Are you experiencing fatigue, decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, fat gain, mood changes, and loss of muscle mass? These are just some of the symptoms of low testosterone. Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is a vital part of men’s health treatments and can help if this relates to you.
Vitality, energy, optimism, and a strong sex drive are all characteristics of youthfulness. Of course, these are directly related to optimal male hormone levels. It is no secret that when men are young and at their physical peak, they also have their peak testosterone levels.
Unfortunately, as a man ages, the amount of testosterone he produces declines. The natural decrease of testosterone production begins at 30 and continues to drop about 1% every year throughout his life. The decline in testosterone production is why men in their 30s and 40s no longer feel youthful.
Amazingly, even men in their 20s are now seeing unacceptable decreases in their hormone levels. Their low levels may result from a variety of diet and lifestyle choices such as cell phone use, phosphates in processed foods, anabolic hormone or prohormone use, stress and anxiety, and perhaps even microplastics. Regardless, we are now seeing young men with low testosterone levels more commonly.
Though low hormone levels have become “normal,” testosterone replacement therapy ensures men that it is no longer necessary to suffer the consequences of low T.
What are “Normal” Hormone Levels?
Your body produces numerous independent hormones that affect each other. Thus, a lower level of one hormone will affect the levels of other hormones. For example, low testosterone may increase cortisol, a stress hormone. Ideally, we do not want elevated cortisol levels.
Medicine has thus established “normal” levels for testosterone. However, the range of what physicians consider normal is enormous. Amazingly, lab ranges for “normal” testosterone levels run anywhere from 200 – 1100 ng/dl. A younger man typically has a level closer to 1100, while an octogenarian might run around 300. Both of these numbers are considered “normal.”
Unfortunately, we are seeing men in their 30s and 40s with levels in the 300s-400s, and though this is “normal”, it is not optimal. To compare, if a 50-year-old man sees an eye doctor for worsening eyesight, the doctor doesn’t tell him this is “normal” for his age. Instead, he prescribes glasses! Why wouldn’t we do the same for a man with low testosterone?
Our goal at Mygenics is to optimize your hormone levels with TRT so that you feel youthful and stay healthy.
How to Diagnose Low Testosterone
In men, testosterone helps maintain muscle mass, adequate levels of red blood cells, bone density, a sense of well-being, and sexual/reproductive function, to name a few bodily systems. If you are experiencing low testosterone, though, you may notice some or all of the following symptoms:
- Inability to gain muscle
- Loss of muscle mass and strength
- Increased body fat
- Loss of sex drive
- Erectile dysfunction
- Joint aches
- Mood changes
- Irritability
- No energy
- Decrease in cognitive skills and concentration
If you are experiencing these symptoms, it may be time to see a testosterone doctor. We can assess your hormone levels with a simple in-office blood draw. At that point, we can determine if you are a solid candidate for Testosterone Replacement Therapy.
What Causes Low Testosterone?
In addition to the aging process, numerous other factors may lead to low testosterone levels. Some of these include:
- Trauma
- Metabolic disorders
- Medications
- Alcohol abuse
- Kidney failure
- Obesity
- Sleep apnea
- Excess estrogen
- Diet and lifestyle choices
Benefits of Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Testosterone replacement therapy will help optimize your hormone levels and restore youthfulness. The first thing men notice is that their energy returns within a few weeks, and the need for the afternoon nap disappears. Men can also expect improvements in their erections and sex drive.
Additionally, men on TRT will see increased strength, cardiovascular endurance, and muscle volume if they exercise.
Beyond feelings of vitality, testosterone replacement therapy provides numerous health benefits, such as decreased body fat and improved thyroid effects, diabetes, and heart health. Men can also expect:
- Loss of fat
- Increased bone density and protection against osteoporosis
- Improved mood and sense of well-being
- Improved mental clarity
What to Expect with Testosterone Replacement Therapy?
Once we assess your natural hormone levels via a blood test, our TRT clinic may include testosterone (testosterone injections, pellets, or creams), HCG, Sermorelin, DHEA, melatonin, estrogen aromatase inhibitors, progesterone, and thyroid hormones.
HCG with Testosterone Replacement Therapy
In men, HCG closely mimics the pituitary hormones that signal the testicles to produce sperm and testosterone. The FDA approves the use of HCG to treat a specific type of low testosterone in men in which the brain doesn’t adequately signal the testicles to produce sperm and testosterone.
At Mygenics, our men’s health clinic uses HCG, if needed, as an adjunctive treatment along with testosterone therapy to help maintain testicular function and size during testosterone therapy.
DHEA
DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is a hormone produced in the adrenal glands that lie just above and adjacent to the kidneys. DHEA is a precursor hormone, meaning the body uses it to make other sex hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone.
As with other hormones, DHEA levels peak in your 20s and slowly decline as you age. DHEA associates with:
- Longevity
- Improved muscle mass
- Improved Sex Drive
- Improved Immune System Function
- Improved Cognitive Function
- Improved Depressive Symptoms
- Maintaining Bone Density
At Mygenics, we test DHEA during our initial evaluation with a simple blood test. We then provide DHEA as an oral capsule or in cream form combined with other hormones as part of our TRT clinic.
Aromatase Inhibitors
Men produce estrogen primarily when the body converts testosterone to estrogen by an enzyme called aromatase, also known as estrogen synthetase or synthase. Unfortunately, testosterone replacement therapy can raise male estrogen to unacceptable levels if physicians do not adequately monitor and control the process.
At Mygenics, many men on testosterone therapy will also require an aromatase inhibitor to maintain healthy estrogen levels. We may also utilize selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM) to support healthy estrogen levels.
The Thyroid Hormone and TRT
Thyroid hormone, produced in the thyroid gland in the front of the neck just below the Adam’s apple, is active in nearly every cell in the body and is critical for life. Thyroid hormone regulates your body’s metabolic rate, regulates protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism, regulates heat production, and is essential for brain development and bone maintenance.
Men with low thyroid hormone, also known as Hypothyroidism, may experience the following:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Constipation
- Infertility
- Cold intolerance
- Elevated cholesterol
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dry skin and hair
- Hair loss
- Fibromyalgia
- Loss of lateral eyebrows
As with other hormones, many physicians will look at thyroid hormone levels within a “normal” range and tell you that your thyroid hormone levels are “normal.” However, “normal” does not necessarily mean optimal.
At Mygenics, we strive to optimize your hormones. The thyroid hormone is THE metabolic hormone. If you are struggling with weight gain, cannot lose weight, suffer from fatigue, or are experiencing any other symptoms of low thyroid, you could benefit from optimizing your thyroid hormone with our TRT clinic.
Is TRT Right for Me?
At Mygenics, we’re happy to diagnose and treat any problems you may have. If you suffer from any of the symptoms above, then the Mygenics Testosterone Replacement Therapy program could be right for you.
At Mygenics, we aim to treat the whole man and restore your vitality and enjoyment of life.
To schedule an appointment to discuss testosterone injections, please fill out our contact form or give our office a call today. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain.