Testosterone therapy aims to achieve age-appropriate testosterone levels in the blood. In 60-70 percent of men who undergo such therapy, a significant increase in libido is observed, and in 30-40 percent erection improves. When is it worth carrying out a testosterone treatment, and when can it do more harm than good?

Testosterone treatmentsare used to stop the unfavorable changes that take place in the male body with age. According to a study by the American Urological Association, 4 out of 10 men over the age of 45 have reducedblood testosterone levels . This translates into a decrease in vital energy, slow metabolism, low libido, problems with sleep, concentration, memory, depression. Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone. It is responsible for the development of sexual characteristics (e.g. body structure, low voice, hair type, muscle development), erection, and sex drive. It also influences behavior - incl. risk-aversion, explosiveness and aggression. Recent studies show that the concentration of total testosterone in the blood is reduced by 0.4% and free testosterone by 1.3% per year.

Why testosterone treatment?

In order to stop all adverse changes in the male body, testosterone treatments are used more and more often. But it is important to whom, at what age and what hormone is administered. By itself, testosterone is not a panacea for all ailments of an aging man.

Testosterone treatment is most often used by men who have noticed chronic fatigue and a lack of sex drive. Unfortunately, these are not only men over 50. They are getting younger. Testosterone therapy cannot be compared with hormone replacement therapy for women who are given hormones because their bodies have stopped producing them. In men, testosterone is still present, but its level has decreased, and the idea is to stimulate the body to produce it, not from the outside, as in the case of women.

Testosterone treatments: indications and contraindications

There are many myths about testosterone treatment, for example that taking this hormone contributes to the development of prostate cancer. This is not true, although it must be remembered that this type of cancer is sensitive to testosterone levels. In men with prostate cancer, the level istestosterone will determine the aggressiveness of the tumor - the more it is, the more important it is to start the testosterone treatment, careful history and testing. Caution should be exercised in particular by men who have a hereditary burden of prostate cancer. You could say that testosterone works much like fertilizer - it strengthens the plants we want to grow, but weeds also benefit from it. The treatment should be tailored to the needs of each patient, because administering testosterone can - even to chronically ill patients - bring many benefits. There are various forms of hormone administration (injections, patches, gels), so the therapy can be tailored to the needs of a specific person. The only absolute contraindication to the administration of testosterone is neoplastic diseases.

Important

Testosterone deficiency symptoms

  • decreased libido and impairment of the frequency and quality of erections
  • deterioration of general well-being
  • mood changes
  • decrease in intellectual activity with decrease in cognitive functions
  • feeling constant fatigue and depressive states
  • sleep quality deterioration
  • loss of muscle mass and strength
  • visceral fat mass increase
  • decrease in bone mineral density, and thus - the emergence of osteoporosis

Synthetic testosterone works differently

Differently you have to treat synthetic testosterone. Treatment with him is quite risky. If you start taking a synthetic hormone, you have to use it for the rest of your life. Withdrawal of the artificial hormone will lead to a situation where it will not be in the body at all. Why is this happening? Well, the production of the hormone is managed by the pituitary gland, which, with the help of luteinizing hormone (LH), stimulates the testes to produce testosterone. This is a physiology that does not always translate into an increase in libido, but the level of testosterone increases. When synthetic testosterone is used, blood levels of testosterone rise rapidly. The pituitary gland, which was used to the hormone deficiency, now gets a signal that it is in excess. It blocks the functions of the testicles that stop producing testosterone and disappear with time.

Testosterone tablets, gel, injections

Usually the treatment is started (if there are no he alth contraindications!) When the testosterone concentration is lower than 8 nmol / l. The doctor determines the dose and dosage of the preparation individually for each patient, taking into account his age, activity and - if any - systemic diseases. Basic treatment lasts from 3 to 6 months and must be monitored by research for a physician to evaluateits effectiveness, verify the dose or decide to extend or shorten the therapy. Treatment can be continued for many years with appropriate breaks. Depending on the method of testosterone administration, the dosage of the drug varies. The injections are given once every 2-3 weeks, and the oral medications, as well as the gel formulation, are used daily. The aim of the therapy is to obtain the testosterone concentration in the blood appropriate for the man's age. Exceeding superphysiological concentrations may lead to testicular atrophy. In 60-70% of men treated with testosterone, a significant increase in libido is observed, and in 30-40%, erection improves.

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