Options to Increase Your Testosterone

Options to Increase Your Testosterone

Likewise, while some literature suggests that food ingestion might affect testosterone levels, the evidence is particularly weak, and the Panel does not recommend that clinicians insist on fasting prior to testing. Your energy level is down, you’re putting on weight, your mood is affected and your sex drive is decreased. Ads for testosterone therapy flood the television and it looks pretty easy to get. Get the facts about testosterone treatments and why some men may need it.

However, in February 2025, after reviewing a “large clinical trial,” the FDA announced several label changes to testosterone drugs. Chief among them was the removal of the black box warning from all testosterone products that stated the drugs could lead to increased risk of cardiac events. Ultimately, the clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine and cited by the FDA concluded that testosterone therapy did not increase cardiovascular risk. Millions of American men use a prescription testosterone injection or gel as forms of testosterone replacement therapy (often referred to as TRT therapy) to restore normal levels of the manly hormone. The ongoing pharmaceutical marketing blitz promises that low-T treatment can make men feel more alert, energetic, mentally sharp, and sexually functional.

Doctors define a normal blood level of testosterone as 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) and higher. According to the American College of Physicians, a man’s testosterone level declines about 1.6% per year beginning in his mid-30s. About 20% of men ages 60 and older have low testosterone levels; that proportion rises to 30% for men in their 70s, and 50% for men in their 80s. You may have seen advertisements and various celebrity endorsements touting the wonders of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). They claim that raising testosterone levels makes men feel younger and stronger, and boosts their sex life. You may start to notice an enhanced sex drive as well as improvements in your mood and quality of life.

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is an option for men who have low testosterone levels due to male hypogonadism. TRT involves taking manufactured forms of testosterone to regulate your levels of this hormone. People with castration-resistant prostate cancer who receive these treatments will continue to receive ADT (e.g., an LHRH agonist) to keep testosterone levels low, because an increase in testosterone could lead to tumor progression in some men (12).

The pellets dissolve slowly and can deliver TRT for 3–6 months. The dosage varies between individuals and a person should discuss this with their doctor prior to the first implantation. Topical gel dosage is usually between 40–100 mg per day but this will vary between products. A person should start at the lowest recommended dose and increase gradually, if necessary. Injectable testosterone is an inexpensive and common form of TRT. A person can receive short-acting treatment, which involves a shot every 1 or 2 weeks, or long-acting treatment, in which the second shot is 4 weeks after the first, and all others are 10 weeks apart.

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can help improve the symptoms of low testosterone due to male hypogonadism. TRT has certain risks and benefits, so your healthcare provider will carefully evaluate if it’s safe and right for you. Although some men believe they feel younger and more vigorous if they take testosterone medications, there’s little evidence to support the use of testosterone in otherwise healthy men. Guidelines from the American College of Physicians indicate that testosterone therapy might improve sexual function somewhat in some men, but there’s little evidence that it improves other functions, such as vitality and energy. Patients should be sure to tell their doctor about all medications and supplements they are taking, including over-the-counter herbal medicines.

After not feeling his best for a while, he went to a doctor to test his testosterone levels. The results showed that while he was within the acceptable range, his testosterone levels were on the lower end of the range. His doctor prescribed him a testosterone cream that he rubbed on his chest. After using the cream for a while, he didn’t feel like he was feeling better.

There is some controversy about the risks of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease with testosterone therapy. Current studies do not seem to support the idea that this therapy what causes a enlarged testicle prostate cancer. But if a patient already has prostate cancer, there may be some risks of TRT. Studies have reached myriad conclusions on the pros and cons of testosterone therapy.