Millions of men across American use a prescription testosterone injection or gel as a mode of hormone replacement treatment for men often referred to as testosterone replacement therapy. It helps to restore normal levels of the manly hormone. The ongoing pharmaceutical marketing blitz ensures that low T treatment can make men seem more alert, energetic, mentally sharp, and sexually functional. However, some safety concerns may hinder. For example, some older men using testosterone replacement therapy could be more prone to cardiac arrest.
Due to the marketing tactics, men have been flooded with knowledge about the potential advantage of fixing low testosterone, but not with the potential harms. Men should be much more careful about the potential long-term risks.
The Low-T Boom
A loophole in FDA regulations enables pharmaceutical marketers to urge men to talk to their doctors if they have specific possible signs that mean they could need low T therapy. Practically everybody asks about this now because direct-to-consumer marketing is so dynamic. Tons of men who would never have asked a specialist about it before started to do so when they saw ads that say, ‘Do you feel tired?’
Just being exhausted is not sufficient to endeavor hormone replacement treatment for men. General fatigue and malaise are pretty far down on the list of Hormone therapy clinic miami. But if they have notable traits, they will need to have a lab test. In most men, the testosterone level is standard.
If a man’s testosterone seems below the standard range, he could get on TRT hormone supplements — often indefinitely. According to some top-notch specialists, there is a bit of a testosterone trap. Numerous men get started on testosterone replacement and they feel better, but then it becomes hard to come off of it. When you are on hormone therapy, the body stops producing testosterone. Men can usually feel a big difference when they stop the treatment because their body’s testosterone production has not yet been redeemed.
It would not matter so much if we were convinced that long-term hormone therapy is safe, but some experts worry that low-T treatment is endangering men to small risks that could add up to harm over time.
Knowing about the risks associated with hormone therapy
Comparatively, a small number of men undergo immediate side effects of testosterone treatment, such as acne, troubled breathing while sleeping, breast swelling or tenderness, or swelling in the ankles. Doctors also look out for high red blood cell counts, which could increase the risk of clotting.
Men on long-term using forms of testosterone therapy long term appear to have a higher chance of cardiovascular issues, like heart attacks, strokes, and deaths from a heart condition. For example, researchers checked the Testosterone in Older Men study when early results showed that men on testosterone replacement therapy had potentially more heart ailments. Ideally in older men, cardiac side effects become a little more paramount when they are on hormone therapy.
Some doctors also have a lingering interest that testosterone therapy could stimulate the development of prostate cancer cells. As with the possible cardiac risks, the evidence is mixed. But because prostate cancer is so common, doctors tend to be careful of guiding testosterone to men who may be at risk.
For male patients with declined blood testosterone levels, the advantages of hormone replacement therapy for men usually surpass potential risks. However, for most other men, it is a shared arrangement with your doctor. It offers men who feel miserable, an opportunity to feel better, but that quick fix could deflect consideration from unknown long-term hazards. A well-known specialist says I can not tell you for sure that this inflates the potential risk of heart issues and prostate cancer, or that it does not. But for a while, it definitely boosts your mood.
How to prevent the risks?
A large, comprehensive experiment for hormone treatment of men is still to come. Until then, here is how to take a careful approach to testosterone therapy.
Take stock of your health first.
- Have you examined other reasons why you may be encountering fatigue, low sex drive, and other additional symptoms attributable to low testosterone? For an instance, are you following a balanced and nutritious diet? Do you exercise daily? Do you get a sound sleep? Address these determinants before turning to hormone replacement therapy for men.
- If your sex life is not going well like before, have you ruled out the relationship or psychological matters that could be contributing?
- If erectile dysfunction has made you believe “low T” is the culprit, do you know that cardiovascular disease can also cause erectile dysfunction?
Get a thorough assessment of your health.
- Mistaken or misunderstood test results can either incorrectly diagnose or miss a case of testosterone deficiency. Your testosterone level should be measured between 7 am, and 10 am when it is at its zenith. Verify a low reading with a second test on another day. It may need multiple analyses and careful interpretation to establish bioavailable testosterone or the amount of the hormone that can have effects on the body. Remember to take a second opinion from an endocrinologist.
- Once you opt for the therapy, follow-up with your physician systematically to have testosterone checks and other lab tests to make sure the treatment is not creating any problems with your prostate or blood chemistry.
Be careful of the hidden risks of testosterone replacement therapy.
- Address testosterone therapy with precautions if you are at high risk for prostate cancer; have severe urinary signs from prostate enlargement; or have been diagnosed with cardiac disease, a previous heart attack, or multiple problems contributing to heart diseases.
- Ask your doctor to explain the vivid aspects of the different formulations of testosterone. Various treatments involve testosterone injections, gels, and patches. Know what to look for if anything went wrong.
Remember that testosterone therapy is not a fountain of youth. There is no evidence that it will return you to the level of physical fitness or sexual function of your youth, make you survive longer, prevent heart condition or prostate cancer, or enhance your memory or mental sharpness. Do not attempt TRT therapy with these expectations in mind.