How Is Low Testosterone Treated?

You already know that you can make the internet and AI “say” anything you want. If you’re in favor of something, there are plenty of articles that bolster your opinion. If you have doubts, you can find the naysayers, too.

That’s why you’re getting confused about testosterone (T) hormone replacement therapy (HRT). You’ve heard for years that raising low levels of T not only alleviates troubling symptoms, including depression and erectile dysfunction (ED), but can protect you from disease.

But maybe your doctor is reluctant to prescribe T because — just as T replacement became acceptable — the naysayers stepped in, too. You may have even asked your doctor to test your T levels and they came back relatively “normal” or only slightly low.

And yet, you don’t feel normal at all. You hardly recognize the way you feel and look. No matter what you do — hit the gym harder, eat more protein — you’re not happy with the outcome.

At Gorman Medical, PC in Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek, Colorado, our medical experts Fran Gorman, DNP, and Charles Ripp, MD, consider your symptoms as much as they consider your bloodwork when recommending T replacement. “Normal” is what helps you feel normal again — safely — and that’s what we aim for when considering men’s health.

How do we treat your low T? Read on to find some of our top recommendations.

You may just need some lifestyle ‘tweaks’

When your T is low and you don’t have a disease that’s caused the plummet, you may be able to raise your levels with simple lifestyle adjustments. The good news is, all of these will also improve your overall health, including your mental health:

Lose the flab

That spare tire around your middle makes it harder to lose the spare tire! Adipose (i.e., fatty) tissue increases your levels of the “female” hormone estrogen, throwing your T off balance. If you need help losing weight, let us know and we can put you on medically supervised weight loss, which may include prescription medications.

Lift heavy things

Whether you go for kettle bells, bench pressing, or even body-weight exercises, the more resistance you force your muscles to work against, the better for your metabolism and your T levels. Muscle tissue helps you burn off that spare tire and, as you build more muscle, your T may rise, too. 

Sleep smarter

Another sign of low T is insomnia or fitful sleep. Improve your sleep hygiene with regular bed- and wake-times, sleeping in a cold dark room, and avoiding screens and heavy meals at night. Your body needs nighttime rest to repair itself … and produce hormones.

Eat better

To build muscle, you need sufficient protein and also healthy fats. If you’re lifting weights regularly, you need to consume about 0.75-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Focus on healthy, grass-fed and finished meats, pastured poultry and eggs, plus wild-caught fish. Eat fermented foods, vegetables, and good fats such as olive oil.

Top off your T

If lifestyle adjustments don’t help enough, or if you’re truly miserable, we can bring your T levels back to a normal that’s right for you. Hormone replacement therapy is easy, basically pain-free, and tailored to your needs, based on symptoms and blood work. 

You may benefit from a cream-based T formulation, which you apply yourself. Or, if you need more of a boost or don’t want the mess of a daily cream, we may prescribe a slow-release method in which we implant a pellet in your arm or buttocks.

We also offer T injections, formulated to your bloodwork. For both pellets and injections, we require new bloodwork before readministration, to be sure your needs are being addressed and that your T levels are neither too high nor too low.

Get back to the you that you knew

If you feel like you’re living with a stranger, and that stranger is you, it’s time to explore whether you’d benefit from hormone therapy. Within days to weeks, you should notice improvements such as:

• More energy
• Better mood
• Improved sleep
• Clearer thinking
• Sharper memory

In addition, you should find it easier to burn fat and build muscle. Higher T levels can also protect your bones from osteoporosis.

Are you ready to restore your T and get back to vitality? For a low T evaluation, phone our nearest office or use the online booking form today.