Testosterone Replacement for Men
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Dr. Scott Resnick | Chattanooga TN
At Chattanooga Functional Medicine we believe that with proper diet, exercise, nutrition and hormonal balances, men can maintain excellent health through their entire lives. Frequently the need for testosterone replacement for both men and women comes into the picture. But if your physician is doing testosterone replacement without appropriate functional balancing of the rest of your metabolic systems, or testing of your hormonal metabolites, or ensuring that your gut and detoxification pathways are running smoothly, you may well be putting yourself at increased risk. CFM has the medical expertise to guide a man through the safest, most physiological and most economical way to stay on his path of vigor, clarity and drive. |
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Low testosterone occurs in men of all ages.
For years the physiologic episode of menopause has been well know to the medical and social community. The physiologic change in which the production of a woman’s sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone progressively cease, is heralded by a sentinel event: the cessation of the menstrual cycle. With menopause there are alterations in a woman’s physiology to include emotional changes, memory lapses, decreases of sexuality and libido, along with increases in cardiovascular and fracture risks.
We have progressively realized that similar to women, men have a progressive decline in their production of sex hormones, and the medical intervention of testosterone replacement for men has become more common in a man’s lexicon as he ages. It is felt that a man’s production of the hormone Testosterone decreases by about one percent yearly after the age of thirty. Many men, due to multiple factors such as stress, toxins, nutritional deficiencies and medical factors such as obesity and multiple pharmaceutical drug regimens, are losing this essential hormone at greatly accelerated rates. Many in the profession of anti-aging medicine have seen young men, some in their 30’s, with testosterone levels rivaling men several decades their senior. However unlike women, men don’t have the benefit of a sentinel event to let them know that their hormones are changing. The signs are much more insidious and subtle. But the ramifications and health risks of the lowered hormone levels are very real.
For years the physiologic episode of menopause has been well know to the medical and social community. The physiologic change in which the production of a woman’s sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone progressively cease, is heralded by a sentinel event: the cessation of the menstrual cycle. With menopause there are alterations in a woman’s physiology to include emotional changes, memory lapses, decreases of sexuality and libido, along with increases in cardiovascular and fracture risks.
We have progressively realized that similar to women, men have a progressive decline in their production of sex hormones, and the medical intervention of testosterone replacement for men has become more common in a man’s lexicon as he ages. It is felt that a man’s production of the hormone Testosterone decreases by about one percent yearly after the age of thirty. Many men, due to multiple factors such as stress, toxins, nutritional deficiencies and medical factors such as obesity and multiple pharmaceutical drug regimens, are losing this essential hormone at greatly accelerated rates. Many in the profession of anti-aging medicine have seen young men, some in their 30’s, with testosterone levels rivaling men several decades their senior. However unlike women, men don’t have the benefit of a sentinel event to let them know that their hormones are changing. The signs are much more insidious and subtle. But the ramifications and health risks of the lowered hormone levels are very real.
Testosterone deficiency causes a wide variety of symptoms.
Signs of lowered testosterone, and its hormonal predecessor DHEA, are visible in many men around us today, with few of them realizing that the hormonal changes are taking place. A man with lowered testosterone may notice a depreciation of his athletic abilities; perhaps he has plateaued in the gym with his exercise routine, or has lost all interest in exercising altogether. Symptomatology is found in emotional symptoms as well, such as a loss of focus, energy or drive. A man with normal testosterone levels wants to rule the world, create empires, and bask in his successes. A man with low testosterone loses this drive and verve. His formerly frequent sexual thoughts decrease; sometimes they go away altogether. His erections are more tepid, and if he is able to initiate sex, he may be unable to maintain a sufficient erection to satisfy himself or his partner.
