Could Testosterone Replacement Therapy be right for you?

With ground-hog day approaching, and a longing for spring, seems apt to throw some light on how temperature affects testosterone levels right? Cold Showers Boost Testosterone? A cold shower might invigorate, improve blood circulation, give a glowing skin but it does not boost testosterone levels. If it is a hot day or you had a vigorous workout, a cold shower will soothe sore muscles, cool down body temperature, including the testicles which is good for sperm quality. The testicles always are at a slightly lower temperature than the body. In fact scrotal descent, and the way arteries that supply blood to the scrotum are right next to the veins taking blood away from the scrotum is a mechanism to regulate temperature. This evolutionary adaptation along with the thin scrotal skin, has led to scrotal temperature in humans 2.5 to 3 degrees Celsius lower than body temperature. Sperm generation works well at 34 degrees Celsius. Taking a cold shower before bed will improve sleep quality which...

  Adjusting dose, dosage, frequency, even mode of administration from IM to sub-Q is one way to deal with edema or water retention while on TRT. Are There Natural Ways to Control Water Retention While on TRT? Water retention can be controlled by a diet rich in potassium, magnesium and cutting back on Sodium. How Much Magnesium and Potassium is Required per Day? Both Magnesium and Potassium should be supplied by diet and the body does not make any naturally. Both are needed to regulate blood pressure which plays a role in water retention apart from other vital functions that each of them perform. NIH Recommends the Following Daily Intake: Magnesium: Adults assigned male at birth — 400 to 420 milligrams of magnesium per day, Adults assigned female at birth need 310 to 320 milligrams per day Potassium: Adults assigned male at birth — 3,400 milligrams Adults assigned female at birth — 2,600 milligrams Substituting Regular Salt A very simple habit of replacing regular bleached table sal...

External testosterone from TRT after a while, might increase estrogen levels from aromatization which needs to be countered. Too much estrogen can lead to side effects such as gynecomastia or male breasts, high water retention among other side effects. ​ Men are from Mars and women might be from Venus, but hey, we all share the same hormones, but in different proportions. Estrogen (E) is also crucial for men’s health as much as women’s though. Maintaining hormonal balance of different hormones as nature intended while optimizing deficits should be the goal of TRT for men. ​ One  o f the reasons TRT patients are monitored diligently at ON MEN via blood work and quarterly check ups is also to monitor estrogen levels. Means not eliminating estrogen from the body, but making sure the proper proportions of hormones are maintained for optimum health. ​ Testosterone is the most significant hormone for male sexual development and function. Naturally in males, testosterone levels decline wi...

Witches cauldrons’ brewing potions, ghouls & goblins haunting sidewalks, bewitching parties galore in the twilight zone…we thought it is time to scare the hell out of testosterone self-diagnosing, and dosing, DIY wizards keeping with the spirit. If we had to put a piece of candy in a bowl for every testosterone self medication misadventure that comes our way, the bowl would have to be replaced by a barrel now. Here is a typical horror story shared verbatim we see at ON MEN: “I have been using   anabolic steroids for several years now and have been experiencing severe side effects lately. I am looking to get a blood test requisition for a few parameters I am looking to get tested for. I am concerned for my health and am looking to minimize the harm I am putting on my body. Is the requisition something you could offer?” This theme is consistent across age groups. Younger men report steroid or testosterone use for gains at the gym. But eventually their natural testosterone product...

The question really should be to what extent testosterone replacement alleviates depression, and the factors that influence the positive outcomes. But let’s not scare you with long headings. ​ With the backdrop of a sweeping epidemic, debilitating lock downs, social distancing norms it is no surprise world mental health day is trending. Even return gift bags given with thoughtful notes being penned about understanding & empathy, coaxing to reach out if feeling down and depressed. ​ Low-T being the cause of   mood issues, a certain lack of overall well being is well understood, as is the ability of testosterone to boost mood and bestow that spring in the step, feel good, win the world feeling. ​ So testosterone eminently qualifies as a therapy option. Although it can be nuanced and it might not be for everyone, but for a certain subset of people testosterone replacement is simply tailor-made to a T to deal with depressive symptoms. ​ It has long been debated among medical profes...

Testosterone has a powerful effect on muscle mass, strength and fat reduction. ​ Myotrophic and Hypertrophic Effects of Testosterone on Muscles In a nutshell testosterone:  Improves how the body processes proteins by inhibiting the breakdown of protein Activating satellite cells which are a type of stem cells that play a role in muscle development Stimulating anabolic hormones, which promote muscle growth and protein synthesis Enhancing tissue growth Myotrophic and Hypertrophic Effects of Testosterone on Muscles Important mechanisms behind the myotrophic (increasing muscle weight) effects of testosterone were uncovered both in athletes using steroids for several years and in short-term controlled studies. Both long-term and short-term testosterone usage accentuated the degree of fibre hypertrophy in human skeletal muscle by enhancing protein synthesis. Hypertrophy is the process of organ or tissue enlargement by increasing the size of cells. Testosterone increase s  the size o...

  After blood tests, ruling out a long list of treatable medical conditions and making sure that one is showing symptoms for low-T, TRT Therapy (testosterone replacement therapy) is initiated. Subsequent monitoring is done to confirm the testosterone dose is optimal. Testosterone Dose Adjustment Optimum Testosterone Level The goal for the majority of patients is a total testosterone in at least the mid to normal range of 400 to 600 ng/dL. Aim for higher levels in younger patients and lower levels in older patients is acceptable. Once the dose is opti m ized, levels are not repeated often. Maybe once a year, unless symptoms are present or the dose changes. A baseline CBC before treatment at 3 months, 6 months and then annually after that is required. According to the guidelines, the patient should be evaluated at 3 to 6 months after treatment initiation and then annually to assess whether symptoms have responded to treatment and whether the patient is suffering from any adverse effe...

Testosterone is a crucial androgenic hormone that defines overall male phenotype. Optimum testosterone levels regulates fertility, development, maintenance of the male reproductive system’s organs, and sexual function. Muscle strength, quality of bones and cognition are other important aspects governed by testosterone. Onmen Healthcare How does Modern Life-Style Affect Testosterone? Urban lifestyles, burgeoning gig economy, extended work hou r s, online entertainment platforms beaming 24/7 have skewed circadian patterns of light & dark. Light is an important environmental factor that the biological clock takes cues from to stay in sync with circadian rhythm. Testosterone generation is pulsatile, highest amount generated early morning, and follows circadian rhythms. Lack of sleep/ sleep disruption is also deleterious to overall health and hormone cycles. Disruption of these patterns disrupts cell differentiation of Leydig cells, size of testes during puberty, among other negative ef...