Non-Medical Solutions to Raising Your Low T Level

I am often asked by patients what can a man do to raise his testosterone level without taking testosterone replacement therapy?  Here are a few suggestions that may be helpful.

1. Exercise and lift weights

If you want to increase your testosterone levels, you will need to increase your exercise frequency. Regular exercise will not only help you by preventing different lifestyle related health problems, but it will also help you by boosting your testosterone levels. Men who regularly exercise have a higher testosterone levels. Even elderly men will also have higher testosterone levels if they regularly exercise.

2. Reduce stress and cortisol levels

If you are suffering from long-term stress, it can increase the levels of cortisol hormone. If your cortisol levels are high, testosterone levels will decrease.

That’s why, you need to reduce stress as much as possible and which will also decrease the cortisol levels in your body. Regular exercise, whole foods, good sleep, balanced lifestyle and laughter can help you to reduce stress and also improve your overall health.

3. Get more Vitamin D

Vitamin D offers several health benefits and it boosts testosterone naturally. If you consume just 3,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day, it can increase testosterone levels in the body by 25%.

You can get more vitamin D by increasing your exposure to sunlight regularly. You can also take a daily supplement of 3,000 IU of a vitamin D3 supplement.

4. Get Enough Sleep.

A lack of sleep affects a variety of hormones and chemicals in your body. This, in turn, can have a harmful impact on your testosterone.

The time honored goal is try for 7 to 8 hours per night.

5. Keep a Healthy Weight.

Obesity can have a deleterious effect on your testosterone levels.  Exercise and diet can improve your testosterone and also is good for your heart to avoid obesity.

6. Review Your Medications.

Some medicines can cause a drop in your testosterone level. These include: pain medications, steroids (prednisone), anabolic steroids such as those used by athletes and body builders, and anti-depressants.

7. Deep 6 the Supplements.

You may be bombarded with unsolicited snail mail and E –mail offering testosterone boosting supplements such as DHEA.  Let the truth be told, you are wasting your money as these supplements will not boost your testosterone.

Bottom Line:  Although these suggestions are helpful, they are just a step in the right direction.  For more information about testosterone replacement therapy, speak to your physician.

There’s More To Testosterone Replacement Than Meets the Eye

Today, it is very common for middle aged men to have symptoms of low testosterone.  Many times these men will complain of decreased libido and decrease in their erections.  The treatment is hormone replacement therapy.  In addition to improving your libido, there are other advantages to hormone replacement therapy.  This blog will discuss the other benefits of testosterone replacement therapy.

Breast Formation. Male breast formation, also known as gynecomastia, is a source of anxiety for most men when they start to sprout. Men can form breasts during infancy, adolescence, old age, or anywhere in between. It all start with lowered testosterone and increased estrogen levels. Male breasts can be reduced or removed through gynecomastia surgery, but in other cases a simple adjustment of body sex hormone levels may be enough to provide the change desired.

Bone Density. Men start to lose bone mass as testosterone levels go south.  The same thing happens to women (though by a different mechanism), and typically starts to be noticed during old age. However, the groundwork for bone strength  starts in young adulthood, when your body starts to store calcium that will last for the rest of your life. If you don’t have sufficient testosterone, you can’t form bones that are strong enough to last until you die. Get tested for testosterone now to learn about how your health will be as you age.

Libido and Sexual Development. Testosterone has an enormous impact on secondary sex characteristics like body hair, but it’s absolutely central to sexual desire and performance. If you are having trouble with sexual intimacy, you may need to get checked for testosterone. Many men have seen improvement that changes their lives for the better after getting testosterone replacement therapy, without ever having to resort to pills for erections like Viagra, Levitra, Cialis.

Red Blood Cell Formation. Red blood cells are necessary for oxygen transportation in the body.  Testosterone increases the red blood cell production.  However, it is important to check the red blood cell count every 4-6 months if you are using testosterone replacement therapy as too high a level of red blood cells can be harmful.  Therefore, it is imperative to have a testosterone level, a PSA test (a screening test for prostate cancer), and a red blood cell count on a regular basis if you are using testosterone replacement options.

Bottom Line:  If you are middle age and complain of lethargy, weakness, loss of muscle mass, and alternation of your moods, then you may have testosterone deficiency.  The diagnosis is easily made with a simple blood test.  Treatment consists of injections, topical gels, patches and even small rice-sized pellets inserted under the skin.  For more information speak to your doctor.

