A Spooky Amount of Testosterone

Usually, when someone hits me up to do a guest post on my blog, I roll my eyes because the content doesn't at all match what I write about. But then I received an email based off of a Google search that just so happened to match the title of my blog. Andy Little of Low T Medical Center in Dallas, TX contacted me about his disappointment that my blog didn't, in fact, have anything to do with testosterone (other than point the finger at all the boys in my home). He wanted to bring a little testosterone of his own to the table and I was intrigued. So much of the time we see articles and blog posts that are related to women, breast cancer for example. What about the men? I'll allow Andy's words to carry you from here...

The excessive use of testosterone and Testosterone Replacement Therapy abuse can lead to severe side effects.  Men with low testosterone should proceed with caution under the supervision of a doctor who specializes in men’s health and testosterone deficiency.

It's Halloween season… so let's talk about scary things.  Scary things like goblins, ghouls, Donald Trump, creepy-crawlies, and monsters, you ask?  Not necessarily.  Unless, of course, you think "monster" could be used to appropriately describe the indelible image left in your head after encountering a balding, infertile, raging man with moobs (aka man boobs) and blood oozing from his orifices.  

OK…  Perhaps I got a little carried away with that introduction. And maybe excessive testosterone doesn't result in "blood oozing from orifices".  But still,... I want to talk briefly about the scary side effects associated with Testosterone Replacement Therapy abuse. Too Much Testosterone, besides being the cute theme of this fantastic blog, is also a serious condition caused by testosterone treatment abuse. 

Often used by athletes, body-builders, and men with underwhelming sex lives, Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) has experienced a recent surge in interest as more and more testosterone deficient men are discovering legitimate benefits to hormonal balance and adequate testosterone levels.  Men's health clinics have sprung up all over the country in response to the demand and have made testosterone and TRT more accessible than ever.  This accessibility has given rise to instances of abuse.  Though TRT is generally considered to be safe and beneficial, its misapplication and/or abuse can lead to some serious side effects.

Hemoglobin Increase (More like hemo-goblin, am I right? Forgive me, that was stupid.)

According to David Holt, Program Director at the Low T Medical Center in Dallas, TX, "the principal problem with excessive TRT has to do with the long term stimulation of the bone marrow that causes your red blood cell count to increase."  To clarify, once again, the resulting increase in blood volume will not cause blood to leak from your body as implied in the hyperbolic intro.  It will, however, increase the risk of thrombotic events such as stroke or heart attack.  Those who have experienced an increase in blood volume, called polycythemia, as a result of excessive testosterone can usually remedy the situation by scheduling a physician-supervised phlebotomy (blood-letting) or by donating blood.

Gynecomastia

In some cases a man's liver will react to the introduction of testosterone in such a way that metabolizes the testosterone and converts it to an estrogenic compound.  This estrogenic compound can encourage the benign growth of breast tissue.  The technical term for this phenomenon is gynecomastia, though you may be more familiar with its street name, Man Boobs.  Those who are experiencing this phenomenon (and the ridicule that accompanies it) should request a reduced dosage from their physician or should consider ceasing TRT altogether.  

Shriveled Testicles and Infertility

Excessive testosterone and TRT abuse has also been linked to testicular atrophy.  Men who have experienced this condition have noticed shrinkage in their testicles and a decrease in sperm count.  The reduction of spermatogenesis can cause infertility.

Prostate Growth

Testosterone Replacement Therapy is not recommended for patients who have prostate cancer as the introduction of testosterone into the blood stream has been known to stimulate the growth of the prostate gland.  Even those who have not been diagnosed with prostate cancer put themselves at risk for adverse effects on the prostate, like Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy when they subject themselves to TRT abuse.  

Rage

Director Holt said "in excessively high dosages, testosterone can lead to psychological problems and rage.  There have been some instances of TRT abuse in athletes that has caused significant adverse personality reactions."

In closing, Testosterone Replacement Therapy can be very beneficial and has been credited with restoring the quality of life for millions of men.  But, when abused, TRT can be very dangerous.  Men who believe that they may be suffering the symptoms of low testosterone should consult a physician to see if they are a candidate for low testosterone treatment.   Those who have not been diagnosed as being testosterone deficient should not proceed with Testosterone Replacement Therapy in order to avoid the "monster" side effects of excessive testosterone and TRT abuse.  

        

As a content writer for the Low T Medical Center in Dallas, TX, Andy Little writes about issues typically associated with men's health, hormones, and wellness.  Andy may be contacted at andy@lowtmedicalcenter.com.