Success Stories

Elizabeth, 53, Lawyer

Elizabeth, a 53-year old attorney, went through late perimenopause at age 52. Though she was on a transdermal estradiol regimen for HRT, she was still not happy with her symptoms: she was moody and depressed, had difficulty sleeping and experienced severe hot flushes. She was putting on weight, even though her diet and physical activity remained consistent. She had always been an active person, but lately did not feel energized the way she used feel when she exercised. She rated her sex drive on a scale of 1-10 as a 2. Looking back on how she felt before she started treatment at PhysioAge Medical Group, Elizabeth notes, “I felt awful; I couldn’t function at my job, I couldn’t sleep and I definitely didn’t want to have sex!”

After seeing her blood test results, Dr. Raffaele knew why: Elizabeth was making virtually no estrogen or testosterone on her own. Dr. Raffaele diagnosed Elizabeth with hyposexual desire disorder (low libido) and menopause. Her treatment regimen consisted of testosterone and estradiol cream, progesterone capsules, melatonin and ferrous gluconate. Blood tests showed that after a few months of treatment, her estradiol level increased dramatically from 4 to 99 and her free testosterone percentage went from 0.9 to 3.1.

“I am sleeping through the night now, my libido has improved and I can exercise again.”

Veronica, 57, Teacher

Veronica is a 57-year old dance instructor. Veronica had been active her whole life. At around age 48, she decided to go on HRT. “I realized menopause was sneaking up on me.” Her doctor at the time put her on Provera. She experienced mood swings and depression, had difficulty sleeping, and seemed to be gaining as much fat as she was losing muscle. She experienced severe breast tenderness, an affliction she had almost all her life but that had recently intensified. Vaginal dryness made intercourse painful, causing her sex drive to be rated as a 1 on a scale of 1-10. In retrospect, Veronica compared Provera to Poison.

Dr. Raffaele performed a battery of blood tests, took a full medical history and conducted a physical exam. His assessment: Veronica was suffering from hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), menopause and hypothyroidism (low thyroid). Her treatment regimen consisted of D.I.M., estrogen and testosterone cream, DHEA, progesterone capsules and pregnenolone.

Before starting treatment, Veronica weighed 191 pounds and was at 51% body fat. Within a year of treatment with HRT, Veronica’s weight went down to 176 pounds, and her body fat was reduced to 45%. Her breast tenderness disappeared, intercourse was no longer painful and her sex drive returned. Her IGF-1 (growth hormone) jumped from 51 to 127 (without taking HGH). Her DHEAS level went from 67 to 350, and her free testosterone soared to 8.0 from 2.1. “I feel very, very well. My energy is back, it’s just wonderful.”

Preston, 70, Textiles

Preston is a 70-year old textile merchant. Preston came to PhysioAge Medical Group complaining of arthritis and fatigue. He noticed a sharp decrease in his energy, and he was not sleeping as well as he used to. “Physically, I felt like I was getting weaker. For the last two years it felt like I was losing 25-30% of my strength.” At his initial consultation, Preston had a body fat percentage of 40%. His free testosterone was 38, which was low but not uncommon for a man of his age.

Preston was treated for adult GH deficiency and hypogonadism (low testosterone). He was put on a regimen of HGH, DHEA and testosterone cream. Preston’s body fat percentage dropped to 36% without a change in diet or exercise. His IGF-1 jumped from 116 to 146. His free testosterone rose from 38 to 63. Within four months of starting treatment, he saw some amazing results. “I feel much better; I am more alert and I have more energy.”

Ernesto, 26, Technologist

Ernesto is a 26-year old technologist. Ernesto matured normally in high school, after which at age 20 he developed an array of unexplained symptoms. He felt a loss of libido, declining energy, light-headedness and depression. He couldn’t gain muscle mass or strength, in spite of strenuous workouts. He had difficulty with erections, slow beard growth and was gaining weight rapidly. Ernesto also complained of difficulty with spatial relations, to the point where he could not play in outfield on his local softball team because he could not pin-point where the ball would land. “The problems I had been dealing with were really driving me crazy, I didn’t know at that point if anyone could help me”, he said.

