Everything You Need to Know About TRT
Its commonly accepted that as you grow older, Father Time forces you to slow down and lose strength as body fat collects around your midriff, and you begin to morph into the stereotypical male whos past his prime and has seen better days. Worse, your thinking can become cloudy and your memory may develop gaps as you begin the steady slide of cognitive decline.
Adding to this misery, the aches and pains of rising inflammation start to become more common. The dynamism of your physical prime starts to fade. Eventually, old injuries take center stage as the pain begins to grow. The slow creep of time begins to overtake your body as it seems to betray you. As time marches on, you feel as if you are becoming a shell of the man you once were.
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This is a terrifying reality as your sense of physical power gives way to a meeker existence. However, medical science has a way to get at the heart of these symptoms and give men a new lease on life.
In its molecular form, testosterone is the hormone that forms the foundation of masculinity.
At your physical peak (between 17 to 19 years of age), your testosterone is at its highest level of as much as 1,200 ng/dl (nanograms per deciliter). At the age of 35, your testosterone levels begin to drop at a rate of 1% a year.
Also, environmental factors such as exposure to plastics, toxins in the environment, and water pollution can interfere with testosterone production. Anyone with levels of around 350 ng/dl or lower can begin to experience symptoms of low testosterone.
Symptoms of low testosterone can include:
Making matters worse, these symptoms can go unnoticed as they develop over time. The slow and steady rise of these symptoms can sneak under your radar causing you to settle for a lower quality of life.
But there is a solution for you to consider.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is the medical treatment of testosterone deficiency to help men recover their physical masculinity and health.
By optimizing testosterone levels, you can reverse the negative effects of testosterone deficiency. This can result in a type of rebirth as TRT fights back the corrosive effects of low testosterone.
TRT has been clinically proven to:
There are a number of TRT therapies to help men normalize their testosterone - some natural and some external. Natural treatments can include supplements such as vitamin D and DHEA, among others, to support testosterone production. Also, getting quality sleep and stress management to lower cortisol levels, both of which are toxic to testosterone production.
External treatments include external testosterone in the form of injections, pills, time-released pellets inserted under the skin, and creams.
All of these different treatments need to be carefully considered in consultation with a medical professional. But, before treatment is prescribed, you need to know your T-levels.
Todays society has a stigma about TRT, labeling men who seek treatment as weak or less of a man. But testosterone deficiency is a real medical problem that can impact your long-term health. Just as women seek hormone treatment for estrogen levels or menopause, hormonal health is a major factor in the quality of life for men.
Other reasons concern the abuse of testosterone, especially among athletes and bodybuilders. Many men have a history of abusing testosterone even starting in adolescence to increase their muscle mass. The levels that they use can be as high as 5 to 10 times the recommended dosage and can have significant negative effects. This is clearly not the model used for medical treatment, reports Michael Werner, M.D, Medical Director and Founder at Maze Sexual & Reproductive Health.
A trained TRT medical professional will order a comprehensive round of lab work to assess the needs of a patient. These tests include:
These tests can take place over a few days or weeks as a medical professional factors in your goals for treatment along with an account of any symptoms before tailoring a treatment plan.
TRT is fairly inexpensive, costing around $40, and is covered by most insurance companies.
Dr. Werner goes on to explain, In my practice, once we achieve a T-level of 600-800 ng/dl, patients report that they experience a significant improvement in energy, libido, and positive mental outlook. While some patients report that they feel an improvement in the first week, it can take 3-4 months to notice an increase in energy levels, increased muscle mass, better workouts, motivation to exercise, increased drive to tackle difficult challenges, better quality sleep, loss of body fat, and stronger erections. However, it can take up to 9 months in some cases, so I recommend to anyone seeking TRT to commit to a full year to set themselves up to succeed. During this time, I would estimate that 90% of them have experienced a significant improvement of their symptoms and lives.
TRT requires regular medical supervision because treatment increases the level of red blood cell production. This can cause a thickening of the blood resulting in cardiovascular issues if allowed to go unnoticed (this is why you need to drink lots of water and your doctor may recommend occasionally donating blood).
You also need to go for regular checkups outside of TRT, particularly for cancer. Testosterone is an anabolic hormone that improves protein synthesis for muscle growth. But, since its an anabolic hormone that promotes growth, it can also accelerate the spread of cancer if present, but undiagnosed, which can have serious life-altering side effects.
The most crucial factor to weigh up is your commitment. TRT is not something that you do for a while, then skip and come back to. If youre receiving external testosterone in the form of weekly injections or pills, your body sensing high T-levels may stop producing testosterone altogether at some point. As a result, continued treatment will be needed to keep your T-levels normalized.
The benefits of TRT can be massive but its important that you consult with a trained physician about all aspects of treatment positive and negative, natural and medical to make an informed decision.
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Testosterone Therapy Replacement: Is It for You? - AskMen
