Communicating with your doctor
Because the impact of testosterone deficiency can be so detrimental to your health and your quality of life, speaking with your doctor if you think you may be deficient is very important
Many men feel that this is an awkward conversation to have and may not feel comfortable taking that first step but be assured that your doctor speaks with patients on matters such as this every day and will be glad you are taking a proactive approach to managing your health
Pre-appointment
Once you have made an appointment, there are some things you can do to make the appointment as productive as possible.
1. Write down your symptoms.
To make sure you communicate all your concerns with your doctor, take some time to write down what your symptoms are and bring this with you to your appointment. You may feel comfortable talking to your partner or a close family member who may be able to check you have written down everything.
2. Take the ADAM questionnaire or the AMS questionnaire
These are two recognised questionnaires which can be used to determine if you may have testosterone deficiency based on your symptoms. They are short and simple to complete and can be printed off and taken with you to your appointment.
Please note these questionnaires do not constitute a diagnosis of testosterone deficiency but they provide a good indication of if further tests are needed.
At the appointment
It is very common for men to feel awkward speaking to their doctor, especially if sexual dysfunction is one of their symptoms.
You do not need to tell the receptionist what you will be seeing the doctor about and can wait to discuss this when you are in private with the doctor.
Bring with you your list of symptoms and a print-out of the ADAM or AMS questionnaire.
Perhaps you can begin with saying something along the lines of,
“ I have not been feeling myself lately and I think my symptoms line-up with testosterone deficiency. Would you be able to tell me a bit more?”
Next steps
If your doctor thinks you may have testosterone deficiency, they will carry out some further tests to confirm a diagnosis.
They will need to carry out a blood test and will need to take a small sample in the early morning, before you have eaten anything that day. This will allow them to measure your testosterone levels
They will also ask you questions about how you have been feeling and may assess your overall health by calculating your BMI and asking about your treatment history.