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At about 20 years of age, a woman experiences peak levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. By the time a woman reaches 40, her body is making only half of these amounts. By the time of menopause, many women choose to undergo hormone replacement therapy with estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progesterone to treat menopausal symptoms. Even so, many still do not feel quite themselves. Often they are suffering from the effects of declining levels of testosterone.
Benefits of testosterone
Women: It is a common misconception that testosterone is strictly a male hormone. In fact, testosterone is produced in both males and females. In women, the ovaries and adrenal glands produce about one-tenth the amount present in males, but this amount is critical to good health and well being. In fact, puberty and the onset of menstruation is triggered by the "male hormones," testosterone and DHEA. Just prior to ovulation, a surge in testosterone creates an increase in the sex drive of most women.
For women, the two most common sexual complaints are difficulty achieving orgasm and lack of libido. Both of these problems can be helped by administration of supplemental natural testosterone. Small amounts of testosterone cream applied to the skin will increase libido for most women.
Testosterone is a natural anabolic steroid. This means it helps build up body tissue. By administering safe amounts of this hormone, the age-related loss of lean body mass may be slowed. Testosterone can be converted into estradiol, a powerful form of estrogen, which is known to help prevent bone loss.
Since women have about 1/10th the circulating levels of testosterone as men, we typically supplement at about 1/10th the male dose. Most women in our practice receive dosages of natural testosterone of 2 mg per day.
Men: Testosterone levels in men remain relatively constant until about age 50, at which time they begin to fall slowly. This counterpart to the female menopause is called the andropause (or the "male menopause"). Unlike the situation for women, however, where the decline in hormone production is often sudden and abrupt, the decline in male hormone production is much more gradual.
In the past few years, there has been a dramatic reversal in our thinking about testosterone. In the old days, like 10 years ago, testosterone was regarded as "the enemy." It was felt to be beneficial only for younger men for whom it conferred increased muscle mass, stronger bones, powerful sexual urges, and the three V’s of vim, vigor and vitality. For older men however it was something to be feared and usually avoided. Testosterone was felt to be the cause of such age-related complaints as male pattern baldness, urinary difficulties and prostate cancer. This is no longer felt to be true, and men who utilize "testo" as part of their anti-aging program can experience many profound age-reversing benefits.
We recommend that most men withhold testosterone replacement until they begin to develop signs of testosterone deficiency (decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, etc.) At that point in time, we recommend that they undergo a complete hormone panel, which tests for all of the male hormones. This panel should include both free and total testosterone levels, DHT, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), estradiol, progesterone and a PSA test for prostate cancer. Based on the results of this initial testing, a rational treatment plan can be devised.
If the decision is made to implement testosterone therapy, we will almost always choose to go with a transdermal natural testosterone
cream. Typical doses prescribed are 25-100 mg of natural testosterone per day usually given in two divided doses.
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