How Testosterone Replacement Therapy Gave Me My Life Back

Low testosterone is only a problem for men in their forties, right?

Many people assume that issues with low testosterone typically begin between the ages of 40 and 45 but for many men, that’s not the case. Often men in their 20s and 30s ignore physical symptoms that indicate that their testosterone levels are decreasing. I was one of those men.

At 28 years old, I was active duty military, running 7-8 miles three days a week, playing full court basketball three days a week, and lifting weights 5 days a week. I was very active. I moved to Tennessee after separating from the Air Force at the age of 30, and was running an urgent care clinic where I worked 6 days a week. I drove home exhausted each day and didn’t want to participate in family activities after work. I resigned, blaming my job, thinking I was too stressed and was working too much.

My next job was in the ER, working 12 hours shifts 3-4 days a week, varying day and night shifts. I still felt tired, especially in the afternoon. I consumed high levels of caffeine with coffee and energy drinks. I lost interest in activities I loved—fishing, playing basketball and golf. I would get home and plop down on the couch exhausted. My wife thought I was being lazy and that I didn’t want to contribute to the family. I noticed that I was becoming more irritable and intolerant to my family. This lead to confrontation and distance in my relationship with my wife.

I turned back to working out and exercise in an effort to improve my energy and mood. I noticed that I didn’t have the same stamina, endurance, or recovery that I used to, but I wrote it off to being out of my routine. I was back in the gym 5 days a week but was still not making gains. I had to take pre-workout drinks—more caffeine—to get motivated and energized for the gym and I had to stay there longer to attain the results I used to see. My mental clarity and sharpness, especially in the afternoon, was also worsening. I again blamed it on life, a stressful job, young kids at home, not getting enough sleep, and diet.

Upon moving to Hendersonville, I worked in a clinic that did testosterone testing and replacement therapy. I got tested and could not believe the results! My testosterone was very low. I worked out with weights, did 45 minutes of cardio 4 days a week, and had a relatively healthy diet. Second guessing my results, I had my levels tested again, and they were the same. After being educated in testosterone replacement therapy, reading studies, taking continuing medical education courses and seminars, I decided to try it myself. If my energy, irritability, mood, and sleep could be improved, I was on board.

It didn’t take long to feel and see the results of the testosterone replacement therapy. After my third shot, I noticed I could do my normal workout routine in half the time and still feel energized. By the fifth shot, I felt more even mentally focused and my mood improved. I no longer had to take pre-workout powders. My caffeine intake dropped to only my morning cup of coffee.

After a few months, my muscles felt tighter and stronger. My waistline fat melted away. It changed me mentally and physically. I felt like myself again! With the exhaustion and irritability behind me, I became the husband and father I used to be—the ones my wife and kids deserve.

Testosterone replacement therapy gave me my life back, and it made me a believer in the effects low testosterone can have on men. My passion for men’s health is fueled by my own experience. It’s why I started Optimum Mens Health—to give other men their lives back through preventative care and testosterone therapy.