Testosterone Deficiency Treatment

Testosterone deficiencies resulting in a diagnosis of low testosterone are best treated with testosterone replacement therapy.

Testosterone deficiency is when your body is not producing enough testosterone. There can be several causes for a testosterone deficiency, but the most common reason for low testosterone is the steady decline in testosterone that occurs as men and women age.

The most commonly prescribed medical treatment for low testosterone is testosterone replacement therapy. Low testosterone treatment may also include lifestyle counseling and nutritional supplements that can help raise and maintain your testosterone levels. Over the course of your low testosterone treatment, you may be asked to change your diet and other habits to help maintain the esults of your testosterone treatments.

What Are Your Medical Treatment Options for Low Testosterone?

The medical treatment for patients diagnosed with low testosterone is testosterone replacement therapy.

Prescription testosterone medication is available in several forms. You can take prescription testosterone therapy via:

• Pills
• Sprays
• Gels
• Dermal patches
• Subdermal injections

You and your doctor will decide which delivery method is best for you based on your testosterone test results, your medical history, and individual needs and lifestyle.

Our doctors have found that testosterone injections are the most effective method to deliver testosterone replacement. There are several reasons why we believe that testosterone injections are the best medication for low testosterone. As opposed to other forms of testosterone medications such as gels, creams, or patches:

Testosterone injections are more effective at delivering testosterone because it is injected right into your bloodstream.

Injectable testosterone that is prescribed for testosterone replacement therapy is available in several forms and sold under a variety of brand names. Injectable testosterone is usually prescribed as testosterone enanthate, testosterone cypionate, or testosterone propionate. All are what are known as testosterone esters. Esterification is a chemical process that makes testosterone more soluble and therefore injectable.

• Testosterone Cypionate – Testosterone cypionate, also known as "DEPO-testosterone," or simply "Depo," is the most commonly prescribed testosterone medication. Depo is considered to be a "longer-acting" testosterone than enanthate. It tends to take seven to eight days to be fully metabolized.  Cypionate is often begun with a starting dose similar to enanthate, but since it lasts longer, it is only administered every seven days.
• Testosterone Enanthate – Testosterone enanthate tends to stay in the blood for about four to five days. Testosterone Enanthate is given as an intramuscular injection, usually every five to seven days.
• Testosterone Propionate – Of the three types, testosterone propionate is considered to be the “fastest acting.” Testosterone propionate has been known to peak in the blood within hours of being injected. It can be metabolized in as little as three days. Testosterone propionate injections should be administered every two to three days.

Medical guidelines suggest that the best testosterone deficiency treatment is prescription testosterone replacement.

What Are the Benefits of Low Testosterone Treatment?

Any of the prescription medications listed above have been proven to have many benefits for the treatment of low testosterone. Testosterone injections have been shown to treat and/or improve many of the symptoms of low testosterone, such as:

• Mood swings
• Poor concentration
• Erectile dysfunction
• Low libido
• Muscle loss
• Weight gain
• Lethargy
• Fatigue

Are There Any Side Effects of Low Testosterone Treatment?

Prescription testosterone medications are approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with low testosterone. As such, they are generally regarded as safe. However, as with any prescription medication, testosterone injections can have some potential side effects. Some of the more common side effects of Testosterone Cypionate include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Skin color changes
• Oily skin
• Hair loss
• Acne may occur
• Pain and/or swelling at the injection site 

Most of our patients being treated for low testosterone go through the course of their testosterone treatment with few if any side effects. Side effects of low testosterone treatments are rare, and any side effects that you do experience will be relatively mild and can usually be relieved by simply adjusting your dose or brand of prescription testosterone.

How Much Does Testosterone Treatment Cost?

As far as the cost of low testosterone treatments, since programs vary from low testosterone clinic-to-clinic and from patient-to-patient, costs can and do vary. A typical male patient should expect to pay anywhere from $500 –$1500 per month for testosterone therapy. Some of the costs of low testosterone treatment may be covered by insurance.

Either way, we try to make your treatments as low cost as possible and offer a variety of payment options. A note about the cost of testosterone treatment: keep in mind, like in any purchase, you get what you pay for. You should not cut corners on your health and choose a testosterone clinic strictly because it may be the cheapest.

Are There Any Natural Treatments for Low Testosterone?

