Treatment Options > Low sex Drive
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Low sex DriveTestosterone
Testosterone is the primary androgenic/anabolic hormone in the body of men and women. As men age past year 35, hormonal changes occur that perceptibly inhibit physical, sexual, and cognitive function. The average male in his 40's has only 33% to 50% of the level of androgen (testosterone) he has in his twenties. This decline in testosterone plays an important role in a series of signs and symptoms that accompany the aging process, such as a decline in virility, libido, sexual activity, muscle mass, strength and bone mass (osteoporosis) as well as an increase in abdominal fat mass. A decrease in the feeling of general well-being sometimes manifests as depression, a common psychological complication of hormonal imbalance.
If doctors checked their male patient's blood levels for estrogen and testosterone (instead of prescribing drugs to treat symptoms), they might be surprised to learn that adjusting hormone levels to fit the profile of a healthy 21-year-old could eliminate many problems.
The most significant hormone imbalance in aging men is a decrease in free testosterone while estrogen levels remain the same or precipitously increase. Through a variety of mechanisms, as men grow older, they suffer from the dual effects of having too little testosterone and excess estrogen. The result is a testosterone/estrogen imbalance that directly causes many of the debilitating health problems associated with normal aging.
Testosterone production begins in the brain. When the hypothalamus detects a deficiency of testosterone in the blood, it secretes a hormone called gonadotrophin-releasing hormone to the pituitary gland. This prompts the pituitary to secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) which then prompts the Leydig cells in the testes to produce testosterone.
In some men, the testes lose their ability to produce testosterone, no matter how much LH is being produced. This type of testosterone deficiency is diagnosed when blood tests show high levels of LH and low levels of testosterone. In other words, the pituitary gland is telling the testes (by secreting LH) to produce testosterone, but the testes have lost their functional ability, so the pituitary gland vainly continues to secrete LH because there is not enough testosterone in the blood to provide a feedback mechanism that would tell the pituitary to shut down. In other cases, the hypothalamus or pituitary gland fail to produce sufficient amounts of LH, thus preventing a healthy pair of testes from secreting testosterone. Blood testing can determine if sufficient amounts of LH are being secreted by the pituitary gland and help determine the proper therapeutic approach.
If serum (blood) testosterone levels are very low, it is important to diagnose the cause, but no matter what the underlying problem, therapies exist today to safely restore testosterone to youthful levels in any man (who does not already have prostate cancer).
Testosterone is much more than a sex hormone. There are testosterone receptor sites in cells throughout the body, most notably in the brain and heart. Youthful protein synthesis for maintaining muscle mass and bone formation requires testosterone. Testosterone improves oxygen uptake throughout the body, helps control blood sugar, regulate cholesterol, and maintain immune surveillance. The body requires testosterone to maintain youthful cardiac output and neurological function. Testosterone is a critical hormone in the maintenance of healthy bone density, muscle mass, and red blood cell production. Of concern to psychiatrists are studies showing that men suffering from depression have lower levels of testosterone than control subjects. For some men, elevating free testosterone levels could prove to be an effective anti-depressant therapy. There is a basis for free testosterone levels being measured in men suffering from depression and replacement therapy initiated if free testosterone levels are low normal or below normal.
Some of the beneficial effects of Testosterone are:
• Excellent anabolic qualities and the resulting lean tissue augmentation • Increase in muscle size and strength gains • Increased muscle glycogen synthesis • Increased athletic performance and endurance • Increase fat mobilisation and decrease fat synthesis • Promotes red blood cell count for improved oxygen / nutrient transport and vascularity • Increased bone density, formation, and mineral use • Increased creatine phosphate (CP) synthesis and storage • Enhanced recovery and regenerative qualities • Improved cortisol control and protein sparing qualities • Androgenically induced brain function / training intensity • Improved immune function / protection against auto immune • Increased metabolic rate • Increased HDL/decreased LDL and total cholesterol • Significant increase in libido & performance • Improved self-confidence, energy, memory and sense of well being Patients on testosterone replacement therapy should be monitored to ensure that testosterone levels are within normal ranges. The physician prescribing testosterone replacement should evaluate any changes in the clinical symptoms and signs of testosterone deficiency. Goal serum levels are in the range of 700 mg/ml to 1000 mg/ml. Levels that fall outside these ranges may require adjustment of the dose or frequency.
Our method of administration is a Testosterone Cream.
Testosterone Cream
Testosterone cream contains 10% testosterone, and provides continuous transdermal delivery of testosterone for 24 hours following a single application. It provides a non-invasive method of application along with a consistent level of testosterone absorption. A daily application of Testosterone Cream delivers 100mg of testosterone per gram, per day, to the skin's surface. Testosterone Cream is designed to release testosterone in a varying level, over a 24 hours period. This is to mimic the natural (uneven) pattern of a healthy young man, with peaks and lows throughout the duration producing circulating testosterone concentrations that approximate normal levels.
The recommended starting dose of testosterone cream 10% is one gram (to deliver 100 mg of testosterone) applied once daily (preferably in the morning) to clean, dry, intact skin of the abdomen.
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