Testosterone Replacement Therapy for Men | PYHP 08

Over the past few years, testosterone has become very popular.  There have been countless ads for prescriptions, herbal products and clinics all over TV and the internet.  This begs the question, does testosterone really live up to all the hype?  Is testosterone the panacea as it has been claimed?  The answer to this question is both yes and no.  

There is certainly a low testosterone epidemic in the United States.  According to some research, it is estimated that 1 in 4 men over the age of 30 have low testosterone levels.  Clinically, we have seen men of all ages with low testosterone levels, so it more than just an aging issue.  

The typical American lifestyle of too much sugar, a lack of sleep and chronic stress contributes to the across the board decline of testosterone for men of all ages.  There is an inverse relationship between testosterone levels and insulin.  As insulin secretion goes up due to diet and lifestyle, then testosterone production goes down.  

This is important to understand because Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) should be age appropriate.  A young man in his 20’s or 30’s should not be receiving testosterone as a treatment.  This will only compound the problem over time and make it harder to correct.  The underlying cause for the low testosterone needs to be further investigated and identified.  There are of course exceptions, but our minimum age limit for TRT is 40 years old.

There are many types or dosage forms of TRT.  Below are the main types of prescriptions available in descending order.

Forms of Testosterone Replacement Therapy:

• Bioidentical testosterone rhythmic dose transdermal cream
• Bioidentical testosterone static dose transdermal cream – same dose everyday
• Conventional testosterone static dose gel
• Testosterone injections – weekly or bi-monthly
• Testosterone pellets – implanted under skin

With our patients, we only use bioidentical rhythmic dosing, which is referred to as the Wiley Protocol.  This protocol was originally developed for women by TS Wiley.  We have found the male testosterone protocol to produce the best results over time compared to the other forms of TRT.  In fact, we strongly discourage men from getting testosterone pellets and injections, as these forms can lead to later problems as a result of the therapy.

If you have questions, please feel free to leave a comment below, you can contact us directly.