue this sport as a way of getting healthy. So, I am by no means taking drugs in order to get some sort of advantage, only to be as healthy as the next person. So, this is my first year competing in Triathlons (doing the NYC Triathlon & the Half-Ironman Syracuse along with some Sprints), and I realized that I'm required to submit a Therapeutic Use Exemption form in order to get approval for taking Testosterone. I feel a little odd having to do this because I'm by no means going to win, and I'm not even in any sort of Elite AG category. Just to be safe, I submitted it, along with my doctor's approval and some lab work showing my levels, but I just got it returned to me because they require a "complete medical history". Anyway, I'm wondering if there are any BT'ers that have gone through this process. What else is included in the "complete medical history" other than the lab work showing your original diagnosis? Did your doctor write up a whole document? I would try to help my doctor out, but I wouldn't even know what to write seeing as I don't know all the medical terms. Just feeling a little frustrated and nervous that this isn't going to turn out well. I mean, I know that I have a valid reason for taking this medication, but I'm afraid that this committee is going to say it doesn't pass their test. I would be crushed to find out that I'm not allowed to participate after all the work that I've put into this sport. Sorry to sound so pathetic. Asking for information on something that you have worked hard for is never pathetic. I don't think as a typical AG'er, that you even need to submit an exemption, unless you qualify for/compete at one of the elite level/championship events. I use inhalers for EIB, and technically I suppose I should do the same, but I haven't submitted anything and I still race. If you just want to be covered, take the exemption form and documentation to your doctor, and say "This is what they want", and let him fill it out. And you can always call, USAT has been pretty helpful the couple times I've had to call them. John |
| 2010-06-24 4:32 PM in reply to: #2942085 |
Champion 8540   the colony texas | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption tkd.teacher - 2010-06-24 2:47 PM acerbins - 2010-06-24 12:27 PM Looking for a little supportive guidance from the BT crew. I feel a little weird divulging too much personal information on the web, but here goes. I currently take Testosterone as per my doctor's orders. I really don't mean to make this a thread relating to doping, or even some sort of pity party. Suffice it to say, I have a medical condition that caused me to need Replacement Therapy, and I trust my doctor. I was diagnosed long before I started training for Triathlon, and in fact, my medical condition is what turned my life around in order to pursue this sport as a way of getting healthy. So, I am by no means taking drugs in order to get some sort of advantage, only to be as healthy as the next person. So, this is my first year competing in Triathlons (doing the NYC Triathlon & the Half-Ironman Syracuse along with some Sprints), and I realized that I'm required to submit a Therapeutic Use Exemption form in order to get approval for taking Testosterone. I feel a little odd having to do this because I'm by no means going to win, and I'm not even in any sort of Elite AG category. Just to be safe, I submitted it, along with my doctor's approval and some lab work showing my levels, but I just got it returned to me because they require a "complete medical history". Anyway, I'm wondering if there are any BT'ers that have gone through this process. What else is included in the "complete medical history" other than the lab work showing your original diagnosis? Did your doctor write up a whole document? I would try to help my doctor out, but I wouldn't even know what to write seeing as I don't know all the medical terms. Just feeling a little frustrated and nervous that this isn't going to turn out well. I mean, I know that I have a valid reason for taking this medication, but I'm afraid that this committee is going to say it doesn't pass their test. I would be crushed to find out that I'm not allowed to participate after all the work that I've put into this sport. Sorry to sound so pathetic. Asking for information on something that you have worked hard for is never pathetic. I don't think as a typical AG'er, that you even need to submit an exemption, unless you qualify for/compete at one of the elite level/championship events. I use inhalers for EIB, and technically I suppose I should do the same, but I haven't submitted anything and I still race. If you just want to be covered, take the exemption form and documentation to your doctor, and say "This is what they want", and let him fill it out. And you can always call, USAT has been pretty helpful the couple times I've had to call them. John I also had to take Testosterone last year... I never thought to fill out any waivers. Can I ask who has asked you to fill it out,, was it someone claiming you are a doper on a website??, the USTA?? or were you reading the bylaws were it states something along those line. I honestly thought it was for elites. I doubt you are the only person taking a medication like testosterone or inhaler out there. It's not something I would worry about. I think the above advice was pretty good about printing out the form and on the next doctor visit asking them to fill it out. It's not something that I would be worried about though |
