Quiz: The Symptoms of Low Testosterone

Falling asleep after dinner? Is your work performance worsening? Enjoying life a little less? Unable to play sports like you used to? Feeling grumpy? Getting weaker and not stronger? Feeling less energetic? Erections failing and sex drive tanking? What hard working adult doesn’t have these symptoms at one time or another?

Testing Testosterone

This is the list of symptoms that we ask of men to decide whether they may have low testosterone and whether they might benefit from treatment. Most are also simply part of normal aging and have nothing to do with low testosterone levels. So, what’s the truth about the symptoms of low testosterone
True or False: Low testosterone is the most common cause of low sex drive.
Answer: False. Stresses of daily life, illness and drugs are far more common causes of low libido

True or False: Men with low testosterone can develop “hot flashes” similar to women during menopause.
Answer: True. Men and women are different in many ways but not this one.

True or False: Increasing testosterone levels has been shown to increase longevity.
Answer: False. There is no evidence that adding more testosterone to normal levels increases lifespan.

True or False: Men with low testosterone levels don’t live as long as men with normal testosterone levels:
Answer: True. The best long-term data suggests that men with low T levels have a 88% higher mortality rate when compared to men with normal T levels.

True or False: The most common reason for hair loss is low testosterone levels.
Answer: False. Male pattern baldness is largely genetically determined.

True or False: Testosterone increases the ability to gain muscle mass.
Answer: True. Testosterone is an anabolic hormone: the more you take, the greater the ability to gain muscle and strength.

True or False: The higher your testosterone, the higher your sex drive and the better are your erections.
Answer: False. Above a certain “tipping” point, raising T levels does not increase either libido or erections.

True or False: Low testosterone is a common cause of erectile dysfunction
Answer: False. Less than 5% of ED is due to low testosterone. Cardiovascular risk is by far the biggest risk factor for ED.

True or False: Testosterone supplements are fertility-enhancing.
Answer: False. T is a very effective contraceptive and is being studied precisely for this purpose.

True or False:  Testosterone increases energy and vitality.
Answer: Possibly. Among men > 65 years old, testosterone replacement didn’t alter vitality, but improved mood and depressive symptoms.

As you can see, while testosterone has some health benefits, it’s not the Holy Grail of all that it’s cracked up to be. Feel free to contact us if you want to know more about whether it’s right for you.