HEALTH SENSE
The best way to boost testosterone By Dr. Tony Nimeh
W
ith all the buzz out there about how to treat symptoms of infertility and low testosterone, there is a lot to discover. You may be surprised to hear that Clomid may be prescribed to you for treatment of infertility and symptoms of low testosterone. “C’mon Doc, my wife takes Clomid. Where’s the real stuff ”? Let’s get to the chemistry. Clomid, or, generically, clomiphene, is a prescription medication that your wife’s doctor may prescribe to treat her own infertility. Our bodies all have sensors built into them that detect certain changes in our chemistry. A simple example is our body has a thermostat, it detects that we are cold, sends a signal to the brain, which in turn generates another signal for us to shiver, causing our bodies to produce heat. With Clomid, it’s the same concept, just a bit more complex. Clomid acts by making a woman’s body think it has less estrogen in it that it does — estrogen being one of the two female sex hormones that basically make a woman a woman. It’s an important hormone for childbearing. By tricking her body into thinking there is less estrogen in her body than
there really it, Clomid stimulates the body to produce more estrogen. “That’s great, and I’m sure my wife would love it. I’ve got testosterone, how does this
affect me”? Great question. Women are not the only ones with estrogen in their body. Men also have a small production of estrogen. Estrogen can cause these same chemical receptors to act a certain way. It tells our body to produce less LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), which in turn tells our bodies to produce less testosterone and less sperm. Both testosterone and sperm are generated in the testicles. When a man takes Clomid, this blocks the estrogen from interacting with the chemical receptors in his body, which in turn results in an increase in FSH, LH and subsequently testosterone and sperm. “So Clomid is the best choice for my low testosterone symptoms?”
Glad you asked that. It depends on your individual needs and circumstances. Let’s discuss the benefits of Clomid. First off, it’s been around for years and since the patents have expired on it, cost is minimal. It’s a tablet that is taken orally, so you don’t have to worry about needles or injections. It acts as a stimulant within your body that causes you to produce more of your own testosterone and sperm. While these are all great points, we have to consider that each of our bodies is different and that factors such as age, genetics, past medical issues and care play a part as well. For instance, if you have been in the habit of using an outside source of testosterone replacement in the past, there is a possibility that your body won’t be able to produce its own testosterone as well as it used to anymore, if at all. In our practice, Clomid is our first-line choice for men with low testosterone, specifically those who still wish to have children, since it affects both testosterone and sperm production positively. Clomid is an excellent, minimally invasive route to try, but don’t get discouraged if things don’t work out. There are plenty of other options available out there. Dr. Tony Nimeh is the owner of Fairbanks Urology.
ALASKA PULSE — January 2020
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