Testosterone, Depression, and SSRI’s or Anti-Depressants-What’s the Connection?

Many people that take antidepressants, specifically SSRI’s (selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors), find out that they have abnormally low testosterone. So what does this all mean? Did the initial low testosterone lead the individual to become depressed and go on an antidepressant? Or did the treatment with an antidepressant actually slowly reduce the individual’s natural ability to produce testosterone?

It really is a “chicken vs. egg” type argument in regards to whether low T caused depression or an antidepressant caused low T. Unfortunately there is no clear-cut scientific answer as to whether the antidepressant you took caused your testosterone to be lowered.

With that said, new research comes out all the time finding new things about antidepressants (SSRI’s) – they really aren’t well understood. Many antidepressants medications are now linked to development of diabetes, birth defects, etc. Although there are no formal studies to link antidepressants with low testosterone, many people taking these drugs are convinced that they are the root cause.

It could have been that the lower testosterone was what caused the person to feel depressed in the first place. The low T could have also merely been a coincidence among those who are depressed – after all, having low T is a pretty common issue.

Antidepressants and Testosterone: Many people taking antidepressants experience low testosterone. Similarly, many people with low testosterone are taking antidepressants. These two factors could also occur independently. In other words a person may develop low testosterone while on an antidepressant without the antidepressant being the cause. 



Depression and Testosterone: Many people may be experiencing depression as a result of low testosterone. Similarly many people may be experiencing low testosterone as a result of depression. Additionally, these two factors could be totally unrelated and independent of each other. In other words the depression could have nothing to do with low T and vice versa.
Depression and sex drive – Many people with depression tend to have lower than average sex drives. It is the depression that is thought to lead to disinterest in pleasurable activities like sex. People may be in such a depressed, low level of arousal, that they don’t feel like having sex. Therefore in this case, it could be that the depression and not testosterone is causing reduced sexual interest.
Testosterone and sex drive – It is well known that healthy testosterone levels are linked with a healthy sex drive. Men that have low T tend to have less fuel for sex, erectile dysfunction, and other performance issues. If your testosterone level were to be lowered, the natural result would be a reduced sex drive. This reduced sex drive could be linked to depression – therefore testosterone could play a role.
Low testosterone causing depression? – Individuals with lower than average levels of testosterone could be experiencing depressive symptoms as a result of their low T. Studies have found that among men with abnormally low levels of T, testosterone therapy helped reduce symptoms of depression. For this reason it is important to rule out all causes of depression (including low T) before you get on an antidepressant.
Antidepressants and low testosterone – It is well documented that antidepressants can affect hormones. Therefore some hypothesize that hormonal changes can influence our sex drive. It is not known whether antidepressants are the culprit behind lowering levels of testosterone. Many people that have taken SSRI’s believe that the drugs they took lowered their testosterone.
Bottom Line: There is no question that there is a relationship between testosterone and depression. I cannot say for certain that low testosterone is a result of the use of SSRIs. However, if you are taking SSRIs and you are experience a low sex drive or libido, it is very easy to ask your doctor to obtain a blood testosterone test. If it is low, treatment is easily accomplished with either testosterone injections, topical gels or pellets.

Low Testosterone And Depression: there is a relationship

Testosterone is more important that sex drive\libido, erections, and energy levels. A new study has documented low testosterone and testosterone that is the lower limits of normal may be associated with depression.

The study from the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC. included 200 adult men, who were referred for borderline total testosterone levels between 200 and 350 ng/dL. Doctors typically treat men for hypogonadism or low T if they have symptoms of low testosterone and their testosterone levels are below 300 ng/dL.

The results show that more than half (56%) of the men had depression or depressive symptoms, which is significantly higher than rates seen in general populations. A recent survey of US adults found that 6% of those who are overweight or obese were depressed. One-quarter of the men used antidepressants.

Also worth noting, the men had high rates of overweight or obesity and physical inactivity. Common symptoms were erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, fewer morning erections, low energy, and sleep disturbances.

The study authors concluded that clinicians should consider screening for depression/depressive symptoms and overweight and unhealthy lifestyle risk factors in men referred potential hypogonadism.”

