Men’s Health
Low Testosterone in Men
Diagnosis of low testosterone (sometimes referred to as low T) is usually done via a blood test, to ascertain the level of bioavailable testosterone in the blood. As men age, testosterone levels fall , but the body also increases its production of another hormone called the” sex hormone binding globulin” (SHBG) which functions to pull even more testosterone from the blood. The availability of the testosterone to the body is key.
Andropause or “The Male Menopause”
Andropause in men is associated with an age-related decline in the male hormone testosterone. This hormone is responsible for the deep voices and generally larger muscle mass attributed to men, but it also influences a variety of other bodily functions.
Symptoms of andropause can include:
- Loss of Libido, or a lowered sex drive
- Difficulties achieving or maintaining an erection
- Erections that are not as strong as they once were
- Fatigue, or a general lack of energy
- An increase in irritability or lethargy/apathy
- Anxiety or depression
- Loss of strength or muscle mass
- A tendency to gain weight easily, and/or more difficulty losing weight
- Difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep during the night
- Hot flashes
Solutions to Low T in Men
Although improved nutrition and an exercise program can help to alleviate some of the above issues, many men also need hormone replacement therapy to maintain their quality of life. As men’ life expectancy continues to increase, many want to be fully active participants for years beyond middle age.
One solution is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Hormone replacement for men typically involves the use of bioidentical testosterone. Bioidentical testosterone is an exact replica of the hormone your body produces naturally; the chemical structure is the same, so the body “reads” and reacts to the chemical in the same way it would react to the naturally produced hormone. Synthetic hormones, on the other hand, are not chemically exact replicas – their chemical structure is slightly altered.
Bioidentical testosterone is made in compounding pharmacies, which are state-of-the-art laboratories that employ pharmacists and other trained technicians to formulate and produce bioidentical hormones specifically for each individual patient. The compounding pharmacist uses plant compounds to produce customized formulations that are chemically identical to naturally-occurring hormones.
Various methods of delivering the medication may be employed; in some cases transdermal gels or creams that are absorbed through the skin may be prescribed. Some men prefer the method of pellet therapy, where a compounded medication about the size of a grain of rice is inserted under the skin in a painless, brief in-office procedure. This method allows the hormones to be released slowly into the body; some patients report this as the most natural and effective mode of delivery.
To learn more, or to determine if you are a candidate for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, contact Dr. Rehman. She is a Board Certified Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) and has additional extensive training in hormone balancing for men.
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