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Clomiphene Low-T Andropause Treatment

Low-T is a medical condition that affects men of all ages. Age-Related Testosterone Deficiency becomes an issue for many men as young as thirty years of age and remains problematic throughout their lifespan. T

Testosterone Replacement Therapy has long been used as a valuable means to restore Testosterone Concentrations and foster improved health, but there are other options available to patients.

What Are the Symptoms of Low-T

Low-T affects male health in a wide variety of ways. When most people think about Testosterone Deficiency, they think about Erectile Dysfunction and Low Libido. These are two of the most prominent and noticeable symptoms, but Low-T impacts the entire body in various ways. The following are some of the symptoms of Testosterone Deficiency that men might experience:

  • Weight Gain

  • Loss of Muscle Mass

  • Osteopenia

  • Anemia

  • Muscle Pain

  • Fatigue

  • Loss of Quality of Life

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Increased Susceptibility to Prostate Cancer

  • Enhanced Risk of Alzheimer's Disease and other Neurological Disorders

  • General Increase in Mortality Risk

Now, sexual health is essential, but it's clear that Andropause impacts far more than simply sexual health. It can take years off of your life.

Primary Vs. Secondary Testosterone Deficiency

You may not realize it, but there are multiple forms of Testosterone Deficiency based on the source of the deficiency. Primary Hypogonadism refers to Low-T caused by medical issues that suppress the testes' ability to provide Testosterone to the body. This can be caused by testicular cancer, testicular removal, mumps, genetic disorders, or other medical issues which impact the testes.

Because these forms of Low-T are caused directly by Testicular Malfunction, the only effective form of Testosterone Restoration is direct via Bio-Identical Testosterone Treatment. The body effectively loses its ability to produce Testosterone in the case of Primary Testosterone Deficiency.

On the other hand, Adult-Onset Testosterone Deficiency is not caused by issues with the testes but by issues with signaling from the Pituitary and Hypothalamus. The testes retain their ability to produce all of the Testosterone that the body needs; they are just under-active due to a lack of stimulation.

Lifestyle Choices Can Make Andropause More Severe

Andropause is exacerbated by conditions related to lifestyle, which further suppress Testosterone signaling. The following are some examples of physiological circumstances which suppress the body's ability to meet its own needs for Testosterone:

  • Lack of Sleep

  • Diabetes

  • Steroid Abuse

  • Excess Iron

  • Brain Injuries

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Certain Medicines

Bio-Identical is the most common treatment today for all forms of Low-T, including Age-Related Hypogonadism. There are a variety of practical forms of Bio-Identical Low-T Treatment, including Testosterone Injections, Patches, Pellets, Gels, and Creams.

Side-Effects of Testosterone Restoration

Each of these forms of treatment has its particular advantages and disadvantages amongst themselves, but all are generally effective. Of course, Testosterone Therapy, in general, comes with its unified list of side effects, including:

  • Increased Red Blood Cell Count

  • Reduced Fertility

  • Gynecomastia

  • Shrinkage of the Testicles

Some of these side effects can be treated effectively. For example, increased RBC can be mitigated by blood donation, and the risk of gynecomastia can be controlled using Arimadex, an estrogen-blocking medication.

But what options are available for patients who want to benefit from Testosterone Therapy while preserving and retaining their fertility?

Bio-Identical Testosterone Fine For Men that Don't Want Kids

For older patients that have no interest in bearing children, Testosterone Replacement meets their needs effectively. Still, for younger men in their thirties and forties who are suffering from Low-T issues but are also looking to have children shortly, Testosterone is simply not an option unless they freeze sperm before initiating therapy.

Clomiphene Helps Men That Want Children Experience Testosterone Restoration

Luckily, men who want children don't have to avoid Testosterone Restoration because HCG and Clomiphene Citrate have been shown to be highly effective at providing the same great benefits as Testosterone Therapy with Injections, Patches, Etc., while also preserving fertility.

