Until the FDA provides clearer guidelines for changes to labeling of testosterone therapies, I recommend that men who are interested in testosterone therapy follow this advice:
1. If you have signs and symptoms of low testosterone – hot flashes, loss of sexual desire, poor sleep and loss of muscle mass – seek a physician with experience and training in the field of hormone therapy.
2. Undergo a full checkup to rule out other possible causes of low testosterone and to see if you have medical reasons to avoid therapy.
3. Get blood testosterone levels to verify the presence of low testosterone.
4. If other reversible causes of low-T are present, such as obesity, poor diet, inactivity or thyroid disorders, correct those conditions first and then reassess testosterone levels.
5. Start treatment only if your symptoms are confirmed by low serum testosterone levels and if your condition hasn't improved after correcting reversible causes of low-T.
6. Get periodic tests to make sure your dosing is not bringing on too-high levels of testosterone, and to check other blood values, such as your red blood count.
7. Inform your doctor if you experience chest pains, trouble breathing at night or frequent and persistent erections. Dosing may need to be adjusted or therapy ended.
8. Undergo regular prostate exams and serum PSA level tests to check for prostate cancer, an indication to stop testosterone therapy.
9. Partners and children should not be exposed to gels or patches, or to skin or clothing adjacent to where gel has been applied. Testosterone easily transfers via skin contact and can cause serious side effects in children in particular.
Source: http://ift.tt/WiNkXW
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please, don't spam! Send only useful and thematic comments. Thanks!