Testosterone is a key hormone that affects a wide range of physiological functions, from sexual health to muscle strength and bone density. Second, it prepares patients to recognize symptoms of side effects early, enabling timely intervention and management. Testosterone, a hormone chiefly produced in the testicles, plays a crucial role in regulating sex drive (libido), bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass and strength, and the production of red blood cells and sperm.
Evidence supports fenugreek’s role in blood sugar control and the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Some studies have found that it has beneficial effects, including an increased libido. The volume of pumped breast milk increased from around 1.15 ounces (oz), or 34 milliliters (mL) in the control and placebo groups to 2.47 oz (73 mL) in the fenugreek group. Studies on the cholesterol– and blood sugar-lowering effects of fenugreek suggest that doses between 5 and 25 g may be most effective. Across these studies, the drug raised testosterone levels while preserving sperm counts, a clear advantage over topical testosterone, which tends to suppress sperm production. Platforms like AlphaMD, an online men's health clinic focused on hormone health and optimization, offer the kind of medically guided evaluation that makes personalized decisions possible.
However, as men age, their testosterone levels naturally decline, which can lead to various physical, emotional, and psychological changes. Although IPSS scores were shown to significantly improve with TRT over the first 5 years of therapy, one might postulate that if prostate volume continues to increase with continued use of TRT, then LUTS may subsequently worsen after a period of improvement. Current evidence does not support an increased risk for worsening LUTS with TRT, and some men may in fact experience mild symptomatic improvement. One review reported that 6000 men with TD would need to be randomized both to the TRT and control arms and be treated for an average of 5 years to detect a 30% difference in prostate cancer incidence Corona et al. 2013.
Working with a doctor ensures that you’re prescribed testosterone only when you need it and that you’re taking the right dose. But taking it without a doctor’s approval and supervision can be harmful, says Justin Dubin, M.D., a urologist and men’s health specialist at Memorial Healthcare System. Which treatment is right for you comes down to personal preference, your individual situation, and what your insurance covers, says Dr. Tamler. Doctors also factor in any symptoms you’re having, like low libido, fatigue, or just feeling blah. TESTOSTERONE THERAPY IS designed to reverse some of the effects of hypogonadism. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.
The effect of a testosterone replacement dose on your muscles, however, is fairly minimal. This isn’t the only piece of the puzzle, though—erections also rely on healthy nerves and blood flow. They’ll perform two blood tests in the morning (on different days) when testosterone is at its highest, Dr. Smith explains. A condition called hypogonadism develops when your body can’t produce enough of that hormone. As you age, your levels of testosterone tend to decline. So when your levels are low, also known as low T, you can experience many symptoms.
So bringing testosterone levels back up can help reverse this. Muscles respond to testosterone, and starting T-therapy can increase muscle mass, says Dr. Morgentaler. That means that testosterone therapy by itself won't always help erectile dysfunction. Then, they can work with you to make sure your testosterone levels respond appropriately. You may not see them all, but if you do see them, they may not all appear right away, but there are several things to know about testosterone therapy. If you are prescribed testosterone therapy, you’ll likely start to see some changes, big and small, pleasant and not-so-pleasant.
For women, testosterone therapy has a much narrower evidence-based use case, and treatment should remain within the female physiologic range rather than approach male-style replacement targets (Mulhall et al., Journal of Urology, 2018; Davis et al., Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2019). Because prostate cancer is so common, doctors tend to be leery of prescribing testosterone to men who may be at higher than average risk of having undiagnosed prostate cancer. Testosterone therapy may make sense for women who have low testosterone levels and symptoms that might be due to testosterone deficiency. Estrogen therapy increases sex hormone binding globulin and, like aging men, this reduces the amount of free, active testosterone in the body. Although testosterone may make prostate cancer grow, it is not clear that testosterone treatment actually causes cancer.