What Is Testosterone Therapy?

Testosterone therapy is a clinical treatment designed to treat patients with low testosterone, a medical condition also known as hypogonadism. There can be several reasons that can cause your body to produce inadequate supplies of testosterone. Low testosterone can be caused by disease or injury to the testes and certain types of cancer. However, the most common reason for low testosterone is the decline of testosterone that occurs as men age.

Testosterone levels generally peak during the late teens or early 20s. After that, your testosterone level gradually declines — typically by about 1% -2% a year after age 30 or 40.

Is Testosterone Replacement Therapy Right for You?

Testosterone therapy is designed to optimize your testosterone levels to make up for this decline. According to the American Urological Association, the medical guidelines for prescribing testosterone therapy are for men who have a total testosterone level below 300 ng/dL and have been experiencing low testosterone signs and symptoms.  The signs and symptoms of low testosterone include:

• Lack of sex drive and/or erectile dysfunction
• Fatigue and weakness
• Weight gain, particularly belly fat
• An overall feeling of reduced virility and vigor
• An inability to build lean muscle, even when exercising
• Changes in mood
• Loss of memory and other cognitive issues

If you are over 40 and experiencing any or all of these, you may be a candidate for testosterone therapy.

Testosterone therapy is only available with a doctor’s prescription. You cannot legally buy testosterone online or anywhere else without a doctor’s prescription.

Testosterone therapy is designed to treat patients with low testosterone, a medical condition also known as hypogonadism.

Testosterone Therapy Benefits

Testosterone therapy is given in several forms. No matter the form, all types generally have the same long-term benefits.

For men diagnosed with low testosterone, testosterone injections can:

• Increase sex drive and improve sexual performance
• Give you more energy and increased stamina
• Improve strength and muscle tone
• Improve bone health
• Help you burn fat, particularly stubborn belly fat
• Improve mood and lower feelings of anxiety and depression
• Improve heart health and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Increase sperm count and positively impact infertility issues
• Improve memory and other cognitive abilities

Over the course of your prescribed program of testosterone therapy, you can expect to feel stronger, more fit, and more mentally alert. Your sex life should also improve. As with any medical treatment, individual results will vary.

As to how long you may need to be on testosterone therapy, typically, low testosterone treatments last from about six months to a year for your first round of testosterone therapy. After that, you will be evaluated for the need to continue your low testosterone treatment. 

Testosterone Therapy Side Effects

Testosterone therapy is a safe and effective way to treat men and women suffering from testosterone deficiencies. However, like any prescription medication, testosterone has some possible side effects. We have found that the safest and most effective way to receive testosterone therapy is via injection. Some of the reported possible side effects of testosterone injections include:

• Breast swelling
• Headache, anxiety
• Increased facial or body hair growth, male-pattern baldness
• Increased or decreased interest in sex
• Numbness or tingly feeling
• Pain or swelling where the medicine was injected.

In patients using testosterone gels or creams, in addition to the possible side effects listed above, there is also an issue with "cross-contamination" of people coming in contact with the skin or clothing where the testosterone has been applied.

Children and pregnant women, in particular, need to avoid coming into contact with such testosterone creams and gels. This is another reason why our doctors prefer to prescribe testosterone injections rather than such topical applications for testosterone replacement.

Testosterone Therapy Indications

Testosterone replacement therapy is indicated for the treatment of male androgen deficiency, also known as andropause, hypogonadism, low testosterone, or low-T. It can also be prescribed for adolescent boys with delayed onset of puberty and to treat certain types of breast cancer in women.

