New to Hormone Replacement Therapy?
“REPLACING ALL OF OUR DEFICIENT HORMONES – thyroid, testosterone, DHEA, and estradiol – to levels we had in our youth is beneficial to both our health and quality of life.”
– NEAL ROUZIER, MD
The truth about hormone replacement for men
Menopause in females is a widely discussed, well-studied phenomenon, yet its equivalent in males – andropause – is virtually ignored. They are very similar experiences. Both typically occur from age 40 on and are caused by having low T or low testosterone. Both can be accompanied by fatigue, depression, irritability, aches, and pains, and many other issues.
Typically, when hormones in men are discussed, it is usually about the abuse among athletes, which has given rise to the perception that all testosterone is dangerous. Add to that the unfounded fear that testosterone causes prostate cancer, and the misunderstanding escalates.
Tackling low testosterone in a natural, healthy way is what our Male Excel team of HRT medical providers specialize in. Don’t let misinformation turn you away from a healthy option as you work through andropause or other issues related to low testosterone.
Bioidentical testosterone therapy is safe when done correctly
Testosterone replacement therapy [TRT], done with bioidentical testosterone in physiologic doses, is not only safe but also protective. Testosterone has been shown to prevent osteoporosis, protect against cardiovascular disease, increase energy, fight impotence, and improve mood. A recently published study showed that men with higher testosterone levels live longer.
Addressing TRT and its many benefits
Multiple medical studies have proven that testosterone does not cause prostate cancer. Interestingly, men typically get prostate cancer when they are older and their testosterone levels are naturally at their lowest. In fact, low testosterone levels are associated with more aggressive cancerous tumors.
Men who receive testosterone replacement therapy from Male Excel typically report they feel sexier, stronger, and healthier. Testosterone therapy can slow down the physical decline that robs men of their energy, strength, and libido by restoring muscle tone, improving stamina, mood, and one’s overall sense of well-being.
Getting older is inevitable, feeling older is a choice.
Hormones are necessary molecules created naturally in your body to regulate your mood and physiology. However, by the age of 40, men’s hormone production has declined significantly.
The reason for this? Until after the 1950s, the average man couldn’t expect to live beyond 40 years old! Human physiology hasn’t adapted to the long life afforded by modern medicine. In other words: your life is barely started, but your body is preparing itself for death!
From “How to Achieve Healthy Aging, Second Edition,” Neal Rouzier, M.D.
There is a growing change in how we practice medicine. People are beginning to realize that they no longer have to accept the fact that their health, appearance and function must deteriorate. They no longer want to accept growing frail and feeble. This new evolution is a culmination of research effort over years from some of the most distinguished medical and scientific research centers in the country.
Physicians have finally realized that science has now given them the tools to enhance the quality of life by preventing deterioration through hormone replacement. Science is creating a new paradigm of preventative medicine by allowing our bodies to remain strong, healthy and vigorous. For centuries man has been searching for the Fountain of Youth, that potion that would stop the aging process. Research has now shown that part of the answer exists within our endocrine system. Medical journals have well documented studies on the health benefits and feel-good benefits of HRT.
What are the main health benefits of BHRT?
The health benefits of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) should be on the front page of every newspaper in the world. Testosterone is a wonder drug that can delay the negative symptoms of old age. Hormones, in particular, testosterone, are much maligned in the mainstream media and by those that don’t know the true potential of this powerful preventative medicine. Thankfully those who show faith in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can expect a longer, healthier, and more fulfilled life.
- Your sex drive jumps to a new level
- You’ll find it’s easier to build muscle
- Your energy levels can skyrocket
- Your mood can improve
- You will find it easier to lose weight
What are bioidentical hormones?
What needs to be clear to new patients is the fundamental difference between synthetic and bioidentical hormones. Synthetic hormones carry a health risk, and your body does not recognize them in the same way natural hormones are and often cause unpleasant side effects. We only ever offer bioidentical hormone replacement, hormones that are structurally and chemically exactly the same as those naturally produced in your body. This is the good stuff, and the health benefits are unbelievable.
