How Long For Low Testosterone Medication to Work?
Have you started testosterone medication, and are wondering when you will see results? Here’s what you need to know about how long it takes for TRT to work.
Low testosterone can lead to a myriad of negative symptoms, including:
- Lowered sex drive
- Poor sleep
- Decreased concentration
- Weight gain
- Depression
Starting testosterone medication for low testosterone treatment (TRT) can be a lifesaver for many men suffering from low testosterone. But how long will it take to work? How long will you have to endure some of the negative symptoms?
We are going to take you through the general timeline of testosterone treatment so you can know exactly what to expect.
Why Does It Take Time to See the Effects of TRT?
A big misconception about testosterone medication is that it takes a while to start working because you have to wait for the level of testosterone in your body to be brought back up to normal levels.
This isn’t actually why it takes a while. In fact, the level of testosterone in your blood can be back to normal within a few days of your first dose. The reason why it takes a while to see the effects is that it takes your body a little while to balance out and react to the hormone.
It’s also important to note that the timeline we give here is a very general one. Everyone is different and will react to the treatment at a different pace. Some people will feel the results faster, while others might find the treatment takes longer.
Within Days
Generally, not much will happen within the first few days, except that you will have a heightened insulin sensitivity.
2 to 3 Weeks
After 2-3 weeks, you will start seeing and feeling more significant benefits of TRT.
One of the first major improvements you’ll notice is your sex drive. You should experience an increase in libido, sexual thoughts, morning erections, ejaculations, and even improved sexual satisfaction.
Another physical effect is the lowering of bodily inflammation should begin and continue from this point forward. Your sleep will also begin to improve around the 3-week mark.
At this point, you can also expect to feel some significant emotional changes, including decreased depression, anxiety, and aggression along with increased focus and concentration.
A published scientific study reported that the 3-week mark is when men on testosterone medication began to feel a significant improvement in their lives and an increase in their self-confidence.
4 Weeks
There are a few more physical changes you’ll notice around the 1-month mark of treatment: lower cholesterol and decreased triglycerides.
People also notice their sex drive, number of erections, and sexual satisfaction to continually increase.
6 Weeks
After 6 weeks, you should see significant improvements in your mood and mental health.
Most men report that they feel happier and more confident at this point in treatment. They also report that their general mood is greatly improved. There’s also a decrease in feelings of depression and anxiety.
Many people also report their feelings of fatigue and listlessness begin to decrease at the 6-week mark.
9-12 Weeks
This period is when a majority of the effects begin to occur.
The period of 9-12 weeks on testosterone medication brings:
- Decreased Fatigue
- Beginning of Lowering Blood Pressure
- More Decrease in LDL Cholesterol
- Increased HDL Cholesterol
- Improvement in Formation of Red Blood Cells
- Improved Glycemic Control
- Change to Body Mass Index
- Increased Muscular Strength
At this point in treatment, men also notice their emotional and mental changes begin to plateau around normal levels after steadily increasing until this point. This includes sex drive, mood, aggression, anxiety, concentration, and mental acuity.
6 Months
Besides maintaining past changes, 6 months of testosterone medication leads to increased bone density and increased levels of Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA).
At this point in testosterone medication treatment, the improvement of erections and ejaculations should plateau. You can also expect to see a continued decrease in depression.
You should also begin to see the effects on your body fat, lean mass, and muscle strength start to plateau.
1 Year and Beyond
After a year on testosterone medication, you should be reaching the peak of the positive effects of the treatment.
Physically, you’ll have an improved lean body mass which means less fat. You’ll have increased muscle strength and bone density. You’ll also look better and healthier, appearance-wise.
The positive internal effects will also peak at around the 1-year mark. Your red blood cell formation will be up, you’ll have improved glycemic control along with decreased cholesterol, blood pressure, and fat levels.
All of these physical effects lead to improved emotional and mental effects. You’ll be getting better sleep, have improved cognitive focus and function, and you’ll just feel better, happier, and more sociable.
For most people, the effects of TRT will peak after 1 year of treatment, but you can continue to see changes for years after starting testosterone medication. It’s also important to remember that this is a general timeline that will vary depending on the person.
Does Type of Testosterone Medication Matter?
The most common, and cheapest, way to take testosterone is through intramuscular injections. This timeline is based on someone using injections.
However, there are other methods to administer testosterone, each of which might have a slightly different timeline than the one we just went over.
Testosterone Gels/Patches
T gels and patches administer testosterone through your skin, where it is absorbed into your body.
If the entire dose is absorbed properly, then the timeline for gels/patches vs. injections should be the same. However, with gels and patches, it’s harder to know whether you’ve fully absorbed the full dose or if your skin doesn’t absorb the medication properly.
Because of this, some might feel that gels or patches take longer to provide the positive effects of TRT. On the other hand, some men say they feel the effects quicker when on the gel/patch because it absorbs directly.
It really just depends on the individual; you won’t know how it affects you until you start treatment.
Testosterone Pills
In general, testosterone pills are not recommended. When you take a pill, it goes into your stomach. Stomach acid destroys some of the T, and it won’t be fully absorbed into your body. This means you won’t get a full dose.
Not only will you not see the positive results as fast as you would with other methods, but testosterone pills are also known to have many negative side effects. They can be toxic to your liver and kidneys, cause acne, skin irritation, a reduction in testicular size, sleep apnea, and even tumors.
Wrapping Up
Testosterone medication will affect everyone in a slightly way on a slightly different timeline. Hopefully, this timeline has given you a general sense of when you can expect TRT to kick in.
If you have any more questions about testosterone replacement therapy, check out our FAQ page or contact us.
