Medications for Low Testosterone
Medications for low testosterone can be a safe and effective way to treat symptoms of low testosterone. Individualized, long-term testosterone therapy has been shown to improve bone density, stabilize mood, normalize body fat and body muscle, increase energy, and increase libido.
Popular Medications for Low Testosterone
We expect testosterone replacement therapy to improve your symptoms of low testosterone. For instance, many patients report an improvement in energy levels, ability to exercise, weight loss, muscle gain, libido, erectile function, ability to concentrate, and/or symptoms of depression. Testosterone replacement has even been found to help diabetics improve their blood sugar control.
It is important that you follow directions for the use of testosterone therapy. This applies to needle safety with injection therapy and to limiting exposures of family members to testosterone cream or gel. It is also important for you to follow-up regularly with office appointments and blood tests so we can evaluate your response to therapy and monitor for potential side effects.
As is the case for any new medication, there could be side effects resulting from your testosterone therapy. These include, but are not limited to, the following signs/symptoms:
- Pain at the site of injection/insertion for patients on injection therapy or Testopel
- Infection at the site of injection/insertion
- Skin irritation or allergic reaction from patches, gels, or creams
- Acne
- Headache
- Nausea/vomiting
- Ankle swelling
- Mood swings or increased aggression
- Changes in body hair: male pattern baldness, increased facial hair
- Increase in hematocrit (red blood cell concentration), which can increase the risk of blood clots
- Increase in estrogen levels, which can cause breast tissue growth and nipple tenderness
- Irregular lipid levels
- Enlargement of the prostate gland, which can cause urinary symptoms
- Decreased size of testicles
- Decreased sperm count or complete cessation of sperm production
- Severe anaphylactic reaction (rare)
Clomid is a medication that elevates certain hormones (LH and FSH) released by the pituitary gland in the brain. These hormones, in turn, will stimulate both the production of testosterone and the production of sperm within the testes. This medication can treat symptoms of low testosterone and also increase sperm counts. Large-scale studies have shown that Clomid can lead to sustained increases in testosterone, increases in strength, reduction of fatigue, and improvement of erectile function. Studies have also found that Clomid can help improve sperm counts in men with fertility issues. In men with no sperm in the semen, Clomid can potentially help increase the chances of finding sperm in the ejaculate or through a surgical procedure.
Potential side effects include:
- Mood swings or increased aggression
- Male pattern baldness
- Increase in hematocrit (red blood cell concentration), which can increase the risk of blood clots
- Enlargement of the prostate gland, which can cause urinary symptoms
- Headaches
- Blurry vision
Arimidex is a medication that alters hormone levels within your bloodstream. Specifically, it reduces the production of estrogens by preventing the conversion of testosterone into a particular estrogen, estradiol. By doing so, testosterone levels rise and estradiol levels are lowered. This can help with the symptoms of elevated estrogen, such as breast tissue growth and nipple tenderness.
By raising testosterone levels, Arimidex has been found to reduce the symptoms of low testosterone, such as low energy, reduced muscle mass, low libido (sex drive), and erectile dysfunction. It has also been found to improve sperm production and sperm recovery rates in men with low sperm counts.
Potential side effects include:
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Bone/joint pain
- Cough
- Increase in hematocrit (red blood cell concentration), which can increase the risk of blood clots
- Elevated liver enzymes
- Cataracts
- Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a serious rash (rare)
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormonal treatment that can be used to increase testosterone levels in men. It is a treatment option for men who are suffering from symptoms of low testosterone. hCG stimulates the body’s own production of testosterone, which is in contrast to direct testosterone replacement like testosterone injections and gels. Preserving the body’s production of testosterone is particularly important for testicular function and fertility, as intratesticular testosterone is required to maintain testis size and sperm production.
Research has found hCG to improve energy, libido (sex drive), strength, and mood in men with low testosterone. In men who were previously on testosterone replacement medication, hCG can help treat symptoms of low testosterone while preserving or increasing sperm counts. By increasing intratesticular testosterone, hCG has been found to increase the likelihood of sperm retrieval in men with non-obstructive azoospermia, or a lack of sperm in the ejaculate.
hCG is a medication that is administered as a subcutaneous injection (underneath the skin) in the abdomen. We will teach you how to administer the injections under the skin of your abdomen.
Potential side effects include:
- Mood swings or increased aggression
- Male pattern baldness
- Pain/bruising at the injection site
- Weight gain
- Increase in hematocrit (red blood cell concentration), which can increase the risk of blood clots
- Enlargement of the prostate gland, which can cause urinary symptoms