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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 7, 2009 - 02:04pm PT
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What Men Can Do About Dwindling Testosterone Levels
Is a man the sum of his testosterone levels? It's a question that's been on my mind over the last few days, since I stumbled across a fascinating hourlong episode all about the hormone on the NPR radio show This American Life. The segment features an eerie but enlightening tale of a man who stops producing testosterone due to a medical treatment and discovers that life without testosterone is essentially a life without desire. And not just sexual desire but desire for anything: be it food, conversation, and even TV. The man, oddly enough, describes it as somewhat "pleasant"; it sounds to me more like some strange sort of torture.
I'm not about to run off and get my testosterone levels tested like the producers of This American Life did for their show, but I will say hearing that episode makes me wonder where I fall on the testosterone spectrum. Testosterone levels start falling about 1 percent a year once men hit middle age, and it's a bit alarming to imagine something as central as my personality changing because of a dwindling hormone. Apparently when testosterone levels fall far enough, doctors even have a name for it—several names, in fact. Andropause, androgen deficiency, late-onset hypogonadism, and even "male menopause" are some of the labels bandied about.
Some physicians think that stopping the decline with supplemental testosterone is a good way to alleviate symptoms commonly associated with aging such as bone and muscle loss, sexual dysfunction, and depression. Others argue testosterone therapy is a futile attempt to stop the natural aging process—and one laden with side effects. The debate isn't likely to end anytime soon, but we did get some interesting news on the topic this week from the Archives of Internal Medicine. A team from the Massachusetts-based New England Research Institutes found that about 6 percent of 1,486 men tested in the Boston area had androgen deficiency and that of those men a majority—88 percent—were not receiving testosterone treatment despite, as the study put it, "adequate access to care."
"We don't know the reasons why few men with the condition were actually treated," says Susan Hall, the NERI epidemiologist who led the study. She notes that the cost of the drug or the fact the condition can easily go unrecognized may be factors.
The language of the study subtly implies that the men not on testosterone were missing out on the best care available, but there's good reason that many doctors have been reluctant to prescribe testosterone therapy. The Mayo Clinic, for example, has conducted a review of the science that concludes there's little evidence that using testosterone improves sexual dysfunction or is safe from a cardiovascular standpoint. And they publish a laundry list of potential side effects, including skin reactions, baldness, sleep apnea, testicular shrinkage, limited sperm production, excess blood production, and acne. Perhaps most frighteningly, testosterone therapy may stimulate the growth of prostate tumors.
If I were considering testosterone therapy, I'd be wary of the aggressive marketing of the various patches, gels, and creams that can be used to administer the hormone. The Internet is awash in testosterone supplements aimed at men, and plenty of them don't fully explain the potential risks and uncertainties associated with testosterone treatment. There are other ways to increase testosterone levels, according to this article and this one, so I'd make sure that I had tried some other strategies—such as getting enough sleep and eating right—before signing on to any sort of testosterone treatment plan.
I'm interested in hearing from readers who have low testosterone and have tried supplementation. Has it helped? Have you encountered side effects?
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mason805
Trad climber
East Bay, CA
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I read somewhere that republicans are cursed with low testosterone levels. Just kidding.
If you are going to inject yourself with testosterone, do it the right way and use steroids along with a testosterone supplement.
Then of course there's the estrogen blocker you have to take after you come off the supplement.
What if climbers used testosterone and steroids to enhance their climbing?
Now that would be an interesting story.
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Juan, your topic title says your blood test did not go well.
What blood test?
Did your testosterone level come back low?
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Careful there.
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 7, 2009 - 02:25pm PT
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My body seems to be longer producing testerone.
I have been using a gel for the last 10 days and feel twenty years younger.
Its mind blowing.
Juan
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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I have a friend on Testosterone replacement therapy.
You are on the gel? That would be Androgel, I take it?
Does your health insurance pay for it, and you have some copay?
My friend got tired of rubbing the gel on every day, so years ago
he learned to self inject in his upper thigh every two weeks.
He says his T levels are right where they should be, injection does not
hurt at all, and the injectable Testosterone is much, much cheaper than
the Androgel. In fact, he says a small bottle of DepoTestosterone costs
about $100 and lasts for a good couple of months.
His health insurance pays for it, other than his copay.
He has a Yahoo username and password and belong to this group
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/hypogonadism2/?yguid=323791100
He says this group is all guys discussing testosterone replacement,
might be helpful to you!
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 7, 2009 - 02:41pm PT
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Androgel is the ticket. It costs me $15 dollars a month with insurance. The instructions have so many warning about the dangers of transmission until it has dried for a few hours.
Juan
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Beatrix Kiddo
Mountain climber
Littleton
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Being a woman is not so bad.
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 7, 2009 - 02:44pm PT
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I already noticed a reduction in Body fat and more muscle tone.
Juan
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Have fun in Manopause.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Read this book:
"How to achieve healthy aging, why everyone should replace hormones, a review of the medical literature"
Neal Rouzier, MD
Worldlink Medical Publishing, Salt Lake City
Only supplement with bio-identical hormones.
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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juan, just sent you an email.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Glad I'm south of middle age!
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
In the mountains... somewhere...
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I think I am probably the poster boy for replacement therapy. It changed my life!!!! I have done both shots and gel for testosterone and prefer the gel. Rub a little on each morning and your levels are more consistent than with the shots. There are lot of other nice drugs to take too if you want to amp up the metabolism.
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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juan - does this mean that you are making the change?
not sure what this all means to the taco, but.. then again, I don't really have to know everything about you..
hope all goes well for all involved
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 7, 2009 - 03:57pm PT
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I am suddenly surrounded by hot COEDS.
Juan
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Roman
Trad climber
Bostonia
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Beatrix I would say that there are FAR more women taking estrogen for menopause than men on TRT.
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Roman
Trad climber
Bostonia
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BTW Juan congrats on working on getting yourself straightened out health wise. If this has been an issue for you I bet you will feel a lot less depressed as well. Most ppl do. Having out of whack hormones is serious f*#king business.
all the best dude.
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Beatrix Kiddo
Mountain climber
Littleton
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I know I know. I was kidding.
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