- Improved libido and sexual satisfaction
- Reduced bad cholesterol (LDL)
- Increased metabolism
- Improved cardiovascular function
- Increased lean muscle mass and strength
- Decreased body fat (dangerous visceral fat)
- Increased confidence, positivity, memory, and brain function
- Reduced feelings of depression
- Increased energy levels
- Improved sleep
- More equipped to deal with stress
- Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and relief from insulin resistance
What are the side effects of BHRT?
It would make no sense for our bodies to produce hormones such as testosterone and estrogen if they were harmful to us. Our bodies produce them because we need them. If testosterone were so damaging, doctors would recommend men be castrated unless they want children to protect them from harm. As we all know, this does not happen.
If you consider reduced risk of diabetes, improved cardio health, the sex drive of a twenty-year-old, and a happy wife side effects, then yes, you should expect some side effects.
Which hormones are impacted with aging?
Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone that plays a hugely important role in the human body. Testosterone is considered the primary male hormone that provides many characteristics of being a man, such as libido, lean muscle and strength, stamina, confidence, and mental capabilities. Through its conversion to estrogen, testosterone affects bone health, including bone density. Testosterone increases bone density and bone formation at optimal levels, enhancing energy and sex drive, decreases body fat, increases muscle strength and size, lowers blood pressure, and positively affects LDL and HDL levels.
Optimizing testosterone via subcutaneous injections or creams is a cost-efficient and effective tool in curbing the “midlife crisis.” With all of the life benefits testosterone offers, it’s a hormone both men and women should not venture into their forties without.
DHEA
DHEA is a precursor to other essential hormones such as testosterone and estradiol. Because it is present in every cell in your body, this hormone’s effects are far-reaching. DHEA supports the immune system, protects you against cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, brittle bones (osteoporosis), heart disease, depression, regulates stress hormones, and is a potent anti-inflammatory. Clinical studies have revealed that DHEA profoundly affects the immune system, sex drive, metabolism, and one’s emotional stability. Its effect on the immune system via regulation of stress hormones and by its function as a powerful antioxidant illustrates one of its age resisting capabilities.
Other health-related benefits include its ability to alter cognitive decline, help the body cope with stress, and its beneficial influence over the heart through cholesterol modulation. Unfortunately, these benefits decline with age. Proven studies keep DHEA in the news and in the interest of people who strive to remain healthy in their later years.
Thyroid
Your thyroid hormones are critical to how other hormones in your body react. Without a balance of thyroid hormones along with testosterone, hormone optimization is not possible. This metabolic hormone secreted by the thyroid gland regulates temperature, energy, metabolism, and cerebral function. At optimal levels, it breaks down fat, resulting in weight loss and lower cholesterol—the thyroid hormone wards off heart disease and memory impairment. Insufficient thyroid levels result in fatigue, slowness in speech and action, depression, and immune dysfunction.
Estradiol: (Estrogen)
Now, strictly speaking, this is not a medication we ”give” to men; however, because it is a by-product of testosterone, the benefits are essential to point out. Many TRT clinics offer their patients aromatase inhibitors (AI’s) to block testosterone conversion into estradiol. As a new Male Excel patient, it’s essential to see that these clinics do not understand why estrogen is so important.
Estrogen is good for you; by blocking it, you run the risk of developing diseases and unwanted side effects such as osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, erectile dysfunction, and heart disease.
Without estrogen, testosterone does not perform as effectively. Men who take testosterone purely to build muscle often take estrogen blockers thinking they will gain more. Ironically it is the estrogen that aids protein synthesis, creating muscle, so they are making things harder for themselves and risking their future health. Our message is simple, do not take estrogen blockers.
