by Dr. G. Pepper | Sep 18, 2011 | general health & nutrition, health, hormones, metabolism, Uncategorized
Lu posts these concerns to Metabolism.com
My boyfriend is in his early 40′s and has been taking testosterone therapy. Instead of his levels increasing, they have decreased…his total is now in the single digits. He takes very good care of himself as he is a fitness trainer and body builder (takes vitamins, etc.). Obviously, with his total level being in the single digits, he has all the “symptoms†of low-T and is frustrated that the therapy is having a reverse reaction. He also suffers from Migraines and has recently been in a car accident that he suffered brain trauma in. I’m wondering if there could be a connection between the trauma and low-T or lower T. Any advice or direction you can head us in would be much appreciated.
In reply Dr. Pepper writes:
Hi Lu
You can’t pour water into a cup and wind up with less water in the cup then what you put in. Likewise, if someone takes testosterone supplement they will have more testosterone in their body then they started with. However, some things can influence the blood levels so one person will have higher or lower levels then someone else taking an identical dose. I have seen a wide variation in how testosterone gels are absorbed through the skin. These products include Androgel, Androderm, Testim, Axilron and Fortesa. One person may not see much of an increase in blood levels of testosterone on one of these gels while another will see levels zoom up to a 1000. Absorption of testosterone that is injected with a needle is less variable. Levels go very high in the first few days after the the injection but after 2 or 3 weeks levels will be low again. Here’s an important point. Since testosterone replacement turns off the body’s production of testosterone, if you stop taking replacement your body will not be making testosterone for weeks to months after resulting in very low levels on blood tests. People who abuse testosterone know this and will have the doctor check their testosterone level a month or two after their last dose, so the doctor will see the low levels and give them a prescription for more medication.
Can head trauma effect the testosterone level? For that to occur the pituitary gland would have to be damaged and that will often be associated with other obvious brain damage. In children less severe trauma can hurt the pituitary.
Hope some of this information is helpful in trying to figure out what is going on with your boyfriend. Good luck.
Gary Pepper, Editor-in-Chief, Metabolism.com
by Gary Pepper M.D. | Mar 21, 2007 | health, hormones, metabolism, misc, nutrition, stress
A published study confirms what has been suspected for some time, which is that men in the Boston area over the past two decades are showing declining levels of testosterone (male hormone), in their blood. Over twenty years the average testosterone level in these men dropped from 501 to 391. Many experts regard a testosterone lower than 300 to be abnormally low and possibly needing testosterone replacement treatment. One of the scientists on the study, Dr. Thomas Travison states that when comparing testosterone levels in Boston men from 1987 to 2005 a decline in the testosterone level in every adult age group was found over this time. The researcher stated that the speed with which the levels of male hormone declined over the twenty years and the uniformity of the decline in all age groups was cause for concern.
It is known that testosterone levels decline slowly as men age. Declining male hormone levels were found even in the 45 to 71 year age range, however. Other known causes of declining testosterone levels, the growing incidence of obesity and sedentary life style in Boston men, did not explain the findings, say the researchers.
Could other factors be at work here? Alcohol has a powerful effect on male hormone levels for many reasons. Some alcohol products like bourbon and beer may have estrogen (female hormone) like plant products in them. Liver disease from excess alcohol consumption can also reduce the level of male hormone. Other drugs may have a negative effect on male hormone production such as cannabis (marijuana, Mary Jane, pot, herb, weed, splif, ganja, the bomb, the shit etc.). Although not nearly as wide spread in its use are the opiate type drugs, heroine, methadone, opium, codeine, hydrocodone etc. which can severely depress male hormone levels.
Environmental pollutants are known to cause adverse hormonal effects in men. Pollutants such as PCB’s and DDT act like female hormone and could reduce a man’s testicular function (the testicle is the site of testosterone and sperm production in men). Even herbal products can have anti-male hormone effect such as soy, black cohosh, and white clover. Perhaps the Boston men are being exposed to these influences more now then in the past and the result is sinking male hormone levels.
Before concluding that Boston men are simply pot smoking, beer drinking, soy eating effeminate couch potatoes, the authors of the study call for additional research into the possible origins of this serious loss of virility hormone in the Boston area.
Gary Pepper M.D.
Editor-in-Chief
metabolism.com
