Testosterone and Testosterone Supplements

[nysprod]

This isn't really for guys looking to get big in the gym, nor is it for unsupervised black market use. Rather it's for mature (50's) guys like me who want to reinvigorate and/or replace with prescription T or T boosting supplements..

I haven't checked my levels yet and although I feel very good, I'm definitely not 22. I don't have experience with prescription testosterone but I have used a T booster supplement from GNC called TestX180 which I feel has made some noticable differences in strength and libido. Many other T boosting supplements exist as well.

So I'm interested in other guys experiences with prescription T and/or T boosting supplements.

[nysprod]

These may boost T levels as well lol

[runningdownthatdream]

I tried the Rivalus product Enpulse a few years back and it worked. Enpulse contains 10 of the most commonly known natural test boosters like horny goat weed, tribulus terrestris, etc.It takes about 5-7 days of use before you notice a difference and you have to take it continuously thereafter. It's quite expensive at around 80.00 for a months supply. After about 14 days use I started feeling lethargic. This had happened to me before with other standalone products like horny goat weed and tribulis terrestris. So after about 20 days use I just stopped using it. I think though that the issue is NOT following the directions on the box and just working out through trial and error what dose you should take and at what frequency. I suspect I needed to dose every 36-48 hours rather than every 24 or to simply reduce the daily dosage. Never bothered to experiment though.

Recently - and quite accidentally - I found that Prunella tea has a similar effect. And its cheap at about 5.00 for a kilo of the dried flowers. That lasts 2-3 months if consumed daily. Again, it takes a few days to start feeling the effects but it does work.

I read somewhere that its extremely important to vary the source of test boosters - i.e.: if you take prunella for six weeks, you should then switch to another supplement such as tribulus terrestris, and then again after 6 weeks to something else. Using the same source will reduce its effects over the long term. Not sure how true this is though.

[nysprod]

That's interesting...alternating ingredients makes sense to me, although I haven't had issues with lethargy.

I tend to go on and off TestX180...I definitely added 4-5 mph to my golf swimg, which is huge. After I go back on it within a few days I get really horny...one weekend I remember cuming 7 times in 3 days.

[runningdownthatdream]

That's interesting...alternating ingredients makes sense to me, although I haven't had issues with lethargy.

I tend to go on and off TestX180...I definitely added 4-5 mph to my golf swimg, which is huge. After I go back on it within a few days I get really horny...one weekend I remember cuming 7 times in 3 days.

I hear you! Definitely a good feeling to be waking up with morning wood at age 45.

[nysprod]

Even better at 53 lol

[Daniel LaRusso]

You should make an appointment and get the proper stuff from your doctor. If you are 50+ you will probably get it.

Test boosters work best for guys in their 30s and 40s, but if they have low test levels, they should see a doctor as well.

Not only does it help your libido, but your general quality of life; feeling less fatigued, warding off illness, etc.

[Kevin Dong]

Most if not all OTC testosterone "boosters" are so miniscule in their effectiveness that you would have to eat boxes of them to get any measurable increase in your T levels on a blood test.

Doctors prescribe 200-400mg of testosterone per week in androgel or injectable form to men your age. The most common injectable is Testosterone Cypionate. Men's hormones peak at 18-20 y.o. and decrease from that point on. You will hear them say "I don't feel 18 anymore" - there is a reason for that. They complain about being lethargic, tired, requiring viagra, cialis, and whatever else to even be able to perform. It's your hormones sinking to below normal levels for a male. Alcohol consumption, smoking of any kind, poor diet, obesity, all lead to aromatization and the increase of estrogen in men. Combined with plummeting T levels this is a recipe for heart disease, prostate issues, erectile difficulty, loss of sexual arousal, and the list goes on.

