Low testosterone is becoming quite popular. There are adds on TV with catchy phrases such as “Low T.” This is a condition frequently treated at “Anti-Aging” clinics that are more popular than Starbucks in California. Traditional treatment seems simple enough-if the lab says your testosterone is low, prescribe testosterone. Choose that treatment option and testosterone replacement will seem like a miracle drug! All of a sudden you will have more energy, it will be easier to lose body fat, you will feel like you are 19 again...for awhile. Then the effects typically start to wear off. The most common cause for low testosterone is that the body is converting the testosterone and/or androstenedione (a less potent form of male hormone) to estrogens. So, if this is the case, pumping your body full of testosterone is kind of like undergoing estrogen replacement therapy.

That being said, low testosterone is a common condition, actually one of the more under-diagnosed conditions in society today. The official term for this condition is Andropause. Some common signs of andropause include:
  • Decrease in libido or desire for sex
  • Decrease in spontaneous morning erections (most common early sign)
  • Decrease in fullness of erections
  • Difficulty maintaining or starting full erection
  • Spells of mental fatigue and inability to concentrate
  • Depression
  • Decreased initiative
  • Muscle soreness
  • Decrease in physical stamina

The level of androgen (male hormone) production can be the reason why some men will age with complete vitality, vigor, and virility, and others will not. So what do you do if you have some (or all) of the signs above? Effective long-term treatment involves a comprehensive history, examination and thorough laboratory evaluation. In the vast majority of cases low testosterone (like many other conditions) is nothing more than a sign of other bodily systems that are not functioning properly. Why would your body do this to you? There are many potential causes. Insulin resistance (not necessarily full-blown diabetes) and high levels of cortisol (stress hormone) are a couple. Once the source of the real problem is found, the low testosterone problems typically resolve on their own.