Low Testosterone: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Could you have low testosterone?: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

If you’re taking hormone replacement therapy, regular follow-up appointments with a healthcare provider are important. Wake Forest Baptist does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability or source of payment. Please see your primary care provider before scheduling an appointment with one of our specialists.

If necessary, estradiol and PSA levels will also be assessed periodically. Administered by a doctor, pellets are placed under the skin and gradually dissolve. Testosterone circulates in the bloodstream, and it is classified in two different ways. Free testosterone circulates on its own, not attached to another substance. Whichever delivery method you choose, these treatments can stop the symptoms of low T and get your life back on track.

We also treat male health conditions, such as erectile dysfunction. Our clinic is staffed by a urologist and other health care providers who specialize in men’s unique health problems, and we are committed to getting to the root of your problem. Some foods can have a direct effect on the hormone balance, while others have a negative effect on general health. Of those with a direct effect, soy products which contain phytoestrogens can cause an imbalance in natural hormone levels.

Testosterone therapy is increasingly common in the United States, and many of these prescriptions are written by primary care physicians. There is conflicting evidence on the benefit of male testosterone therapy for age-related declines in testosterone. Physicians should not measure testosterone levels unless a patient has signs and symptoms of hypogonadism, such as loss of body hair, sexual dysfunction, hot flashes, or gynecomastia.

The main one is that this treatment can cause cancer, but it has been proven that this does not happen, although if there is prostate cancer and treatment is started, it will result in it spreading more quickly. As a result of this, it is optimal that before starting any replacement treatment, specific prostate antigen tests and physical examinations are also performed to rule out the presence of cancer. Since different situations can result in low testosterone levels, Dr. Ortiz recommends that all men should see a doctor from the age of 40, at which time they can begin to lower this hormone to levels from 0.4% to 4% annually. Because of this, every man should perform a testosterone test and a prostate check. Age is the main cause of testosterone decrease, as you get older you can experience this situation. But also their general health will have repercussions on this.

That’s why medications that lower testosterone levels (for example, leuprolide) are common treatments for men with prostate cancer. Men taking testosterone replacement must be carefully monitored for prostate cancer. Although testosterone may make prostate cancer grow, it is not clear that testosterone treatment actually causes cancer. This helps young men to begin producing sperm, as well as to grow body hair and increase muscle mass.

The half-life for IM testosterone was also shorter at 173 hours versus 240 hours for SQ testosterone. Mean testosterone values over a 7-day time period were 1,659, 896, and 422 ng/dL for IM testosterone SQ 100, and SQ 50, respectively. The hematocrit, which measures the red blood cell count, is taken because testosterone treatment can result in an increase of red blood cells. Some medications and certain genetic conditions can also lower a man’s testosterone reading. Men who are hypertensive, obese, or who have elevated cholesterol levels may also suffer from low testosterone levels. In addition to decreased bone mass, men with low testosterone may feel weaker than normal. While the actual muscle mass can be maintained, aging men with low testosterone may find it more difficult to build muscle mass.

A variety of factors – from injury to obesity – can lead to low testosterone. The most common symptoms of low testosterone are low libido (sex drive), erectile dysfunction, decreased energy levels, decreased muscle mass and brain fog, characterized by a lack of focus and mental clarity, Dr. Rogers says. The American Urological Association estimates that 20 to 50 percent of men have testosterone deficiency. Low testosterone levels in males can lead to erectile dysfunction. They can also affect sleep, mood, the size of the testicles, and more.

After you have had chickenpox, the virus that caused it remains in the body of nerve cells. Sometimes after many years, the virus becomes active again and causes herpes zoster. Clearly, a dip in your testosterone level can wreak havoc in your life. Low testosterone often results in low semen volume, which may affect fertility because your sperm rely on this milky substance for maximum motility. Testosterone fuels the male sex drive, so when you’re running low, you may lose interest in sex. A small number of pellets, about the size of Tic Tacs, are inserted into the fat of the buttocks. The five-minute procedure is preferred by many patients because of the low side effects of testosterone replacement in men effects and strong outcomes.