Testosterone
Testosterone may cause an increase in blood pressure which can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke that may be life-threatening. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had high blood pressure, heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke. Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking medications for blood pressure, pain, or cold symptoms. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: chest pain; shortness of breath; pain in the arms, back, neck, or jaw; slow or difficult speech; dizziness or faintness; or weakness or numbness of an arm or leg.
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain tests to check your body’s response to testosterone. Your blood pressure should be checked before starting treatment and regularly while you are taking testosterone.
Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer’s patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with testosterone and each time you refill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm) or the manufacturer’s website to obtain the Medication Guide.
🔔 Why is this medication prescribed?
Testosterone is used to treat symptoms of low testosterone in men who have hypogonadism (a condition in which the body does not produce enough natural testosterone). Testosterone is used only for men with low testosterone levels caused by certain medical conditions, including disorders of the testicles, pituitary gland, (a small gland in the brain), or hypothalamus (a part of the brain) that cause hypogonadism. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your testosterone levels to see if they are low before you begin to take testosterone. Testosterone should not be used treat the symptoms of low testosterone in men who have low testosterone due to aging (‘age-related hypogonadism’). Testosterone is a hormone produced by the body that contributes to the growth, development, and functioning of the male sexual organs and typical male characteristics. Testosterone works by replacing testosterone that is normally produced by the body.
🔔 How should this medicine be used?
Testosterone comes as a capsule to take by mouth. It is usually taken with food twice a day (in the morning and in the evening). Take testosterone at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take testosterone exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Testosterone may control your symptoms but will not cure your condition. Your doctor may adjust your dose of testosterone depending on the amount of testosterone in your blood during your treatment and your reaction to the medication.
The problem isn’t a shortage of people wanting to be doctors, but rather, too few opportunities for training. Medical schools have increased class sizes by 30% since 2002, but federal funding for residency training – an essential step in the process of becoming a practicing physician – has not increased since 1997, according to Inside Higher Ed.
🔔 Other uses for this medicine
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
