Testosterone Replacement Therapy For Men

Benefits Of Testosterone Replacement Therapy

If you have clinically low testosterone levels, using testosterone can offer real benefits for your health, physical function, sexual performance and general wellbeing.

Potential benefits of testosterone replacement therapy include:

• Stronger sex drive.

• Improved sexual function and erections.

• Better mood and increased quality of life.

• Increased muscle mass and bone density.

Other Natural Ways To Boost Testosterone

Supplements aren’t the only way to boost your testosterone levels naturally. Several lifestyle interventions may boost your testosterone and better your overall health, including:

Exercise. Exercise can increase your testosterone. The best types of exercise to increase your testosterone levels are weightlifting and high-intensity interval training . Lifting heavy weights is the best exercise to increase testosterone levels.

Building muscle mass triggers the body to produce testosterone. By contrast, endurance exercises like cycling for hours or running marathons can actually reduce your testosterone level.

Maintain a healthy weight. If you are obese, you are four times more likely to benefit from testosterone replacement than non-obese men. Obesity is directly linked to low testosterone levels. Aging 10 years increases your odds of having low testosterone by 36%, but a 4-inch increase in waist size may increase your chances by up to 75%.

Get enough sleep. Sleep is essential for your good health. A consistent lack of good-quality sleep can interfere with your natural testosterone production. It can also lead to weight gain. This can further reduce your testosterone production.

Clearly, stress can reduce your testosterone level in several ways. Find positive ways to manage stress, and you may naturally increase your testosterone.

Show Sources

Cleveland Clinic: “Low Testosterone Treatment: How to Know if You Need It.”

J Making Your Decision

Ultimately, the decision is up to you. Do your homework. Request a discussion on all available options and whether that particular practice utilizes them or not.

If you are not completely comfortable with the providers knowledge on the subject of TRT, you are in the wrong place.

The busiest clinic isnt necessarily the best. No matter how popular it is during the lunch-hour rush, you wouldnt go to McDonalds for a steak.

You also want a provider who understands hormone therapy generally, and not just Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

A provider who is not well-informed on all forms of hormone treatment and cannot explain the differences wont be able to properly assess what is really right for you.

You wouldnt have the guy who installs windows build your entire house. Choose the provider and clinic most concerned with your overall health.

Talk to a TRT expert and get back to feeling the way you’re supposed to.Now serving patients in all Texas cities.

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What Happens During Follow

Follow-up appointments enable your healthcare provider to track your response to treatment. They run tests to check for signs of complications. These often include blood tests. Occasionally, your care may include a bone density test scan).

You can expect to see your healthcare provider:

• Every three months during the first year of hormone therapy.
• Every six to 12 months after that.

Youll still need to receive regular pelvic exams and Pap smears to detect conditions like cervical cancer.

Who Should Use A Testosterone Blood Test

Testosterone is a hormone that helps produce cell growth in males. Testosterone levels naturally go down with age, but other factors can play a role in declining testosterone levels in the body, such as increased stress and illness. There are several ways to measure total male sex hormone testosterone levels, including testosterone levels via blood samples and saliva samples.

These blood tests are called testosterone blood tests. Healthy testosterone levels can play an important role in maintaining good health. After all, it keeps your blood sugar stable and helps build muscle tissue. While most men know that testosterone levels vary with age, it’s less common to know what factors can affect that daily fluctuation.

Most men will never need to test their testosterone levels. However, certain conditions may require your doctor to test your testosterone level. Understanding the different conditions that can lead to high or low test levels can help you make informed decisions about testing at some point in your life. A blood test to check your testosterone levels has long been used to recognise men at risk for prostate cancer and other diseases related to low testosterone. Also, you may want a blood test if you notice any unusual symptoms such as hair loss, weight loss, or acne that persist over time – especially if you’re over 40.

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Diagnosis Of Hypogonadism In Men

Diagnosis of men with suspected hypogonadism

• 1.1 We recommend diagnosing hypogonadism in men with symptoms and signs of testosterone deficiency and unequivocally and consistently low serum total testosterone and/or free testosterone concentrations .