When men think about testosterone replacement for men, it is typically the emphasis on sexuality and body appearance that takes center stage, at least at the hands of current media and our image driven culture. But multiple additional health considerations, along with social, work and home relationships begin to weigh heavily on the man with lowered testosterone levels. Memory and attention to detail begin to fade. Men with low testosterone have a greatly shortened fuse, and may find themselves easily angered and frustrated. Many men with low testosterone are frequently fatigued, with insomnia or poor sleeping being one of the cardinal signs of low T. These are some of the clinical signs of male menopause; andropause to the clinician.
So a little testosterone replacement for men is all that we have to do, right? We just need to just identify the condition with a test, and sprinkle on a bit of testosterone, and all will be well. Sadly, this is the solution that the majority of men encounter, assuming that they have had the fortune to have a primary care physician with the insight to at least consider this diagnosis for their patient’s array of symptoms. Yes, the problem may be due to a deficit of the hormones testosterone and DHEA, but to let the thinking stop there is shortsighted, and dangerous for the man’s health. The big picture is much more complex; it involves a consideration of the levels of stress and the associated stress and metabolic hormones; the availability of nutritional elements required for the production of testosterone; the presence of toxins or mineral deficiencies; the metabolic pathways required for resolution and elimination of the testosterone and its estrogen byproducts; and the strong association of low testosterone, increased fat mass, and pre-diabetes.
Signs of lowered testosterone, and its hormonal predecessor DHEA, are visible in many men around us today, with few of them realizing that the hormonal changes are taking place. A man with lowered testosterone may notice a depreciation of his athletic abilities; perhaps he has plateaued in the gym with his exercise routine, or has lost all interest in exercising altogether. Symptomatology is found in emotional symptoms as well, such as a loss of focus, energy or drive. A man with normal testosterone levels wants to rule the world, create empires, and bask in his successes. A man with low testosterone loses this drive and verve. His formerly frequent sexual thoughts decrease; sometimes they go away altogether. His erections are more tepid, and if he is able to initiate sex, he may be unable to maintain a sufficient erection to satisfy himself or his partner.
When men think about testosterone replacement for men, it is typically the emphasis on sexuality and body appearance that takes center stage, at least at the hands of current media and our image driven culture. But multiple additional health considerations, along with social, work and home relationships begin to weigh heavily on the man with lowered testosterone levels. Memory and attention to detail begin to fade. Men with low testosterone have a greatly shortened fuse, and may find themselves easily angered and frustrated. Many men with low testosterone are frequently fatigued, with insomnia or poor sleeping being one of the cardinal signs of low T. These are some of the clinical signs of male menopause; andropause to the clinician.
So a little testosterone replacement for men is all that we have to do, right? We just need to just identify the condition with a test, and sprinkle on a bit of testosterone, and all will be well. Sadly, this is the solution that the majority of men encounter, assuming that they have had the fortune to have a primary care physician with the insight to at least consider this diagnosis for their patient’s array of symptoms. Yes, the problem may be due to a deficit of the hormones testosterone and DHEA, but to let the thinking stop there is shortsighted, and dangerous for the man’s health. The big picture is much more complex; it involves a consideration of the levels of stress and the associated stress and metabolic hormones; the availability of nutritional elements required for the production of testosterone; the presence of toxins or mineral deficiencies; the metabolic pathways required for resolution and elimination of the testosterone and its estrogen byproducts; and the strong association of low testosterone, increased fat mass, and pre-diabetes.
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Testosterone replacement can be lifesaving for a man.
Yes there are many men who benefit with bioidentical hormone replacement with testosterone. When the dosage, delivery and thought process behind testosterone restoration is complete, the solution can be lifesaving for a man, his career, his family and often his marriage. But to settle for a perfunctory shot or cream without doing the work may well set a man up for an increased risk for cardiovascular disease or prostate cancer. As with so many things, the devil is in the details. So ask yourself. Do you want your healthcare and hormonal regimens to be served up like a Happy Meal, or do you deserve the grilled salmon with red-pepper aoli, grilled asparagus and French beans? I thought so. |
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Read the blog post, "Why is My Testosterone Low?" by Dr. Scott Resnick
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