The only clinically proven way to treat low testosterone is with prescription testosterone replacement therapy. However, there may be some ways that you can naturally boost your testosterone levels, such as:

• Exercise and weight training – One of the best ways to increase your level of testosterone is to lose weight and pack on some lean muscle mass. There are certain exercises, such as weight training and High-Intensity Interval Training, that are known to increase the production of testosterone. Such exercises have the added benefit of also increasing human growth hormone (HGH) production.
• Testosterone boosting foods – We know that there are certain foods that can naturally increase testosterone. Consider adding these foods to your diet: seafood and fish, cruciferous vegetables, coconut, avocados, and other sources of "good" fats, whey proteins, and berries.
• Get a good sleep – Testosterone, along with growth hormone, another critical hormone, is produced most efficiently during deep sleep, so if you have poor sleep habits, you will be lowering your body’s ability to produce these critical hormones.
• Reduce sugar intake – Again, reducing your intake of sugar is a good idea for weight loss, but it also helps your hormones to remain in balance. Reducing your intake of processed sugars will reduce testosterone-killing hormones in your blood, such as cortisol, while at the same time, it will boost your production of testosterone and HGH.
• Reduce alcohol consumption – Drinking has a negative impact on testosterone levels. Recent studies have found that even moderate drinking can significantly lower testosterone. So, skip the happy hours, and try to limit your drinking to no more than one glass of wine or beer a day.

Are There Benefits to Natural Testosterone Treatments?

Again, the above list of lifestyle changes that can help increase your testosterone levels should not be viewed as “treatments” for low testosterone, but they all have the benefits of boosting your testosterone levels and can help you to maintain the benefits you achieve from medical low testosterone treatment.

Are There any Side Effects of Natural Treatment?

No, all of the natural ways to boost testosterone mentioned above are positive lifestyle changes without any kind of side effects or negative impacts on health. Even if the above-mentioned methods do not significantly boost your testosterone levels, they are all positive lifestyle changes that can improve your overall health and wellbeing.

What is the Safest and Most Effective Treatment for Low Testosterone?

The safest and most effective form of treating low testosterone levels is prescription testosterone injections. As opposed to other forms of testosterone medications such as gels, creams, or patches, testosterone injections are more effective at delivering testosterone because it is injected right into your bloodstream.

In addition, with testosterone injections, there is no chance of "cross-contamination" and transfer to another person via skin or clothing contact. That kind of cross-contamination by others coming into contact with topical testosterone can have severe side effects, especially for children or pregnant women. Topical testosterone is never recommended for men who are living in a household with children.

How to Start Low Testosterone Treatment

You can only receive testosterone deficiency treatment with a doctor’s prescription. If you qualify, you can get a prescription for testosterone treatment by following these five easy steps:

• Step 1 – Fill out an online medical history form – This first step is the only step in the process of getting a prescription for testosterone injections that can be done online. You cannot legally BUY testosterone injections online or without a prescription.
• Step 2 – See a doctor –If your online medical history form indicates that you are a good candidate for testosterone deficiency treatment, the next step is to see your doctor. He or she will discuss your medical history and conduct a complete physical exam.
• Step 3 – Laboratory hormone testing – Once you have completed your physical exam, if your doctor suspects you may have low testosterone, you will be referred to a laboratory to have the testosterone levels in your blood tested.
• Step 4 – You will obtain a prescription for testosterone treatment –  If the results of your laboratory tests indicate that your testosterone levels are below normal, your doctor will prescribe a brand and dosage of testosterone injections to suit your needs and lifestyle.
• Step 5 – Your testosterone treatments will be delivered to you – Your prescription for testosterone therapy will be forwarded to one of the pharmacies we work with that specialize in filling prescriptions for testosterone injections. The pharmacy, in turn, will deliver your testosterone treatment supplies right to your home!

A prescription is required to get medical treatment for low testosterone.

How Does Low Testosterone Treatment Work?

Testosterone injections work to treat hypogonadism (low testosterone) by replacing the testosterone your body is unable to make. Prescription testosterone medications belong to a class of drugs called androgens.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before Starting Low Testosterone Treatment

If your doctor finds that you are suffering from low testosterone, the main thing you want to know is if it is being caused by any serious disease or condition. Some cancers can cause a drop in testosterone output. However, most of the time, low testosterone is simply related to the natural drop in testosterone that occurs as you age. If you are dealing with age-related testosterone deficiency, you will want to ask your doctor:

• What treatments are available?
• Am I a candidate for testosterone therapy?
• How experienced are the doctor and staff in treating low testosterone?
• What kind of results can I expect from testosterone therapy?
• How long will I need to be on testosterone therapy?
• What kinds of testosterone do you use?

Now that you know a lot more about how doctors treat low testosterone, why not take a minute to contact us and learn more about how testosterone replacement therapy can improve your quality of life.