What is Testosterone?
Testosterone is a critical hormone produced by male testes. It helps maintain muscle mass, bone density, libido, sperm production, sexual function, and mood. In men, it declines gradually with aging, just as in women who go through menopause. Less frequently, some men may experience a premature drop in testosterone, referred to as hypogonadism. Hormone therapy is one treatment option for restoring testosterone levels. Several forms of hormone replacement therapy include oral pills, patches, gels, creams, injections, and pellets. Pellets are the most convenient and effective means of administering hormones. Pellets come in different sizes, shapes, and doses depending on how much replacement you need.
Testosterone Pellets
Testosterone pellets are a great way to boost your body’s natural testosterone levels without injections. They work by releasing small amounts of testosterone over time into the bloodstream, where it helps build muscle and burn fat. The pellets come in different shapes and sizes, depending on your testosterone level. For example, there are smaller ones for building muscle mass, while larger ones are designed to help with athletic performance. You can use testosterone pellets to treat low testosterone levels caused by aging, illness, injury, stress, or surgery. You might also use them if you’re trying to gain muscle weight or lose fat weight.
Finding the Correct TRT Dose
Testosterone is one of the most important hormones in men’s bodies. But its levels fluctuate significantly throughout life depending on what stage of life you’re in. There are three distinct phases during which you might want to consider taking testosterone.
The first phase follows right after puberty. During adolescence, testosterone levels rise rapidly. This surge helps prepare boys for adulthood. When testosterone reaches peak levels, it triggers secondary sex characteristics such as facial hair growth, deepening of the voice, and increased muscle mass. Following adolescence, testosterone levels may drop dramatically. If left unchecked, this decline could lead to low energy and depression.
Testosterone levels continue to fall gradually in the second phase, known as adulthood. This is because the body begins producing less testosterone naturally as we age. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can help maintain healthy levels of testosterone as we age. TRT can help maintain libido, mood, energy, sleep quality, bone health, and cognitive function. Finally, there’s the third phase, which occurs once a man ages past his 50s. This phase is analogous to the menopause in women and results in men experiencing symptoms associated with prolonged aging that include decreased sexual desire, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, memory loss, and depressed mood. Some men relieve these problems by taking a higher dosage of testosterone.
Highs and Lows of Testosterone Dosing
Testosterone therapy can treat low libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, depression, anxiety, weight gain, muscle loss, bone density issues, hot flashes, and sleep problems. Many men use it to help boost energy levels, improve mood, and increase sex drive. However, there are some downsides to taking testosterone. Some side effects include acne, hair growth, breast enlargement, increased risk of heart attack, stroke, prostate cancer, liver damage, kidney disease, and high blood pressure.
There are many different ways to take testosterone. You should talk to your doctor about guiding your testosterone dosing if you’re considering taking testosterone.
You should start slowly and work up to a maintenance dose. You can safely reach your desired level with frequent monitoring of your testosterone levels. You will want to gradually increase your testosterone dose every 3 to 6 months. This way, you won’t experience any unnecessary adverse side effects. You should also pay close attention to your body. Take note of any changes in your skin, hair, and genitals. Also, watch for signs of liver toxicity, such as yellowing of your skin and eyes, dark urine, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, itching, darkening of your stool, and clay-colored stools.
Implantation of Pellets
Pellets are tiny implants that contain testosterone and are used to treat low libido in men. They are inserted under the skin either in the upper arm or the lower back, upper buttock region. The implantation process takes less than 20 minutes and is done under local anesthesia. After insertion, you may experience some bruising and swelling. You will also feel soreness around the area where the pellet was placed. Different types of pellets are available, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The pellets will dissolve over a three to six-month period.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Testosterone Pellets
Testosterone pellets are the most effective route to treating low testosterone levels. They provide the convenience of only twice-a-year therapy and the ability to provide consistent and continuous daily dosage. However, there are some potential drawbacks to using pellets. One is that they are difficult to adjust in dosage. This is because once they are implanted, they cannot be removed. This is why the starting dosage of testosterone should be conservative, and you must build up the dose of testosterone over the first two to three implant sessions. Another drawback can be the risk of pellet extrusion. This complication has been reduced significantly by adding a cholesterol coating to the pellets, reducing extrusion rates. Despite these drawbacks, testosterone pellets remain the most effective and continuous testosterone supplement available today.