Most people think testosterone right away means steroids, and they are correct. There is a difference between replacing your natural levels that you had as a healthy youth, and taking supraphysiological levels that bodybuilders take. If you aren't feeling like your old self and you're over the age of 30, rely on caffeine just to get through the day, experience sexual dysfunction/disinterest you should be speaking to your doctor about having your hormone panel bloodwork done (both male and female hormones).

The bottom line is that your quality of life and the feelings associated with being a man are very dependent on naturally occurring hormones in your body. There is nothing wrong with your doctor putting you on one T shot a week to replace what you've lost and simply are no longer able to produce yourself.

[nysprod]

I think the supplement i take works well for me because even though i'm older, i'm still in good shape although not a triathelete lol...but certainly, guys who are overweight, really out of shape and have chronic problems like diabetes or CAD, they need to correct multiple problems.

[nysprod]

You should make an appointment and get the proper stuff from your doctor. If you are 50+ you will probably get it.

Test boosters work best for guys in their 30s and 40s, but if they have low test levels, they should see a doctor as well.

Not only does it help your libido, but your general quality of life; feeling less fatigued, warding off illness, etc.

Are you on prescription T? I'd be interested in hearing your experience.

[broncofan]

I had normal free testosterone and total testosterone levels and took androgel 5 mg for a couple of months for depression. I'm in my early 30s. I noticed an initial boost in libido and energy, but this went away after a little more than a week. I also had minor decrease in the size of my testicles that reverted back to normal after I stopped taking it.

Overall, I didn't get much benefit from the supplement in terms of depression. I would have minor anger problems, which I hear is rare on the small doses I was taking. But I'm pretty sure it was related to the androgel. The increase in energy was not that significant after a month or two of being on it so I stopped taking it.

[fred41]

For what it's worth...I can't vouch for testosterone, but I do take Korean Ginseng, and I at least think it works...whether that belief is in my mind or real though...I wouldn't know. One thing to keep in mind though is that it's a natural blood thinner (like many of the "G" vitamins...such as Ginger Root which I also take)...so it probably wouldn't be wise for anyone to take if they are already on prescription blood thinners.

[giovanni_hotel]

You should make an appointment and get the proper stuff from your doctor. If you are 50+ you will probably get it.

Test boosters work best for guys in their 30s and 40s, but if they have low test levels, they should see a doctor as well.

Not only does it help your libido, but your general quality of life; feeling less fatigued, warding off illness, etc.

No physically active guy in his 30s or even early 40s should need a T booster, unless he's trying to find a supplement for BBing.
20something year olds absolutely will get no benefit from T boosters because their own natural production is peaking.

[Dino Velvet]

I'll be reading this thread. I'm 46 and in an in-between stage getting ready to tuck my tail between my legs and ask the nice people at Walgreen's for some glasses so I can read the back of the TV Dinners with. God damn the people who put black ink on red background. Damn you to Hell, Stouffer's!

I always thought for me at about 60 my body will need to be overhauled surgically and chemically. Sign me up, sew me up.

[broncofan]

No physically active guy in his 30s or even early 40s should need a T booster, unless he's trying to find a supplement for BBing.
20something year olds absolutely will get no benefit from T boosters because their own natural production is peaking.
I don't know that much about the subject, but I thought the effect of the T had worn off because my HPT axis had kicked in with negative feedback. If you take T, your pituitary will often make less luteinizing hormone and your natural testosterone production will slow down as a result.

But when I got my bloodwork done after a month and a half, both my free and total testosterone were up, as well as my dht. I did not have increased estrogen, which was also fortunate. So my concern about the negative feedback was not demonstrated by the bloodwork. But for some reason I did not have the same boost from it that I had initially. It seems that there are just so many factors at work...I agree it probably isn't that helpful for most/all younger guys.

If you do not actually have somewhat reduced testosterone (at least from your prime), you are experimenting with a very delicate and complicated system.

