I put this in IMHO instead of GQ because, though there is hard science on Testosterone replacement therapies, I’m asking for anecdotal evidence here so IMHO is where we are.
I keep seeing warnings and lawsuit advertisements on Facebook regarding Testosterone Replacement Therapy. ( TRT ). This has got me thinking.
I’ve considered discussing TRT with a physician. Who has tried it, have you had success or not? Have you had negative side-effects that have cause you to cease use and/ or consider litigation? Unlike, say, Viagra™ or Cialis™, I do understand that fairly low testosterone levels in older males can be responsible for a panoply of issues. Some of these are not sexual in nature.
I’m just barely scratching the surface of reading up online, and so I’ve not found a solid answer to my first question. When The Pill for women was first introduced, it was in much MUCH higher doses than eventually became the standard dosage. Is it possible that TRT dosages are also still very much in flux and the adverse reactions are more the result of dosages way beyond what males should be taking, opposed to the fact that they are taking anything at all?
So, what do Dopers know as far as first-hand experience? And Doper Wimmin, please by all means jump in if your S.O. has been taking TRT’s. Are there emotional components to living with a guy whose testosterone has been rising instead of falling?
I will be reading with intrerest. I am in the age group that the advertisements target. The ads assure me that I need their products now without giving any explanation of what symptoms to look for or issues that might be caused by ‘low T.’
I don’t want to derail the thread at the start but could you say why you are considering testosterone replacement?
You want to be careful about screwing around with your hormone levels. It was decades before doctors figured out that hormone replacement therapy for aging woman wasn’t all it was cracked up to be; the same may turn out to be true for men.
Testosterone level has to get pretty low before really troubling symptoms (e.g. osteoporosis) begin to manifest. I spoke with my doc a couple of weeks ago about it because in the past I have tested borderline-low for testosterone levels. He suggested that, absent any obvious symptoms, I should not mess with it. In fact, lower-than-average testosterone levels confer two important health benefits: reduced risk of prostate cancer, and reduced risk of heart disease. Those things are killers, and compared to some occasional difficulty achieving an erection in your sixties, those are maybe the things you ought to worry about instead.
Certainly no harm in talking to your doctor about it. I expect he’ll say much the same as what I wrote.
You’re not derailing ! I’m considering asking about it because of the usual checklist of issues. Some minor E.D. ( which may be related to a lower back injury solely ), loss of muscle mass, fatigue, etc etc. I’m a well-oiled focused machine at work… IF I get 2-3 20 oz cups of iced coffee in me between 7 am and noon. Otherwise, it’s a significant struggle to remain focused. I know, this is in of itself not a low T flag, but it’s on a list. So, I thought I’d ask around.
The Prostate Cancer/ heart attack links to lower T is a great reason to not consider it !! Perhaps I should stop thinking about sex and start thinking about stamp collecting…
My 61yo husband in on TRT. It has improved his mood, sex life and energy and as a result of that he gets more exercise and has lost 25lbs in the last year. He is a low risk factor for prostate or heart problems, so that was a consideration. On the other hand, he has a problem sleeping, but we aren’t sure if the TRT is what is causing that. But he’s retired, so there is no reason for him to worry about that, really. He can easily nap when he needs to. He’s glad he started it.
I’m 48 - started TRT 2 or so years ago - my levels were WELL below minimum - practically non-existent.
It happens.
Had absolutely nothing to do with 'sexual performance" - and I wish that (as the primary driver) would go away.
For me - I was ‘always tired’ - to the point of falling asleep within moments of getting up, regardless of what I was doing (I can remember going fishing and almost falling asleep standing up) - general feeling of doom, lack of focus, etc - you don’t really realize what was going on until after you get the levels “back to norm” - then its like “I didn’t realize how bad I felt” - wife and I still had normal sex - so that was never the obvious issue.
As soon as I started TRT - that all went away.
Then my insurance company decided not to cover the first gell I went on (shoulder, “AndroGel”) - i’ve been on 3 others now - patches (hated them), underarm stuff (didn’t work well) and currently on “Fortesta” (thigh placement) - it seems to be working well -
again - the difference between “low” and “right” is night and day - and it can be a PITA to decide whats wrong - stress levels affect T-levels as well.
as with all treatments there is risk - I believe the adds looking for lawsuits are fishing - I have had no negative affects other than
a) it not working well due to the type/placement
b) patches caused a good deal of skin irritation
Sounds like me, including the coffee needs, so maybe I should check out the checklist. The ads I see strongly suggest their products will ‘increase energy and improve sex life’. Who doesn’t want that? Give me a double dose of energy and sex please!
ETA - clearly with increased T levels - sexual satisfaction/drive will go up - but I had no ED while it was low - thinking back - I had alot less “morning wood” compared to after I started treatment.
And my energy/focus/concentration levels are much more like they should be.
I started a couple of years ago, around age 50. My doctor had my T levels tested after some of the usual complaints during my checkup - some minor ED issues, low libido, fatigue, mood, etc. My levels were at the very bottom of the acceptable range, so he started me on AndroGel and had me come back a month or so later to get my levels checked again. When I came back, they were even lower than before! So he doubled the dosage, and when I had my levels checked again, they were back around where they were the first time. So now I have to go in every two weeks and get a testosterone shot in the butt.
About six months ago some new regulation went into effect where they were no longer allowed to keep testosterone at the doctor’s office, so now I have a prescription that I have to pick up at the pharmacy and take it in to the doctor’s office with me to have it injected.
And to be honest? I’m still not sure I can tell much of a difference. But at least my levels must be in an acceptable range now because when I have all my blood work done every six months they say everything looks good.
Five years ago, I’d never heard anyone talking about low testosterone. But since then, you can’t listen to a sports radio show without hearing dozens of ads for men with “low T.”
When did this become such a huge deal and such a big business?
Probably around the time that administration methods became convenient. I think injectable testosterone has been available for a long time, but most people aren’t interested in regular injections unless their symptoms are really severe. But now that we have testesterone skin patches and gels (and soon maybe nasal sprays), people with much less severe symptoms may be interested. I’m not sure when these more convenient methods were approved by the FDA, but I’d guess it was within the past 10-15 years.
Don’t confuse “libido” with “erectile dysfunction”. Libido is the desire to have sex and the interest to have sex. Erectile dysfunction is not being able to get or sustain an erection.
Testosterone (in many) is supposed to restore libido. It doesn’t really have anything to do with erectile dysfunction. (Of course, IANAD, so YMMV.)
My story: I lost the interest to have sex. It didn’t really bother me, I just wasn’t that interested anymore. A testosterone test showed that I was below the normal range, so my doctor put me on Androgel. It very quickly restored my libido. I was hoping it would also help with decreased cognitive abilities and decreased energy, but it didn’t seem to have any effect on those in me.
My testosterone levels are now midrange, and have been for the 10 years or so I’ve been on it.
I haven’t really noticed any side effects from it. I get a PSA test every year or two and my numbers haven’t increased.
Back when my doctor and I were talking about it, she said that the Testosterone shots had more of a chance of side effects than Androgel.
