ANDROGEN TESTOSTERONE HORMONE INJECTIONS

Normal Testosterone Levels by Age

Early Development In Boys In Girls

0-5 Months Years 75-400 ng/dl 20-80 ng/dl

6 Months-9 Years Less than 20 ng/dl Less than 20 ng/dl

10-11 Years Less than 130 ng/dl Less than 44 ng/dl

During Puberty In Boys In Girls

12-13 Years Less than 800 ng/dl Less than 75 ng/dl

14 Years Less than 1200 ng/dl Less than 75 ng/dl

15-16Years 100-1200 ng/dl Less than 75 ng/dl

During Adulthood In Men In Women

17-18 Years 300-1200 ng/dl 20-75 ng/dl

19+ Years 240-950 ng/dl 8-60 ng/dl

Tanner Scale for Measuring Adolescent Development

While the guidelines above are generally correct, many physicians choose to evaluate Testosterone Levels in children and adolescents according to visual phase of development. In order to do this, doctors refer to a clinical schema known as the Tanner Scale. This scale is useful because children reach puberty and mature at different rates.

Stage I on the Tanner Scale is associated with the period before puberty, and Stage II is reached when visible signs of puberty first appear. The following provides information regarding the Testosterone Levels related to Tanner Stage in both boys and girls:

Tanner Stage In Boys In Girls

Stage I Less than 20 ng/dl Less than 20 ng/dl

Stage II 8-66 ng/dl Less than 47 ng/dl

Stage III 26-800 ng/dl 17-75 ng/dl

Stage IV 85-1,200 ng/dl 20-75 ng/dl

Stage V 300-950 ng/dl 12-60 ng/dl

What Are the Symptoms of Testosterone Deficiency in Men?

• Low Sex Drive

• Thin, Easily Damaged Skin

• Issues with Concentration and Memory

• Fatigue

• Thinning Hair on Head, Face, and Body

• Weight Gain

• Depression and Anxiety

What Are the Symptoms of Testosterone Deficiency in Women?

• Low Fertility

• Osteopenia/Osteoporosis

• Low Libido

• Missed or Irregular Periods

• Sexual Lubrication Issues

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Testosterone Levels

One of the most common reasons for excessive Testosterone in women is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Women struggling with PCOS experience elevated Testosterone Levels, which can lead to issues such as the development of facial and body hair, acne, oily skin, and absent or irregular periods.

Steroid Use and Testosterone Levels

Steroids are anabolic organic compounds which share similarities with Testosterone. Steroids are commonly used to increase body mass and build muscle. They are often utilized illicitly by men and women looking to bulk up. Steroid use and abuse can have a dramatic effect on natural Testosterone Production.

When guys abuse steroids, it can cause Testosterone Levels to drop precipitously, leading to low libido, temporary infertility, increased body/facial hair, acne, and testicular shrinkage.

In women, Steroid abuse can disrupt fertility and period timing while also causing baldness, acne, unfortunate hair growth, and deepening of the voice.

Testing for Testosterone-Related Issues in Men and Women

If an individual believes that they are having issues related to Low-T or Elevated Testosterone Levels, they should strongly consider reaching out to a doctor or Hormone Specialist for evaluation.

When evaluating for Testosterone Abnormalities, it is common for physicians to follow some general guidelines. For example, opiates have a dramatic effect upon the body's ability to produce Testosterone, so they will likely ask about prior opiate use along with the use of steroids. Men will often be measured for waist circumference, BMI, prostate/testicle size, and evaluated for signs of baldness. Women will be assessed for symptoms of masculation and also for acne and menstrual function.

How Are Testosterone Levels Tested?

Free and Total Testosterone Levels are evaluated using a blood test. To provide the most accurate results, Serum Testosterone is best tested during the morning hours, which gives the doctor the best idea regarding your peak Testosterone Production. The established Low-T Threshold for men varies depending upon the source, but most medical professionals consider Testosterone Deficiency to be associated with Testosterone Production lower than 230-350 ng/dl. Healthy women should have Testosterone Levels registering at 15-75 ng/dl.

Hot flashes and night sweats are two of the many signs of Hormone Imbalance. While night sweats have long been associated with Menopause, these annoying night-time events are also related to Testosterone Deficiency. Men go through a change similar to women, commonly known as Andropause. While women experience the effects of Menopause suddenly and rapidly, Andropause is a relatively slow change in comparison. As Testosterone Levels fall, the frequency and severity of symptoms increases.

What Causes Night Sweats?

Night sweats are a very common issue which impact a large portion of men and women. Around 1/3rd of patients report night sweats in the last thirty days to their doctor. There are a wide variety of causes, including some scary things like cancer, addiction, withdrawal, and infection. Even consuming spicy foods, caffeine, or hot drinks before bed can contribute to night sweats.

Some medications contribute to night sweats, such as prescriptions for diabetes and depression. While night sweats are something you should talk about with your doctor, there's no need to panic! Some of the issues most strongly correlated with night sweats are breathing issues during sleep, stress, anxiety, numbness in the feet and hands, fever, poor sleep, and anxiety attacks.

