No. Once prostate cancer has been diagnosed, the cancer cells in the prostate are completely different from the benign prostate cells that were there before, and it is recommended that men refrain from replacing testosterone if there is prostate cancer present. However, if a man has had prostate cancer that is completely removed surgically, and has negative lymph nodes (does not have any more prostate cancer cells), Dr. Morgantaler of Harvard feels that it is then a choice to be made by the patient and his doctor. If cancer is metastasized, we do not advise replacement of testosterone in any form.

Bio-identical Testosterone Pellets contain the pure hormone, testosterone, that is dissolved and absorbed directly from the pellet into the blood stream. The testosterone is not immediately converted to the byproducts (Estrone/DHT), which can cause prostate swelling, hair loss, belly fat and a requirement for more and more testosterone. Other forms of testosterone are delivered in a form that causes blood levels to rise and fall drastically between dosing. Pellets are dosed two to three times a year which allows blood levels to remain quite stable.

We follow blood levels of your estrone and DHT, before and after treatment, and then periodically. If they are elevated, we treat with medications and/or herbal supplements to decrease DHT and Estrone. DHT is lowered by using Saw Palmetto, or the medications Avodart, Propecia or Proscar. We treat too much estrone with the supplement DIM or the drug Arimidex.

Yes, they will to some extent. Testicles shrink normally with age, as they provide less and less testosterone. As the pellets take over the supply of testosterone, testicles are not producing as much as usual, so they get smaller. This is not a permanent change, and there are medical methods to stimulate the testicular size, but it is cosmetic and not necessary to be healthy.

That depends on how heavy you are at the beginning of treatment as well as how much you exercise, your diet, and how often you work out with weights. Without testosterone replacement, this transformation would not be possible even with a perfect diet and exercise.

No. You will use up the testosterone more quickly because your liver is activated and it metabolizes testosterone with the same enzymes that metabolize alcohol and drugs. Marijuana increases prolactin, the hormone that increases breast size in men and women. Prolactin not only decreases your testosterone level but decreases your sex drive, ejaculatory function and sexual stamina. It is expected that if you take testosterone, you should stop using marijuana altogether and decrease or stop alcohol consumption.

Yes. It often can replace the need for antidepressants which also can decrease libido.

Yes, in most cases it will. It also increases insulin sensitivity which can decrease triglycerides and stabilize blood glucose. It can improve the overall status of your diabetes. In men who have had many years of diabetes—especially without good control—the blood vessels in the pelvis are affected and might not provide enough blood to the penis for an effective erection. In these cases, other medication designed to improve penile blood flow might be required.

Testosterone is made of cholesterol. When you take cholesterol-lowering drugs, you decrease the primary ingredient that testosterone is made of which can lead to lower testosterone production.

Testosterone fixes the real problem—lack of testosterone that decreases libido and sexual response. Viagra does not fix the sexual desire issues, it just improves blood flow to the penis. This is only treating the symptom of ED, not the other symptoms of low testosterone, and it has many side effects.

No. We cannot honor these requests. Our purpose is to replace testosterone for symptomatic men who have low levels because of age, genetic problems, head injuries, or other causes.

This is a concern for men who take testosterone, because the addition of testosterone can increase the red blood count in anyone. If there is an underlying condition that also elevates the red blood count, it is important to diagnose and treat that condition early while being treated with testosterone. The reason it is important is that increased concentrations of red blood cells can lead to sludging of the blood and could cause blood clots (an embolism) to form.

It is important that this condition (called polycythemia) is diagnosed and treated prior to, or early during a course of testosterone replacement. Evaluation of elevated hematocrit determines whether you have Hemochromatosis, a benign elevation of red blood cells, or a Jak 2 genetic defect which has other far-reaching consequences with or without testosterone replacement. We can also determine whether your situation requires a specialist such as a hematologist/oncologist.

No, because we evaluate and treat men with an increase in blood count, discussed above. They do not increase the risk of clotting for other reasons either.

There is no reason for you to try a method that will not bring you back to health completely before you come here for testosterone pellet therapy.

Maybe. Most men find that they do not. However, if there is vascular compromise from arteriosclerosis or diabetes, then it is still possible that ED medicine in one form or another may be needed. We often find that a patient’s blood pressure medicine is contributing to the problem and we advise our patients to switch to a blood pressure medication that is least likely to cause ED. In any case, if ED meds are needed, they are also generally used at a lower dose than before.