Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Just wondering if anyone here is or has done testosterone replacement therapy for low T? If so what type are you taking? Or if anyone has any suggestions on the best type I would like the input.

As an endocrinologist I would just have to add....fooling with testosterone replacement can be VERY risky. Diagnosis of low T isn't always as straight forward as the pharmaceutical houses might like you to believe. Be sure you receive competent medical evaluation and care.

The reason I asked is because I was told I have low t from a blood test done by my doctor. I do have the symptoms of it but the one that bothers me the most is the being tired and some depression.

I will not insert myself into your doctor patient relationship but it's important to state "low T" cannot be diagnosed with just a low serum testosterone level. And other endocrine, and other, conditions that might cause these symptoms need to be screened for too. But I assume he did this.

Not he but she and it was from just a complete blood test at annual check up. It was 168ng/dl . Wanted me to do the cream but I did some reading up on it and found that can cause heart problems raise cholesterol level,that is why I declined to do it. That was 2 years ago. I am curious what other things should be checked? I appreciate your input.

I have been doing testosterone injections for over two years now. I was diagnosed by my doctor through a blood test. I am not recommending anyone do testosterone replacement therapy- it should be carefully evaluated before and during therapy to see if it's beneficial or doing any harm. I am fully aware of the potential negative side effects so it is definitely not risk free but no drug is.

I think the medical community has now turned mostly negative towards replacement therapy because of the research findings that revealed the risks. And most doctors seem to advocate not taking a drug unless its benefits outweigh the risks. But with respect to replacement therapy they seem to underweight the quality of life benefits vs. biological risks. The primary goal of the doctor is not to do any unnecessary harm to the patient- no man needs replacement therapy. I understand where they are coming from and its important to be aware of the potential risks that research has revealed.

For me, the very noticeable and positive difference it has made in my quality of life make it worth the risk. I have a much fuller and richer life since starting replacement therapy and that's what makes it worthwhile for me.

PPlaydoc, remember that "research" showed that dimethylphenols, such as phenolphthalein and bisacodyl cause liver damage. We no longer have phenolphthalein. The likely reason that we still have bisacodyl at all, is that with some antibiotic therapy, anthraquinone laxatives, such as senna and aloe ferox, may not work.

For over 100 years folks were dosing themselves 'regularly' with phenolphthalein, as that was in most of the common stimulant laxatives, e.g. Ex-Lax, Feenamint, and just about every other commercial laxative product that wasn't saline. Folks were not dying en masse of liver cancer. Much "research" is done and conclusions drawn, in the competition for grant money.

That said, here's some research, done by the government, showing that testosterone therapy as treatment for low T, *lowers* male mortality rates:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22496507

. . . . For over 100 years folks were dosing themselves 'regularly' with phenolphthalein, as that was in most of the common stimulant laxatives, e.g. Ex-Lax, Feenamint, and just about every other commercial laxative product that wasn't saline. Folks were not dying en masse of liver cancer. Much "research" is done and conclusions drawn, in the competition for grant money. . . .

The same thing can be said for tylenol.

People were NOT dropping like flies from that either before they lowered the recommended doses.

I took depoted-testosterone shots monthly for awhile. They are supposed to be slowly released from the gluteal muscle for about 30 days. Right after I'd get a shot, I'd be driving on a freeway and feel like I wanted to race some other driver, like I did as a teen. I thought, "This is stupid, you're over 50 and acting like a teenage driver!" That "rush" quickly went away, but I DID feel more competitive on the job. The only warning the Dr. said he had to give me for HIS legal protection was, that testosterone shots have a slightly higher risk of causing M.I.'s. My heart is and has always been great. Had a EKG stress test last year, prior to AAA surgery and was told my heart had the ejection fraction of a 35 yr. old male.

I have been getting testosterone injections for years. My wife does them at home every other week. My doctor is very careful about monitoring my T levels, at least quarterly. I notice the difference when i go without for a time.I am a cross dresser, and if I go without for a while, (for example, due to an insurance screw-up, like the past few months) my desire to cross dress and my urges to masturbate both diminish noticeibly. I have been on various forms of testosterone replacement therapy for about 20 + years.

Yes, Susie's comments about Tylenol O.D.'s being not so common is true. The big scare was hepatic toxicity from acetaminophen O.D.'s. I was selling Mucomyst for inhalation therapy and they learned that injecting it IV for Tylenol O.D.'s, would detox the liver. About the only way you can get a hepatic toxicity from Tylenol is a purposeful suicide attempt with acetaminophen.

The FDA seems to go nuts over "possible" dangers of things like Ex-Lax, Tylenol. For many years after Prilosec was on the market for stomach acid reduction, it had a "black box" warning about possible liver tumors developing from it's use. These are long gone and it's now an OTC drug. Same thing with Rx and OTC NSAIDS (Ibuprophen) causing GI bleeds. It is only true if the patient is over 65, uses NSAIDS chronically and has more than 2 alcoholic drinks every day.

Many of these dire warnings are to satisfy the legal community, not all that real. I have heard many Dr.'s tell patients to never drink alcohol if they were taking Tylenol, due to possible liver damage. When I sold Tylenol, we had several studies where they'd give double dose Tylenol to alcoholics in treatment centers. Their LFT's never got dangerous. Much of this are 'paper tigers".

Testosterone replacement therapy is legitimate treatment for a real problem. I don't think most doctors would argue against using it in the case of documented deficiency in a patient with quality of life issues. Therapeutic intervention ALWAYS requires balancing side effects against anticipated benefits so that part of the decision making process is straightforward. Here's the challenge that is often overlooked. Testosterone is highly protein bound so lower blood protein levels makes serum testosterone levels APPEAR to be low when they really are not. So low total testosterone levels must be confirmed with level of free testosterone. Other hormone levels must be checked as well: thyroid, LH and prolactin for example. If you treat someone without testosterone deficiency with the agent, you could not medically justify ANY side effects.

Took it for a few months back around 2000. Did not do much for me, maybe a small improvement in sexual function for a few days after an injection. No clue what type it was.