Treatments

Low Testosterone Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment

The age-related decrease in T reflects general age-related cellular degeneration, reduced number of functional Leydig cells and atherosclerosis of testicular arterioles (18). For the vast majority of men, T levels within the normal young adult reference ranges in the absence of hypogonadal symptoms is clinically irrelevant. However, in the developing world a number of increasing conditions may be shifting the prevalence of hypogonadism to a younger age including diabetes, obesity, and rising rates of opioid use (19). When designing a treatment plan for TRT in young adults, clinicians must understand that most exogenous T therapy will suppress spermatogenesis and decrease fertility potential (36, 37).

However, SERMs can raise FSH levels, so if the FSH is inappropriately low in a man receiving HCG, then adding a SERM to HCG might be of benefit. Also, some boys who are delayed entering puberty (after age 14) may also benefit from testosterone injections. First, other problems, including isolated gonadotropin deficiency (a lifelong deficiency of certain puberty hormones), should be ruled out. If a man’s testosterone is below 300 ng/dL, his doctor may prescribe testosterone replacement therapy. However, these symptoms are often caused by other things, including poor sleep habits, sleep apnea, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression or anxiety, he says. Regular follow-up visits are necessary to evaluate a man’s response to testosterone therapy and to check routine testosterone related blood tests.

Exceptions to his recommendation of getting a new baseline T off the medications include men who were previously on long term TRT prior to starting their fertility efforts. Another category would be men with known irreversible issues with T production (e.g. pituitary insufficiency). These men can just move straight on to starting TRT with their medical provider. This is the most common scenario when we find hypogonadism in younger men seeking treatment for infertility issues. The symptoms of low testosterone are rather vague and nonspecific and can be related to many other health conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnea, overweight or obesity, or a sedentary lifestyle. However, this should generally be an exception to the rule, rather than the rule.

Additionally, testosterone lawsuit update levels are naturally higher in the morning and lower in the afternoon. So if you work out in the morning and do specific workouts that heighten your testosterone levels, you will get a short-term boost. However, only regular exercise over time will raise testosterone levels in the long term.

If a pituitary problem is the cause, pituitary hormones can be given to help the body make more sperm and restore fertility. A pituitary tumor may need treatment with surgery, medicine, radiation or replacement of other hormones. For older adults who have low testosterone and symptoms of hypogonadism due to aging, it’s less clear how well testosterone replacement works. Even the sexual symptoms can be due to many other conditions, including vascular disease, chronic alcohol use, and depressive disorders. Thus, many men are seeking solutions for these bothersome symptoms, which may involve indiscriminant testing and possible overtreatment. Secondary hypogonadism is caused by damage to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus. These parts of the brain control hormone production by the testes.

Over a 10-year period, the risk for developing abnormally low testosterone levels more than doubles in diabetic individuals. High PSA could indicate a prostate condition, such as prostate cancer. Because testosterone replacement therapy, a typical treatment for TD, can be risky for men with prostate cancer, it’s important to screen for prostate cancer before any treatment begins. It’s possible that as with males, female testosterone levels naturally decline with age, and may lead to symptoms, such as low energy and impaired muscle growth. But at this time, research into the effect of low testosterone in females is limited and there are no conclusive guidelines for what should be considered “low” testosterone levels in females.

Hormone values tend to respond within two weeks of starting a man on therapy. Generally, repeat blood levels are drawn about 2-4 weeks after starting any new medication (or after a change of medication dosage) in order to assess the response. “It is not accurate that testosterone replacement will improve fertility issues,” he says. Talk to your urologist about how to identify and treat male fertility problems.

The problem is there often is a bias against treating these men. The question in medicine always comes down to balancing benefits vs. harms. Today, we know that neither of those is true, based on extensive studies. Experts don’t know for sure if taking testosterone affects the risk of prostate cancer. Your doctor may recommend regular exams and blood tests to check for problems. Men who have low testosterone do not make enough of the male hormone called testosterone. This hormone allows men to develop and keep physical male traits.