Symptoms of Low T
Symptoms of Testosterone deficiency include:
- Low Libido (with & without erectile dysfunction)
- Decreased Energy, Stamina & Strength
- Loss of muscle mass
- Bone loss (osteopenia/osteoporosis)
- Testicular atrophy
- Decreased enjoyment of life/depression
- Alterations in cognitive function
- Increased irritability & moodiness
- Increase in visceral adipose tissue (central/abdominal/waist body fat)
- Gynecomastia (breast enlargement)
Different questionnaires have been devised to help diagnose low testosterone due to the aging process; they are generally used in conjunction with serum levels of testosterone (total and/or free) to diagnose the lack of adequate testosterone.
Your natural daily testosterone levels fluctuate with a diurnal variation: T is usually higher in the morning, and lower in the afternoon/evening. If your blood were drawn for a testosterone level in the morning, it may barely be above the threshold of normal. Then, if you were to draw it in the evening, it would show obvious testosterone deficiency. For someone contemplating T therapy, it would make sense to have the initial T appraisal from a blood draw later in the day, often when we have our least energy and stamina.
Most all physicians replacing T for men agree that with a level below 200 ng/dl, the majority of men would feel better after testosterone replacement. Many of us feel the same if the threshold for treatment began at 400 ng/dl. Note, if you are already on T replacement, the serum levels only reflect the amount of the T given to you and the route of administration. If you are only getting HCG replacement (which stimulates your own testes to produce T), the level reflects your own testosterone production as you’re getting HCG.
