Hormone Replacement Therapy Men

You feel it in your mental focus, your muscle tone, and your energy level in the bedroom. If all the commercials are any indication, you are not alone. But hormone replacement therapy is not just a trend at Optimal Health Associates. It has been the focus of our practice for over twenty years. We started specifically helping patients with these issues more than a decade ago. Male HRT is a health strategy designed specifically for each man using prescriptive natural hormones. The goal is to restore normalcy through supplementation of missing essential substances versus taking medications that never address the true underlying issue.

You’ve likely heard the issue framed in the overly simple term “Low T.” At Optimal Health Associates, it’s just not that simple. We recognize low testosterone levels can occur as a key medical event for men. But it is often just one of several possibilities that may occur as we grow older. Lack of rest, a shortfall of Vitamin D or many other biologic measures could also be at play. Your goal and ours is to identify all of these events and to decide where hormone replacement therapy (testosterone) fits into the mix. Together, we’ll strive to identify the cause of your symptoms and design a plan that works best for you.

Symptoms we’ll discuss include:

• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Weight Gain
• Muscle Weakness
• Poor Exercise Tolerance
• Loss of Sexual Desire
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Mood Changes and Irritability
• Changes in Clarity of Thought/ Complex and Critical Thinking/Memory
• Anxiety and Depression
• Appearance in Aging

Most men experience a change in their Testosterone levels sometime in their early 40s, but almost always by their 50s. When your hormones are off, the scale of other issues is exaggerated. Still, your testosterone levels may not be the only health issue playing a part in how you feel. Testosterone deficiency is associated with other chronic illnesses including cardiovascular disease, bone loss, stroke, and diabetes. Providing a clear and comprehensive approach to all aspects of ‘Low T’ is the goal at Optimal Health Associates.

Frequently asked questions involving hormone replacement therapy for men:

1. Why give hormones to men?
Despite what we hear on TV, Testosterone is not primarily a sex hormone. The primary advantage of testosterone is its anti-aging properties. Testosterone helps maintain and build muscle mass, keeps bones from weakening, helps to keep the mind sharp, and has a positive effect of lowering body fat and preventing or reversing obesity. This, in turn, may prevent or improve Type II diabetes. All of these benefits not only help people live longer, but live better.

2. Is Testosterone safe?
Testosterone is absolutely safe for men. There has been publicity about the increase of heart attacks in men on hormone replacement therapy. Clinical trials are limited in size and scope and have been contradictory. When a man visits Optimal Health with complaints suggesting low testosterone, we conduct an extensive examination to avoid any unforeseen issues. We check a metabolic profile along with other laboratory markets in addition to hormone levels. We also ask about healthy (or not so healthy) habits and try to educate the patient on how they can make changes to positively impact their future.

There are, however, hormone replacement therapy (Testosterone) side effects that Optimal Health monitors closely to reduce risks. Among them, Testosterone may cause an increase of hemoglobin in the blood, which can make it thicker and more prone to clotting. It also can increase Estrogen secondary to metabolizing testosterone, again increasing the chance of blood clots similar to what women face when using birth control pills.

3. Why would a man come to Optimal Health Associates?
As a man, you would visit Optimal Health Associates to work alongside a provider to develop a plan of care to improve your health. If your objective is to obtain a testosterone prescription alone, Optimal Health Associates is not for you. If you are looking to feel better, get into better shape and live a healthier, more fulfilling lifestyle, we can help. Optimal Health Associates is comprehensive in its approach to health, for both men and women.