Clomiphene and HCG not only preserve Fertility but also enhance fertility because they supplement the mechanisms that lead to the production of Testosterone, which also leads to the healthy production of sperm.

How Does Clomiphene Work?

When a man's body works correctly, the hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary to produce a Testosterone Precursor Hormone known as Luteinizing Hormone. This hormone is released in the blood, where it circulates down to the testes and activates the production of Testosterone.

Some of the produced Testosterone is then converted into Estrogen. Like women need a little Testosterone, men need a little Estrogen. Estrogen acts as a negative feedback mechanism to the production of Testosterone, circulating back to the brain, encouraging the pituitary to halt Luteinizing Hormone Production.

Interference with this signaling is one of the ways that lifestyle inhibits Testosterone Production. Body fat can convert Testosterone into Estrogen, and the more body fat a patient harbors, the larger the strain on his Testosterone Balance.

Clomiphene helps to encourage the increased production of Testosterone by inhibiting the negative feedback mechanism caused by Estrogen. Clomiphene Citrate reduces the influence of Estrogen upon the hypothalamus and pituitary, encouraging the body to produce more Luteinizing Hormone.

Because Estrogen signaling to the brain is reduced, it keeps the pituitary happily churning out enough Luteinizing Hormone to meet the body's needs.

How do HCG and Clomiphene differ?

Whereas Clomiphene increases the body's production of Luteinizing Hormone, HCG imitates the function of Luteinizing Hormone in the body, encouraging sperm and testosterone production.

Bio-Identical Testosterone Replacement Therapy, on the other hand, increases Testosterone by directly replacing the body's Low-T Production. This causes the body to produce more Estrogen and other Negative Feedback Mechanisms, which slows down the body's release of Luteinizing Hormone, eventually to the point where the patient is ultimately infertile. Luckily, this is temporary and will relieve itself given enough time without Treatment, but this poses a direct problem for younger patients of child-bearing age.

How Does Bio-Identical Testosterone Interfere with Testicular Function?

With standard Low-T Treatment, the pituitary and the hypothalamus receive signals from the body that Testosterone Levels are normalized. This means that the testes are producing ample Testosterone for the body.

When it receives these signals, the hypothalamus tells the pituitary to stop making Luteinizing Hormone, which in turn both suppresses the production of Testosterone by the testes and prevents the manufacture of sperm as well.

This is the biological mechanism by which Testosterone Therapy leads to reduced fertility and the shrinkage of the testicles. Because the testes are no longer active, they go into a state of dormancy, which can also cause the testes to recede.

How do HCG and Clomiphene Preserve Testicular Function?

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Clomiphene Citrate can simultaneously increase Testosterone Levels while sustaining the testes' normal function. HCG is very commonly used as a mechanism to return the testicles to normal function after Testosterone Therapy has been completed. HCG is commonly used in a process known as cycling.

Many men that do not produce enough Testosterone can benefit significantly from short-term use of Clomiphene, especially those that have other factors suppressing their Testosterone Production. Under these circumstances, treatment usually lasts from three to six months.

However, men with Age-Related Low-T caused by Andropause require long-term therapy to keep their Testosterone Levels at a healthy concentration.

Because Clomiphene increases Testosterone Production naturally, in a way that is in congruence with the natural hormonal cascade of the body, Low-T Treatment with Clomiphene has a significantly lower risk of side effects compared to Bio-Identical Testosterone Treatment.

Clomiphene also does not carry the same potential for Testosterone Abuse because the patient cannot quickly receive more Testosterone than they need.

Clomiphene was initially thought to be effective for the treatment of Testosterone Deficiency and Infertility in younger male patients. Still, over the last decades, a growing body of evidence has shown that Testosterone Restoration with Clomiphene is a highly effective treatment method for men suffering from Andropause that are 30, 40, 50, and beyond.

What Makes Clomiphene such a good choice for men with Low-T Caused by Andropause?

Let us quickly break down the benefits of Clomiphene:

  • Clomiphene produces fewer side effects than Bio-Identical Low-T Therapy.

