Is Testosterone Replacement Therapy Right for You?

Why do men need testosterone?

Testosterone serves many purposes in the body, chief among those it’s ability to transition a boy into a man.  In children, testosterone is responsible for developing the male sex organs. Testosterone is quite literally what makes a man a man.  While women have testosterone in their bodies, too, testosterone is perhaps most known as the male sex hormone. In addition to regulating sex drive and sexual function, it also plays an important role in the development of muscles and the regulation of body fat.

What does low testosterone do to a man?

Without testosterone, a boy could not experience puberty. A man wouldn’t develop his distinctly male pitch. A growing number of experts in the medical community assert that low testosterone can be severely detrimental to a man’s physical health. In fact, low testosterone can lead to weak bones, which can result in osteoporosis.  Low Testosterone can also lead to low muscle mass and increased body fat.  In fact, a man who is depleted of testosterone will often experience mild to severe depression. As you can see, testosterone is one of the most crucial hormones in the body.

What are the benefits of testosterone replacement therapy?

The benefits of testosterone replacement therapy are innumerable. A man with low testosterone who makes the decision to start testosterone replacement therapy can expect improvements in energy levels, exercise capacity, sleep quality, mood and sex drive within just one month of starting a regimen. A clean diet and regimented exercise routine is highly recommended to achieve the full benefits of a testosterone replacement therapy program. Several months into a testosterone therapy regimen, a man can expect to see modest improvements in his physique, including improvements in muscle mass and decreases in body fat.

What kind of doctor prescribes testosterone

Therefore, it cannot be stressed enough the importance of taking testosterone only under a doctor’s supervision. It is not uncommon for people to acquire testosterone on the black market and self-prescribe, but this is a recipe for disaster.  Testosterone can cause increases in the size of red blood cells. If these blood cells expand too much, they can cause blood clots, potentially leading to stroke. Ehormones MD physicians constantly monitor their patients’ blood levels to make sure all levels stay in normal, healthy ranges.  Blood diagnostics as well as constant supervision by a medical doctor are a must while on testosterone replacement therapy. It is, however, important to note that due to the growing popularity of testosterone replacement therapy and a heavy dose of marketing by Big Pharma, every doctor and his brother are now prescribing testosterone to their patients. This is actually quite dangerous, as the majority of doctors prescribing testosterone really are not well versed in the intricacies of testosterone dosing, modulation and the risks associated with incorrectly prescribing testosterone.

What are the risks of testosterone replacement therapy?

Testosterone replacement therapy, if prescribed incorrectly, can pose a number of risks for the patient. Ehormones MD Medical Director, Dr. Frank J. Welch, MD, is a testosterone therapy veteran. His interest in male testosterone replacement therapy actually began in the early 2000s when he became a testosterone therapy patient. Having experienced life changing results on testosterone replacement, himself, Dr. Welch decided that he would make it his life’s work to help change his patient’s lives with the benefits of testosterone replacement therapy.  Dr. Welch would be the first person to say, however, that testosterone is not something you want to mess around with. The average family physician or urologist prescribing testosterone doesn’t take the time to research the half-lives of the testosterone he or she is prescribing.  Half-life is essentially what determines how often a patient should be injecting testosterone.  For instance, testosterone cypionate has a half-life of roughly 6 days. This means that half of the testosterone has run its course and left the body after just one week. For this reason, Dr. Welch generally recommends that testosterone be taken once to twice weekly. On a daily basis, we hear from prospective Ehormones MD patients who were treated by their doctor with a testosterone injection every 2 weeks, sometimes 3 weeks and even just once per month. This is just absurd, considering the half-life of testosterone cypionate.

Can testosterone be taken alone?

Additionally, while taking testosterone, there are a couple of necessary ancillary medications that must be taken in conjunction with testosterone. When exogenous testosterone enters the body, the pituitary gland stops producing luteinizing hormone, also known as LH. This can present a problem if not addressed properly by a doctor who is well versed in testosterone replacement therapy. You see, luteinizing hormones acts as a signal to the testicles to produce testosterone. If this is not addressed, the testes can atrophy, or shrink.  For this reason, for many patients, it is necessary to prescribe Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, more commonly known by it’s initials, HCG, while the patient is taking Testosterone, as HCG mimics the effects of luteinizing hormone, thus suppressing atrophy of the testes. There is also one more important medication that is commonly prescribed along with the Testosterone and HCG.  This medication is known as an aromatase inhibitor, or AI.  The AI acts to suppress estrogen conversion that can occur while taking Testosterone. We all need a little bit of estrogen in our bodies, but too much can result in an increase in breast tissue growth. As you can see, testosterone replacement therapy is not to be taken lightly. It requires a significant depth of knowledge for a doctor to prescribe testosterone replacement therapy both safely and responsibly. If you are interested in learning more about how the expert doctors at Ehormones MD can treat your low testosterone, feel free to call us at (800) 658-8858. We’ll even give you a 100% Free and Confidential consultation.

What are the symptoms of low testosterone?

Low testosterone can cause symptoms that range from depleted energy and motivation to decreased muscle development and increases in central belly fat.

Some of the symptoms include:

• Increase in central body fat
• Decreased muscle tone
• Depressed muscular development
• Low libido and/or erectile dysfunction
• Lower energy
• Lack of motivation
• Sleep issues
• Decreased enjoyment in life

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