[sukumvit boy]

Hey ,nysprod , good topic.
I started taking DHEA about one year ago and I soon began to see a noticeable difference. More energetic , feel like the 'bounce' has returned to my step! Have not had any adverse side effects.
Like you , I have been mildly athletic all my life and tend toward overweight , not obese and no chronic health problems.
DHEA is a dietary supplement and a metabolic precursor of testosterone.
Check out Swanson's Vitamins for more information , I have used them for years ,best selection and price and cheap shipping.
Regards , thanks for all your great posts.
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/

[JeyneRiley]

My ex takes this stuff and I always bug him about how I don't like the way it changes his attitude. It makes him moody and agitated, and more aggressive. He's in his early-30's tho and definitely does not have "Low-T." If he had low-t the drugs might have more of a leveling effect like many of you describe, but adding it on top of already regular/high testosterone levels isn't a good idea, at least in my experience with my guy.

[nysprod]

Hey ,nysprod , good topic.
I started taking DHEA about one year ago and I soon began to see a noticeable difference. More energetic , feel like the 'bounce' has returned to my step! Have not had any adverse side effects.
Like you , I have been mildly athletic all my life and tend toward overweight , not obese and no chronic health problems.
DHEA is a dietary supplement and a metabolic precursor of testosterone.
Check out Swanson's Vitamins for more information , I have used them for years ,best selection and price and cheap shipping.
Regards , thanks for all your great posts.
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/

Thanks for the info...btw, I'm not overweight at all 6'2" currently 183 34" waist.


My ex takes this stuff and I always bug him about how I don't like the way it changes his attitude. It makes him moody and agitated, and more aggressive. He's in his early-30's tho and definitely does not have "Low-T." If he had low-t the drugs might have more of a leveling effect like many of you describe, but adding it on top of already regular/high testosterone levels isn't a good idea, at least in my experience with my guy.

Right, young guys who are using it for body building (assuming here) are prone to mood swings...overall it's not a good idea.

[sukumvit boy]

Oops ! Sorry nysprod ,you're certainly not overweight.

[Curiousguy04]

The older i get the more washed out i feel. High sex drive but no energy. I was told it could be low testosterone. So i went to the Dr. and he confirmed it. So they started me on Axiron. I used as prescribed every day. It burned my armpits and after a week a rash began to form under my arm pits. I still continued to use it and the rash moved down my sides almost to my hips. It was unbearable. The dr. suggested i try applying it to my leg. It helped but it still burned where i applied it. But the rash did not spread. But still hurt. So the dr. suggested i try Androgel. Needless to say the had the same results. So i stopped it all together. My Testosterone increased greatly but the severe rash was not worth it. Hurt too much. I felt better and worse at the same time. I guess it depends on which side effects you are willing to deal with.

[Kevin Dong]

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2008/nov2008_Dangers-of-Excess-Estrogen-in-the-Aging-Male_01.htm

Dangers of Excess Estrogen In the Aging Male
By William Faloon
William Faloon
William Faloon

We at Life Extension are sometimes asked why we check estrogen levels when testing the blood of our male members.

Long ago, we published data showing that estrogen levels are often elevated in aging men and discussed the insidious health risks associated with excess estrogen. Since it is so easy for men to correct estrogen overload, it made sense to test for it and recommend the appropriate corrective actions if blood results reveal excessive (or deficient) estrogen.

A presentation at a recent anti-aging conference suggested that higher estrogen levels are beneficial to aging men. This prompted us to search the published scientific literature to see if we had overlooked some recent findings.

