Jim, I have been on testosterone replacement therapy for 15 years. I’m 58 Now. Testosterone is THE major hormone that regulates a mans body and yes, it makes a huge difference in libido and energy. It decreases naturally with age but it varies widely between individuals. The normal range is huge. Why anyone would just accept low or even low normal testosterone is beyond me. Talk with your doctor, but try and target the upper end of the “normal” zone. Questions? Just ask. There are two ways to take it. One is with an injection once a month and one is with a jell that you apply to your upper arms every day. I have used both kinds. Let me know if you want any more info.
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I will be 70 I Oct. I have been on T therapy for many years. I do a weekly injection, I give it to myself in my quad. It keeps my T-level around 750 which is where my cardiologist wants me to keep it. Testosterone increases the production of red blood cells, which thickens the blood and makes the heart work harder. I counteract that by donating a pint of blood every couple of months. It actually makes you feel better.
The benefits of T therapy better sleep, lean muscle, improved cognitive skills, decreased belly fat. Testosterone injections metabolize in4 to 5 days. Any testosterone that does not metabolize converts to estrogen. In some cases men develop man boobs from the estrogen. To counteract this you can take Anastrozole or Arimidex which is a estrogen blocker. Regardless it is recommended to do blood work every 6 months to monitor T- levels.
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Thanks for the thoughts guys. Really helpful.
Did you go to a regular family doc, a local testosterone specialty clinic, or do it online?
I didn’t do the clinic route as they want you to come in for injections. I prefer to do it myself. You can go to you family Dr., or an Endocrinologist which does hormone therapy, diabetes etc. A lot of Wellness Centers out there now that do hormone therapy, weight loss therapy etc. I go to a pain management Dr. for back issues, as a sideline his practice does Wellness. I was weighing about 250. I have been on Mounjaro for weight loss since last Sept. I now weigh 204.
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BTW. I don’t think you can do this online. Everything I have discussed is by prescription only.
Second:
Listening to the podcast… Regarding Testosterone. The first thing you need to do is to have bloodwork. Tell the Dr. you want to know what your testosterone level is. Mine at almost 70 is around 250. That is considered low testosterone. Above 350 for a 70 year old would be normal. A 18 year old’s Testosterone level is probably around 1200. Because testosterone metabolizes over 4 or 5 days, your testosterone is higher after a injection and diminishes over the next 4 or 5 days it is kind of like a roller coaster. You can do a normal dose on Sunday and a half dose on Thursday. This will level out the roller coaster effect. I found that if I did 1 ml on Sunday and 1/2 ml on Thursday my Testosterone level would be pushing 1400. My cardiologist wasn’t happy with that so Now I keep it around 700.
Another thing about Higher Testosterone levels is it can cause a little bit of a aggressive personality. My wife would ask me if I was doing a little too much testosterone because my temper was a little shorter than my normal sweet personality.
Just a little more info to consider.
Regular family doc. Easy blood test. You can avoid the fluctuations by using a topical gel which you apply daily.
Gentlemen! There is a third option. I go to the doc every four months or so and have testosterone pellets implanted. It’s a 20 minute in office procedure (just a bandage…no stitch) and I have lab work done 8 weeks later to see where my level is and determine when I need to start planning for the next implant to be done
I have been doing this for 5 years and there is a lot to be said for keeping your T-level up. The pellets are gradual release so it’s not a sudden uptake or drop
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Do you mind if I ask the cost of doing the pellet version? Do you notice any peak or valley in your energy with it?
Also, do you NOTICE it? It is a big change when you have the TRT and when it’s past due?
It’s around $400 for the pellets and the procedure. I can tell when my number is starting to get low…just run down…libido will decline…I can definitely feel it. That’s why the doc tries try to time it so that i stay within 20% of my target…plus or minus. I don’t feel any adverse symptoms when it’s high, only when it’s low
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Gentlemen as mentioned, there are many benefits to testosterone therapy and in some cases needed. I was looking into testosterone therapy for some of the reasons you all listed. I consulted my wife who has worked in urology for over 28 years and she advised me against getting testosterone therapy. The reason for this is there is a direct correlation with testosterone therapy and prostate cancer. I just wanted to share with you all this fact if you are thinking about getting testosterone therapy or taking it now.
