While it is true that low testosterone can have some harmful effects on a man’s life, including decreased sex drive, low energy and motivation and a decrease in performance in bed. When necessary, testosterone therapy works to boost testosterone levels back to a normal level and brings him back to the man he once was.
However, even with the benefits of testosterone therapy, it’s not really clear whether or not there are a lot of testosterone therapy risks. Following is information that men need to be aware of when considering testosterone therapy.
Normal Testosterone Levels
The normal levels of testosterone typically range from about 300 to 900 nanograms per deciliter and there is very little proof that men who have levels within that range could benefit from testosterone replacement therapy. On the other hand, you should know that this range covers the total amount of testosterone a man has, which may not really be the entire picture.
An experienced physician will also measure what is referred to as “free testosterone.” This is the amount of testosterone that is active in a man’s body at any given time. Even if a man has testosterone levels within the above mentioned range, he may still have symptoms of low testosterone if the measurements of his free testosterone comes up short.
What to Watch Out For
Though testosterone therapy really can offer many benefits, there are also some risks that men should be educated about.
Testosterone replacement therapy increases a man’s risk for developing blood clots and having a stroke. However, this can be offset by occasionally donating blood.
Some of the more uncommon side effects of testosterone therapy include acne, enlargement of breasts, and even sleep apnea. However, these side effects will go away if the treatment is stopped.
If a man is using a testosterone gel, he should wash his hand thoroughly after applying it and make sure that no one else touches the spots where it is applied. If a woman or child comes into contact with the gel, it can cause side effects such as premature puberty or hair growth. However, though the potential is there for it to be transferred to a woman or child through contact, this is a very rare occurrence. Still, men should avoid skin to skin contact with women or their children within the first two to four hours after application. There is now a nasal gel available that eliminates the risk of contact exposure.
In order to continue experiencing the benefits, a man with low testosterone syndrome should stay on a testosterone therapy- but not a lot is known about the long-term safety of these medications.
Finally, there is increasing concern regarding the testosterone therapy risk of prostate cancer in men who are using these therapies. The research over the past few decades has revealed very little evidence of the link between prostate cancer and testosterone replacement therapies. However, this concern has not been eliminated. Physicians recommend that men who are using testosterone therapies have a PSA test done once or twice a year in order to check for possible signs of concern.
However, though there are many testosterone therapy risks, and many benefits are not exactly clear, some physicians are still in favor of testosterone replacement therapy. Many of them say that this is one of the areas of the medical field in which a man can say that they finally feel like themselves again- and the wives say that they are happy to have their husbands back. Others are less positive, which is why many Testosterone Therapy lawsuits are being filed.