Screening and case detection for hypogonadism

• 1.2 We recommend against routine screening of men in the general population for hypogonadism.

Distinguishing between primary or secondary hypogonadism

• 1.3 In men who have hypogonadism, we recommend distinguishing between primary and secondary hypogonadism by measuring serum luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations.

Evaluation for determining the etiology of hypogonadism

• 1.4 In men with hypogonadism, we suggest further evaluation to identify the etiology of hypothalamic, pituitary, and/or testicular dysfunction.

Mens Testosterone Replacement Therapy

For men, testosterone replacement therapy is commonly used to treat hypogonadism, which can cause unnaturally low levels of testosterone . Men can experience this condition at any age, so testosterone replacement therapy can help correct these levels and support sexual health, muscle mass and bone density.

If you would like to know more about the benefits or age-related side effects of testosterone replacement therapy, call SynergenX at 888.219.7259. Our skilled providers can help you determine if testosterone replacement therapy is right for you.

SynergenX Low-T clinics are located across Houston including Galleria, Katy, Kingwood, The Woodlands, Sugar Land, Vintage Park, Webster, Atascocita, Spring and Cypress two Dallas locations located in McKinney and Walnut Hill or if you are in the San Antonio area, visit clinics including NorthWest, NorthEast, New Braunfels, Sonterra, or Alamo Ranch. Experiencing the symptoms of Low-T in Chicago? Get more information about testosterone replacement therapy for men at the Burr Ridge office.

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Faqs About Forms Of Testosterone Therapy

What Is The Ideal Testosterone Range?

Patients want to aim for 350 ng/dL and 1000 ng/dL. Doctors try to aim for this so that other hormones in the body dont attempt to stimulate excessive testosterone production.

Testosterone Injections Versus Topical Creams & Gels

One of our HRT doctors will determine the proper route of testosterone administration. We also account for the patients preference for administration. For instance, our physicians find that injectable or non-methylated rapid dissolve testosterone tablets are the most efficient and effective way to increase testosterone levels.

Transdermal creams/gels have increase testosterone levels. However, they are not as effective and could be transmitted to your loved ones.

Testosterone Injections Versus Pellet Therapy

Concerning testosterone pellets, they can be painful, cause scar tissue, and they can sometimes malfunction. There cannot be buyers remorse with pellets because the testosterone dosage cannot be adjusted once implanted. All of our treatments are personalized based on the patients bio-individuality. Bio-individuality means theres no one-size-fits-all hormone therapy protocol. Each person is a unique individual with highly individualized hormonal requirements.

Does Insurance Cover TRT?

Generally yes, because TRT counts as a medical procedure. Check your policy, but many health insurances have appropriate copays and deductibles.

Should I Be Taking An Estrogen Inhibitor During My Therapy

Can Supplements Boost Testosterone

Several different types of supplements claim to increase your testosterone levels. The results are mixed. Some of these supplements include:

D-Aspartic Acid. D-Aspartic Acid is a natural amino acid. A recent study found that it may increase levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. Both of these may stimulate the body to release more testosterone.

However, a subsequent study showed that taking 3 grams of D-aspartic acid did not affect testosterone levels. Taking 6 grams actually reduced levels.

Zinc. Zinc is an essential mineral for your healthy body function. Zinc deficiency has been linked to low testosterone levels. Zinc may promote testosterone production in the testes. Long-term zinc supplementation may lead to increased testosterone levels.

Magnesium. Taking magnesium as a supplement has been shown to increase free and total testosterone values. This may work for both sedentary people and athletes. Keep in mind that people who exercise had higher testosterone increases.

Vitamin D. Your body naturally produces Vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight. However, people who don’t have much exposure to sunlight may be deficient in vitamin D. In a year-long study, 65 men who took 3300 IU of vitamin D daily increased their testosterone levels by 20% over those who didn’t.