What we uncovered not only confirmed our original recommendation, but revealed that excess estrogen in aging men is more dangerous than what we even thought.
Double the Stroke Risk

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of age-related disability. Abnormal blood clotting in the cerebral blood vessels is the most common cause of stroke. Excess estrogen promotes abnormal blood clots.1

In a study published just last year, blood levels of estradiol (a potent estrogen) were measured in a group of 2,197 men aged 71 to 93 years of age. Adjustment for age, hypertension, diabetes, adiposity, cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, and other characteristics were made. During the course of follow-up, men with the highest blood levels of estradiol had a 2.2-fold greater risk of stroke compared with those whose estradiol levels were lower.2

This study revealed that estradiol blood levels greater than 34.1 pg/mL resulted in this more than doubling of stroke incidence. Life Extension long ago warned men to keep their estradiol levels below 30 pg/mL, and this recent stroke study clearly validates our prior recommendation.
Excess Estrogen in Middle-Aged Men

One way to evaluate the health of the arterial system is to measure the inner and medial wall of the carotid artery using an ultrasound test.
Excess Estrogen in Middle-Aged Men

In a study published two years ago, blood levels of estradiol were measured in 313 men whose average age was 58. Carotid artery intima-media thickness was measured at baseline and then three years later. After adjusting for other risk factors, men with higher levels of estradiol suffered a worsening thickening of their carotid artery wall. This led the researchers to conclude, “circulating estradiol is a predictor of progression of carotid artery intima-media thickness in middle-aged men.”3

This study of middle-aged men was initiated based on findings that treatment of men with prostate cancer using orally ingested estrogen drugs is associated with increased cardiovascular events and deaths.

Ultrasound measurement of the carotid artery wall provides an accurate prognostic indicator of arterial disease. The findings in this study show progression of carotid artery intima-media thickness in men with higher estradiol levels. Greater carotid artery intima-media thickness sharply correlates with increased risks of heart attack and stroke.
Estradiol Higher in Male Heart Attack Victims
Estradiol Higher in Male Heart Attack Victims

A study published just last year compared blood levels of testosterone and estradiol in men suffering acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) with those who had previously suffered a heart attack.

Sex hormones were measured in patients presenting with acute heart attack, patients with old heart attack, and patients with normal coronary arteries. The results showed significantly higher levels of estradiol in both groups of heart attack patients compared with those without coronary disease.4 As would be expected from numerous prior studies, heart attack victims also had decreased testosterone levels.

The reason many men suffer from excess estradiol and deficient testosterone is that their aging bodies produce less testosterone while more of their beneficial testosterone is converted (aromatized) into estradiol. The pathological result is an altering of the ratio of testosterone to estrogen, creating estrogen dominance.5 This imbalance of estrogen overload and testosterone insufficiency is an often overlooked cause of cardiovascular disease.

Fortunately, there are safe methods to block the aromatase enzyme in order to lower excess estrogen while boosting free testosterone levels.
High Estrogen in Men With Coronary Atherosclerosis

An invasive diagnostic procedure known as a coronary angiogram can measure the degree of atherosclerosis present in the arteries feeding the heart muscle.

Researchers used angiogram-confirmed cases of coronary atherosclerosis to ascertain the effects of sex hormones and other metabolic factors in a group of men aged 40-60 years.

Compared with healthy age-matched controls, men with coronary atherosclerosis had low testosterone, higher levels of estrone (another potent estrogen), and a low level of testosterone in the presence of a high level of estradiol.6 These findings led the researchers to conclude their study by stating, “low levels of total testosterone, testosterone/estradiol ratio and free androgen index and higher levels of estrone in men with coronary artery disease appear together with many features of metabolic syndrome and may be involved in the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis.”
High Estrogen in Men With Coronary Atherosclerosis

In a study conducted a year later by another research group, angiograms were used to measure the extent of coronary atherosclerosis in a group of men with stable coronary artery disease. The finding showed significant positive correlations between estradiol levels and other known atherosclerotic risk factors.7 The scientists concluded their study by stating, “our results indicate a possible role of estradiol in promoting the development of atherogenic lipid milieu in men with coronary artery disease.”

These two recent studies validate other reports showing that excess estrogen promotes atherosclerosis in men.
Peripheral Artery Disease and Sex Hormones

Peripheral artery disease occurs when there is partial or total blockage of an artery, usually one leading to a leg or arm. Leg artery disease is usually due to atherosclerosis that impairs blood circulation. Those afflicted with this condition find that walking can bring on fatigue, cramping, and pain in the hip, buttock, thigh, knee, shin, or upper foot.

