Fix your Testosterone Crash now!

When your testosterone [T] is seriously low there is no mistaking it - you have a CRASH. 

This is a medical ‘urgency’ as it is harmful and dangerous to your long-term health so needs sorting right now.

How do you know you have crashed?

You feel fatigued; your mood is low [you may even be suicidal]; your sex drive has disappeared; your erection is weak or non-functional; your brain is fuzzy and it is difficult to be decisive. Hell- you are not yourself at all.

Action Stations

First: Get tested

Be decisive about one thing - get a T test urgently. Show this article to your partner - you may need their resolve behind you. Take your partner with you to the consultation, this is critically important to back up your story and help you if the GP is difficult.

In an ideal world

• You are able to access a GP quickly.
• You tell your Dr about the dramatic change in how you feel, say you believe it is low T and ask for a T test - and the GP agrees.
• Your Dr understands how to interpret the result [you need a level of 18-20+ nmol/L at any age to be symptom free and optimal] and is in favour of Testosterone Replacement Treatment [TRT]
• You get TRT, a test shows your T is restored and life returns to normal

You may have problems with any of the above – what to do is below.

What Test?

The test you need is Total T and because the level varies across the day it should be taken in the morning. 

Herbal supplements 1 - Ashwagandha

Herbal supplements 1 - Ashwagandha

The wide variety of herbal supplements will confuse. This series of posts looks at the evidence for common recommendations.

Ashwagandha for sleep, cognition and anxiety

The areas of potential use: sleep, stress, anxiety. Possibly to aid cognition in over 50’s

How does it work?

Probably via GABA-ergic pathways and/ or suppressing ACTH and thus cortisol levels. GABA, is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces overall brain signal levels. Studies in rodents show increased GABA activity in the central nervous system (CNS) and deeper sleep by promoting delta waves and increasing non-REM sleep duration [1].

For stress and anxiety Human Studies show a potential cortisol-lowering effect.

A 60-day, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated the stress-relieving and pharmacological activity of an ashwagandha extract [240 mg of a standardized ashwagandha extract (Shoden) once daily ] in stressed, healthy adults [2]

There was a 40% reduction in morning cortisol after 60 days of use and a significant reduction in the Hamilton Anxiety scale.

For Sleep, what is the data?

A Meta-Analysis on Sleep Benefits reviewed five RCTs (double-blinded, placebo-controlled) [3]. There were modest effects on overall sleep duration.