After seeing countless doctors, all of whom told him that his hormone levels fit within the textbook ‘normal ranges,’ he sought the help of PhysioAge Medical Group. Dr. Livesey performed a full diagnostic workup and found that blood levels of key hormones were within the “normal” ranges; however, his levels were drastically low for someone in his age range, especially his lutenizing hormone (LH) and his total and free testosterone.

Based on these findings, Dr. Livesey diagnosed Ernesto with secondary hypogonadism (low testosterone due to pituitary deficiency) and began treating Ernesto with injectable HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone that mimics LH by instructing the testes to produce more testosterone. As a result, his free testosterone doubled from 86 to 157.

Soon after starting treatment, Ernesto felt significant improvements in strength and endurance. “I feel 100% better for the first time in a long time.” he said. His anxiety and depression subsided. His libido returned, as did his ability to maintain erections. He noticed he was more assertive and alert. His night vision and long- and short-term memory also improved. Ernesto even recovered his spatial reasoning, permitting him to play in the outfield again. Most importantly, his general enjoyment of life was revitalized: “I got my life back!”.

Scott, 72, Scientist

Scott is a 72-year old scientist who has been a patient for 8 years. Scott had been in good health all of his life, except for a disabling lower back and leg pain that would not allow him to sit for more than a few hours at a time. Taking anti-inflammatories (such as ibuprofen) and swimming daily laps helped with the pain, but he was not able to fly for long periods of time, causing him to miss out on international scientific conferences.

Scott’s interest in PhysioAge Medical Group was not prompted by a need to abate the effects of hormone deficiency, but to benefit from a program based on natural ‘maintenance and repair,’ hormone, antioxidant and vitamin supplementation. Dr. Livesey performed a battery of blood tests, took a medical history and conducted a physical exam. Scott’s health was that of a typical of a 64 year old male: Low levels of GH, DHEA and testosterone. Based on these less-than-optimal levels, Scott was treated for Adult GH deficiency and hypogonadism. His regimen consisted of HGH, DHEA, Melatonin and Testosterone cream.

Since starting treatment, Scott’s IGF-1 (a measure of growth hormone) went from 96 to 178. His DHEA jumped from 244 to 610 and his free testosterone increased dramatically from 2.3 to 143.

Scott has never felt better. His lower back pain surprisingly diminished and then disappeared. He took up tennis at age 70, and no longer had to swim daily to soothe his back. “When I turned 70, I felt like I was functioning at the same level when I was in my 50s. Now I feel like I did when I was in my 40s.” Scott is thrilled to once again travel the world to attend scientific conferences.

Mark, 74, Retired Doctor

Mark is a 74-year old retired physician. Mark suffered a stroke which left him nearly immobile for the past few years of his life. His illness left him with a weakened swallowing mechanism, which required him to use a feeding tube. Because he was bed-ridden, he developed a severe bed sore that would not heal. He experienced monthly episodes of aspiration ammonia which required hospitalization. After taking him to numerous specialists, his family brought him to PhysioAge Medical Group as a last resort.

Mark was diagnosed with adult GH deficiency, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), hypogonadism (low testosterone), and hypothyroidism (low thyroid). Mark did not have a good prognosis for recovery, but Dr. Livesey began treating him with HGH, testosterone cream, pregnenolone and DHEA

As a result, his IGF-1 went from 97 to 148. His DHEA went from 160 to 252. His free testosterone went from 86 to 147. What happened within six months of starting treatment was astounding: without surgical intervention, Mark’s bedsore healed completely. His swallowing difficulty diminished to the point where he was able to feed himself by mouth. His strength improved, allowing him to walk again and begin treatment with a physical therapist. The bouts of aspiration ammonia slowed then stopped altogether. His health and his quality of life improved exponentially. Mark’s doctors credit the treatment program with keeping him alive.