Testosterone without Side Effects – Does it Exist?
Assuring that a healthy balance of testosterone is present in the body, most men will have to consider their options in treating a testosterone deficiency at some point in their lives.
Testosterone supplementation is available, and upon confirmation of declining levels, this is made possible by injection.
You would think that by giving the body what it wants, it would just go back to its regular functioning, but this is not the case with testosterone injectables.
Since our hormonal system is a complex myriad of signalling and protective mechanisms that ultimately aim to achieve homeostasis, when a male decides to inject testosterone, he must understand the risk and side effects that come from that decision.
The main disadvantage of testosterone supplementation is that when you inject testosterone (this being supplied from an external source), it activates the negative feedback loop within the pituitary gland.
The message, therefore, that is communicated to the body is: “Well, there’s plenty of testosterone here- I don’t need to make it anymore at the moment”.
How long do the effects of a testosterone injection last?
Testosterone production, when it falls within normal levels will continue producing around the clock by good health and a fully functioning endocrine system. By the time male testosterone levels are on the decline and testosterone supplementation has begun you can anticipate these injections will last approximately 14 days. After this, testosterone will dramatically drop, which is why a 14-day treatment schedule is usually enforced to prevent this drop from occurring.
Testosterone Supplementation and Timeframe for Improvement
With testosterone injections, patients typically see improvements within the first month of treatment but the biggest results appear around the 4-6 week mark. Most patients begin to notice improvements in the first month of therapy. Supplementation must always be monitored by an experienced medical professional.
The risks of treating low testosterone through injecting testosterone should always be explained to a patient. Often these risks are enough for a male to contemplate other options. Luckily there are alternatives, and though you may not get this information from your GP, the treatment delivers much of the same benefits of testosterone supplementation, but without the negative side effects.
Testosterone supplementation may produce adverse side effects
The metabolism of testosterone results in its conversion into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol (E2, a form of estrogen).
When levels of DHT are elevated, a patient may experience adverse effects such as an increased oiliness of skin, including the development of acne. High levels of DHT have been shown to cause male pattern baldness. It also has the potential to create a benign growth of the prostate.
Where there are increases in estradiol that are considered by the body to be abnormal, this can lead to moodiness, fluid retention and often a male will develop male breast enlargement or changes in the breast tissue. Abnormal estradiol levels have been associated with low testosterone levels, instances of erectile dysfunction and decreased free testosterone.
Side Effects of TRT:
- Prostate Changes
- Suppression of Fertility
- “Blood Thickening”
- Potential decreases in “good cholesterol” or high-density lipoproteins (HDL)
- Increases in diastolic blood pressure
- Erythrocytosis
Testosterone and Fertility
The internal messages cause the body to lower LH and FSH production which necessarily translates to a decrease in the internal testosterone production.
This also creates a reduced sperm cell production. By injecting testosterone, it, therefore, reduces fertility and decreases the size and firmness of the testicles due to less cellular activity and less sperm production. This is all about the amount of testosterone that is being injected, whereby higher supplementation increases these internal hormonal messages.
If you are a young male with low testosterone and you haven’t yet had a family, but want to maintain your fertility, then there is an issue with testosterone supplement. In this case, HCG may be a better option for you. But if you’re in your 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and you’ve had children already, have no interest in having more, or have any at all, then maintaining fertility is not a concern for you.
What you would be seeking then is to keep your testosterone levels for the health of your brain, your heart, your blood vessels, your bones, and muscles. The decision becomes relatively easy when you are not putting fertility into the equation.
Low Testosterone Treatment – SARMs
Sarms – Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators
SARMs is another option, men can consider when considering low testosterone. SARMs are selective androgen receptor modulators, and there are many types of them. Some of them activate the androgen receptors and accentuate its effects, and some of them block the androgen receptor and inhibit its effect, but they are all selective. Hence the acronym SARMs. They are all selective androgen receptor modulators, which means that they have stronger effects in some tissues than in others. There are SARMs that specifically work in muscles and bones and accentuate the effects of the testosterone androgen receptor complex. This has a greater effect within the binding of the testosterone to the androgen receptor, without the side effects in hair, skin, and prostate cells.
In conclusion you now have some basic information on testosterone and its effects in the male body.