A study published last year sought to determine whether blood levels of testosterone and estradiol are associated with lower extremity peripheral arterial disease in elderly men.

The participants consisted of 3,014 men with peripheral artery disease who averaged 75.4 years of age. After factoring in age, current smoking, previous smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and body mass index, the findings showed that low levels of testosterone were independently and positively associated with peripheral artery disease as were high levels of estradiol.8

The doctors who conducted this study concluded, “this cross-sectional study shows for the first time that low serum testosterone and high serum estradiol levels associate with lower extremity peripheral artery disease in elderly men.”

The pharmaceutical industry makes a fortune treating those with peripheral artery disease. Common drugs prescribed include those that lower blood sugar, lower cholesterol (statins), lower blood pressure, and lower risk of blood clot. A popular drug called Plavix® has been heavily advertised to treat peripheral and other arterial diseases.

Based on what is known about the atherogenic and thrombotic risks of low testosterone and high estradiol, it is conceivable that men suffering from peripheral artery disease could discard many of their drugs if they restored their testosterone to youthful ranges and reduced excess estradiol.
High Estradiol Levels Seen in Male Chronic Inflammation Patients

Rheumatoid arthritis is a severe chronic inflammatory state that results in increased risks of heart attack, cancer, and stroke. A study of men with rheumatoid arthritis evaluated blood levels of sex hormones compared with healthy controls.9

Levels of estradiol in rheumatoid arthritis patients were higher and DHEA levels lower compared with subjects who were not suffering from chronic inflammation.9 This corresponds to studies showing that high estrogen levels (in women) can increase C-reactive protein, which is the most accurate marker for systemic inflammation.10-12 Elevated C-reactive protein is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease in healthy individuals.
Another Lethal Mechanism of Excess Estrogen
Another Lethal Mechanism of Excess Estrogen

The number one cause of death in persons over age 50 is the development of an abnormal blood clot (thrombus) in an artery that blocks blood flow to a critical region of the body such as the heart, lungs, or brain. Elevated estrogen predisposes people to these lethal thrombotic events.

It has been found that men admitted in hospitals with myocardial infarcts have elevated estradiol and lower testosterone levels.13 This was shown in an interesting study done on men admitted to the hospital with acute heart attacks whose levels of sex hormones were evaluated. Compared with control patients, estradiol levels in these heart attack patients were 180% higher, while bioavailable testosterone levels were nearly three times less than those of control patients.14

These findings reveal the higher heart attack incidences associated with high estrogen and low testosterone. It is possible, however, that these low levels of testosterone and high levels of estradiol occurred in response to the heart attack itself.14
Estrogen and Prostate Cancer

The role that estrogen plays in malignant prostate disease is contradictory and complex. Some studies indicate that estrogen and its toxic metabolites are a cause of prostate cancer.15,16 Yet once prostate cancer develops, certain estrogen compounds demonstrate anticancer effects.

This paradox can be explained by the mechanisms that estradiol (and its toxic metabolites) uses to damage prostate cell DNA,17 causing gene mutations that result in the loss of cell growth regulatory control, i.e. cancer. Interestingly, once a prostate tumor manifests, estrogen may exert anti-tumor effects, though cancer cells eventually become resistant to estrogen drugs and then even use endogenous estrogen to fuel their growth.

The fact that estrogen may temporarily exert anti-tumor effects in certain types of prostate cancer cells does not diminish the argument that estrogen may have contributed to the initiation of the same cancer. For example, in a study published two years ago, researchers discovered that when “estradiol is added to testosterone treatment of rats, prostate cancer incidence is markedly increased and even a short course of estrogen treatment results in a high incidence of prostate cancer.” These scientists hypothesize that metabolites of estrogens can be converted to reactive intermediates that can adduct to DNA and cause generation of reactive oxygen species; thus, estradiol is a weak DNA-damaging carcinogen that causes DNA damage to prostate cell genes.18 This kind of damage to DNA regulatory genes is what initiates prostate cancer.

