How Long Can You Stay on Testosterone Therapy

Q & A: How Long Can You Stay on Testosterone Therapy Safely

Some men just naturally have lower testosterone levels than others, and that is not necessarily a problem for them. But for other men, the development of Low T levels is a problem, one that is accompanied by some very undesirable symptoms. So how long can you stay on testosterone therapy safely when you and your TRT doctor have decided that it would be beneficial for you to begin using this treatment?

Assuming that you are a man who is over the age of 30, there is a high likelihood that the type of male hormone deficiency you have developed is the adult-onset variety of Low T. This is a form of testosterone deficiency that has gradually typically progressed over time and can cause chronic symptoms when it has reached a certain point of development. Introducing supplemental amounts of bio-identical testosterone is the only proven medical method for reversing this condition, and it is accomplished by following an ongoing program of treatments that will typically continue through an adult male’s adult years.

The medical safety of using this treatment is not measured in years by clinicians but by blood test results as well as by the patient’s response to their therapy in terms of improvement to their symptoms. As long as the patient is receiving the intended benefits of symptoms relief; is having no adverse effects; and is being appropriately monitored by blood tests and period physical exams, TRT providers feel very confident the answer to how long can you stay on testosterone therapy safely is that you can use it safely for as long as you require Low T treatment.

The clinically established health benefits that are associated with using male hormone replacement therapy have been shown to far outnumber its very low potential risks. In fact, the health risks that have been linked to having an untreated testosterone deficiency are much greater than any of the risks presented by using a doctors prescribed program of treatment.

Q: Does Low T Replacement Therapy Work the Same for All Men?

Q: Does Low T Replacement Therapy Work the Same for All Men?

As TRT researchers know, it would be unrealistic to expect any form of hormone replacement therapy to have the same effect of every patient that uses it; and the individual efficacy of a person’s Low T therapy certainly has a bearing on how long can you stay on testosterone therapy. Some patients will receive exceptional results from their treatment and so they use it indefinitely; others may experience some benefits but not to same extent; and there will be some patients that simply don’t respond to treatment as desired after a reasonable period of using it, so they will be very likely to discontinue the program.

However, the majority of adult patients who use Low T therapy do respond positively to treatment in varying degrees. As a general rule, patients with the greatest extent of testosterone deficiency before starting treatment tend to receive the most dramatic improvement in their symptoms, which are generally more severe than those exhibited by patients with a lesser degree of deficiency. This is why it is essential for TRT providers to establish, through the use of a testosterone-measuring blood test, the presence of a clinically significant level of male hormone deficiency before diagnosing and treating any Low T patient.

If the measurement of patient’s testosterone levels indicates that their male hormone supply is within the clinically established normal and healthy range, there is no reason to expect that by increasing their levels they will receive any discernable health benefits. It would be more appropriate to consider other possible medical reasons for the symptoms they have been experiencing. So in this case the question would not be how long can you take testosterone therapy but would instead be why would you use it when there is no medical reason for doing so, and no benefit to be gained from using it?

Testosterone replacement therapy has a proven record of working extremely well for men who have a verified condition of male hormone deficiency; but for men who already have an adequate supply of testosterone, there are essentially no benefits to be gained from supplementing your male hormone levels. Furthermore, having excessively high testosterone levels can be as unhealthy as having abnormally low levels.   

Q: What Happens If You Stop Using Low Testosterone Therapy?

If a valid reason for discontinuing your Low T therapy should occur, what happens when a person stops using their treatment? Will there be any negative effects that would influence how long can you stay on testosterone therapy? These questions are representative of those that doctors are often asked by patients who want to be prepared for any eventuality well in advance – and there is nothing wrong with wanting to be well prepared.

To begin with, no patient’s treatment should ever be stopped without first consulting with the TRT doctor who has prescribed and is managing the TRT program. Depending on the specific reason for stopping therapy, the doctor will decide whether it should be discontinued immediately or gradually. In either case, the ultimate result will be the same one, which is that without supplemental treatment, the patient’s testosterone levels will eventually revert back to a state of deficiency and symptoms are highly likely to return. While this is by no means an ideal situation, it does not have to be a miserable one; experienced TRT doctors know how to minimize some of the negative effects of reverting back to a condition of male hormone deficiency.

Patients can also help themselves to make this adjustment through the use of common sense health measures such as getting more exercise and following a well-balanced diet. But unfortunately they should also be prepared to lose most if not all of the benefits that they have gained by sustaining their testosterone levels within the healthy range through the use of TRT. Hopefully, your personal answer to how long can you stay on testosterone therapy will be for as long as it continues to improve your health, vitality, sexuality and lifestyle. This is our doctors’ goal for you at Nexel Medical, because we know only too well how personally debilitating a symptomatic testosterone deficiency can be.  

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