| 2010-06-24 4:41 PM in reply to: #2942030 |
Expert 2852 Pfafftown, NC | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption Here's the thing..... IF you're even close to competing for an AG award........you're taking a banned substance. Call it what you want (I didn't say 'doping'). Would I do exactly what you did (both in taking the drug to level out a medical issue AND divulging that)? Yes - I would. Edited by nc452010 2010-06-24 4:45 PM |
| 2010-06-24 5:22 PM in reply to: #2942030 |
| 233 | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption You have to fill out a TUE with USADA. This is required. Heck, until this year, you needed a TUE for albuterol (now is just a disclosure, but still...) So yeah, get it filled out. |
| 2010-06-24 5:24 PM in reply to: #2942030 |
Champion 9407 Montague Gold Mines, Nova Scotia | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption Here are some links that may help: |
| 2010-06-24 5:25 PM in reply to: #2942385 |
Champion 8936 | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption nc452010 - 2010-06-24 4:41 PM Here's the thing..... IF you're even close to competing for an AG award........you're taking a banned substance. Call it what you want (I didn't say 'doping'). Would I do exactly what you did (both in taking the drug to level out a medical issue AND divulging that)? Yes - I would. It's not a banned substance when used medically, and it's not doping. There's a huge difference between using substances to return to a normal physiologic state and doping to achieve supraphysiologic states. That's the whole reason there is a TUE. Edited by DerekL 2010-06-24 5:26 PM |
| 2010-06-24 5:41 PM in reply to: #2942030 |
Expert 2852 Pfafftown, NC | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption So...if Bryancd (ONLY as an example - insert any elite triathlete) - can find a Dr. to write him a prescription for tesosterone supplement.......that's "OK"? I'm asking. I PROMISE you I could have a prescription (I'm 46) for a testosterone supplement by next week's end. I'm betting the vast majority of you could, also. |
| 2010-06-24 5:48 PM in reply to: #2942490 |
Champion 8936 | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption nc452010 - 2010-06-24 5:41 PM So...if Bryancd (ONLY as an example - insert any elite triathlete) - can find a Dr. to write him a prescription for tesosterone supplement.......that's "OK"? I'm asking. I PROMISE you I could have a prescription (I'm 46) for a testosterone supplement by next week's end. I'm betting the vast majority of you could, also. If there's a legitimate medical indication (which is low testosterone), then yes. It's not boosting levels in improve performance over and above what he could have done. It's returning him to the same level everybody else is playing at. BTW, don't be so sure you could get a script so easily. |
| 2010-06-24 5:58 PM in reply to: #2942490 |
Elite 4048 Gilbert, Az. | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption nc452010 - 2010-06-24 3:41 PM So...if Bryancd (ONLY as an example - insert any elite triathlete) - can find a Dr. to write him a prescription for tesosterone supplement.......that's "OK"? I'm asking. I PROMISE you I could have a prescription (I'm 46) for a testosterone supplement by next week's end. I'm betting the vast majority of you could, also. If Bryan demonstrated a need for it, yes it's ok. If he found a doc that would write him a script even if he didn't need it, it would be wrong. Is it a fine distinction? Yes, it is. Does it get crossed? Almost certainly. However, just because there are azzhats out there willing to cross that line, does that mean we should deprive the legitimate need people the chance to compete? John |
| 2010-06-24 6:12 PM in reply to: #2942497 |
Member 41 New York | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption DerekL - 2010-06-24 6:48 PM nc452010 - 2010-06-24 5:41 PM So...if Bryancd (ONLY as an example - insert any elite triathlete) - can find a Dr. to write him a prescription for tesosterone supplement.......that's "OK"? I'm asking. I PROMISE you I could have a prescription (I'm 46) for a testosterone supplement by next week's end. I'm betting the vast majority of you could, also. If there's a legitimate medical indication (which is low testosterone), then yes. It's not boosting levels in improve performance over and above what he could have done. It's returning him to the same level everybody else is playing at. BTW, don't be so sure you could get a script so easily. First off, thanks to all of you for your replies. I feel much more assured. To answer the above, the TUE instructions are pretty clear that the doctor needs to prove through lab results that the athlete had low Testosterone levels before treatment began, which I included. I suppose I also needed to have my doctor write a statement about my medical history, including any other possible treatments I tried and why they didn't work. I'm sure if an athlete really wanted to cheat the system they would need a doctor to really go along with it, but it's pretty stringent. As for who told me to get this, I wasn't really told by anyone. I was just checking the information on the web for the races I'm doing, and it seems like I'm supposed to get one for Testosterone no matter where I rank. But, I really can't imagine they would get around to testing me (famous last words). I will definitely follow through with my doctor, just in case something happens. But, I'm not going to worry too much. Thanks again. Edited by acerbins 2010-06-24 6:15 PM |
