When you were in your 20s you felt ALIVE — you had energy, you could put on and maintain muscle mass, your sex drive was strong. You were at your physical peak, and not surprisingly, so were your levels of testosterone.
Starting at about age 30, men’s testosterone levels start to drop, and continues to progressively drop as you age. Today even men in their prime are experiencing low testosterone as a result of lifestyle choices, increased stress and anxiety, and environmental factors. Metabolic disorders, medications, alcohol abuse, obesity, sleep apnea, trauma, and excess estrogen can all contribute to low testosterone levels.
What your doctor may count as “normal” may still leave you feeling the effects of less than optimal testosterone levels. The good news — you don’t have to live with effects of low T. Hormone Replacement Therapy, specifically Testosterone Therapy, can safely and effectively put you back in the driver’s seat of your health.
We hear the word ‘normal’ thrown around a lot when talking about hormone levels and bloodwork. Normal is looking at averages of collected data, but averages aren’t optimal, and averages don’t often equate to you feeling your best. In fact, the “normal” range for testosterone in men is anywhere from 200 – 1100 ng/dl. That’s a huge range! Blood work is a great place to start and gives us a framework but how you feel is just as important as what the numbers have to say.
Dialing in your testosterone levels has a cause and effect relationship with various systems within your body.
If you’ve had your testosterone tested recently we can review the results, or we can draw labs and discuss the results. After reviewing your lab results and hearing from you where you want to see improvement, I can put together a plan. I use bio-identical hormones, meaning these hormones chemically are identical to what your body produces but are derived from natural plant sources. HRT comes in a variety of forms — injections, creams, capsules, and pellets. We can look at a combination of these or choose one based on your personal preferences and goals.
Did you know testosterone can convert to estrogen in men?
Testosterone plays a vital role in men’s overall health, there’s no question. Finding the right balance for your body is important. Men have an enzyme, aromatase, that can convert testosterone to estrogen, leading to some of the side effects associated with low testosterone levels.
Some providers overshoot with testosterone, requiring the addition of estrogen blockers. My approach is different — I use the minimal effective dose first and foremost. If we determine the dose is too high, we can lower the dosage and if necessary look at estrogen blocking options. When testosterone replacement therapy is done right you won’t have to fear testicular shrinking, and optimal testosterone levels are important if you’re trying to have kids.
How can increasing your testosterone help?
