The endocrine system is complex and requires individual treatment and adjustments over time to achieve/maintain the right hormonal balance Can we approach Low T treatment in such a way that allows for minimization of side effects while allowing for optimization of results? Your body metabolizes testosterone into estradiol, a form of estrogen. Hormones are your body’s communication network, and excess estrogen (in proportion to testosterone) signals the body to develop more female characteristics, which may include the development of breast tissue in men. We believe in our medical ethics and principles — we’re dedicated to the principles of evidence-based medicine. You’ll want to find out the same from any Low T clinic you approach for treatment. As the owners and operators of Testosterone Centers of Texas, we’re local business people whose reputation as medical practitioners is on the line, as well as our livelihood — you will not find us cutting corners. When considering aggression, it is worth noting that when a man’s testosterone level is normal, he is usually appropriately aggressive. Any lag in symptomatic response represents the time it takes for your body to achieve balance. Having a thorough medical examination to identify and address any underlying health issues is extremely important in developing the best approach to Testosterone Replacement Therapy. Your symptoms may diminish within different periods, especially if you are dealing with more than one issue — a medical condition such as diabetes, obesity, chronic illness, or use of medications could delay your response to TRT. If properly managed, your levels can be normalized with the first dose, possibly in just a few days. The simple answer is yes — even for men who don’t have hormone issues, testosterone (and other hormones) will fluctuate naturally throughout the day. If you are experiencing symptoms that indicate Low T, a blood test is the primary tool for reaching a clinical diagnosis. While one of the side effects of too much testosterone can be hair growth, this is generally limited to the rest of the body. During deep sleep, the body and brain work together to heal damage at the cellular level, so interrupted sleep or poor-quality sleep can contribute to various health problems over long periods of time. In both of these states, the body is deprived of full oxygenation on a consistent basis, and that can also increase red blood cell counts. When you go to a TRT clinic that separates your consultation from your appointments and takes multiple labs, you’re more likely to get an accurate measurement of your hormone levels. Like any medical treatment, there are possible side effects with Testosterone Replacement Therapy. The goal of therapy is to have normal T levels 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So, your symptoms and our dedication to your health and safety guide our treatment plan, which is based on recommendations from the Endocrine Society. The goals of treatment are determined by the symptoms you’re experiencing. Any quality provider is going to be ready, willing, and able to discuss the details of your therapy in depth, and as a patient, you have a right to get all the information you want before you begin your treatment. The basic idea is to make sure you understand exactly what you’re getting (while at the same time vetting your provider). Your hypothalamus produces gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) that signals the pituitary gland to generate two key fertility hormones, which are known as luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicular stimulating hormone (FSH). In men, almost all testosterone is produced in the testes, which are the male sex glands, the same glands responsible for sperm production. Our friends at Legacy have fertility solutions specially priced for TCT patients. The answer to those questions will be important in determining your course of treatment. In this way, Testosterone Replacement Therapy may actually play a role in cancer prevention. As you’re probably aware, early detection is paramount in improving one’s odds of beating practically any type of existing malignancy. A greater number of "favorable-outcome" cases, meaning tumors more likely to respond to treatment, were found compared to the more life-threatening varieties. Despite the large number of studies that have been conducted since, no concrete evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship between TRT and cancer has been found. Remarkably, this very flawed study (only one person studied) spawned concerns that TRT and cancer were directly connected. Cancer is the most often discussed and most exaggerated of all the potential side effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy. The main takeaway here is that testosterone injections are not going to cause you to go bald. In fact, many men who suffer from low testosterone are surprised to find that treatments for ED using drugs like sildenafil (Viagra) are not always effective. Estrogen levels become comparably higher, which leads to an increase in adipose tissue (the technical term for fat). If testosterone increases muscle mass slightly without any sort of exercise routine, imagine what it might do combined with strength training. One more point to note here is that any reputable TRT treatment program will involve frequent, thorough blood tests. The same men who experienced a slight gain in lean muscle mass experienced a more significant reduction in body fat. A slight increase in muscle mass was seen in older men without increasing exercise, which may lead to a decreased risk of the frailty that often haunts men as they age. The study on 76 older men (which you can read more about here) found a small increase to lean muscle mass for men on Testosterone Replacement Therapy compared to the control group. Another study found that one of the benefits of Testosterone Replacement Therapy was increased muscle mass. Detecting any abnormality early is the best form of prevention.
