• At Anti-Aging Northwest, testosterone therapy is accomplished via a twice-weekly self-administered testosterone injection, or via a daily application of topical testosterone cream. You’ll find other delivery methods discussed below.

• Results from your testosterone treatment program are usually felt in about 2 weeks; and for most men, the symptoms of hormone imbalance will resolve completely in 4 to 5 weeks.

• It is critically important that your treatment program include balancing other male hormones with testosterone (specifically estrogen, thyroid, and DHEA), and that you maintain good lifestyle habits (like eating well, including enough physical activity into you daily routine, and managing stress as much as possible).  This is what makes male hormone replacement therapy safe and effective.  Your Renew Man treatment plan will always include monitoring these other important hormones.

• Testosterone should be given in frequent, small doses, mimicking what the body does naturally.  Trying to administer testosterone less frequently will yield poor results.

• Men need some estrogen to main strong bones.  But if estrogen levels are too high, men will experience unpleasant symptoms, and prostate cancer risk increases.  Your estrogen levels will be carefully monitored, and will estrogen blockers will be prescribed if necessary.

• Testosterone should never be taken by mouth. Oral testosterone, in the doses needed by andropausal men, can cause liver damage.  Injections or topical cream are the safest and most effective way to go.

 

Methods Of Delivery Used

We offer two safe and effective methods to administer testosterone.

 

Testosterone Injections:

About 95% of our clients use testosterone injections to increase their testosterone levels. Those using topical cream tend to do so because they are needle-phobic. We recommend the use of testosterone injections for our clients who don’t have an issue with needles. Here’s why:

• Testosterone injections offer a pre-set, measured amount of testosterone for your body.  In other words, they’re really precise.

• With twice-weekly injections, your body will receive a steady supply of testosterone without the peaks and valleys associated with other forms of delivery (i.e. injections provide optimal time-release).

• Testosterone is suspended in oil and injected into the hip or thigh where it “pools” in the muscle. As blood flows by this “pool” of testosterone, small amounts are released into the blood stream, thereby mimicking the way your body would release testosterone naturally.

• There is less conversion of testosterone to DHT, the stronger form of testosterone, with injections. This means less stress on the prostate.

• Self-administration is simple and painless, using a small needle.

 

Testosterone Topical Cream:

Testosterone cream has its benefits, especially for men who prefer not to use needles for their testosterone treatment.

• Testosterone topical cream provides good time release of testosterone into the body through daily application to the skin.  However, absorption can vary depending on the condition of the skin (i.e. composition, moisture, etc.), which makes it somewhat less precise than injections.

• Caution must be exercised to ensure that transference does not occur through skin-to-skin contact with other people.

• There is a higher rate of conversion of testosterone to DHT when using topical cream, as the testosterone passes through the hair follicles of the skin.  Elevated levels of DHT can cause hair loss, and can put stress on the prostate.

 

 

Methods Of Delivery Not Used in Our Treatment Programs

 

Testosterone Pellets:

Testosterone pellets were first introduced in 2005 as a method for replacing testosterone. A testosterone pellet is a small, half-inch long pellet that is surgically placed under the skin and releases testosterone into your system for about 4 to 6 months. The use of pellets grew in popularity for about a year, until those using them recognized their limitations:

• Pellets tend to put too much testosterone into the system for the first several weeks following implantation, and then too little later on.

• Pellets offer very little in terms of flexibility of dosage. If there is too much testosterone in the body, estrogen levels can increase, which can have a negative impact on the prostate and can cause side effects. If there is too little testosterone, symptoms will persist. With pellets, you can’t make the minor adjustments you will need to make from time-to-time to maintain optimal levels.

• Some physicians will recommend testosterone pellets because they can use a surgical procedure code as a basis for charging a higher fee. Make sure you ask the hard questions so you are informed about your options.

 

Testosterone Patches:

Testosterone patches have been around for quite some time, and were very popular until about 4 years ago. Patches involve the use of a commercially produced patch that is usually applied to the scrotum:

• Though testosterone patches provide good time release, they tend to be—as you can imagine—quite uncomfortable.

• Doses are typically inadequate for the average man in need of testosterone replacement therapy.

 

At Anti-Aging Northwest, we do not use testosterone pellets or patches, nor do we use any unsafe or unproven delivery methods for testosterone therapy.  If it isn’t safe, and if it isn’t effective, it will not be a part of any treatment program we provide.

Testosterone replacement therapy is safe and effective if you work with a trained physician, and a quality program. We have been at the cutting edge of hormone replacement for men since 2006.  Give us a call, and let us impress you with what we know.  You can reach us at (509) 474-0597, or request a consultation through our contact form.