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If you are over 45 man and experience common symptoms related to aging, such as decrease of sexual desire, AN increase of body fat, fatigue, depression, anger, mood changes, A decrease of muscle mass and many others, you could be suffering from A male natural aging process called andropause.
How can we help with male aging symptoms?
We can start with a simple questionnaire where we will ask you to describe the symptoms that involve the level of sexual desire and erectile quality, mood changes, a decrease in intellectual activity, fatigue, depression, anger, and poor spatial orientation. You do not have to have all of these symptoms to identify andropause. You may suffer from only one or two of these symptoms and at varying degrees. But if you have experienced at least several of the above conditions, we will start the diagnosis with a thorough testing.
We perform a blood test to identify andropause right in our office.
Generally, only a blood test can definitively diagnose andropause.
And here is why: After the age of 45, the average testosterone level decreases at a rate of approximately 1% per year. A man may have large variations in his serum testosterone levels over time. Since you may have normal testosterone levels one day and have decreased testosterone levels the next, it is important to look at hormone levels over a period of time. In older men, affected organs may respond differently to androgens. Not all men will need the same level of testosterone to maintain proper function of their brain, bone, prostate, or muscle cells. Therefore, it would be incorrect to say that there is one standard level of testosterone that should be achieved by every man.
How does our testosterone replacement therapy work?
Our treatment plans are strictly individualized as we prefer transdermal (through the skin) patches and gels. This method has a number of advantages:
It is easy to apply.
It is relatively safe with low incidence of side effects.
It more closely mimics the natural daily rhythm, with higher levels of testosterone delivered in the morning and decreasing levels delivered as the day progresses.
What are the results or benefits?
- Improved sexual function.
- Improved erectile function.
- Improved mood.
- Improved body composition and strength.
- Increased bone density.
- Improved cardiovascular system.
What are the negative effects?
Men with a history of prostate cancer or breast cancer are absolutely not candidates for testosterone therapy. The testosterone can make both of these hormonally sensitive cancers grow more rapidly.
Other negative effects may include: fluid retention, problems with fertility, sleep apnea: tender breasts or enlargement of breasts, increased red blood cell concentration, prostate growth.
Testosterone Therapy. Monitoring.
Monitoring during treatment is mandatory to avoid negative effects.
Monitoring is the key in hormone replacement therapy. Once started, it is usually maintained for life.
There is not yet a general consensus on how men with testosterone replacement should be monitored. It is clear that those patients who have begun testosterone replacement for a particular symptom should have that symptom carefully observed.
How does monitoring work?
We monitor blood fairly frequently. Once you have achieved the right dosage of hormone, we follow your progress and draw blood every 3 months for at least a year. The following year, we evaluate and draw blood every 4 months. Thereafter, appointments and blood work are required every 6 months.
During the initial follow-up appointments, we evaluate you psychologically and physically. Blood work includes hormone levels, a complete chemistry profile including chemistries, lipids, and liver function tests. We also perform a complete blood cell count to check the patient’s hematocrit (an increased hematocrit is a common side effect of testosterone replacement therapy). It is important that you receive serial prostate exams at all of these visits as well as a PSA test.