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Good to know. I’ll look into that.
Let me give a little boost for the daily gel method as I have tried a couple ways. First, its easy. When you brush your teeth in the morning (assuming you do this… lol) one pump of jell for each upper arm… Second, its painless. When I had to shoot testosterone deep into my thigh muscle it was a little painful, but mostly disconcerting. Psychologically its surprisingly difficult to puncture yourself 3 inch needle. It can be done sure, but I never liked it. Third, there are NO fluctuations. You get a little bit every day and your levels are constant all the time. Lastly, if your insurance pays for it like mine did, its not very expensive. $25 a month for me. The best gel is Androgel. I have tried a couple but some of the others are slimy, lol.
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That is why it is important to do PSA tests twice a year, and as a older gent seeing a urologist once a year isn’t a bad plan.
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I will agree with many others in the first place to start is with your doctor and get a specialist referral if necessary. You’ll want to get the lab work to verify where you are on the spectrum so that they can see what’s best for your body. Some specialists like to cycle people dosage and some might keep you on a steady dose.
I’m not a doctor but this is what I’ve read and heard from people that have don’t T-therapy. I guess the biggest thing is to ensure that it’s done safely because you can really jack yourself up done incorrectly. I know a guy that’s gonna be on T-therapy now the rest of his life because he wasn’t taking the correct dosages (was taking way too much) and essentially made his thyroid useless. He wasn’t doing it legally of course… and he’s not 30 yet but he was trying to body build.
So whatever you do, please do it safely with professional care.
I have done both injections and gel. Unless you have good insurance the gel is very expensive but the gel is daily and a better regulation of the levels. With the injection it is up and down more between injections. Thigh can hurt. My doc told me belly fat. No blood vessels to hit and less pain and still absorbs into body.
I started about 10 yrs ago at age 54 when getting night sweats - sign of manopause. I have good insurance and I get 90 days of gel packs for $10
Way late on this. Testosterone is an anabolic steroid. At higher doses it can have all the issues associated with steroid use. The concerns about heart issues are there and need to be monitored. It affects PSA, the marker for prostate cancer. So that needs to be monitored. Insurance won’t pay unless the T is below normal. It only helps as long as you take it. The “longevity” people that give would like to keep you on it forever. Many physicians won’t give for many of the reasons stated. Just be carful and watch for issue associated with it’s use.
Good info to consider. Thank you.
I have been on for 15 yrs or so I forget. But my doc of course gives warnings for all those as with any medication. Kind of silly to think though to get back to normal levels you would suffer those since that is how you are naturally built. Sure maybe nature wants us to come down as we age? But I dont think so. IMHO the benefits outweigh the risks. The benefits are subtle and not a cure all for getting older. But maintaining muscle mass and bone density are great things to have particularly if you are a hunter. Does not help with wore out knees and feet - or make them better in my experience. Maybe it keeps them from getting worse?
But my physician was all in for me and the goal was to get level correct.
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As a side note regular increased physical activity will in fact cause your body to produce testosterone. One of the negatives of society having more sedentary jobs is that muscles break down as we sit more and are less physical. The body is a miraculous thing in that it regulates the hormones that we need naturally in most cases. Body weight exercises or weight lifting produce natural responses to increase testosterone levels due to the need to build muscle (assuming there aren’t any other issues in the endocrine system). While there are certainly benefits to T-therapy for those that need it, I’d seriously see a qualified professional about it to see if it’s a recommended option. Some exhaustion comes with aging of course but some can be the effects of other factors from dietary choices to bodily inefficiency.
You have to see a qualified professional to get it. It is way more locked up by my online pharmacy for prescriptions than anything else I know of. In my state of Oregon it is so much easier to get meth or heroine or coke and of course pot is fully legal. I heard Jim’s podcast and maybe it is lack of exercise but it is epidemic from the sounds of it. For me age takes its toll. Years of chukar hunting, racquetball, blown out knee from basketball and on and on plus a 35 year career as an engineer and manager at a desk. When you hit sixty things change - a lot. As I write this my left foot needs another cortisone shot. I will call tomorrow after pheasant hunting.
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