Testosterone replacement therapy can improve the signs and symptoms of low testosterone in these men who have documented low testosterone levels.

The researchers published their results online on July 1, 2015 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Low T Or Don’t Let Your Balls Get Deflated!

I don’t have an opinion on “Deflate Gate” but I do have an opinion on treatment men who have symptoms of low testosterone with testosterone replacement therapy. This blog will discuss the symptoms of testosterone deficiency, how the diagnosis is confirmed, and the treatment options for low T.

The symptoms of low testosterone include more than just the loss of libido or sex drive. They include lethargy, loss of muscle mass, softening of bones that can result in fractures of the spine and hips, and moodiness and even depression. If you’re concerned that you may have low testosterone, your doctor can check your testosterone level with a simple blood test. If you and your doctor decide that you need treatment, there are several options for testosterone replacement.

The overall goal of testosterone replacement therapy is to increase your testosterone level until it is in the middle of the normal range, which for an adult male should be between 300 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). What’s normal for you will depend on your age and your symptoms. Testosterone replacement therapy improves signs of masculinity — deepening the voice, increasing muscle mass, and prompting the growth of pubic and facial hair. It also relieves symptoms of low testosterone such as decreased sex drive, poor erections, low energy, and depression.
You should have testosterone replacement treatment only if you’ve been diagnosed with low testosterone by a doctor and you’re taking it under a doctor’s supervision.
Testosterone replacement therapy can take the form of gels, injections, transdermal patches, and tablets that dissolve under your lip. Each type of testosterone replacement is effective, and each also has advantages, disadvantages, and side effects.
• Testosterone replacement injections. Depo-Testosterone (testosterone cypionate) and Delatestryl (testosterone enanthate) are forms of testosterone replacement therapy given by injection. The advantages of injectable testosterone are that you take it only once every one to two weeks and it’s relatively inexpensive. The disadvantage is that testosterone levels may be difficult to control — too high just after your injection and too low just before the next injection.
• Testosterone replacement gels. Testosterone gel preparations — AndroGel, Axiron, and Testim — are the easiest testosterone therapy to administer and have been shown to be very effective in several studies. Testosterone gels must be applied to the skin on your arms or shoulders about the same time every day. Disadvantages are the higher cost, possible irritation to sensitive skin areas or your eyes, and the possibility that the medication can rub off on someone else.
• Testosterone replacement patch. A testosterone transdermal patch called Androderm is applied to the skin each night and left in place for 24 hours. You’ll need to pick a not-too-hairy spot on an arm, your stomach, or your back, and choose a different spot every night. The main disadvantage to using the patch is skin irritation.
• Testosterone replacement using a tablet under the upper lip. Striant is a testosterone tablet that you place under your upper lip against your gum (a so-called buccal system) and replace every 12 hours. You don’t chew or swallow these tablets, which mold to your upper gum so you can eat and drink normally. Disadvantages of the buccal system include irritation of the gums, toothache, and bitter taste.
• Testosterone pellets. There are pellets that can be inserted under the skin in the doctor’s office. The pellets will last from 4-6 months and then is repeat again.

In addition to the short-term side effects of the different testosterone replacement options, there are longer term side effects common to all testosterone replacement treatments:
• Acne
• Enlargement of the prostate gland
• Breast swelling and tenderness
• Increased urination and fluid retention
• Worsening of breathing problems during sleep, such as sleep apnea
• Weight gain
• Increase in red blood cells

In most cases, testosterone replacement for low testosterone is safe and effective. However, you should not use testosteroone replacement if you have certain medical conditions.
Although there is no evidence that testosterone replacement therapy causes prostate cancer, it can cause an existing cancer to grow more quickly. You shouldn’t take testosterone replacement if you have prostate cancer, male breast cancer, or if your prostate has been diagnosed as being abnormal through a rectal exam or by a blood test. So be sure your doctor rules out these illnesses before starting any treatment.
If you have a medical condition that causes you to produce an excess of red blood cells or if you have untreated obstructed sleep apnea (OSA), you may not be able to take testosterone replacement.

Bottom Line: Low testosterone is a diagnosis that is easily made with a simple blood test. This blood test can be made by your doctor and treated under medical supervision. If you’re being treated for low testosterone, make sure to keep regular doctor appointments and let your doctor know if you have any side effects.