For many men, low testosterone can cause fatigue, a decrease in drive and mood issues. If they’re experiencing these issues, men may be reluctant to treat low testosterone and will try to ignore them since they have other things and situations to deal with as well.
Many of the doctors are very skeptical about the prescribing testosterone replacement therapy because it can cause side effects and the long-term risks and benefits aren’t known. Only men with symptoms of low testosterone, blood levels that confirm this as the underlying cause of their problems, and no other risk factors should consider testosterone replacement. Talk to your doctor about whether or not your case warrants such a treatment.
Subtle Symptoms of Low Testosterone
Low T’s symptoms include many things but in order to determine whether or not you actually have it, your best course of action is to go see a doctor. Low T is a condition that not only impacts you but those around you as well. It can be treated with medicine or injections that are prescribed by physicians so seek one out if you believe this may apply to you! Check out the symptoms below and see if any of them sound familiar:
- Low sex drive (libido)
- Erectile dysfunction
- Fatigue and poor energy level
- Decreased muscle mass
- Body and facial hair loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Depression
- Irritability
- Low sense of well-being
If you are a man who is experiencing symptoms of low testosterone or have had your levels detected in blood work and the results indicate abnormal levels, your doctor may suggest treatment. However, millions of other men out there have low testosterone but don’t exhibit any symptoms that would prompt their doctor to recommend testosterone replacement therapy and for those men, their doc will not advise it. For now, it has yet to be approved by healthcare professionals as an effective way to help men with low T whose levels were detected as a result of aging triggers.
Forms of Testosterone Supplements
Testosterone replacement therapy can be tricky. Whether you need to be monitored by a physician or know the right dosage that works for you, we make it safe and easy.
- Skin patch (transdermal): Androderm skin patches can be applied on the arm, upper body or stomach. They are placed once a day and take advantage of trans-dermal technology to send testosterone directly into the bloodstream at a steady rate.
- Gels: Andro Gel and Testim come in packets of clear testosterone gel that are applied once a day. Testosterone is absorbed directly through the skin. Andro Gel, Axiron, and Fortesta also come in pump systems that deliver the amount of testosterone prescribed by your doctor. The Natesto which is a gel applied inside that of The Mouth patch: The Striant which is a tablet.
- The Mouth patch: The Striant which is a tablet that sticks to upper gums above the incisor, the tooth just to the right or left of the two front teeth. Applied twice a day, it continuously releases The testosterone through that of the oral tissues.
- Injections and implants: Testosterone can also be injected directly into the muscles in a procedure called Intramuscular (IM) administration of Oct-Testosterone. Your body slowly absorbs the testosterone into the bloodstream over time, in contrast to gels or patches which allow for quick release of a large amount of testosterone all at once into the bloodstream.
Why not a single pill that boosts testosterone levels? It seems like a sound idea except that some medical professionals have indicated oral testosterone can have non-desired effects. Other means of administering it such as patches, gels, orally disintegrating tablets, or injections are supposedly less harmful to the liver and could bypass the pathways used by other delivery routes.
Benefits of Testosterone Therapy
What can you expect to feel when you start testing out the pill? It’s impossible to predict because every man is different Just know that it might improve your energy levels, drive, and possibly even libido (not to mention there’s anecdotal evidence that it will also increase your body and facial hair muscle mass and make you look more healthy in general).
Risks of Testosterone Therapy
Testosterone replacement therapy most often causes rashes, itching, or irritation at the site where testosterone is applied.
However, there is also evidence that suggests that the benefits of Testosterone therapy far outweigh potential drawbacks. Experts assert that increased risks are rare and notice a greater number of studies indicating the health risks associated with low T are quite greater than those of using testosterone to combat aging effects.
As is usually the case, it will take years before science can draw any conclusions and reliable data on the long-term benefits and risks of testosterone therapy. However , there are other available options that you could ask your doctor about such as herbal supplements. Many people believe these supplements to be safer than medicines that have been produced in a laboratory, and prefer to go with natural remedies whenever possible.
