Testosterone Replacement Therapy Has Supercharged My Libido

Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Benefits & Side Effects

Certain factors including age, health status, and sex can all affect the natural ability to make testosterone. For all these reasons, your healthcare provider will carefully consider if TRT is safe for you based on your unique characteristics. It’s not worth the potential health risks to use testosterone for nonmedical reasons, like bodybuilding or attempting to prevent aging changes. If you stop TRT, you’ll return to your normal level of testosterone. Your body will take some time to restart production of testosterone naturally. Another concern is whether TRT actually improves symptoms linked to low testosterone booster over 50.

Within ten days of starting the injections, I gained 20 pounds and developed severe sleep apnea. The choice of TRT form depends on individual needs, convenience, and personal preference. Injections often provide the most control over dosage, allowing for easy monitoring and adjustments by healthcare providers.

The many possible side effects of TRT should be strongly considered before you begin taking testosterone. Unfortunately, there is limited research on the long-term safety of TRT. Some studies have discovered serious risks that were linked with TRT — particularly with long-term use. In addition, it is important to get a physical exam every three to six months to evaluate blood pressure and check for other symptoms or side effects, such as insomnia. Testosterone levels naturally decrease as a man ages, starting at around age 30, and continue to decline throughout life.

TRT is traditionally used to treat hypogonadism, which occurs when your testes (also called gonads) don’t produce enough testosterone. According to an article in American Family Physician, the average male’s T production goes down by about 1 to 2 percent each year. Hone-affiliated medical practices are independently owned and operated by licensed physicians who provide services using the Hone telehealth platform. For more information about the relationship between Hone and the medical practices, click here. As long as you follow the treatment prescribed by your doctor, you’ll stay ahead of the problem. You must understand going into the process that the journey to self-improvement is not a sprint, but a marathon.

For most people, blood tests are done every 3 to 6 months during the first year of TRT. Once your doctor finds the right dosage, you may only need testing once a year to make sure your levels stay stable. However, if you notice any new symptoms or changes in how you feel, additional tests may be needed. Doctors take age into account when deciding on a TRT dosage because younger men typically need a different amount of testosterone than older men. For example, a man in his 30s with low T might need a smaller dosage to bring his testosterone back to a healthy range compared to a man in his 60s or 70s. This is because older men have naturally lower testosterone levels, so their target levels will be different from those of younger men.

Your healthcare provider will recommend regular testing to make sure TRT isn’t hurting your health. But it’s important to remember that TRT comes with potential risks and side effects. Eisenberg says that studies of TRT’s benefits and risks have had mixed results and provide limited answers.

Around half of the participants in the 2019 study still had bone mineral density in the ranges of osteopenia or osteoporosis while on TRT. TRT doesn’t fix or cure the underlying cause of low testosterone. This means that you’ll need the medication to continue having a normal level of testosterone in your body. If you stop taking testosterone, your body will have to recover its ability to make testosterone again.

Male hypogonadism is a condition in which the testicles do not produce enough testosterone, do not produce sperm or both. According to one study, 20% of men over age 60, 30% of men over age 70, and 50% of men over age 80 have hypogonadism. A man may be born with hypogonadism, or it may develop later in life.

The form of testosterone you use can affect how much you need to take and how often. Let’s look at the different types of testosterone and how they affect your dosage. I Googled “hormone replacement therapy clinic” and went to the first place that popped up. They’ll give you whatever you want so long as it’s loosely related to the symptoms you tell them you have. She’s probably in her late forties, thin as a rail with big fake boobs, pouty injected lips, spray-tanned skin, and tons of makeup. She rolls up everyday in an Escalade wearing all kinds of jewelry. Whatever the bare minimum qualification is to prescribe testosterone, that’s what she has.

Your activity level, diet, stress management, and sleep all play important roles in how well your body responds to TRT. Working with your healthcare provider to tailor your treatment to your lifestyle is key to getting the most out of testosterone replacement therapy. The side effects of TRT are often linked to the amount of testosterone in your bloodstream. When the dosage is too high, your body may react by producing excess oil (causing acne) or overproducing red blood cells, which can lead to more serious health risks.