We all have testosterone in our bodies. It’s a very important hormone that allows our body to regulate many everyday functions like having enough energy to last out the day, controlling our mood swings, wanting and enjoying sex and having good muscle mass. When our testosterone levels drop, these functions can be effected but it’s not always obvious that low testosterone levels are part of the cause. You might feel these complaints stem from depression or other medical conditions so you visit your Doctor to seek medical advice. On many occasions testing for low testosterone is not high on a physician’s checklist so you may end up going round the prescription drug ring before coming to the conclusion that your issues can be helped by testosterone treatments. Many people who are prescribed low dosage anti depressants could benefit instead from using a testosterone replacement treatment instead. Even if your testosterone level is not actually below the bottom line, you may find that hormone replacement therapy can help you. Increasing levels to within a more normal range can alleviate your symptoms and help you feel better about yourself.
Deciding which treatment is the next step in recovery. There are many choices out there, some need a prescription and some do not, some are made from bioidentical testosterone and some are synthetic. Which one is best for you? Is it best to go for injections, patches or topical testosterone? It’s a very personal decision but below we outline some basics for you:
Testosterone injections are needed a few times a month and are administered through your healthcare provider. If you do not have time to visit the doctor frequently this option might not be best for you. It’s also worth noting that these injections are administered intramuscularly to your buttock, which might be uncomfortable for some people. After the injection your testosterone levels will peak quickly but will then start falling approximately 4 days later. This means that your symptoms are likely to return while waiting for your next injection.
Topical testosterone does not require a needle or a doctor for administration so you can do it comfortably from your own home, in your own time. AndroForte is a good example and it can be purchased online without a prescription. It’s a white, odorless and concentrated cream that is applied to the scrotum area so it can be absorbed quickly and easily into the blood stream. Applied daily, it provides a more consistent level of hormone replacement, not to mention that it’s less invasive. There are other creams and gels available, like Androgel and Testim, but they are applied in larger quantities to other parts of the body and the absorption to blood steam is not as direct.
Testosterone patches are applied in the evening and have to be left on for 24 hours. They can be applied to your back, stomach, thighs or upper arms as long as the area does not get sweaty and is not covered in hair. The patches need to stay in place and remain flat against your skin at all times or they become ineffective – they have to be attached to you all the time, even when showering or during sex. You also need to wait 7 days before re-applying to the same spot. For this reason, patches and are not as popular as topical in injectable treatments.
Synthetic testosterone and bioidentical testosterone treatments are not the same. Some people claim they are and say that the word Bioidentical is just used for marketing but there is a difference. Synthetic testosterone is very similar to bioidentical testosterone but it’s not identical as it often contains extra ingredients. Bioidentical means that the molecular and chemical structure is the same as natural testosterone so the body see’s it in the same way and therefore absorbs it better. Better absorption means better results.
