How to manage low testosterone level in men: a guide for primary care

Visual Guide to Low Testosterone

Others may find benefit from hormone therapy using testosterone gels, patches, injections, pellets or alternative hormone medications. Injections are typically performed weekly or twice weekly to keep levels stable. There are several treatment options for low testosterone, and medications aren’t always necessary. Changing certain lifestyle factors, such as exercising, reducing stress, improving sleep and improving dietary habits, will help significantly.

If you have any concerns, it’s critical that you speak with an experienced specialist in men’s health to determine the problem. If TRT raises testosterone levels but does acne mean high testosterone not improve symptoms, providers may recommend that men stop TRT. It’s possible that the symptoms are not related to TD, and further evaluation could be necessary. About 2 to 4 weeks after starting testosterone therapy, patients need to return for a checkup. If results are satisfactory, further assessment is recommended every 6 to 12 months.

Symptoms may also be caused by other conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. If any of these symptoms are bothering you, talk with your provider. Either type of hypogonadism can be caused by an inherited (congenital) trait or something that happens later in life (acquired), such as an injury or an infection.

Testosterone replacement therapy may contribute to or cause sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that causes your breathing to stop and start repeatedly while you sleep. It can disrupt your sleep pattern in the process and raise your risk for other complications, like having a stroke.

According to the American Urological Association, about 2 out of 5 men over age 45 and 3 out of 10 men older than 70 have low testosterone. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Sign up for the Healthy Living e-newsletter to receive the latest resources on how to manage and thrive with diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes, you are twice as likely to suffer from low testosterone as a man without diabetes.

When a couple is 100 percent sure that they are done with their fertility efforts, men with a history of low testosterone should be assessed for the need for ongoing TRT. Some men would prefer to stay on their oral SERMs or anastrazole rather than switch over to a gel, patch, pellet, or injections usually used for TRT. As discussed above, the potential problem with this approach is that the impact of taking SERMs and/or anastrazole on a man’s general health over the course of decades is not known. Some men who are done having children are now taking clomiphene long term, but they should be counseled that the long term safety data is not robust and only extends out to 7 years at this time. SERMs impact estrogen receptors throughout the body and this can have unknown health consequences when used for decades.

It’s important to note hot flashes occurred during prostate cancer treatment. More research on the link between hot flashes and low T is needed. Males with low testosterone may experience extreme fatigue and decreased energy. You may have low T if you’re consistently tired despite getting plenty of sleep or if you find it harder to get motivated to exercise. With low T, you may have difficulty achieving an erection before sex or having spontaneous erections, such as during sleep.

This can be problematic because females require significantly less testosterone (a much lower dose of medication) than males. Everyone is different, so some people will see improvement in symptoms within a few weeks, while others will need more time to notice any changes. This is mostly dependent on factors such as age and underlying medical conditions. That’s because they don’t manufacture sufficient levels of testosterone for optimal growth and health. Between 19 and 39 percent of older men may have low levels of testosterone. Low testosterone (low T), also called male hypogonadism, may be caused by many things, such as aging, hormone changes, chemotherapy, and others. Losing weight through exercise can increase testosterone levels.