Testosterone: MedlinePlus Drug Information

Online Testosterone Replacement Therapy

A normal range of testosterone for men is anywhere from 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). Others may not have symptoms until their level is at 150 or even 100. If you have symptoms of low testosterone and tests show you have an abnormally low testosterone level (below 300 nanograms per deciliter), your doctor may suggest treatment. If you have low testosterone levels but no symptoms, low testosterone treatment isn’t recommended. Testosterone levels are highest in men around age 17 and drop as they age, starting between ages 30 and 40. The drop is very gradual (about 1% per year) but increases as you get older. By age 70, the average man’s testosterone is 30% below its peak, but it’s usually still within the normal range.

Men with hypogonadism reported improved mood and well-being, and reduced fatigue and irritability. Research suggests that this treatment may also be an effective anti-depressant treatment. Strong bones help support your muscles and internal organs, which can boost athletic performance. However, the exact duration can vary depending on individual factors like metabolism, dosage, and overall health.

Testosterone in the bloodstream is quickly eliminated, so injections slowly release the hormone into the bloodstream over a longer period of time. A, Serum total testosterone concentrations in 63 transgender men on weekly subcutaneous testosterone enanthate or cypionate. The bar represents mean value and the rectangle demarcates total testosterone range. B, Optimal doses needed to maintain serum total testosterone concentration within the desired range were not influenced by participant’s body mass index (bars indicate mean values). Testosterone is a male steroid hormone that does testosterone increase girth a lot more for men than just promote a healthy sex drive. The hormone affects several other factors in your health, including body fat, muscle mass, bone density, red blood cell count, and mood.

We can also send your injections for testosterone optimization, as well as additional supplements and prescriptions, through the mail. When administering your intramuscular injections yourself, it’s important to ensure that you’re doing so directly into your gluteal area, shoulder, or thigh. After IM or SC administration of a testosterone ester, absorption occurs first by diffusion from the depot into the interstitium (Fig. 2B). The physiology of the IM and SC milieu determines the patterns of absorption after administration.

It’s not worth the potential health risks to use testosterone for nonmedical reasons, like bodybuilding or attempting to prevent aging changes. Your healthcare provider will recommend regular testing to make sure TRT isn’t hurting your health. If you don’t notice an improvement in your symptoms after taking TRT for three to six months, your provider may recommend stopping the therapy. This is because if your symptoms don’t improve, your testosterone level may not be the cause of your symptom. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional. Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals.

Most experts recommend screening for prostate cancer before starting testosterone replacement. Men with prostate cancer or elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) should probably avoid testosterone treatment. A health care provider inserts these pellets under your skin (usually in the buttocks area) every 3 to 6 months.

BPH is a benign enlargement of the prostate gland that leads to lower urinary tract symptoms such as frequency and urgency of urination. DHT metabolites are potent neuroactive steroids and likely play a role in sexual function and mood. The number of pellets to be implanted depends upon the minimal daily requirements of testosterone propionate titrated to a serum testosterone level in the low normal range for a healthy adult male. The usual dosage is 150 mg to 450 mg subcutaneously every 3 to 6 months, which translates to 2 to 6 pellets every 3 to 6 months.

We source research from peer-reviewed medical journals, top government agencies, leading academic institutions, and respected advocacy groups. We also go beyond the research, interviewing top experts in their fields to bring you the most informed insights. Every article is rigorously reviewed by medical experts to ensure accuracy. With any injection, there’s trauma to the tissue so if you go back into the same area, that pain will increase. If you’re doing IM injections in your thigh, do the right thigh first, then the left thigh.

Without adequate testosterone, a man may lose their sex drive, experience erectile dysfunction, feel depressed, have a decreased sense of well-being, fatigue, and have difficulty concentrating. Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels (to detect polycythemia) should be checked periodically in patients receiving long-term androgen administration. Testosterone has been subject to abuse, typically at doses higher than recommended for the approved indication and in combination with other anabolic androgenic steroids.

Once a patient qualifies for testosterone therapy (1, 2), risks and benefits of therapy as well as pros and cons of each formulation should be discussed (see Table 1). Patients should be informed that currently, data and experience with SC testosterone therapy both are limited. This discussion should also include cost considerations because the SC autoinjector is more expensive compared to conventional SC injections with testosterone esters. Clinicians should continue to assess testosterone levels periodically. Additionally, though data on this ultralong-acting formulation are available with the 1000-mg dose regimen (26), studies with the 750-mg dose (the approved dose in the United States) are also needed.