…Okay, so we covered in Reclaim Your Masculinity in 2018 volume 1 ways to improve your testosterone levels naturally. But what if you are still not happy with the way you are feeling?
You may be a good candidate for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Again, I am not giving you medical advice as I am not a doctor. I am simply making you aware of some options and letting you know what I would do/have done.
The first thing to realize is that it is your life/health and you should have huge input in what is best for you; fortunately my doctor promotes patient choice. Many doctors want you completely dependent on them and make you forget that as the patient you are the payer, and therefore the boss.
Another thing to keep in mind is that certain numbers may work better for others than they do for you. Some men feel terrific with a T-level of 500-600. Personally I feel good over 1,000 and my doctor encourages such numbers.
Many doctors will stress the risks of TRT over the benefits and try to steer you away from taking action while telling you that the way you feel is just part of getting older. Bad hips are often part of getting older too. Anyone deterring hip replacements?
If you don’t like your doctor, don’t keep your doctor. Seek out an integrative physician or anti-aging specialist.
This decision can be a big step because once you go on TRT it’s basically a lifetime commitment as exogenous testosterone will decrease your natural production. So if you go off TRT your levels will likely be lower than before you started; that’s why I would try to improve naturally first.
Personally I was always proud that I never took steroids at a younger age when many were. I liked that I did it “naturally” rather than taking the shortcut. My doctor simply gave me the option to keep feeling like I was stuck in second gear or improve the way I was feeling.
I didn’t know it at the time, but my overtraining and low fat dieting was killing me and I wasn’t chasing the home run record so I decided to go on TRT. Since then I have come to realize that I wasn’t truly natural before.
The FDA had allowed me to be poisoned with exogenous estrogen, so why not counter that with exogenous testosterone which actually belongs in my male body? Now I am not saying that TRT has no health risks, but rest assured we will all die eventually.
Would you rather live a vital life which may or may not be shortened, or would you prefer a possibly longer life of insignificance? Again, it’s up to you.
Some of the risks like increased chance of stroke or heart attack can be easily offset. Testosterone can raise your red blood cell count making your blood more vicious.
That is why my doctor had me start donating blood every 8 weeks. So, while helping myself, I am also helping others; it’s a good feeling to get a letter in the mail that your blood helped someone in a hospital. Donating blood is actually very healthy as I have been told it’s like an oil change for your body; drinking grapefruit juice can also help with this.
TRT can also lower sperm count. This can be mitigated with HCG. However, TRT is NOT viable male contraception. Different people can be affected in different ways.
The benefits to higher testosterone are increased explosiveness physically and therefore the ability to get better results from your workouts, faster recovery, better focus and memory, increased sex drive and a better overall sense of wellbeing.
TRT is taken by patches/pellets, topical gels and creams or injection. Big pharmaceutical companies make TRT products, but with the topicals the doses are set. Insurance generally covers this but it may get tricky if you need higher doses; it can become very expensive.
My doctor has me on gel from a compounding pharmacy. While compounds are often not covered by insurance, the out-of-pocket costs are much less than those of the drug companies and the doctor can better control your dosage.
In addition, you are supporting small business over big pharma. My doctor likes topicals because they are applied daily (for me in the morning) and mimic the testosterone of a young man as you are getting that morning spike everyday.
I have been fortunate enough to absorb these well (I have had better success with alcohol base gel than lipoderm cream). Some people don’t absorb well and need injections.
Injections are taken 1-2 times per week. While you may not get that daily spike that topicals provide, you know that it’s all getting into you. They are also generally cheaper than topicals.
Injections are also more convenient for some as there is no risk of transfer to others. In addition, if you take 1-2 shots per week you don’t have to drag yourself out of bed after a rough night to apply it as topicals are best applied about the same time everyday.
Again, if you are feeling well with what you are doing, I would continue. If you can naturally raise testosterone levels to your satisfaction, great!
If not, TRT (I am not advising, just informing) can be a very successful option to reclaim your masculinity in 2018. Talk soon.
-Marksman