testosterone patch

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Testosterone Patch

Reporter: Jacqueline Lanza

FOUR TO FIVE MILLION AMERICAN MEN SUFFER FROM LOW LEVELS OF
TESTOSTERONE. IT CAN CAUSE FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, AND SEXUAL
DYSFUNCTION. MANY MEN NEVER SEE A DOCTOR BECAUSE THEY THINK IT'S A
NATURAL SIGN OF AGING. BUT AS JACQUELINE LANZA REPORTS...THERE'S AN
EASY TREATMENT THAT MAY HELP.

JACQUELINE LANZA: MOST OF US ARE FAMILAR WITH THE NICOTINE PATCH
DESIGNED TO HELP SMOKERS KICK THE HABIT. YOU MAY NOT KNOW THERE'S
ALSO A TESTOSTERONE PATCH...AND IT'S HELPING SOME MEN FEEL YOUNG
AGAIN.

LANZA: "IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE THOMAS RAY FIRST NOTICED THE
CHANGES IN HIS HEALTH."

Thomas Ray / Patient: "I was always tired. If I'd sit down, I'd fall
asleep."

LANZA: "AND AS THOMAS PUTS IT, HIS SEX LIFE WAS NILL. HE BLAMED THAT
ON HIS SIXTY-SOMETHING AGE."

Dr. Adrian Dobs / Endocrinologist: "If a man is getting older and
sees that there's really major differences in their sexual
dysfunction, then this may be related to a medical problem."

LANZA: "THOMAS DID HAVE A MEDICAL PROBLEM: LOW TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
CAUSED BY A TUMOR ON HIS PITUITARY GLAND. A SURGEON REMOVED THE TUMOR
BUT THOMAS STILL HAD LOW TESTOSTERONE. THEN HE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE
TESTOSTERONE PATCH. HE SAYS IT CHANGED HIS LIFE."

Thomas Ray: "My tiredness is gone. I feel great now. I'm back to
normal."

LANZA: "TWO PATCHES ARE PLACED ON THE BODY AT NIGHT, TO MIMIC THE
DAILY RYTHM OF TESTOSTERONE IN YOUNGER MEN. THE PATCHES SLOWLY
RELEASE THE HORMONE INTO THE BLOODSTREAM. IT'S ESTIMATED THAT ONLY
FIVE PERCENT OF MEN WITH LOW TESTOSTERONE ARE BEING TREATED. DR. DOBS
SAYS ANYONE WITH SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION, FATIGUE OR DEPRESSION SHOULD
SEEK HELP."

Dr. Adrian Hobbs: "The man shoud go to his physician and say, "I'm
having these kinds of problems, is it possible that I could have a
low testosterone state?" And a blood test should be drawn by the
physician."

LANZA: "THOMAS SAYS HE FEELS LIKE HE'S FORTY AGAIN. NOW HE HAS THE
ENERGY AND THE DESIRE TO START A NEW LIFE WITH HIS FIANCE, MARY."

Thomas Ray: "Well, from zero to ten, before the patch I was
probably, oh, about a two...and now, I'm a ten."

LANZA: "NOW THIS MAY SOUND LIKE A FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH...BUT DR. DOBBS
WARNS: THE PATCHES MUST BE DISPENSED WITH CAUTION. TOO MUCH
TESTOSTERONE CAN CAUSE PROSTATE PROBLEMS. THE PATCHES COST ABOUT
100-DOLLARS FOR A MONTH'S SUPPLY."

THE PATCH HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE FDA FOR PRESCRIPTION USE. YOU
SHOULD ASK YOUR DOCTOR FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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