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A The Low T Blood Test Normal Testosterone Levels

If you think you might be suffering from Low T, a blood test is the only way you can determine, definitively, if low testosterone is the problem or if something else is causing your symptoms.

The ease with which symptoms can be misinterpreted can make arriving at a diagnosis difficult, as providers often suspect many possibilities before nailing down Low T as the cause of symptoms.

We use metrics established by the Endocrine Society to determine if your testosterone levels indicate the presence of hypogonadism . These standards are also used by many of the top insurance companies to determine coverage for Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

• If your total level of testosterone is below 300 ng/dl, you may be suffering from Low T
• If your free testosterone is below 9.0 ng/dl, you may be suffering from Low T

It is vitally important to assess both total and free testosterone.

While there are some differences of opinion, the generally accepted normal range of total testosterone for men should be 300-1000 ng/dl. Even more importantly, free testosterone should read 9-30 ng/dl.

At the point of diagnosis, its advisable to get some additional testing if you only received results for total testosterone. Looking at your calculated free testosterone is critical for diagnosis and determining a treatment protocol.

Direct free testosterone values are not useful clinically and should be ignored.

Effects Of Testosterone On Body Habitus

TRT is associated with external, physical changes in the men. Exogenous testosterone is known to cause an imbalance in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. As such, testosterone can be converted to estrogen by aromatization. Excess estrogens may lead to gynecomastia and/or breast pain, both of which may be seen in 10-25% of men on TRT. The ratio of estradiol to androgens is the key factor in the development of gynecomastia rather than absolute increases in androgens themselves. Clinicians must be aware of non-iatrogenic causes of gynecomastia and therefore the appropriate work-up should be sought out to rule out other pathology, especially if there is any breast tenderness or unilateral gynecomastia. Only a few case-reports describe a relationship between male breast cancer and TRT.

In addition, excess estrogens may cause an increase in visceral obesity. With vigilant monitoring of serum estrogen levels, TRT has been shown to promote weight loss. Well-known to many prescribers of TRT is a risk of water retention and/or edema. The etiology of this association remains unclear to date. The degree of retention is generally mild. As mentioned above, men on TRT with a history of CHF should follow closely.

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Better Cognition And Memory

Memory is the most fragile mental function, and with testosterone levels naturally decreasing as men age, information is processed less carefully and details often slip. However, numerous studies have shown that patients with lower testosterone levels showed improvements in memory after testosterone supplementation.

A What To Expect From Testosterone Replacement Therapy After Submitting Your Information

First, youll get a phone call or email. A very nice person with great manners and a pleasant disposition will call you on the number youve given and schedule an appointment.

If you are not utilizing the out-of-pocket pre-payment discounts, youll also be asked for your insurance information so that the cost information will be available for you as soon as you walk in for your appointment. Well, that was easy!

Next, youll go to your appointment. Youll be welcomed by another nice person with great manners and a pleasant disposition as you walk in the door, and then youll be taken to meet with the medical provider. Yup, a real medical professional who is focused on exactly this subject.

Youll go over your insurance coverage and be told what the costs will be , and then youll talk about you.

The provider wants to hear what symptoms youre experiencing and discuss exactly what to expect from Testosterone Replacement Therapy. For me, my biggest symptom was lethargy.

My life was great, but I didnt quite feel like me anymore. I still worked out, but the results were lagging, and I just didnt feel the same intensity I used to. I was tired, even when getting plenty of sleep. I was a little more grumpy at times than I wanted to be, and I just knew I wasnt at my best. Something was missing.

These people are good at what they do.

I got a phone call within a few days, and as it turned out, I was below the normal range.

It worked.

Speaking from experience?

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Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Yes Or No

Its hard to miss ads for testosterone replacement therapy. But is taking T really the answer to some common problems like fatigue and low sex drive?

Tired? Low sex drive? Problems sleeping? Wouldnt it be nice if there was an easy answer to these common problems often caused simply by aging?

For men, one solution promoted by drug advertisers is testosterone replacement therapy. Having low testosterone even has its own snappy name: Low T.

