Testosterone Injections: Uses & Side Effects

Testosterone Injections: Uses & Side Effects

Testosterone regulates libido and is necessary for the production of sperm. Without sufficient levels, sexual desire and function can decline, affecting both physical intimacy and reproductive health. Testosterone plays a pivotal role in maintaining muscle mass and strength. It promotes protein synthesis, which is vital for building and repairing muscle tissue. This process is key to maintaining muscle size and preventing muscle breakdown, especially as you age.

The sex hormone–binding protein rises with age, so an older man may have a normal total testosterone level but still be low where it counts, in bioavailable testosterone. Instead of a single normal level for testosterone, normal men exhibit a wide range, with testosterone levels between 270 and 1,070 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). But, like so many biological functions, testosterone production waxes and wanes over a 24-hour cycle; production is highest at 8 a.m.

The pituitary gland sends a signaling hormone to the testicles to produce more testosterone. There’s a wide range of normal or healthy levels of testosterone circulating in the bloodstream. Testosterone deficiency during fetal development doesn’t allow male characteristics to develop normally. This is called androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) and occurs when someone is genetically male but is insensitive to androgens (male sex hormones). If any of these organs — your hypothalamus, pituitary gland or gonads — aren’t working normally, that can cause abnormal testosterone levels. Some athletes and bodybuilders misuse synthetic testosterone (anabolic steroids) by taking very high doses of them in an attempt to boost performance or change their physical appearance.

Your body controls the levels of testosterone in your blood. Levels are usually highest in the morning and decline during the day. Healthcare providers use synthetic testosterone to treat and manage various medical conditions. Natural testosterone is a steroid — an anabolic-androgenic steroid. « Anabolic » refers to muscle building, and « androgenic » refers to increased male sex characteristics. LetsGetChecked’s Male Hormone Complete offers a comprehensive insight into your hormone levels and hormonal health, it can help identify any imbalances in your hormones that may be affecting your everyday life. Online results will be available within ~2-5 days on your personalized dashboard.

If you have questions about testosterone testing, talk with your health care provider, who can discuss whether this testing is appropriate in your situation. But be sure your healthcare provider knows about all medicines, herbs, vitamins, and supplements you are taking. This includes medicines that don’t need a prescription and any illegal drugs you may use. The FDA currently advises against treating males with low testosterone caused only by aging. Karen Herbst, MD, PhD, an endocrinologist, specializes in testosterone deficiency. A health care provider inserts these pellets under your skin (usually in the buttocks area) every 3 to 6 months.

Check with your doctor about how to prepare for your testosterone test, and carefully follow any instructions before the test. Testosterone testing requires a blood draw ordered by a doctor. The blood sample is usually taken during a visit to a doctor’s office, clinic, lab, or hospital.

During puberty, it’s responsible for the development of your penis and testes, your ability to grow facial hair and your voice deepening, and your sperm production. Normal testosterone levels vary, depending on your age, size, overall health, and even the time of day. Blood or saliva tests can measure your testosterone, and doctors recommend testosterone replacement therapy if your levels are too low, Dr. Patel says. If you need to know where you stand, you should ask to have your total testosterone and free or bioavailable testosterone levels measured, preferably early in the morning.

Unfortunately, most physicians will only check total testosterone levels and that is usually after the patient requests their testosterone level be checked. The majority of testosterone in the body is found by sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG is a glycoprotein in our plasma which binds to testosterone and estrogen and is responsible for transporting these hormones throughout the body. Having too much SHBG can be a problem in that it causes one to have lower free testosterone levels. It’s called free testosterone because it what is the normal range of testosterone in females – https://goldneonatal.com/ – not bound by SHBG and is free to interact with testosterone receptor sites, making it active. We need a certain amount of SHBG to transport testosterone throughout the body. However, having too much SHBG is like having an Uber driver take you to work but then not letting you get out.