Many published studies, however, show no association between high blood estradiol levels and diagnosed prostate cancers.19 One reason there are not more diagnosed prostate cancers in men with high estrogen may be that the high estradiol level that initiated DNA damage then serves to keep prostate cancer temporarily under control once it develops.

An interesting mechanism by which certain prostate cancer cells become resistant to estradiol therapy is the development of components in cancer cells that selectively remove estradiol from the tumor cells. If our normal cells were only as adaptive as cancer cells, we could possibly become biologically immortal.

Another reason why estradiol blood levels may not correlate with prostate cancer incidence is the ability of prostate cells to produce their own estradiol (by making their own aromatase enzyme). Although evidence is conflicting, there is a clear indication that local synthesis of estrogen in the prostate gland itself may be significant in prostate tumor development.16 All of this helps validate the importance of nutrients Life Extension male members take to block the carcinogenic effects of estrogen within the prostate gland.

An analogy to how excess estrogen can first damage DNA regulatory genes to cause cancer and then act as a prostate cancer suppressor can be seen with chemotherapy drugs. The mechanism by which most chemo drugs kill cancer cells is to inflict massive damage to cellular DNA. While chemo drugs kill cancer cells, they simultaneously damage healthy DNA and can increase the risk of future cancers. It appears that excess estrogen damages prostate cell DNA to initiate cancer, but then acts as a temporary prostate cancer suppressor. In presenting this analogy, I am not implying that estrogen in men is as dangerous as toxic chemo drugs. I am showing that something that suppresses cancer cell propagation (like estrogen) can also cause cancer.
Our Observations
Our Observations

We at Life Extension have often observed aged men with symptom-free prostate cancer who have startlingly high estradiol levels. It requires a needle biopsy to confirm these slow growing tumors that were identified by only modestly high PSA levels. In fact, we often look at aging men’s estradiol and free testosterone blood levels as a potential indicator of prostate cancer. Aging men with low free testosterone and high estradiol often have prostate cancer based on these observations. Many of these men, however, will die from vascular disease (possibly caused by their high estrogen levels) before their prostate cancer is diagnosed.

In fact, a study published just this year discusses potential initiating effect of estrogens in the development of prostate cancer.15 Tumor initiation is defined by the National Cancer Institute as a process in which normal cells are changed so that they are able to form tumors. Substances that cause cancer can be tumor initiators. The latest study on this subject suggests that estrogen is a prostate cancer initiator and that anti-estrogen therapies might be an overlooked prevention strategy.

An overlooked reason so many human studies fail to show a relationship between estrogen levels and prostate cancer is the fact that men with the highest estrogen levels may have perished from heart attacks and strokes before prostate cancer had a chance to clinically manifest. Based on the vascular disease risks discussed at the beginning of this article, men who suffered from estrogen overload early in their life would be expected to die sooner and, therefore not live long enough to develop clinically diagnosed prostate cancer. From a statistical standpoint, this would falsely make it appear that higher estradiol levels in aging men do not result in greater incidences of prostate cancer, since many men with the highest estrogen levels would not be alive to even participate in the study.
Misconceptions About Prostate Cancer

While prostate cancer is not usually diagnosed until men reach older ages, it can be initiated 15-25 years prior to clinical manifestation.20 In fact, there is convincing evidence that the initiating DNA damage inflicted by estrogen to prostate cells can occur before you are even born! Studies show that as early as the second and third trimester of life, exposure to elevated estrogens in the womb can initiate prostate cancer that may not manifest for 80 years.15,21-28

Please don’t feel overly helpless about this, as it requires more than mere initiation for cancer to fully develop. What you eat and other lifestyle factors have an enormous impact on whether you develop prostate cancer, even if you are strongly genetically predisposed.
Estrogen’s Role in Benign Prostate Enlargement

