I am often asked, “How long will it take before I start to feel better on testosterone therapy?” Unfortunately, there is no clear answer as everyone is at different health and fitness levels. Personally, I started feeling the effects within a week of starting TRT, and really noticed a significant improvement by week five. Oftentimes, most men start feeling improvement by week three.
The effectiveness of most medical therapies is determined by multiple factors. These include:
- Underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, or high blood pressure
- One’s main presenting symptoms
- How low one’s testosterone is at the onset of treatment
- How compliant one is with treatment
If one forgets his dose or continues to abuse alcohol, not exercise, and has poor nutrition, it will take much longer for him to feel the positive effects of TRT.
When it comes to TRT, symptom improvement occurs in a step-wise approach, with some symptoms improving before others. Let’s review the most common symptoms of low testosterone:
- Low libido or decreased sex drive
- Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
- Decreased morning erections “morning wood”
- Decreased muscle mass
- Inability to make gains in the gym
- Increase body fat
- Fatigue
- Depression, anxiety, and brain fog
Usually, mental and psychological symptoms improve during the second to the third week of treatment. Men begin to experience an increase in libido, improved mood, more alertness and focus, and more energy. These symptoms continue to improve and eventually level off around week six.
By the second month of treatment, men will start to notice shorter recovery in the gym, loss of body fat, and increased muscle mass. This effect continues for 6-12 months and starts to plateau. But with continued exercise, weightlifting, and proper nutrition, body composition and performance improvements continue into the future.
Erectile strength and dysfunction can take up to 6 months to improve, depending on how long of an issue it has been. The first effect most men experience is an increase in morning erections by week four. If erectile dysfunction is not improving as quickly as hoped during treatment, daily treatment with a low dose of tadalafil (Cialis) can significantly improve symptoms. Adding a P-Shot®from Reclaim Men’s Clinic will also improve symptoms of ED.
Remember that TRT is a gradual process. Symptoms typically improve one at a time in a step-wise fashion, as described above. First, one will notice a more positive outlook on life, then a week later, libido will improve. A couple weeks after that, one will start to notice clothes fit better, and one begins to have morning wood again!
Patients who begin TRT must be compliant and consistent with their outlined treatment regimens, including taking medications as prescribed and obtaining follow-up lab work. This will ensure that treatment is effective and, most importantly, safe. If you are interested in exploring testosterone replacement therapy, contact Reclaim Men’s Clinic today.
