Pellets for low testosterone
Beat the blahs and get back in the game.
Testosterone levels drop slowly with age. Treating low testosterone improves mood, sexual enjoyment, midsection weight gain and stamina. Call or book your appointment online to find out your testosterone level.
What are the symptoms of low testosterone?
What are the symptoms of low testosterone?
Testosterone is the male sex hormone and normal testosterone levels are vital to normal male sexual development Testosterone helps boys during puberty develop male features like facial hair, a deeper voice, strength and muscle mass. Testosterone levels almost always lower with aging. The older the man, the lower the level of testosterone levels in the body. Some men have low testosterone levels even at a young age.
Low Testosterone levels or (Low-T) symptoms include fatigue, weakness, lack of motivation, weight gain, obesity, depression and irritability.
Treating low testosterone (read on for our low-maintenance hormone pellet method that keeps you out of clinics and away from weekly shots) isn’t just about being jacked or some kind of sexual superman.
Safe and effective, treating low testosterone is a significant game changer for any man who wants to live life as optimally as possible. Within a few weeks, older men notice feeling like they did 5 or 10 years ago. And younger men who have low testosterone due to surgery, a testicle injury, an illness or hereditary reasons are shocked at the positive changes.
Treating low testosterone improves energy, focus, sex drive, stamina, midsection weight gain and muscle mass.
Do I have low testosterone? (The “normal testosterone range” is a big lie.)
Most primary care doctors or endocrinologists are trained to evaluate your testosterone based on the “normal reference range,” which is lower and lower as the years pass. So you can be at 800 one year, and a few years later be at 400, and your doctor will tell you both times you're fine – even though your testosterone is half what it used to be! Just because that’s “normal” doesn’t mean it’s healthy. In our field of Regenerative Medicine, we keep your testosterone in the ideal range – which is much higher than “normal” for a man in his 50s.
Our Medical Director Dr. Gustav Lo comments, “That’s why Regenerative Medicine is different than all my years in primary care – we want to optimize, not normalize. If I can take your testosterone to younger “normals” and cut your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and cognitive decline, plus make you feel more vital and stronger, then why would anyone want to stay in the ‘normal’ range for their age?”
For men, testosterone peaks in the 20s at over 1000 ng/dl, then slowly declines year by year... by the time the 55 rolls around, it’s often below 400. But remember, even though you tire easily, sometimes take naps, and your muscles are shrinking while your belly is expanding – the lab and most doctors say it’s fine, you’re “normal”!
“Can’t really blame them,” says Dr. Lo, “because that's what we’re all taught, and there’s a lot of fear in medicine about changing the natural course." But testosterone replacement is about changing the natural course. “That’s the whole point,” Lo says. “In Regenerative Medicine, we are extending your healthspan, not just trying to keep you alive and deteriorating for a longer time.” Many men think having less stamina, lower sex drive, and less enthusiasm and motivation are normal parts of aging. But what they find with testosterone replacement is that it's all still there. Your muscles, your metabolism, your brain, even your instincts, they all just need that And your ‘normal’ 400 ng/dl isn't going to do it.”
After all that, you’ll be happy to learn that optimizing your testosterone is pretty easy at RegenCen. First, you’ll meet directly with Gustav Lo, MD, or another of our medical providers to discuss your symptoms and medical history. We’ll also draw your blood to get your testosterone level right in the office and check other important blood values to ensure no other conditions could be causing your symptoms.
Once we know your current testosterone level, we determine a testosterone pellet dose to return your low testosterone to optimal levels without overdoing it. In a 5-minute procedure, Dr. Lo places the Tic-Tac sized hormone pellets right under your skin. Your testosterone will rise to the target level within a couple weeks and last 5 or 6 months. We check blood every 6 months to ensure your testosterone is neither too high nor too low, adjusting or repeating the dose every 5-6 months.
After the first dose, 93% of men continue testosterone pellets long term. It’s one of our highest satisfaction treatments. And it’s no wonder, since all men will suffer the effects of declining testosterone at some point.
Treatment for low testosterone is offered in Petoskey, Traverse City, and Naples.
Isn’t it time to feel like you used to?
The story of low testosterone
Testosterone replacement therapy: say goodbye to 5 cups of coffee to get through the day.
Starting around age 30, testosterone steadily decreases in men, year after year, and by the time a man is in his 50s, his testosterone levels are about half what they were in early adulthood – this is known as low testosterone. And it’s not just age – modern work culture, environment, and stress all contribute to low testosterone hormones.