Testosterone replacement therapy is indicated for use to treat androgen deficiency that could be caused by, but not limited to:

• deficient activity of testes or ovaries due to chemotherapy
• deficiency of gonadotropin-releasing factor
• abnormal function and activity of the testis
• male with unusually late sexual maturity
• rare X chromosome abnormality – Klinefelter syndrome
• undescended testicle
• deficiency of a substance that promotes masculinization
• primary testicular failure due to torsion of both testes
• primary testicular failure due to inflammation of the testis
• surgical removal of both testicles
• absence of testicles

Testosterone Therapy Precautions

According to the prescribing information for testosterone replacement, testosterone should not be used:

• In patients with a known hypersensitivity or allergy to the drug
• In patients with cancer of the breast, liver, or prostate
• If you are pregnant or likely to become pregnant
• If you are breastfeeding
• If you suffer from a disease of the kidney called nephrosis

Before accepting a prescription for testosterone Propionate, tell your doctor if you have a medical history of:

• Cancer (such as breast cancer in men, prostate cancer)
• Blood clots (such as in the leg, lungs)
• Heart disease (such as heart failure, chest pain, heart attack)
• Diabetes
• Reduced liver function
• Reduced kidney function
• Epilepsy
• Migraine

Is Testosterone Therapy Safe?

Testosterone is prescribed to treat men and women who have been diagnosed with low testosterone. Testosterone is generally regarded as safe. However, like any drug or medical procedure, testosterone therapy has some side effects or potential negative impacts on your health.

However, when you carefully weigh the known benefits of testosterone therapy against any potential side effects or safety issues, we believe you will agree that the pros of testosterone replacement therapy greatly outweigh any potential risks.

Forms of Testosterone Medications

Testosterone therapy can be prescribed in several different ways. Prescription testosterone is available as:

• Topical gels and creams
• Subdermal pellets
• Skin patches
• Nasal sprays
• Oral medication
• Injections

Of the various types of testosterone available, our doctors have found testosterone injections to be the safest and most effective. We only use the highest quality testosterone products made by US pharmaceutical companies.

Injectable testosterone that is used 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 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 Cypionate – Testosterone cypionate 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 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.

The safest and most effective form of testosterone therapy is testosterone injections.   

How Much Does Testosterone Therapy Cost?

Because testosterone therapy is prescribed on an individualized basis, testosterone therapy costs can vary greatly, based on your particular symptoms, lifestyle,, and prescribed dose. 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 cost-effective as possible.

A note about the cost of testosterone treatment – keep in mind, as 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 in your area.

Do I Need a Prescription for Testosterone Therapy?

Yes. You can only get testosterone injections with a doctor’s prescription. You can only get a prescription for testosterone injections once you have been diagnosed with low testosterone. Do not be fooled by the ads you may hear on the radio, or see online, or in so-called muscle magazines. There is no such thing as "non-prescription" or over-the-counter testosterone.

The only way to get authentic testosterone therapy is with a doctor’s prescription. Before you can get a prescription for testosterone injections, you must have the level of testosterone in your blood tested. If your testosterone blood test indicates that your testosterone levels are low, your doctor will provide you with a legal prescription for testosterone injections.

How to Start Testosterone Therapy

It is not difficult to start testosterone therapy. In fact, it only takes five simple steps.

• Step 1 – Fill out an online medical history form – This first step is indeed the only step in the process of getting testosterone injections that can be done online.
• Step 2 – See a doctor –If your online medical history form indicates that you are a good candidate for testosterone replacement therapy, the next step is to see your doctor. He or she will discuss your medical history in further detail, ask you more about your symptoms, and take a complete physical exam.
• Step 3 – Laboratory hormone testing – Once you have completed your physical exam, you will be referred to a laboratory to have the hormone levels in your blood tested.
• Step 4 – You will obtain a prescription for a program of testosterone injections –  If the results of your laboratory tests show that your testosterone levels are low, your doctor will prescribe a dosage of testosterone injections to suit your needs and lifestyle.
• Step 5 – Your testosterone shots will be delivered to you – Your prescription for testosterone therapy will be forwarded to one of the pharmacies we work with that specializes in filling prescriptions for testosterone therapy. The pharmacy will then deliver your testosterone therapy supplies to you.  

Testosterone replacement therapy has many benefits for men suffering from hypogonadism or low testosterone.

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