But as the use of these medications increases, so do concerns about possible harm if theyre taken unnecessarily.

The Food and Drug Administration requires prescription testosterone replacement therapy products be clearly labeled to inform men about a possible increased risk of heart attacks and stroke.

So is low T a real thing? And when is it OK to embark on testosterone replacement therapy?

E Avoid Boosters Testosterone Pills And Over

If you can get an OTC testosterone pill or powder that lasts you for weeks or months and that you can take in the comfort of your own home, why bother with topicals, pellets, or weekly injections?

The attraction of convenience is understandable, but there are plenty of reasons not to go that route.

Boosters are dietary supplements. Theyre nothing like the highly regulated sterile prescription injectables that legitimate hormone replacement providers prescribe.

There are dozens and dozens of these products on the market . Theyre made by a variety of companies, and its largely up to the companies selling these products to ensure your safety.

The FDA regulations that do exist to regulate these supplements are at times inadequate and are generally not well enforced.

They could contain just about anything, and its entirely possible these products dont contain any of the ingredients they claim to.

Its only been a short time since multiple retailers were found to carry adulterated dietary supplements.

At best, OTC testosterone boosters will be inert and fail to address your symptoms.

At worst, they could damage your health. Lets not forget what happened with Ephedra before it was banned.

Sterile testosterone injectables require an incredible amount of oversight and testing to produce, as do all other FDA-approved hormone preparations. Testosterone boosters simply dont have that oversight, which means they could basically contain anything.

Youre not being monitored.

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Testosterone Replacement In Aging Men: An Evidence

Boston Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center and Research Program in Mens health: Aging and Metabolism, Brigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Shalendar Bhasin, 221 Longwood Avenue, Room 545, Brigham and Womens Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: 617.525.9150 Email: .

J Clin Invest.

The deluge of advertisements marketing erectile dysfunction medications and testosterone products has empowered many older men to seek medical help for their sexual and genitourinary problems. As a reflection of this historical transition toward increased attention on mens sexual health, mens health clinics have sprung up across the United States concomitantly, testosterone prescription sales increased from about $100 million US dollars in the year 2000 to nearly $2.7 billion in 2013.

Understand The Potential Risks And Consider Alternatives Before Boosting Your Hormones Indefinitely

Millions of American men use a prescription testosterone injection or gel as forms of testosterone replacement therapy to restore normal levels of the manly hormone. The ongoing pharmaceutical marketing blitz promises that low T treatment can make men feel more alert, energetic, mentally sharp, and sexually functional. However, legitimate safety concerns linger. For example, some older men on testosterone replacement therapy could face higher cardiac risks.

“Because of the marketing, men have been flooded with information about the potential benefit of fixing low testosterone, but not with the potential costs,” says Dr. Carl Pallais, an endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Men should be much more mindful of the possible long-term complications.”

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J Testosterone Replacement Therapy And Fertility Risks

Lets start off with a question that you and your spouse or partner should answer together before beginning TRT:

Is fertility important to you, and are you planning to have children in the near future?

The answer to those questions will be important in determining your course of treatment.

9.j.i. Introducing Testosterone into Your Body May Reduce Fertility, Sperm Count

In men, almost all testosterone is produced in the testes, which are the male sex glands, the same glands responsible for sperm production.

In the brain, your hypothalamus and pituitary gland control the amount of work your testes do.

Your hypothalamus produces gonadotropin-releasing hormone that signals the pituitary gland to generate two key fertility hormones, which are known as luteinizing hormone and follicular stimulating hormone .

FSH is responsible for initiating spermatization , and LH plays a key role in testosterone production.

When exogenous testosterone is introduced into your system in order to bring levels up into the optimum range, your hypothalamus will determine that there is now enough testosterone present.

The hypothalamus doesnt really concern itself with whether the testosterone in your system came from a TRT injection or was produced naturally. It delivers instructions to your pituitary gland to slow production based on the level of testosterone it detects.

Simply put, your brain senses sufficient levels of testosterone, so it slows down natural testosterone production.