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Generally speaking, the pros (benefits) of testosterone therapy outweigh the cons (negatives) of testosterone replacement therapy.
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 carefully evaluated, in most cases, the benefits of testosterone therapy outweigh its potential risks.
Hypogonadism, a medical disorder often also referred to as "low testosterone," is described as a condition in which your body is not producing enough of the critical hormone testosterone, leading to a testosterone deficiency.
Causes of testosterone deficiency could be the result of disease or injury to the organs that produce or stimulate the production of testosterone. However, the most common cause of low testosterone, particularly in males over 35, is simply the drop in testosterone that occurs as we age.
In men, testosterone levels are at their highest up until the teenaged years. Testosterone levels start a steady decline in the late 20s and early 30s. That decline leads to the symptoms of hypogonadism. The symptoms of hypogonadism or low testosterone include:
Testosterone replacement therapy is used to treat hypogonadism. When you carefully examine the pros versus the cons of testosterone replacement therapy, we believe you will come to the unmistakable conclusion that the pros heavily overshadow the cons.
The many pros or benefits of testosterone replacement therapy have been known by doctors and medical researchers for quite some time.
Some of the proven benefits of testosterone therapy for patients diagnosed with hypogonadism include:
Among the other pros of testosterone therapy is that most patients see results within the first few weeks of treatment and experience little or no side effects throughout the course of their program of testosterone replacement therapy.
In addition, recent research suggests that testosterone replacement may also reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
As we have said, testosterone therapy is not without some risks. Each patient must make up his or her own mind about the potential cons of testosterone therapy versus its pros, but most of our patients have found the benefits of testosterone therapy outweigh the possible negative consequences.
When weighing the pros vs. the cons of testosterone replacement, the two main cons to consider are cost and possible side effects. Why don’t we take a closer look at each?
A typical prescription for testosterone therapy could be anywhere from $600 to $1500 or more per month. That may sound like a lot of money, but when you weigh the cost of testosterone therapy against the cost to your health and ability to enjoy your life, most patients agree that the costs are justified.
Plus, you can be assured that we will do our best to develop a testosterone replacement treatment plan that suits your medical needs as well as your budget.
As far as side effects go, like any drug or medical procedure, testosterone has some potential side effects. Understand that testosterone is approved for the treatment of testosterone deficiencies by the FDA. Once the FDA approves a drug, that means it has determined that its use as indicated is "generally recognized as safe."
However, by law, any FDA-approved drug must also list any and all possible side effects. “Possible” being the operative word. In order to avoid litigation, by law, pharmaceutical companies have to list every side effect that anyone has ever experienced using the drug.
The list of side effects of testosterone does not mean you will have any of them, and in fact, most of our patients go through their entire course of testosterone replacement with few if any side effects.
For those patients that do experience side effects, usually, a change in dose or brand of testosterone is all that is needed to alleviate the issue.
Some of the reported possible, though rare side effects of testosterone therapy include
There was also a time when it was believed that testosterone could increase your risk of developing heart disease or certain cancers. Current research has found that neither is true and in fact, testosterone therapy may actually lower your risk of developing these conditions.
For most patients, the pros of testosterone replacement therapy far exceed any possible cons.
By now, we hope you have come to realize that the many pros of testosterone therapy far outweigh any possible cons. Once you weigh all of the pros and the cons, the decision of whether or not to start testosterone therapy should be a relatively easy one.
One way to ensure that the pros of testosterone therapy always outweigh its cons is to completely follow your doctor’s instructions for taking your testosterone prescription. Never take more than your prescribed dose and if you do have any side effects, report them to your doctor immediately.
Testosterone therapy is only legally available with a doctor’s prescription. In fact, many of the really bad “cons” you may have heard about testosterone are mainly the result of those who are abusing testosterone or using it illegally without proper medical supervision.
Another way to make sure your experience with testosterone therapy is mostly a good one is to think carefully about where you get your prescription testosterone from. At our clinics, we are dedicated to making your patient experience with testosterone therapy the absolute best it can be.
We take the time to get to know each of our testosterone therapy candidates as individuals. We then tailor your testosterone prescription to your unique goals and lifestyle.
Our practitioners not only know the pros of testosterone therapy, but we are also well aware of the potential cons and know-how to watch for any side effects, catch them early, and adjust your dosage accordingly.
At our hormone replacement center, we also realize that one of the cons of any kind of hormone therapy can be the cost. We will work with you to develop the most cost-effective testosterone treatment plan for your needs as well as your budget.
Now that you know more about the pros and cons of testosterone therapy, why not take a minute to contact us and learn more about how testosterone replacement therapy can improve your quality of life.
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