Testosterone Replacement

Dear Readers:

I'd like to touch on a topic that I've researched heavily and have lived with for around 14 to 15 years and that is Testosterone Replacement Therapy, (HRT) or Hormone Replacement Therapy as it is also called. One of the syndromes that people who have autoimmune diseases have is a greater likelihood of having other endocrine problems. I have Juvenile Diabetes or Type 1 diabetes which is an autoimmune disorder where antibodies attacked my Beta Cells in my pancreas and destroyed them. Without Beta Cells, there is no insulin production. In my thirties, I discovered that my libido was starting to take a nose dive. After finding that there was adequate hormone to stimulate my testicles to produce testosterone, I opted for a needle core biopsy of my testicles and it was discovered that the cells that produce testosterone were slowly being destroyed, so I started taking shots of Testosterone Cypionate. As time went on, a single shot a month left me going up and down and I felt on a roller coaster of emotions. I was as PMSy as my wife. So my doctor put me on a schedule of taking a shot every two weeks. Then I went to every week just so I didn’t have too great a fluctuation. Ahh, the not so fond memories of jabbing an inch and a half, 23 gauge needle into my butt. Those days ended approximately 6 years ago with the advent of Androgel. Androgel is a topical gel containing 5 grams of testosterone that you rub onto the skin of your body. It came in 2.5 gram and 5 gram packets at the time I started using it. I would apply mine every morning after my shower. Androgel now has a more convenient pump bottle in addition to the packets that supplies you 1.25 grams with each pump and I really like using the pump. It’s so much easier to use than tearing open foil packets everyday and the price is cheaper. Also, it is much easier to titrate your dosage so that you are not getting too much or too little testosterone each day based upon your blood tests. I like to apply the testosterone to my skin and then have blood drawn two hours later. I like having a testosterone level around 800 milligrams for my am level. I know that is the level where I feel my best. A testosterone level below 300 mg is too low for any man and yet many doctors don’t want to start replacement therapy until a man’s level is 200 mg and below. If your doctor won’t treat you and shoot for a morning level of 600 mgs to 900 mgs, find yourself a different doctor. The best doctor to see is a Urologist and have your prostate checked at the same time. Low testosterone exhibits itself by symptoms of depression, low sex drive, poor or no erections, high cholesterol readings, and feelings of lethargy or no energy. Low testosterone will slowly result in significant bone lose. Men who have low testosterone also are at a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease, i.e.; heart attacks and strokes. Low testosterone just makes everyday suck in so many ways, that it leaves you feeling like why even get out of bed. A word of caution, if you are having problems with obesity and diabetes, you need to get off your butt and exercise along with replacement of testosterone. Having too high a level of body fat results in too much aromatase being produced by your body fat. Aromatase is an enzyme that breaks down testosterone and the end product is estradiol or a form of estrogen that is produced. Estrogen has a higher affinity for testosterone receptors than testosterone has. What testosterone that doesn’t get converted to estradiol, is bound with Sex Hormone Binding Globulin and become non bioavailable or in other words, your body can’t use. What this means is the amount of bound testosterone cannot attach to testosterone receptors and is thus useless to you. The amount of free bioavailable testosterone that is available to your body to do all of the anabolic things that testosterone does along with sex drive and physical well being just isn’t there. This results in two things happening. You need free, unbound testosterone to attach to testosterone receptors to obtain the full effects of the testosterone. If all your testosterone is converted to estrogen or becomes bounded testosterone, you don’t have any effect from the testosterone no matter what your levels are. And two, estrogen starts breast development and depositing fat in the hips. I have a good friend who has this problem. His breasts are so large, that they fill his wife’s D cup bras. Thats bad and he knows it. Unfortunately, he chooses not to try and change anything.
Take care
Bob