| 2010-06-24 6:18 PM in reply to: #2942030 |
| Expert 618 | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption There is an entire thread that was on this topic over on the other multisport site. Needless to say, responses have been a lot kinder over here. The guy over there said he had a valid reason as well. But everyone else called it out as BS. What the poster over there was experiencing was aging and the normal decrease in levels that happen over time. But his doctor said he could use some to get his levels back up to "normal" levels again (read- 18 year old levels and not 40-something). Not questioning the reason you have from the doctor per se, but why do you need to supplement so that we have an understanding of the need? Edited by Road Phoenix 2010-06-24 6:21 PM |
| 2010-06-24 7:09 PM in reply to: #2942544 |
Champion 7495 Schwamalamadingdong! | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption Road Phoenix - 2010-06-24 6:18 PM Not questioning the reason you have from the doctor per se, but why do you need to supplement so that we have an understanding of the need? Huh? |
| 2010-06-24 7:23 PM in reply to: #2942544 |
Elite 4048 Gilbert, Az. | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption Road Phoenix - 2010-06-24 4:18 PM There is an entire thread that was on this topic over on the other multisport site. Needless to say, responses have been a lot kinder over here. The guy over there said he had a valid reason as well. But everyone else called it out as BS. What the poster over there was experiencing was aging and the normal decrease in levels that happen over time. But his doctor said he could use some to get his levels back up to "normal" levels again (read- 18 year old levels and not 40-something). Not questioning the reason you have from the doctor per se, but why do you need to supplement so that we have an understanding of the need? Responses may have been kinder, but suspicions are everywhere. Why does he need to prove to YOU his usage? And, which part of his original post did you fail to comprehend? I currently take Testosterone as per my doctor's orders. I really don't mean to make this a thread relating to doping, or even some sort of pity party. Suffice it to say, I have a medical condition that caused me to need Replacement Therapy, and I trust my doctor. I was diagnosed long before I started training for Triathlon, and in fact, my medical condition is what turned my life around in order to pursue this sport as a way of getting healthy John |
| 2010-06-24 7:31 PM in reply to: #2942544 |
Member 41 New York | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption Road Phoenix - 2010-06-24 7:18 PM There is an entire thread that was on this topic over on the other multisport site. Needless to say, responses have been a lot kinder over here. The guy over there said he had a valid reason as well. But everyone else called it out as BS. What the poster over there was experiencing was aging and the normal decrease in levels that happen over time. But his doctor said he could use some to get his levels back up to "normal" levels again (read- 18 year old levels and not 40-something). Not questioning the reason you have from the doctor per se, but why do you need to supplement so that we have an understanding of the need? Yes, I did read part of the thread on that forum, and yes, you guys are much nicer.  I don't know how comfortable I am spilling my medical history online. I'm probably spilling too much as it is. But, just as a sort of defense (not that you are being accusatory at all), I will say that I have a disease that has caused certain systems in my body to shut down, one of those being my Testosterone levels. My doctor assured me that this was a result of that disease. I was only in my 20's when I noticed all of the symptoms, and Replacement Therapy brought me back to normal. Even on therapy, my levels are by no means high. I went from being below an acceptable level for my age to a low-normal level. I certainly didn't turn into some muscle bound dude. |
| 2010-06-24 7:34 PM in reply to: #2942030 |
Expert 2852 Pfafftown, NC | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption Here's the problem (IMO....stated respectfully).... |
| 2010-06-24 7:38 PM in reply to: #2942643 |
Champion 8936 | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption nc452010 - 2010-06-24 7:34 PM Here's the problem (IMO....stated respectfully).... The reason you listed is not a valid medical reason for obtaining the prescription. That's not the same as the situation we're talking about. Again, stop calling them "PED's" or "doping" in this context. They're not. |
| 2010-06-24 7:39 PM in reply to: #2942643 |