Unlike prostate cancer, estrogen’s role in the development and progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is clearly defined. Animal studies initially led to the hypothesis that estrogens can stimulate prostate growth, resulting in hyperplasia of the gland. A large body of subsequent human research confirms the initial findings.15,20,29-32

Estrogen stimulates proliferation of the stromal cells in the prostate gland that cause so many of the urinary discomforts associated with BPH. A study published just this year documents a specific mechanism by which estradiol causes rapid proliferation of prostate stromal cells.15
Estrogen’s Role in Benign Prostate Enlargement

Another study also published this year provides further clarification on how estradiol increases the proliferation of stromal cells and how anti-estrogen compounds block this undesirable effect. The researchers concluded that “…these findings support the hypothesis that estrogens play a role in the pathogenesis of BPH, a disease characterized predominantly by stromal overgrowth.”20

In a study published last year, researchers evaluated the association of sex hormone levels in the blood with common BPH urinary tract symptoms. Study subjects consisted of 260 men, 60 years of age or older, whose blood levels of testosterone, estradiol, and other sex hormones were measured. Of these men, 128 cases had two to four symptoms (excessive urination at night, hesitancy, incomplete emptying, and weak stream). The 132 men in the control group had no urinary symptoms. Adjustments were made for age, race/ethnicity, waist circumference, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity.33

The results showed that BPH sufferers had statistically significantly greater estradiol concentrations than symptom-free controls. Men suffering from BPH symptoms also had higher levels of a marker for a metabolite for dihydrotestosterone (DHT, another documented factor in the development of BPH). After multivariate adjustments, men with the greater estradiol concentration had a 1.78 times higher incidence of urinary tract symptoms. An even greater incidence of urinary tract symptoms occurred in men with the highest levels of a dihydrotestosterone metabolite, whereas blood testosterone level showed no effect on urinary tract symptoms. The doctors who conducted this study concluded by stating, “in this cross-sectional study representative of older US men, circulating AAG, a metabolite of dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol were associated with an increased risk of having lower urinary tract symptoms.”33

These findings, reported over the past 18 months confirm what Life Extension told its members back in 1994 about estrogen’s role in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The encouraging news is that most Life Extension male members are already taking nutrients (and in some cases drugs like Arimidex® and Avodart®) that exhibit anti-estrogen and anti-DHT properties in the prostate gland itself. This is important because even when estrogen and DHT are lowered in the blood, prostate cells can compensate by synthesizing them in the prostate gland.

[caliuncut]

I've been actually researching this subject quite a bit recently and will put in my 2 cents.

First to say that no 20 or 30 yr old should take T supplement is fucking stupid. Age has nothing to do with it, if your T levels are low then they're low and you need to do something about it. Now, regardless of age, if you feel you might suffer from low T then your first step is to take a simple blood test and get your results. In addition to the info your Dr. gives you there are excellent forums out there to help you decipher the results and figure out what the numbers mean.

If your numbers are low then begins your journey to decide how to proceed and hopefully you have a doctor who understands how to administer TRT. You should do your own research for an in depth analysis, but a quick primer on what TRT entails is that it's not just a simple as injecting yourself with T and having all your problems go away. You need to be monitored to keep track of your free T levels and to make sure your estrogen levels don't increase as your body aromitizes the T, plus you may want to consider taking HCG which keeps your own testes from shrinking and keeps them producing T as well. All of this needs to be monitored on an ongoing basis until you find what works for you specifically.

You need to make sure you want to go down this path as essentially you'll be supplementing for life. However with all that said, if TRT can take you back to your 20's, improve both your mental and physical health then it's something worth considering.

[nysprod]

There have been some good responses here so far, and a special shout out to Kevin for taking the time from his schedule to research and make his informative post.

[nysprod]

This girl sure boosted my testosterone lol