Age-Related Hormone Imbalance Among Strongest Factors Which Contribute to Night Sweats

During Menopause, 7 out of 10 women experience hot flashes. The frequency of this symptom is strongly correlated with the severity of Estrogen decline resulting from the change. While Testosterone Levels fall continuously and slowly beyond age thirty in men, once Testosterone Production falls beneath a certain threshold, men are more likely to experience some of the same symptoms as women, including low libido, hot flashes, night sweats, depression, and unhealthy changes in body composition.

This propensity for hot flashes associated with Low Testosterone Levels is displayed clearly among those receiving treatment for prostate cancer. One of the primary components of prostate cancer is a drug that suppresses the release of Androgens into the blood stream. Severe androgen deficiency leads directly to a massive increase in reports of night sweats and hot flashes.

Even having children may lead to an increase in night sweats among vulnerable males. When couples have children, the male experiences a drop in Testosterone during the partner's pregnancy and during the early development of the child. This decline in Testosterone Production occurs in order to promote the father to devote more energy and resources toward protecting and raising the child than to trying to find a mate. While this Testosterone drop isn't enough to contribute to night sweats on its own, men that display more risk factors for Low-T are more likely to develop hot sweats and night flashes during this period.

Why Does Low-T Increase the Incidence of Night Sweats and Hot Flashes?

While there is a strong correlation between Testosterone Deficiency and the increased incidence of hot flashes, researchers haven't quite figured out how Low-T triggers night sweats. What we do know is that the Hypothalamus is almost certainly a central aspect of this process, because the Hypothalamus is responsible for bioregulation, which includes controlling the body's temperature.

Upon registering that the internal temperature of the body is too high, the Hypothalamus coordinates the dilation of blood vessels which speeds up blood flow to the skin. The transfer of this heat to the skin is followed by the release of sweat which helps cool the body down. Of course, even though the end goal of this process is a cooler body, it is interpreted by the mind as an increase in heat followed by the clammy chill of a night sweat.

It's hypothesized that Low-T triggers the hypothalamus to release the signal for night sweats during sleep, even when temperature regulation isn't an issue, causing men to wake up cold, sweaty, and uncomfortable. For men with Testosterone Deficiency, night sweats are one of the more common symptoms, and patients do report significant reduction in night sweats while taking Testosterone Replacement Therapy for relief from Low-T.

Testosterone Deficiency Relief with Hormone Replacement Therapy

Though night sweats don't pose any dangers to health, they are annoying and frustrating, and may be a sign of other issues. If you're experiencing night sweats in combination with fatigue and low libido, this is a powerful sign that you are currently suffering from Testosterone Deficiency. Our Board-Certified American Hormone Clinic can help you determine if Hormone Imbalance is contributing to your declining quality of life and we can determine whether Testosterone Replacement can help you overcome night sweats, increase strength and energy, and restore sexual desire and function.

Our Fully-Licensed HRT Clinic has helped hundreds of guys throughout the country feel better about their lives. Generations of research and refinement have vastly increased the safety and effectiveness of Bio-Identical Testosterone Therapy. If you'd like additional information about starting a quality Testosterone Regimen with a trusted Hormone Provider, our HRT Specialists are available to respond to your questions and concerns!

Testosterone Overview

What is Testosterone?

Testosterone is one of the building blocks of human life. Without Testosterone, humans couldn't exist, because Testosterone is the male sex hormone which contributes to the growth, development, and maintenance of male form and function. Testosterone is also produced by women, but in much lower amounts.

Testosterone belongs to a class of hormones known as Androgens, which are hormones (primarily associated with the male physiology) which activate Androgen Receptors. Testosterone is the most important Androgen, and the most potent.

Testosterone and Male Development

Prenatally, Testosterone is responsible for the formation of primary male sex characteristics, most notably the seminal vesicles, prostate, scrotum, testicles, and penis. Exposure to Testosterone during this period is absolutely necessary for full and total normal male development.

Testosterone exposure in late-childhood leads to male puberty, contributing to the physiological changes which turn a boy into a man, including the deepening of the voice, changes in body fat, increase in muscle mass, stimulation of bone growth, the full development of the sex organs, and more.

Whereas Testosterone is responsible for growth and development during the earlier stages of human life, after puberty has concluded, Testosterone no longer encourages growth, but is necessary to maintain health, wellness, and sexual function. Normal Testosterone Levels are directly associated with healthy libido, high fertility, balanced mood, high energy levels, strong bones, and a strong heart.

Types of Low-T

Low-T is a condition in which the body does not have the means to produce the levels of Testosterone necessary to meet the needs of the male body. This condition is also referred to as Hypogonadism or Testosterone Deficiency. If Low-T occurs during adulthood as a result of aging, it is called Age-Related Hypogonadism or Somatopause.

There are many causes of Testosterone Deficiency, but all of these causes can be grouped into two categories: Primary Hypogonadism and Secondary Hypogonadism.

