Question 205 of 433
What are the symptoms of truly low testosterone, and how is it tested?
The short answer
Low sex drive, fewer morning erections, and erectile difficulty are the most specific. Diagnosis takes two blood tests drawn in the early morning on different days.
Fatigue, low mood, and loss of muscle are common but have many other causes. Testosterone peaks in the morning and falls through the day, and it drops after a poor night or during illness, so one afternoon reading means little.
Ask for total testosterone on two mornings, fasting. A level consistently under about 300 is considered low. If it is borderline, a free testosterone and a binding protein called SHBG help. Two pituitary hormones, LH and FSH, show whether the problem is in the testicles or in the brain’s signal, and prolactin should be checked if levels are very low.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
GUIDELINE-BASED — Symptomatic men: repeated morning testosterone plus clinical evaluation; units and assay matter.Evidence grade (draft mapping)GGuideline-based / consensusPart 15, Q205 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.