According to researchers, over four million American men suffer from low testosterone (Hypogonadism) and need to be treated for this disorder.
According to researchers, over four million American men suffer from low testosterone (Hypogonadism) and need to be treated for this disorder. The symptoms of this condition are decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, increased irritability, depression, fatigue and increased breast size.
In the past, men who have this condition took a doctor-prescribed synthetic testosterone once every three weeks to supplement what their bodies produced.. But the synthetic testosterone could not fully mimic the body's management of testosterone levels. So they produced a roller coaster of emotional and physical effects.
Enter Unimed Pharmaceuticals, an Illinois-based pharmaceutical company. Their easy to apply testosterone gel has recently become available in the United States. Called AndroGel, you can now get it from a pharmacist or doctor, by prescription.
"˜Sounds like a farce to me,' a friend said when I told her about it. "˜ I bought some gel that supposedly numbs the man so that things last longer. Instead of making him last longer, it made me numb as well and neither of us enjoyed anything. Sounds like this gel could be the same thing.'
Not quite. In a 227 - man study conducted recently, men using AndroGel reached maximum improvement of sexual function within 30-days of using the treatment. Body fat was decreased, lean muscle strength increased.
"˜The improvements in sexual function, mood, lean body mass and bone density support the potential physical and psychological benefits of testosterone gel,; says Ronald S. Swerdloff, M.D., Chief and Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. "˜In addition, the decreased irritation seen in men using testosterone gel demonstrates an advantage of the method.'
The study also found that that the gel gave consistent levels of testosterone in the blood, thus ensuring that there are no physical and emotional effects.
Before the gel, the main alternative to the testosterone injection was a testosterone patch, which worked best when applied daily to the scrotum. For obvious reasons, that was a very inconvenient spot. To make matters worse, some doctors recommended that you warm that spot with a blow dryer before application. Ouch!
Not so with AndroGel. Its manufacturers claim that it's safe and easy to apply. You smear and rub it on the skin of your shoulders, upper arms and abdomen, much like body lotion. Upon application, the gel dries in minutes. The skin absorbs the testosterone and serves as a reservoir for the hormone, which slowly seeps into your bloodstream.
Andrew Sullivan, former editor of the New Republic in the United States, wrote an article published in the New York Times, in which he reported his own experience with testosterone therapy. He says that in two years, he gained more muscle, feels lustier, more energetic, quarrelsome and confident.
Sullivan also speculated on the extent to which traits like aggression, competitiveness and risk-taking - things that we still think of as male behavior - are linked to the fact that men produce more testosterone than women.
"˜To me that sounds dangerous! Especially the more quarrelsome part,' Tatiana said(not her real name) "˜because you can bet your life on it that violence normally goes with that. I don't think men need any encouragement in that direction and certainly not my husband - his temper is already bad enough on a good day! "˜
There are changes in men's hormonal make up as they age. The pituitary glands produce less hormones, which leads to lower levels of testosterone. The testosterone produced will also likely bind to other hormones in the body, and so, reduces the amount of testosterone circulating freely.
These decreased testosterone levels would lead to low sex drive, irritability, sexual dysfunction and low sperm production. Studies have also shown that men who have a prolonged low testosterone levels become frail, losing muscle and bone mass.
There are many perceived benefits to testosterone therapy. In the workplace, you need to be confident, aggressive and willing to take risks in order to get ahead. At the gym, you would like to have a muscular, energetic body you can be proud of. And in the bedroom, you want to last longer. Can a man with normal levels of testosterone use it in an effort to improve what nature already gave him?
"˜There is potential for abuse with any prescription medication, which emphasizes the need for physician-patient relationship in determining proper diagnosis and treatment,' says Lorraine Fitzpatrick for the Endocrine Society.
There is little evidence that adding more testosterone in men who already have normal levels will improve what they already have. There are, however, many testosterone-cocktail products freely available in the market, which are used mainly to help build muscle and gain more energy.
One example is Sustanon, a mixture of four different testosterones with different life spans that react together in your body. The manufacturers recommend that it be in low doses and less administration, in order to reduce side effects like water retention and aggression.
"˜No I would not use testosterone treatments unless I needed to,' says Shakeel Ahmed, a married man in his late twenties."˜ I don't believe that we should tamper with what is happening to our bodies. If you do, there will be consequences.'
Increased levels of testosterone, when you had normal levels already, can damage the liver and may increase the growth of existing prostrate tumors. It can also increase your cholesterol levels. You may develop oedema, a condition whereby excess fluids collect in your body. In addition to that, there is no evidence to show that adding testosterone in men who already have normal levels will help them become stronger and better.
The Endocrine Society emphasizes that it is the responsibility of pharmaceutical companies who manufacture and market prescription drugs to provide physicians with information about the risks for potential abuse. Educational materials should advocate appropriate diagnosis of the disease, the risks and benefits of using the product.
It is also the individual's responsibility to make sure that he does not abuse his body in a misguided effort to improve what nature already gave him.
