What Does it Mean to Have a low Testosterone Level and What is Low T?

These days it is almost impossible to watch a sporting event on television or read a magazine geared toward male readers without being inundated with ads for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). We often see the term “Low T” featured in these ads, as if that is a common medical term with which we should be familiar.

In reality, “Low-T” is a term created by the marketing arm of drug companies that is used to mean that a male patient has a low testosterone count. According to the many commercials on TV and in magazines, the following are some of symptoms of having Low-T:

• Feeling tired
• Being overweight
• Lacking muscle tone
• Lower sex drive
• Poor sexual performance
• Hair loss
• Depression

As many ads tell us, if a man is suffering from Low-T, he can go to a doctor or a T Clinic and get a testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) drug to raise his testosterone.

What is obvious from this list of Low-T symptoms is that they are not really symptoms at all but rather the characteristics normal male aging.

If a man is worried about having Low-T, it would probably be helpful to know what defines a normal testosterone level. The truth is doctors have no idea what a normal testosterone level is, because Low-T is not a medical term. It is a marketing term created by drug companies who make TRT drugs.

Doctors also have no idea what effect it will have if TRT is given to raise testosterone levels. Doctors can measure that the level is going up, but there is no real scientific support that it will do anything beneficial to the patient. The drug companies claim it does the following:

• Increases energy levels
• Increases sex drive
• Increases sexual stamina
• Increases muscle tone
• Slows hair loss
• Alleviates Depression

While doctors do not know what it means to have Low-T or what TRT really does, they do know that Testosterone Replacement Therapy can cause the following dangerous side effects:

• Increased risk of heart attacks
• Increased risk of strokes
• Increased rick of cardiovascular disease

If doctors are aware of harmful side effects and not aware of any real benefits of TRT for most patients, along with the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved TRT to treat Low-T, it should be more difficult to convince a doctor to prescribe the medicine.

This is one of the main reasons for TRT lawsuits. Patients are not being adequately warned of known dangers of taking TRT drugs, so that they can make an informed decision about whether or not to take a potentially dangerous drug.

This is one of the reasons that T Clinics have sprung up across Massachusetts. A T Clinic is a clinic that exists for men to come in, tell staff they have the symptoms of Low-T, and walk out with TRT treatment. TRT treatment comes in the form of pills, injections, gels and transdermal patches.

While the FDA has not approved TRT for Low-T alone, the T Clinics often put patients on testosterone to treat aging as a health condition. Some of the clinics will brand themselves as men’s health clinics and advertise a treatment for sexual dysfunction.

If TRT is not approved to treat Low-T, you may be wondering why TRT exists. TRT was first created by scientists more than 40 years ago to treat a very rare condition known as hypogonadism. When a prospective patient goes to a T clinic, they will not be tested for or asked about hypogonadism, because chances are very high that the patient does not suffer from the rare disorder.

It should be noted that there has not be an increase in the frequency hypogonadism occurrences but the number of patients on TRT has gone up over 400 percent in the past decade.

If you or someone you love has suffered heart problems while undergoing testosterone replacement therapy, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.

Call Today – (617) 777-7777 – Free Consultation