Testosterone Gel & Androgel: Dosage, Side Effects & Benefits

Testosterone Gel: Indications, Side Effects, Warnings

It is the largest such study of testosterone administration to women following a fracture of the hip and was conducted at UMSOM and seven other clinical sites throughout the country. Many of the side effects of testosterone don’t have to do with the testosterone itself but it’s metabolites estrogen and DHT (dihydrotestosterone). They can be mitigated for the most part through the use of anti-estrogen medications like Arimidex (anastrozole) and Aromasin (exemestane), or a DHT inhibitor Proscar/Propecia (finasteride). There is controversy, however, about the benefits of giving women testosterone.

Androgel is mainly used as a first line treatment for low testosterone in men, also described as male menopause, andropause, or hypogonadism. In particular, make sure that you discuss if you are using any of the following before using topical testosterone. It is unknown if drinking alcohol will affect topical testosterone. There are no known interactions between topical testosterone and foods or drinks. Do not use topical testosterone if you are breastfeeding.

Visit your care team for regular checks on your progress. Tell your care team if your symptoms do not start to get better or if they get worse. You may need blood work while you are taking this medication. And it’s not like you have spent time on giving feedback. Moreover, if they’re not working well on a task that is new to them, managers should provide complete direction including what, how, and when to do it. We anticipate reposting the images once we are able identify and filter out images that do not match the information provided in the drug labels. Alternatively, testosterone injections usually cost less than the gels due to it’s their more efficient method of delivery.

It’s normal to be forgetful at times, especially when it comes to new elements of your routine. Dose titrations on Days 14, 28, and 42 resulted in final doses of 20.25 mg to 81 mg on Day 112 as shown in Table 5. Circulating testosterone is primarily bound in the serum to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and albumin. Approximately 40% of testosterone in plasma is bound to SHBG, 2% remains unbound (free) and the rest why is one testicle bigger than the other loosely bound to albumin and other proteins.

Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be careful about giving supplements to a child, unless recommended by their healthcare provider. You see, while men have more of it, testosterone is not a “male hormone”—it is a human hormone that is just as important in women as it is in men. And just as happens for men, women’s testosterone levels drop as they age.

All this means that while it could be worth trying supplementation if your sex drive isn’t what you’d like it to be, increasing testosterone levels is not a quick, universal fix. Testosterone gel doesn’t pose the same risks of liver damage that other forms of testosterone do. It may increase your risk for prostate cancer, though, so your doctor will assess your risk. If it’s too great, your doctor may suggest another treatment. This may not be a complete list of medicines that can interact with topical testosterone.

Showering at 10 hours after drug application had no effect on bioavailability. In the 182-day double-blind period of the study, application site reactions were reported in two (2/234; 0.9%) patients receiving testosterone gel 1.62%, both of which resolved. Neither of these patients discontinued the study due to application site adverse reactions. In the open-label period of the study, application site reactions were reported in three (3/219; 1.4%) additional patients that were treated with testosterone gel 1.62%. None of these subjects were discontinued from the study due to application site reactions. Topical testosterone products may be flammable until they dry.

Secondary exposure to testosterone in children and women can occur with the use of testosterone gel in men [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.2)]. Cases of secondary exposure to testosterone have been reported in children. Testosterone gel 1.62% was evaluated in a two-phase, 364-day, controlled clinical study. The first phase was a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled period of 182 days, in which 234 hypogonadal men were treated with testosterone gel 1.62% and 40 received placebo. Patients could continue in an open-label, non-comparative, maintenance period for an additional 182 days [see CLINICAL STUDIES (14.1)].