Primary Hypogonadism is any condition which directly affects the function of the testes and/or seminal vessicles.Secondary Hypogonadism is any condition which suppresses the release of Testosterone Precursor hormones (Luteinizing Hormone and Follicle Stimulating Hormone), which impedes normal Testosterone Production or fertility.

Causes of Low-T

Hypogonadism can be the result of a wide number of causes. Cancer, surgery, and trauma can impair physiological function. There are also some congenital defects which prevent the normal release of Testosterone or development of the male sex organs. The most common cause of Testosterone Deficiency is aging, though it can be exacerbated by other factors, such as sedentary lifestyle and obesity.

In children, Testosterone Deficiency leads to weaker bones, stunted growth, smaller muscles, and inhibited sexual potency. It can even have a major effect on personality development, as Testosterone is associated with many masculine traits such as confidence and assertiveness.

In adults, Low-T does not have effects which are immediately as noticeable, but they can still be significant and can strongly impact health, wellness, longevity, and fertility. Men with Low-T are more impacted by fatigue, low sex drive, loss of bone mineral density and strength, and increase in body fat than their peers. Beyond that, they are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular complications such as heart disease and stroke.

Disorders and Conditions Associated with Testosterone Deficiency

Types of Congenital Testosterone Deficiency

• Klinefelter Syndrome This is a genetic disorder in which the male is born with two X chromosomes. This leads to symptoms related to increased Estrogen Levels and inhibited Testosterone Production, including shrunken testes, breast development, feminine hair patterns, and infertility.

• Kallmann's Syndrome Inability to produce Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone

• Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone Deficiency Insufficient production of the Testosterone Precursor Luteinizing Hormone.

• Cryptochordism Partially-descended or undescended testicles.

• Anorchism Completely undeveloped testes.

Causes of Acquired Testosterone Deficiency during Childhood and Adulthood

• Testicular, Hypothalamic, and Pituitary Tumors

• Radiation from Chemotherapy

• Head Trauma or Testicular Trauma

• Damage from Radiation

• Damage from Chemotherapy

• Aging

Symptoms of Aquired Testosterone Deficiency depend upon the age in which the symptoms appear. Childhood Hypogonadism is associated with late puberty or partial puberty, and can lead to symptoms of feminization such a gynecomastia and impaired hair development, as well as abnormally low muscle mass, increased body fat, and incomplete masculinization of the genitals.

How is Testosterone Produced?

The secretion of Testosterone by the testes and adrenal glands is the end-result of a a number of cyclical hormone interactions which originate and end at the brain. The delicate balancing act occurs on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis. Upon stimulation, the Hypothalamus starts the process by releasing Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone, which travels to the Anterior Pituitary Gland. Upon pituitary response by GnrH, Leuteinizing Hormone is released and flows through the blood stream to the adrenal glands and the testes. Upon reaching these target sites, LH interacts with Androgen Receptors in the Leydig Cells and this leads to Testosterone secretion.

All of these hormones are released in short bursts. In fact, the body doesn't produce much Testosterone, because Testosterone is such an incredibly potent Androgen. In a healthy male, it only takes four to seven milligrams of Testosterone to meet the functional needs of the body.

Onset of Testosterone Decline and Deficiency

Testosterone Levels after birth remain low until around the time puberty begins. Puberty is triggered by an increase in Testosterone, which increases rapidly and remains high through the teens and twenties. It isn't until the late twenties that Testosterone Production starts to fall into a state of slow and steady decline. By the time that a man reaches his eighties, free Testosterone Levels drop to as low as 20% of what they were in his twenties, and that's in the case of healthy men.

Adult-Onset Testosterone Deficiency can become symptomatic as early as the thirties in male patients with comorbid conditions such as diabetes combined with a sedentary activity level. In these cases, treatment can often be postponed and Testosterone Levels elevated simply by making healthy lifestyle changes, exercising, and losing weight. Men than smoke and drink are also more likely to experience Testosterone Deficiency, and at an earlier age.

Prevalence of Testosterone Deficiency

Low-T is very common in the United States and around the world. It may even be more common in America than most other countries because of the high incidence of obesity in our society. Researchers believe that around 13 million males in the country have symptomatic Low-T, but only around one in ten reach out to a professional for medical treatment. There is double the rate of Testosterone Deficiency among men with hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.

Partially because so few eligible men commonly reach out for treatment and partially because of the rapid increase in advertising and information about Low-T, Testosterone Therapy for Andropause is being prescribed more than ever, with few signs of slowing down in the coming years.

Adult males with Testosterone Deficiency are very likely to experience symptoms such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, loss of muscle mass, sexual dysfunction, and low libido. Furthermore, they are more likely to experience dangerous health conditions such as heart attack, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, stroke, and diabetes.

Research has shown that over two thirds of men with Low-T experience significant muscle fatigue. Around 1/3rd of men with Testosterone Deficiency have changes in bone mineral density which lead to increased risk of fractures and breaks.