Champion 7495 Schwamalamadingdong! | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption nc452010 - 2010-06-24 7:34 PM Here's the problem (IMO....stated respectfully).... From an earlier post by the OP: To answer the above, the TUE instructions are pretty clear that the doctor needs to prove through lab results that the athlete had low Testosterone levels before treatment began, which I included. I suppose I also needed to have my doctor write a statement about my medical history, including any other possible treatments I tried and why they didn't work. I'm sure if an athlete really wanted to cheat the system they would need a doctor to really go along with it, but it's pretty stringent. Prove you have a medical need. "I don't feel like I did when I was eighteen" likely doesn't count. |
| 2010-06-24 7:44 PM in reply to: #2942030 |
Expert 2852 Pfafftown, NC | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption Again.....I'm betting I could find a doctor who agreed with me that my 45yr old test. levels were "low". |
| 2010-06-24 7:47 PM in reply to: #2942660 |
Champion 8936 | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption nc452010 - 2010-06-24 7:44 PM Again.....I'm betting I could find a doctor who agreed with me that my 45yr old test. levels were "low". Since you seem set in your opinion no matter what anybody says, we should have a doctor chime in. Would that help? |
| 2010-06-24 7:51 PM in reply to: #2942030 |
Champion 5868 Urbandale, IA | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption Actually, we just dealt with this situation last week at the Quad Cities Tri, which was the world qualifier for the sprint distance. I asked my Regional Director and she aske Charlie Crawford (as well as me asking The Bear if he had dealt with it before, becasue he has been an official longer than me). The fact is that the USAT is not going to get involved in making a case by case decision. At this point, we are going to have the same ruling, which is , if a Doctor has prescribed it, then we are going to allow it (in AG competition). One of the problems here is that drawing a line from certain drugs to "performance enhancing". Heck, Caffiene is being investigated as performance enhancing. As far as the USAT is concerned, if you have a prescription from a Doctor - take you frickin' meds. Personally I take Prednisone every day (protect against transplant rejection in case it matters). If it is making me faster, I'd hate to see how slow I would be without it. |
| 2010-06-24 7:58 PM in reply to: #2942497 |
Champion 8540 the colony texas | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption If there's a legitimate medical indication (which is low testosterone), then yes. It's not boosting levels in improve performance over and above what he could have done. It's returning him to the same level everybody else is playing at. . Sadly,, this is pretty much exactly what I posted on the other site, and was I think I was slammed for it, which was kind of funny though |
| 2010-06-24 8:01 PM in reply to: #2942030 |
Expert 2852 Pfafftown, NC | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption Since you seem set in your opinion no matter what anybody says, we should have a doctor chime in. Would that help? Absolutely. I'd never discount an expert's opinion (much respect, actually). If they tell me testosterone (which, I believe is on the banned substances list) is not a PED......I'll accept that. No emotion, here. |
| 2010-06-24 8:04 PM in reply to: #2942660 |
Champion 7595 Columbia, South Carolina | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption nc452010 - 2010-06-24 8:44 PM Again.....I'm betting I could find a doctor who agreed with me that my 45yr old test. levels were "low". OK, first of all, apologies to OP, who didn't want this to become a thread about doping. I'll say to OP that you are definitely taking the high road, probably even higher than really is necessary. Well done. To reply to the quoted comments: Yes, there are crooked doctors. This proves nothing. LOTS of things are 'PEDs' in the sense of 'if you ingest it, your performance may be enhanced'. Blueberries fall into that category. (I love blueberries!) The issue about doping is not whether something the athlete ingests contributes to performance, but whether something ingested is for legitimate therapeutic versus performance-enhancing purposes only. That's why TUEs exist. Yes, we could have a long interesting philosophical discussion about what exactly constitutes therapy, but you seem to be missing the more basic point that the fact a substance contributes to performance does not by itself make the ingesting of that substance contrary to the rules. My guess is that they are asking for more medical history precisely to be sure that this is a case of therapeutic use. I'm certainly not an expert by any stretch, but my gut feeling from what OP says is that this is pretty easily a case of therapeutic use. Nor do I think that OP needs to say anything more here to us. To USADA maybe, but not to us. |
| 2010-06-24 8:09 PM in reply to: #2942030 |
Expert 2852 Pfafftown, NC | Subject: RE: Therapeutic Use Exemption I don't disagree with anything you said. In fact, I also gave the OP props for his candor. Blueberries, though, aren't on the banned substances list. I'm looking at this with NO emotion. If they treat each case, individually, I say BRAVO! But (devil's advocate), is a "doctor's recommendation" the line in the sand? Again....I'm asking if that's the line of demarcation? IF it is, you're potentially opening up a huge can of worms (again - personal opinion). That's all. |
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