low testosterone symptoms-personaltity changes

[solobi]

Hi I'm a new member, my partner was diagnosed with shockungly low testosterone after his first ED experience. The drs haven't been able to find a reason for this, after treatment with testogel his testosterone is still low and this has now been increased.

Since the testosterone issue it feels like I'm in a relationship with a different person he shouts at me and the children all the time, and has become very pushy, he is unbelievably irretible and acts irationally. He accuses me of everything and sees something in everything I do. If I don't respond to a message within a minute I must be cheating, no matter what I wear he manages to come up with ridiculous reasons why it explains that I am cheating and I want to be with other people. His work is also affected as he has a short temper with people, complains then suspects everyone is plotting against him. At this rate our relationship will end he finishes with me every other day I could go on but I struggle to believe it myself and he will likely lose his job. Is this coincidence or can this all be down to his testosterone, or am I just putting my hopes on this? I'm trying to be sympathetic but it is so hard and unfair on the children. Has anyone else experienced this? Please help

[Justin]

I'm sorry to hear about your issues with this. No one likes being in a stressful or bad relationship, that's for certain. It's not enjoyable. Regarding your husband's issues, there are a few things to address.

Low testosterone levels can make you irritable. Many men with low testosterone, they become forgetful, their energy levels are zapped, they may become lethargic and simply take very little joy in much of anything. Depression is a very common symptom of low testosterone levels and irritability and lashing out can at times be part of depression or how one deals with it. Some people lash out at others, while some bottle it up and kind of go into a silent cocoon.

Testosterone gels and creams, I'm not a very big fan of these things. When it comes to testosterone getting into the body, if it's absorbed it's the same testosterone regardless of how it was administered. However, transdermal (topical) testosterones often have poor absorption abilities. Some men simply cannot absorb it well. Some men, no matter how much they use, they simply cannot process the stuff. With those that it does work well, another issue can be what's called transdermal fatigue, meaning it worked well but over time the body stopped absorbing it. In this case, for it to continue working the man has to use more and more. Eventually there's no amount that will work. This is not the case with everyone but it is with many.

As far as testosterone itself causing anger or related behavior, there is no evidence that it does. There are those that have theorized that it does when too much testosterone is in the body, and that could be possible, at least theoretically, but even then I am somewhat skeptical. Now what is true, if a man is naturally a violent or angry person, if his testosterone levels were to become extremely high, well he might become even more aggressive in a negative way. But testosterone itself cannot change a man's mind, his personality or behavior. It doesn't cause him to make decisions he wouldn't make without it. Testosterone itself is something we all make naturally, it's not a foreign substance to the body, it's something we need to function properly both men and women. Men just need more. The testosterone you take from a pharmacy due to low levels, yes it's man made, but once in the body the body knows no difference. It's the same hormone, the same strand of carbons.

Although some men hate the idea of injecting, injectable testosterone is by far the most effective. There is no issue of transdermal fatigue. It will increase testosterone levels in nearly all men who take it. The only exception might be if a man has severe adrenal fatigue or something like that, but even that can be easily corrected and the testosterone will then absorb properly. Also, unlike transdermals, it doesn't need to be taken daily, so it's a bit more convenient. In most cases, it's 1-2 injections per week, often just one every 7 days. Some physicians will prescribe it on a once every two week basis because they're still following information that was available in the 1960's, but now that we understand half-lives a little better many physicians also follow the 1-2 times per week method. Levels will usually peak after an injection within 48-72hrs and then start falling back to baseline. So if you only inject once every two weeks, by the end of week one you're back to low levels and have to suffer with them for a week before you're next injection.

One last important factor, balancing testosterone and estrogen. This is something many doctors either forget about or do not know to look at. For things to work properly, there must be a balance between testosterone and estrogen. As men, the estrogen we need and we do need some, this arrives through testosterone. It's a conversion process. But too much or too little creates an imbalance in hormone levels, which in turn can cause unwanted symptoms and effects.

If this is something you need help with, please feel free to give us a call. Happy to help in any way we can. Also glad to answer any questions here you might have.