Men often experience this testosterone decline gradually, chalking up the symptoms to aging. Caffeine and sleeping pills are often used to combat issues like sluggishness, brain fog, and insomnia, but those are just band-aids that don’t address a common underlying cause: suboptimal testosterone levels.
When everything from losing fat to losing your patience feels like an everyday struggle, testosterone replacement can help you feel good about life again.
Until now, you might not have even noticed little issues creeping up on you – like looking for car keys that you’re already holding in your hand. So many men tell us they didn’t realize how bad their symptoms were until after their testosterone levels were normal again on hormone pellets. After hormone pellets it dawns on them – their moods are improved, their erections and libido are back – even building muscle and losing fat gets easier.
If you’re sluggish or feeling blah, if your motivation is almost nonexistent, and some days life feels like it’s living you instead of you thriving in it, there’s a good chance your testosterone levels aren’t optimal – you may have what is referred to as low T and a little bit of help is in order.
Testosterone Replacement Frequently Asked Questions
Testosterone peaks in the teens or 20’s, then drops year after year starting around age 30, so the levels differ by age group. The lab listed “normal” values are the average of everyone from age 16 to 100. This makes the terms “normal” and “low” unhelpful. Regenerative and anti-aging doctors use the term “optimal testosterone level,” which is typically the level of an average 40 year old man.
Exercise boosts testosterone because it builds muscle, which increases testosterone - to a degree. Though exercise can help slow the decline, your T level will still drop with age no matter what. Additionally, many men—especially after age 50—have T levels so low they struggle to find the energy to exercise. Men who do exercise find lifting weights overly fatigues them, and that muscle mass is increasingly harder to build as they age, but that body fat builds easily.
After age 30, testosterone declines in men and continues to decline. By the mid 50’s, it’s about half the young adult level. Most men visit RegenCen for testosterone replacement after the age of 40, but we’ve treated men as young as their 20’s with certain hormonal conditions causing low T.
Definitely not - in fact, we generally turn those patients away. Our average patient is an average guy, managing life as best he can. He’s not looking to get jacked shoulders or win the Iron Man — he just wants to stop feeling the blahs and start taking interest in everything from his sex life to his hobbies again. He’s tired of being chronically tired, of brain fog, and feeling too unmotivated to even work out.
First, give it time. You won’t feel all the benefits in a week. Some — like improved energy — come faster than others. Some take longer to adjust.
Replacing T won’t make you magically wake up tomorrow and become Superman at the gym, a 60-pound dumbbell in each hand. You’ll still need to put in the work of exercising, eating well, and balancing your mind and body. But over time, testosterone replacement makes doing all these things much easier.
You should feel a renewed interest in life—in everything from your partner, to your general outlook. Within 4-5 weeks, sleep improves, libido returns, erections come easier (and are stronger), and the general fogginess that’s blanked itself over your life lifts—you’ll feel clarity, focus, and a newfound oomph.
Initial visit: With Dr. Gustav Lo or a physician associate, we’ll collect a detailed history and discuss your symptoms and concerns. After your consultation, we will draw your blood in office to check testosterone level.
Visit #2: We’ll review your lab results and move forward with the appropriate pellet insertion and/or prescription regimen based on your individual needs.
Visit #3: In the week prior to your follow-up visit, you’ll need to have another set of bloodwork drawn to check your testosterone level.
Your hormone pellet rechecks can be done in Petoskey or Traverse City. We’ll review the results from your bloodwork, discuss improvements in symptoms that you’ve experienced, and move forward with the appropriate treatment regimen for you, which may include adjustments to the original testosterone hormone pellet doses and plan.
Typically men need to come in 2-3 times a year to maintain optimal levels.
Yes hormone replacement often improves orgasms. However men may also benefit from platelet therapy to improve orgasms. Men notice better erections with the E ² shot (platelet-rich fibrin). At RegenCen in Traverse City and Petoskey, we offer many regenerative medical treatments for sexual dysfunction and erectile dysfunction.
Absolutely! But remember men only need to be seen every 5-6 months for hormone pellets. We see many seasonal northern Michigan residents to replace testosterone pellets. By searching “hormone pellets near me” or “Testosterone pellets near me”, you can usually fine a hormone pellet provider quite easily. At RegenCen, we use Biote testosterone pellets. Their website has a list of certified Biote hormone pellet providers as well.
