Misconceptions about Testosterone Therapy

Computer and communications technologies are moving forward at the speed of light. Because of this, it is hard to believe that medical technology could take a step backward. We would like to believe that doctors know everything about the human body and the available treatments and medications for any given disease or health problem. Unfortunately, as medicine has become less about restoring health and more about making money, clear information isn't always easy for doctors to come by. In the realm of men's aging concerns, this is particularly true for testosterone treatment. Many men consider receiving testosterone therapy to treat fatigue, low libido, depression, or a variety of other symptoms related to low testosterone levels that result from the aging process.

In the 1940's, when male hormone therapy first became available, men were given methyltestosterone. Methyltestosterone was a molecule that was similar to testosterone, but manipulated slightly at the chemical level by pharmaceutical companies to make it possible for them to patent it and thus make money off of it. For about 10 years, men enjoyed the same anti-aging benefits as women as they got older.

Unfortunately, however, in the 1950's it became clear to scientists that methyltestosterone caused liver cancer and cardiovascular problems. The drug was no longer offered to men as a result of these studies. (This is similar to what happened to women, except that Premarin and Provera, the synthetic hormones used to treat menopause symptoms were never dropped even though it was discovered that they too caused serious problems like strokes, heart attacks, and cancer.) Men were obviously frightened off by the idea of testosterone replacement following news of these findings about methyltestosterone. The idea of hormone therapy was avoided for a number of years.

Bioidentical testosterone was never offered to men as a possible alternative treatment after methyltestosterone was dropped by pharmaceutical companies in the 1950's. Because bioidentical testosterone (which is biologically identical in structure and function to the hormones produced by a man's body) could not be patented and was never a potential money maker for pharmaceutical companies, it was never advertised and men suffering from debilitating age-related issues weren't able to gain access to it's benefits. Men didn't begin to gain access to bioidentical testosterone until very recently in the 1990's.

Unfortunately, the myth that testosterone treatment is dangerous to one's health still prevails. Many doctors even still ascribe to the myth that testosterone treatments will kill you because they are not educated about bioidentical hormones. Doctors are only educated to prescribe what the pharmaceutical companies are selling, and procedures that have received the blessing of the Insurance Gods. Bioidentical hormones can't be patented and thus are not worthy of much attention by most physicians. Indeed, most doctors today still believe that bioidentical testosterone causes liver cancer and heart disease. The key is to find a knowledgeable bioidentical hormone specialist or an endocrinologist who has specialized knowledge and diagnostic skills for working with hormone imbalances if you are interested in testosterone replacement therapy.