Posted on 02/27/2019 9:01:57 AM PST by far sider
What do you all think? Are these men's health clinics helpful or are they a racket?
I have a friend who wants to know.
“My body flat stopped making T.”
Did that condition - “flat stopped” - precede or come after you started taking T treatments.
There are two parts of the body making T. Only one part is the body’s process that makes T. The other part is the body’s mechanism that monitor how much T is in circulation, and signal that more, or less ought to be made.
The first part can break down with age, and no matter the signals to make more, only make so much. But the second part CAN be short-circuited by supplementing what the body is making with T added into the body/bloodstream from outside the body. Then the mechanism to control the natural production of T starts getting a different reading; one that says the natural T production does not have to work as hard, and the body’s own T making could slow down even more.
That is why the best advice is towards the introduction of supplemental T to only, at the very most, bring T levels NEAR to the normal “average” for the person’s age and not to exceed it.
What I have not seen as clear is if any testing can differentiate T in the blood by source - the body or supplemental. That is what is needed to determine if excess supplemental T is actually causing the natural production to slow down from what it was before supplemental T was introduced.
Personally, after testing, I would try all the things folks say can be done to get the natural T production raised without any supplemental T, before trying any supplemental T.
Two more to check out: L-Arginine and L-Citrulline (watermelon extract).
LOL...My PSA is close to zero now. Especially after having it yanked out 17 years ago. I know the feeling. Errr...or is that NO feeling?
Get it done. If it is cancerous, you want to get it taken care of before it travels outside of the prostate. You’ll have real troubles then. Been 17 years for me now.
To answer your question, externally administered Testosterone will send a signal to the HPTA that Testosterone is present, subsequently reducing ones LH levels. (Lut. Hormone)
SHBG (Sex H. binding globulin) will also be significantly reduced.
As for a test to “identify” exogenous testosterone, no, as it’s bioidentical. One could however take multiple tests during a span of time to examine fluctuations, but again it depends on what ester the Testosterone was.
Hopefully that helps!
I stick them in the same category as “sleep centers” - where somehow 100% of the people that walk in to them walk out with a CPAP machine.
If your testicles fail to produce testosterone, it doesn’t matter how much you exercise, they won’t respond, generally.
There are some cases where HIIT as well as diet has jump started someones HPTA, but it is unlikely in that there is more often than not an underlying problem, i.e. hihh estrogen levels, which combat testosterone production.
Additionally, a males aromatase abilities change as they age, and cascade a whole host of negative effects.
I do agree the first course of action is to evaluate diet and lifestyle, but unfortunately I’ve seen very little progress in that regard with cases.
Apparently, Robert Kraft didn't get the memo.
DHEA does not convert primarily to testosterone in males, but remarkably well in females.
Any increase in testosterone by DHEA will also aromatize to estrogen in most cases- this is where dosage plays a huge part as you mentioned.
Yes:
“To answer your question, externally administered Testosterone will send a signal to the HPTA that Testosterone is present, subsequently reducing ones LH levels. (Lut. Hormone)....”SHBG (Sex H. binding globulin) will also be significantly reduced.”
Thanks for the more scientific version of part of what I said.
It should make for some caution with regard to supplemental T, UNLESS the natural T readings, before any supplementation, are far far below normal for someone’s age.
Absolutely, if you’re on TRT, it’s for life.
To add, the “ranges” of testosterone for certain ages are not sufficient at all. In fact, most endo’s are oblivious.
For instance, the range for a 20-29 year old male is 300-900.
Think about that. That’s insane. If a 20 year old has a T level of 350, they are far from normal. But, alas, that is the current consensus of the endocrinology community.
There is the slow shift that I’m seeing to treat symptomatically rather by the number, but it’s taking too long and I’m seeing too many men not living to their full potential.
Fenugreek extract works(TestoFen), although compared to anabolics it’s like melatonin vs horse tranqs. You still have to cycle it, and follow up with a “post-cycle therapy” supplement.
I am approaching 60, 5 years ago I started seeing a doctor at one of these clinics. My T tested at just below the low level but my Blood pressure was above their guidelines for starting treatment,( new event for me)So we got that under control and I started the shots.
benefits
1.Minor annoying aches and pains significantly reduced or gone
2 Didn’t effect BP
3 Better sleep
4 Stopped gaining weight and noticed some minor fat loss
5 More responsive with sexual partners but still not overcharged
They gradually increased my dosage to the 800 range with one shot blowing me over 1000( where I said yeah this is the way it’s supposed to be) but immediately dialed me back to their target range of 8-900.
Some months later my Bp spiked D/t Diet I believe and I had a small stroke.
My Cardiac doctor said I had Afib and that had caused the stroke but no test had spotted the Afib even hooked up to the machine for 4-5 days in the hospital after some surgeries or after the stroke for that matter.
Would I do it again . Yes . I have just been trapped working out of town since my primary doctor gave the go ahead.
I was a at a good chain clinic with a solid staff.Always saw a doctor and they drew the line that I had to treat Bp and That at my age I had to consider getting scoped(which found a cancerous polyp that needed surgery to remove)and went out of there way to monitor me and keep me on schedule with my crazy schedule. Unfortunately just received an email that the clinic is closing operations in my state so I’ll have to go looking when I return to town.
“but it’s taking too long and I’m seeing too many men not living to their full potential”
Thanks.
But - LOL - now we wait for all our Freeper “humorists” to chime in on that one!!!
Haha
Before you go off taking a testosterone supplement, you had best have your PSA tested, have a DRE, and maybe a CT scan.
If you are at a risk for prostate cancer, taking supplements may push you over the edge.
You also should have your PSA tested every 3-6 months if you are taking a testosterone supplement.
Aged and Mellow blues
Soy is a phytoestrogen. Use kale to purge estrogen. Get estrogen under control then deal with testosterone if it’s still low. Fats and cholesterol are T building blocks, so get those levels good, too.
Well, yes— and no. The biochemistry is complex, and genetic mapped triggering (ie. more effective in some depending on the gene region confirmed— a lot to this). All per oral pro drugs and/or hormones are converted by the pH2 stomach acid, so there is that also on the dosing. My message was— any “clinic” that hypes high expense per oral anabolics (which, even if true would be illegal without prescription) is ignoring the rather prominent effect of denaturing protein/hormone in the stomach. In short— they must be injected- and thereby creating another level of risk. See: bodybuilders (the old joke was— build muscle, shrink the “tower of power and the gonads” for really silly reasons.
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