  • Clomiphene is available in generic form and can be obtained for a very reasonable price.

  • Clomiphene can be taken orally, bypassing the need for Testosterone Patches, Creams, and Injections.

  • Clomiphene restores Testosterone Production to normal levels without risk of overdose, infertility, or testicular shrinkage.

  • With Clomiphene, it is possible to encourage your body to produce its natural Testosterone.

Why Isn't Clomiphene More Commonly Prescribed?

Although Clomiphene is a highly effective alternative to Testosterone, it is very under-utilized in today's pharmaceutical climate. There are a number of reasons for this:

  • Because Clomiphene is generic, pharmaceutical manufacturers don't advertise the product heavily, leading to reduced awareness.

  • Medical professionals are also victims of these issues of awareness. Even though Clomiphene is clinically shown to increase Testosterone Production effectively for men with Andropause, the majority of physicians are not fully cognizant of the safety profile and the effectiveness of the treatment.

  • Another reason for this reduced awareness is that the Food and Drug Administration disapproves of Clomifene for Male Testosterone Deficiency. There is research that proves the effectiveness of the treatment; it simply hasn't been thoroughly evaluated by the FDA.

This is because Clomid, the brand name of Clomiphene Citrate, was initially designed to treat women with fertility issues. In the female body, Luteinizing Hormone plays an essential role in the normal menstrual cycle, whereas in men, it encourages healthy sperm and Testosterone production.

As a result, most physicians are aware of the FDA-Approved usage of Clomiphene and are under the false impression that Clomiphene is only effective as a treatment for women.

HCG vs. Clomiphene

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is more commonly used than Clomiphene as a treatment for Adult-Onset Hypogonadism and Andropause because of the increased level of awareness and the older research profile.

But for men who can benefit from either treatment, Clomiphene is the better option for most patients because it is much cheaper than HCG and is also easier to administer. To date, HCG can only be prescribed via injection, whereas Clomiphene can be effectively used orally.

Side-Effects and Issues Related to the Use of Clomiphene Citrate

Clomiphene has a safety and side-effect profile that is better than Bio-Identical Testosterone Therapy. Still, there are some risks to consider, as there are with any other form of Hormone Therapy or medical treatment in general:

Pyrospermia – Among older patients taking Clomiphene Citrate, patients can experience an increased concentration of white blood cells in the semen. There is no evidence that this causes any health issues, and this increase in WBC Count is not the result of infection.

Changes in Vision – There is a low risk that eyesight issues can occur due to the use of Clomiphene. These side effects are not permanent and are fully reversed upon the suspension of treatment.

Clomiphene is a Synthetic Drug – Unlike other forms of Hormone Restoration such as HGH Injections and Testosterone Therapy, Clomiphene is not naturally reproduced by the human body. Bio-Identical Hormones are naturally occurring; they are simply created in a laboratory environment.

This means there is a potential risk for side effects to be uncovered in the future because Clomiphene could have some unintended function outside of its intended uses because of its unique and abiological structure.

On the other hand, Clomiphene has been prescribed and tested on male patients for over forty years, and the above risks are the only ones that have become manifest.

Some men may not respond to Clomiphene for Andropause – Because Clomiphene encourages the youthful production of Testosterone via the Hypothalamus and the Pituitary, men with Primary Testosterone Deficiency will not respond effectively to Clomiphene. There are also other factors of the endocrine system which can lead to inhibited effectiveness.

Is Clomiphene Citrate Right For You?

For many patients, Clomiphene is an incredibly viable form of Testosterone Restoration and may even be the ideal form of treatment. It can be used for patients that need Testosterone Therapy for a brief time and for patients that suffer from chronic Low-T resulting from Andropause and Age-Related Hypogonadism.

Of course, like any form of Hormone Therapy, Clomiphene should only be used as prescribed by a licensed and board-certified medical professional. If you are interested in Clomiphene or any other form of Hormone Replacement Therapy, we encourage you to contact our clinic for more information.

 


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