A Guide to Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)

As a male ages, it is inevitable that testosterone levels will naturally drop. This concept is part of the aging process, and, unfortunately, father time remains undefeated. However, this does not mean that a man is doomed by the years passing by; in fact, there are options for treating low testosterone, known as “Testosterone Replacement Therapy” (TRT).

Unfortunately, there is one common problem with TRT treatments, which is a considerable lack of knowledge. TRT is often prescribed incorrectly or inaccurately by doctors, or implemented in a wrong way by self prescribed patients who do not understand how to actually run this treatment in a safe and effective manner. In addition, there is an abundance of bad information and advice given on how to properly implement TRT. Moreover, many sources do not even show a basic understanding of what TRT exactly is.

When is TRT needed?

As mentioned above, men suffer from low testosterone as they get older. Some of these testosterone drops will be minor and will go unnoticed, while major drops will lead many men to suffer from “Low T,” which is the term for the dreaded low testosterone diagnosis. When being treated for “Low T” with TRT, many men report improvements in energy levels, mood, sex drive, prevention of muscle wastage and increased fat loss. As a result, many individuals are misled by the belief that if your testosterone is low, TRT is immediately needed.

Unfortunately, this is flawed thinking because low level of testosterone by itself does not mean that TRT is urgently needed, or that anything will be fixed with this approach. People ignore the fact that improper implementation of TRT can lead to several short and long-term side-effects.

Symptoms of Low Testosterone

Most males assume that symptoms of low testosterone are very evident and easily determined. Although this is the case for many, there are multiple subtle warning signs that are overlooked or missed. Furthermore, symptoms can also appear very slowly, and over time can become a very serious issue if not caught and treated duly. It is extremely important to know and understand all the warning signs to look for, which is essential if you want to protect yourself from letting the issue of “Low T” get too far. Therefore, you must be aware of the following symptoms:

• Fatigue and Loss of Energy
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Being easily irritable
• Lowered sex drive
• Erectile dysfunction
• Hair Loss
• Problems Concentrating

If you are experiencing these problems, most probably you are having “Low T.” Regular blood tests should be done twice a year to monitor everything, especially as a man ages. If you begin to notice these symptoms, or believe that you have “Low T,” you should immediately visit a doctor and find out if this is the case. Catch it early, so you can treat it before it compiles and gets out of hand.

Types of Treatment

There are several types of TRT treatments available, and a doctor will ultimately recommend the best treatment method for your particular circumstances. In fact, your doctor may offer you different options, and ask, which you are the most comfortable with implementing. Although the effectiveness will differ from person to person, all of the approaches improve testosterone to a certain extent. Here is a list of several treatment options that have shown themselves to be effective and are available these days.

Injections: This is the most commonly known form of testosterone replacement therapy. Testosterone is directly injected into your muscles, where it gets slowly absorbed into the bloodstream.

Implants (Pellets): Testosterone is implanted into the soft tissue in the form of pellets. This method also allows for a slow absorption into the bloodstream.

Gels: AndroGel is the most well known gel on the market today, but there is another gel called Tetstim, which is also quite popular. These gels usually come in packets, and there are several that are also produced in a pump, such as AndroGel, Fortesta and Axiron. These are applied directly onto the skin once per day. Natesto is another gel option that is actually adsorbed through the nose.

Mouth Patches: The tablets are sticked to the upper gums, being Striant the most popular brand of these tablets. This method needs to be applied twice a day, and testosterone will continuously be released into the blood throughout the day.

Over the counter (OTC) Natural Testosterone Boosters: These are not used to fully treat Low T, but they can provide a lot of benefits in aiding with the recovery process. The problem here is that with such a variety of the available products it is hard to find one that actually works and is beneficial. However, there is a very well known product called HCGenerate, and its bigger brother HcGenerate ES (extra strength), and they are at the top of their class for natural testosterone boosting. These are offered exclusively at www.n2bm.com.

Benefits of TRT

It is virtually impossible to say how each individual will respond to TRT. Every person has a different scenario and severity level of Low T. Nonetheless, there are certain general signs of improvement that can help determine, if the treatment is helping. Here is a small list of the positive signs one should see when TRT treatment is successful.

• Improvements in energy levels
• Increased sex drive
• Increased bone density
• Increased muscle mass
• Ability to cut fat at a normal or accelerated pace
• Improvements in quality of erections
• Improvement in insulin sensitivity
• Major mood and sense of well-being enhancement

These are the most significant improvements that are easily noticeable, but the main purpose here is to improve health, extend longevity and provide an overall life quality improvement.

Risks associated with TRT

There is no doubting that testosterone therapy works. Its effectiveness will depend upon the person, dosing implemented, etc. Nevertheless, there are some possible side-effects with treatment that should also be addressed. Most of these side effects are usually mild; yet they can still raise concern and need to be noted. These would include injection site irritation, possible rashes and itching. In spite of the contradictory reports and findings, in general, if used responsibly and properly, TRT has shown to be very safe.

There are still many questions involving long term use, as there are not enough clinical trials to fully predict long term issues. At this point, these are based mostly on hypothesis and theories.

Contra-indications

There are certain conditions that can be negatively affected by TRT use, some of which are:

• Blood Clots
• Congestive Heart Failure
• Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy
• Sleep Apnea
• Prostate Cancer

If you have any of these conditions, most probably you won’t be able to use TRT as treatment for Low T, since all of these conditions can be significantly worsened with use of testosterone. Full disclosure of any conditions must be provided to your health care physician in order to ensure safety at all times.

How to dose

Dosing should be calculated on an individual level in accordance with the recommendations of your physician. There are always “general” protocols for other conditions, but something as delicate as TRT needs to be implemented with care and precaution.

Each person responds to these kinds of treatments in a different way; therefore, one should follow guidelines and responses that coincide with their own bodies’, independently of the reactions and results that other users may have. Hence, TRT dosing must be taken very seriously and with much care to ensure that health and longevity are maintained.

Conclusion

As noted throughout, drops in testosterone levels are inevitable as a male ages. This does not mean that life has to be over or suffering must occur. TRT can save lives, and it has shown to do so over time. The important thing to remember with TRT, is that it needs to be ran responsibly and as prescribed. If proper implementation is followed, one can feel as though they have found the fountain of youth.