Masculinizing hormone therapy

Testosterone therapy: Potential benefits and risks as you age

Receive trusted health information and answers to your questions about sexual orientation, gender identity, transition, self-expression, and LGBTQ+ health topics. Consider avoiding use of DHEA if you have high cholesterol or a condition that affects the supply of blood to the heart (ischemic heart disease). DHEA might reduce high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol levels. Explore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer also is known as androgen deprivation therapy. This medicine should not be used by women who are pregnant or might become pregnant. Testosterone may cause birth defects if a pregnant woman comes in contact with the medicine.

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor’s orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine.

In certain situations, doctors may recommend taking hormone therapy medicines for a set amount of time or until the PSA level is very low. For some people, this approach can help reduce the side effects of hormone therapy. If the prostate cancer comes back or gets worse, it might be necessary to start the medicines again. Finasteride is used to treat men who have symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male pattern hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia. Men with BPH usually have difficulty urinating, a decreased flow of urination, hesitation at the beginning of urination, and a need to get up at night to urinate. Finasteride will make these symptoms less severe and reduce the chance that prostate surgery will be needed.

Some of the physical changes caused by masculinizing hormone therapy can be reversed if you stop taking testosterone. Others, such as a deeper voice, a larger clitoris, scalp hair loss, and more body and facial hair, cannot be reversed. Masculinizing hormone therapy is used to make physical changes in the body that are caused by male hormones during puberty.

However, elderly patients are more likely to have heart or prostate problems (including enlarged prostate), which may require caution in patients receiving this medicine. Due to a lack of research on long-term safety, testosterone therapy isn’t right for women with heart, blood vessel or liver disease. It’s also not for those who’ve had breast or uterine cancer.

Many men benefit from psychological or family counseling. Treatment of delayed puberty in boys depends on the cause. Three to six months of testosterone shots can help start puberty. The testosterone cypionate multi dose vial stability can help increase muscle mass, beard and pubic hair growth, and growth of the penis. This treatment is given only if the bones have matured enough.

When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Appropriate studies on the relationship of age to the effects of testosterone have not been performed in the geriatric population. Testosterone is used for the treatment of men whose bodies do not make enough natural testosterone, a condition called hypogonadism. Testosterone is a male hormone responsible for the growth and development of the male sex organs and maintenance of secondary sex characteristics. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco. Anyone taking testosterone replacement should have a medical checkup and blood tests several times during the first year of treatment and yearly after that. This is to see how well the treatment works and to watch for side effects.