Why your primary care doctor says your testosterone levels are "normal"
The majority of our patients report they have tried talking to their doctors about the adverse symptoms they’re experiencing, only to be told there’s nothing wrong, it’s normal with age. Doctors should know the signs of low testosterone and all too often shrug patients off with antidepressants, telling them to lose weight, eat well and exercise. Don’t accept being told your levels are normal.
Most primary care doctors don’t understand that ‘normal’ is not ‘optimal.’ The acceptable ‘viable’ range set by standard healthcare isn’t utilizing hormone replacement to its full potential. A 19-year-old man will commonly reach an optimum level of around 1000 ng/dL. He is fit, healthy, and enjoys all the protective benefits optimized hormones offer. When you have optimal hormones, your body operates at its best, whatever your age; this is the kind of level Male Excel aims to achieve using bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
Testosterone injections or cream?
Bioidentical testosterone is best given as a daily subcutaneous injection or applied as a cream twice a day. Both methods are self-administered easily at home. There are advantages and disadvantages to both; however, both are highly effective at optimizing your hormone levels.
- The injections use the same kind of tiny needle that people with diabetes use to inject insulin and cause very little pain. Usually, patients choose to inject themselves into the subcutaneous fat layer on the stomach or upper thigh.
- Application of the cream is to the groin area or the scrotum in the morning and just before bed. The cream is popular for those who don’t like the idea of injecting themselves.
How long until you see results?
Testosterone replacement therapy is a long-term investment in yourself, and partnered with lifestyle improvements will change your life. BHRT should be offered to every man over 40 and then would completely change uninformed, negative opinion. If more widely available, TRT would undoubtedly reduce the burden of age-related disease on the health system and save millions of dollars spent each year treating diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and strokes. But how long does it take to see results?
One of the first benefits our patients tend to experience is a noticeable boost in energy levels in as little as a week. Effects on sexual interest usually appear after 3 to 6 weeks, including increased libido, increased pleasure, and improved erectile function, along with reduced symptoms of depression. Other benefits such as weight loss, strength, and muscle gain do take longer, accelerated significantly by exercise and a healthy diet, but studies suggest that noticeable effects start within 12-16 weeks.
What people say
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Frequently Asked Questions
HRT stands for hormone replacement therapy. Hormone levels are tested and medications are administered to help hormones such as testosterone and thyroid reach their optimum levels.
TRT stands for testosterone replacement therapy. Testosterone is given to combat decreasing levels in men. This is to fight the usual signs and symptoms of aging such as fatigue, weight gain, loss of libido, and muscle loss.
We offer a daily injectable Testosterone Cypionate or a twice-daily Lipoderm cream. Both are bioidentical.
The benefits of HRT are extensive but include the following: healthy heart and blood, less fat, more muscle, stronger bones, improved libido, better sleep, improved memory, spatial ability and mental reasoning, improved mood, and better sex.
You can start your HRT journey by filling out our simple online hormone assessment here.
On average it takes approximately 7 business days from ordering your test kit to receiving your results. This is obviously dependent on how quickly you complete and return the test via free return postage. Once we have received your results, a dedicated medical provider will review this along with your online assessment to create your personalized treatment plan.
This is a very difficult question because there is no definitive answer. Everybody is biologically different and responds to the treatment differently. For detailed information, click here.
The test indicates whether you will benefit from this treatment and what your current hormone levels are. We can then know the proper medication to get your testosterone and thyroid to their optimum levels.
Our blood spot test measures 5 key hormone levels. It offers distinct advantages over traditional testing methods because it eliminates the need for a blood draw – saving patients time and money. Our blood spot test is a simple to use test that is done in the comfort of your own home. It involves a finger prick and 12 drops of blood dropped onto a card. We include free return postage with your test for your convenience.
Yes. HRT is safe when monitored by a licensed medical provider. This is why we require yearly testing and symptoms questionnaires every 2 months.
The treatment is effective for as long as you take it. Once you stop taking HRT your levels will return to the levels they were previously.
