Can boosting testosterone levels improve your sex life?

Can boosting testosterone levels improve your sex life?

Testosterone is the most powerful hormone in the male body and plays a direct role in fueling a man’s sex drive and performance. This is perfect for men when young and virile but as men age, testosterone levels tend to dwindle by about 1% per year starting around age 40. What happens as a result of testosterone reduction is a concurrent reduction in a man’s libido and ability to achieve and maintain an erection sufficient enough for sex.

While not every man will experience a drop in testosterone levels - some men are able to maintain adequate levels with aging - most men will have a noticeable decline in sexual performance at some point in their lives. Besides affecting a man’s sexual life, low testosterone can also lead to increases in fatigue, mood changes, muscle mass loss and loss of bone strength.

Is testosterone replacement therapy the answer?

For men having bedroom issues and are found to have low levels of testosterone, one treatment to consider for boosting depleted levels is testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). It makes sense to take at look at TRT as a means of not only addressing low sexual desire and erectile dysfunction but also for helping men feel younger with more energy and stamina.

But is TRT right for every man and can it give a shot of life into a man’s sexual life?

One question to ask is what can you expect from testosterone treatment? Since every man is different, it’s difficult to say. Most men will notice improvement in energy level, sex drive, and quality of erections. Other added benefits from this treatment may include increased bone density, muscle mass, improvement in mood, and insulin sensitivity for some men.

Research backs up TRT ability to bring back a man’s sex life. A 2017 meta-analysis published in Current Opinion in Urology showed that TRT was effective for improving mild cases of ED and for improving libido. For men who were not helped by taking ED drugs such as Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis, TRT was found to be effective.

But TRT does have limitations, especially for men with moderate or severe ED. In these situations, the cause of ED is more than just low testosterone and there are more effective means of treating low testosterone than just with TRT.

Risks of testosterone therapy

Even though TRT may seem to be the fountain of youth for men, there are clear risks associated with it.  These risks depend upon the man’s age, life circumstances and medical conditions.   Understanding TRT may not be suitable for every man and should only be administered under the supervision of a medical doctor, can help avoid unnecessary problems that could arise. 

Here are possible health risks for men using TRT that need to be thoroughly discussed with their doctor before using:

·      Prostate cancer

While the evidence of testosterone causing prostate cancer is uncertain, the main concern with TRT is when a man already has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.  There is strong evidence that testosterone can stimulate growth and aggravate symptoms in men with locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer.  After successful treatment of prostate cancer, then a man can be treated with TRT if he has hypogonadism.

·      Heart risks

Aging men with low testosterone levels who take testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) are at a slightly greater risk of experiencing an ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), or myocardial infarction, especially during the first two years of use.  The study reporting this information was published in The American Journal of Medicine which found men ages 45 and older with low testosterone who took TRT had a 21% greater risk of heart attacks and strokes. 

·      Polycythemia 

Polycythemia is a condition where the body makes too many red blood cells which increase the risk of blood clots.  Blood clots in the veins, also known as venous thromboembolism (VTE) include deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).  Periodic blood draws are indicated when on TRT to assess hematocrit levels that can indicate polycythemia.

Weighing the pros and cons of TRT 

For men whose sex life is not what it used to be, should speak with their doctor if they have concerns of low testosterone. Their doctor will review symptoms of low testosterone and do a blood test to measure testosterone levels to confirm a diagnosis. The normal range of blood testosterone is 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter.

Men who are found to have inadequate levels of testosterone, will be advised by their doctor on the next steps. If they choose TRT to treat it, there are several options of delivery of testosterone that might include injections, patches applied to the skin at night, or daily gels rubbed into the skin wither on the upper arms, shoulders, or thighs.

Making the decision to use TRT or not for treating low testosterone, should be thoughtfully considered and determined if it’s the right treatment for each man. If a man feels confident that TRT is his answer for improving his sex life and with his doctor’s approval, then it can be tried along with other healthy lifestyle changes such as getting adequate sleep, eating a nutritious diet, reducing stress, and treating any other chronic medical conditions.

Dr. David Samadi is the Director of Men’s Health and Urologic Oncology at St. Francis Hospital in Long Island. He’s a renowned and highly successful board certified Urologic Oncologist Expert and Robotic Surgeon in New York City, regarded as one of the leading prostate surgeons in the U.S., with a vast expertise in prostate cancer treatment and Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy.  Visit Dr. Samadi’s websites at robotic oncology and prostate cancer 911.