What testosterone treats
Testosterone falls with age, and faster with obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea, some medications, and illness. Patients come to Dr. Broderick with:
- Low sex drive
- Erectile difficulty
- Fatigue and low energy
- Loss of muscle and strength
- More body fat, especially the belly
- Poor or unrefreshing sleep
- Low mood, irritability, less drive
- Trouble concentrating
- Less body and facial hair
- Thinning bones
Thyroid disease, depression, sleep apnea, anemia, and medication side effects can look the same. Dr. Broderick is an internist first, so the workup looks for those too, rather than assuming every tired man needs a prescription.
What TRT can do
Testosterone replacement improves vitality and sexual function: better libido and erections, more energy, steadier mood, and better sleep within weeks; muscle mass, strength, and bone density build over months, especially when paired with resistance exercise. Testosterone also stimulates red blood cell production — a benefit for some men and a reason blood counts are monitored in all of them.
What it will not do is fix symptoms caused by something else. Diet and exercise are part of every plan here, not a footnote.
What treatment looks like at Naples Vital Hormone
- Review first. Past history, laboratory reports, and your current medications are reviewed, and your testosterone level is documented before anything is prescribed. Lab draws are done at the office or in your home.
- Subcutaneous dosing. Testosterone is given under the skin with a small needle, typically once a week. The dose is individualized from your labs and adjusted at follow-up. Most men administer it at home after being taught in the office.
- The candid conversation. Diet, exercise, side effects, the state of the evidence on heart risk, and the effect on fertility are all discussed with you before you start, and documented with your signature and the doctor's.
- Follow-up every three months at first. Each visit includes history, exam, blood tests, and medication renewal; blood tests watch hormone levels, blood counts, thyroid, and vitamins, and later visits become less extensive.
- The same doctor throughout. Levels, blood counts, PSA, and cholesterol are rechecked on a schedule, and the dose is changed when the numbers or your symptoms say it should be.
Risks, and who should not take testosterone
Testosterone is a controlled prescription medication, and it is not for everyone. Dr. Broderick screens every man for:
- Prostate and breast disease. A prostate nodule, prostate cancer, an elevated PSA, or breast cancer generally rules testosterone out. PSA is checked before and during treatment.
- Plans to have children. TRT lowers sperm production and can cause infertility that does not always reverse.
- Blood diseases. Anemia or an already-high red cell count changes the plan, because testosterone raises red blood cells and thick blood raises clotting risk.
- Heart problems. Atrial fibrillation, prior heart attack, heart failure, or stroke are screened for and weighed carefully. Research on heart risk is mixed: a large 2023 trial (TRAVERSE) found no increase in major heart attacks or strokes in men with low testosterone and existing cardiovascular risk, but did see somewhat more atrial fibrillation, blood clots in the lungs, and kidney injury.
- Other cancers and sleep apnea. Any cancer history is reviewed, and untreated sleep apnea can worsen on testosterone.
Common, manageable side effects include acne, fluid retention, breast tenderness, testicular shrinkage, and a rise in blood pressure. They are part of the conversation before you start, and part of what follow-up visits look for.
Evidence changes, and so does the advice. Dr. Broderick will tell you plainly what is well established, what is uncertain, and what she recommends for you.
Before your first visit
Text 239-248-2242 with your name, date of birth, and “appointment request,” or walk in Wednesdays between 3 and 4 PM. Bring your medications in their bottles and any medical records or recent lab results you have, including previous testosterone or PSA values. If you would rather fill out paperwork at home, the office can mail intake forms to you first. Full visit details