Originally Posted by
Bikey Mikey
Now, don't laugh. I had my doc check my Testosterone level May '13 and he found I was a few points below minimum normal. Instead of putting me on Testosterone, pills or gel, I was put on Chlomiphene Citrate, a female fertility drug. Chlomiphene Citrate, or Chlomid, blocks estrogen at the pituitary and hypothalamus glands. Yes, men produce estrogen and estrogen acts like a stop signal for testosterone manufacture. After a couple of months, the next test showed my T levels doubled making it well into the normal range. One of the good things about this type of treatment is your body is making the testosterone and you don't have the problems with side effects that someone on Testosterone replacement drugs can experience.
One of the potential side effects of testosterone therapy is gynocomastia, enlargement of the breasts. Few people realize that testosterone can be converted to estrogen by the aromatase enzyme. All men produce some aromatase but the overproduction of it can reduce testosterone levels and, in the setting of T therapy or T abuse, can reduce the expected effects and increase the side effects as part of the suppemental T is converted to estrogen. That is why some people using elicit testosterone supplementation develop gynocomastia and some don't. It has to do with your aromatase production. Estrogen blockers are an adjunctive therapy for men who want to use testosterone supplements but who overproduce aromatase. This problem is diagnosed by testing both testosterone and estrogen levels following the initial few weeks of therapy. If both the testosterone and estrogen levels rise, there may be an issue. Good luck finding a physician who will prescribe estrogen blockers for men and it is highly unlikely that they will be covered by insurance.