Many men with report improved energy levels, , and mood after treatment. If testosterone is low, why not replace it? A level by itself doesn't need treatment. Only men with symptoms of low testoste rone and blood levels that confirm this as the cause of symptoms should consider. Talking with your doctor is the only way to know if testosterone therapy is right for you. Subtle Symptoms of Low Testosterone The symptoms of are sometimes obvious, but they also can be subtle. Testosterone levels decline naturally in men as they age over decades. But certain conditions can also lead to an abnormally low level. For millions of men who have low testosterone levels but no symptoms, no treatment is currently recommended. It is has also not been approved for treating men with low levels because of aging. Forms of Testosterone Supplements Testosterone replacement therapy is available in several forms. It's applied once a day. Testosterone is absorbed directly through the skin when you apply the gel once a day. AndroGel, Axiron, and Fortesta also come in a pump that delivers the amount of testosterone prescribed by your doctor. Natesto is a gel applied inside the nose. Applied twice a day, it continuously releases testosterone into the through the oral tissues. Your body slowly absorbs the testosterone into the bloodstream. Why not a simple testosterone pill? Oral testosterone is available. However, some experts believe oral testosterone can have negative effects on the. Using other methods, such as skin patches, gels, orally disintegrating tablets, or injections, bypasses the and gets testosterone into the blood directly. Continued Benefits of Testosterone Therapy What can you expect from testosterone treatment? It's impossible to predict, because every man is different. Many men report improvement in energy level, sex drive, and quality of erections. Testosterone also increases bone density, muscle mass, and insulin sensitivity in some men. Men also often report an improvement in mood from testosterone replacement. Whether these effects are barely noticeable, or a major boost, is highly individualized. Karen Herbst, MD, PhD, an endocrinologist at University of California-San Diego, specializes in testosterone deficiency. Risks of Testosterone Therapy Testosterone replacement therapy side effects most often include , , or irritation at the site where the testosterone is applied. However, there is also evidence of an increased risk of or associated with testosterone use. Experts emphasize that the benefits and ri sks of long-term testosterone therapy are unknown, because large haven't yet been done. For many men, their prostates grow larger as they age, squeezing the tube carrying urine urethra. The result is difficulty urinating. This condition, benign prostatic hypertrophy, can be made worse by testosterone therapy. Most experts recommend screening for prostate cancer before starting testosterone replacement. Men with prostate cancer or elevated prostate specific antigen should probably avoid testosterone treatment. It may be difficult for a man to detect this himself, but his sleeping partner can often tell. A polysomnography may be needed to make the diagnosis. This could increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism , a potentially life threatening clot that occurs in the lungs. Products already carried a warning about the risk of blood clots due to polycythemia, an abnormal rise in the number of red blood cells that sometimes occurs with testosterone treatment. Now the warning is more general to include men who don't have polycythemia. It will be years before large clinical trials bring any answers on the long-term benefits and risks of testosterone therapy. As with any medicine, the decision on whether the possible benefits outweigh any risks is up to you and your doctor. Continued Testosterone Replacement vs. It's true that used by some bodybuilders and athletes contain testosterone or chemicals that act like testosterone. The difference is that doses used in testosterone replacement only achieve physiologic natural levels of hormone in the blood. American Journal of Medicine, 1980. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2006. Karen Herbst, MD, PhD, assistant professor in medicine, University of California, San Diego. © 2016 WebMD, LLC.
