Low Testosterone

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Low Testosterone

Low Testosterone Mobile AL

Low testosterone or hypogonadism is experienced by approximately 40% of men over the age of 45 in the U.S. Testosterone is the male sex hormone responsible for sex drive, sperm production, muscle mass and strength, fat distribution, bone density, and red blood cell production.

Symptoms Low Testosterone

  • Low testosterone can affect a man’s sexual function, decreasing sex drive, reducing the number of erections, and causing infertility. Typically, these symptoms occur gradually overtime.
  • In addition to affecting sexual function, low testosterone levels in men can cause physical changes including increased body fat, decreased muscle mass and strength, fragile bones, decreased body hair, swelling and tenderness in the breast tissue, hot flashes, and increased fatigue.
  • Other issues including insomnia and depression can be due to low testosterone levels as well.

Diagnosing Low Testosterone

Upon initial evaluation, your physician will obtain a thorough history of symptoms as well as a physical examination to rule out any medical causes that may need further treatment.

Low testosterone levels are determined using a blood test. Your doctor may need to get more than one testosterone level in order to determine your true hormone status.

Treating Low Testosterone

Besides weight loss and increased physical activity which can slow the decrease in testosterone levels, testosterone supplementation is the only other option to increase these levels. Testosterone supplements are available through topical applications, injections, or subcutaneous pellets.

Treatment options include:

Topical applications involve gels that the patient will apply to the skin daily. Examples of these gels include Androgel, Testim, Axiron, and Fortesta. Transdermal patches are also available. The testosterone is also absorbed through the skin with this treatment, but the method is an adhesive patch instead of a gel. An example of this therapy is Adroderm.

There are several forms of injectable testosterone available. Using a needle, testosterone is injected directly into a large muscle group and absorbed by the body. This can be done in the office or you can be taught how to give yourself an injection at home. Typical preparation for injections include testosterone cypionate or testosterone enanthate.

Testopel is a testosterone pellet that can be inserted under the skin in the doctor's office. Once in place, the pellet starts to dissolve and release testosterone. The pellets cannot be seen or felt once in place. This procedure is done about every three months. This is a good option for patients that do not want to worry about weekly or monthly injection administration.

Monitoring Testosterone Therapy

Our team of clinical experts at Urology Associates of Mobile, has developed a testosterone clinic where certified nurse practitioners in conjunction with our urologists provide personalized testosterone treatment. Based on the patient’s needs and dosing, our team of nurse practitioners will perform weekly to monthly visits with each patient where they will administer testosterone injections, check for potential side effects such as breast tenderness, or prostate symptoms, and review current dosing. Our physician team will then see each patient every six months. This team approach to testosterone therapy provides the best possible quality care to our patients ensuring that this treatment is safely and effectively administered.