If your testosterone levels are low, you may notice changes in your sex drive, erections, mood, sleep, energy levels and muscle strength. You may need testosterone replacement therapy to increase your testosterone levels.
Reduced erectile function. Loss of body hair. Less beard growth. Loss of lean muscle mass.
Testosterone replacement therapy involves taking prescribed testosterone medication in the form of pills, patches, and gel that you apply to your skin. Testosterone therapy can also come in the form of injections. Testosterone injections are one of the more common forms of testosterone replacement therapy.
Causes of Low Testosterone
Medicine side effects, such as from chemotherapy. Testicle injury or cancer. Problems with glands in the brain (hypothalamus and pituitary) that control hormone production. Low thyroid function.
Sometimes, however, testosterone levels drop too low. This can reduce your bones' strength and muscle mass, exacerbate sexual issues, and lead to a host of health issues. Low testosterone can be dangerous if not treated.
There's no one-time fix for low testosterone. However, consistent hormone replacement therapy helps improve sex drive, ease symptoms of depression and increase energy levels for many people assigned male at birth (AMAB) experiencing low testosterone. Treatment may also boost muscle mass and bone density.
Age-specific middle tertile levels were 409-558 ng/dL for men 20-24 years old, 413-575 ng/dL for 25-29 years old, 359-498 ng/dL for 30-34 years old, 352-478 ng/dL for 35-39 years old, and 350-473 ng/dL for 40-44 years old.
If your test results show a low level, you may need to increase the hormone. This can be done naturally. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is most common. This involves using man-made hormones.
Testosterone declines one percent per year after age thirty. Correcting testosterone deficiency with Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) often can reverse Low T symptoms, improves blood sugar (insulin), cortisol (stress response), and thyroid function.
JATENZO is a prescription medicine that contains testosterone. JATENZO is used to treat adult men who have low or no testosterone due to certain medical conditions.
Low sex drive
Testosterone plays a key role in sex drive, also known as libido. Some people may experience a decline in sex drive as they get older, but those with low testosterone will likely experience a more drastic drop. Muscles changing, decreased sex drive, feeling tired?
The hormone testosterone gives men their deep voice, body hair and muscular body. The sexual component peaks in adolescence and young adulthood. A man's ability to produce testosterone starts to decline at about 40 years of age, and levels continue to drop 1 – 3% a year thereafter.
Testosterone home testing kits are widely available from several companies, including LetsGetChecked, Everlywell, and Progene. They use your blood or saliva to test your hormone levels. After taking the test, you'll send your sample to a laboratory for testing.
Testosterone exhibits diurnal variation, peaking in the morning (between 8-10 am) with a nadir in the evening (about 8 pm).
Most doctors agree that a “normal” reading falls anywhere between 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). About 40% of men over age 45 will have levels that come in below that range. But a low reading by itself isn't enough to warrant alarm.
Bananas. Bananas contain an enzyme called bromelain which is known to help boost testosterone levels. Bananas are also excellent for maintaining energy levels and reducing antioxidants so make the perfect on the go snack!
Among men, consumption of caffeinated coffee increased total testosterone and decreased total and free estradiol. Among women, decaffeinated coffee decreased total and free testosterone and caffeinated coffee decreased total testosterone.
Bananas can boost testosterone as well as improve energy levels. Other beneficial fruits include watermelon and grapes. Citrus fruits can help testosterone production and reduce the hormones that make testosterone production less effective.
Exercise. A combination of aerobic (increase in heart rate) and resistance (weightlifting) training has been found to increase the production of testosterone. This also helps prevent the most common diseases that men are most likely to die from, heart disease and cancer.
Most men feel improvement in symptoms within four to six weeks of taking testosterone replacement therapy, although changes like increases in muscle mass may take from three to six months.
Testosterone therapy has various risks, including: Worsening sleep apnea — a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. Causing acne or other skin reactions. Stimulating noncancerous growth of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia) and growth of existing prostate cancer.
A person can only purchase testosterone with a valid prescription from a healthcare professional. However, individuals should never buy this hormone from websites or other retailers that do not require a prescription.