Testosterone pills are prescribed to treat diseases, arising due to the insufficient amount of steroid hormone testosterone in the body of adult men. Children and teenagers under 18 years old are allowed to take Testosterone pills in rare cases. Women are contraindicated to take Testosterone pills. As for the elderly men, they are prescribed with minimal daily doses of Testosterone pills.
Indications for use of Testosterone pills
Men over 18 years old should take Testosterone pills for the treatment of hypogonadism, consequences of which are:
* endocrinal erectile dysfunction;
* low libido and decreased sexual activity;
* violation of spermatogenesis and male infertility.
Testosterone pills can be prescribed for the treatment of both primary and secondary hypogonadism. But in case the androgen insufficiency is among the causes of osteoporosis, Testosterone pills are included into combination therapy of this multifactor disease.
Contraindications for use of Testosterone pills
Suspected or confirmed breast and prostate carcinoma are among the few contraindications for Testosterone pills. Those men, who were diagnosed with hypersensitivity to the steroid hormone Testosterone, should never take Testosterone pills.
Side effects of oral Testosterone pills
If testosterone is taken in therapeutic doses, it rarely causes side effects. The most common Testosterone side effect is oily stool. However, this side effect occurs in less than 10% of men, taking Testosterone pills.
More rarely, Testosterone pills provoke nausea. But if patient does not respect the prescribed dose regime, Testosterone pills can cause vomiting. In case Testosterone pills caused vomiting, this states for an overdose, which requires an immediate gastric lavage.
Recommended dose regime for Testosterone pills
* When Testosterone pills are taken with food, their androgenic effect increases. Therefore Testosterone pills are recommended to be taken with or soon after meals.
* The first 14-21 days after the onset of androgenic therapy, the daily dose of Testosterone pills may vary from 120mg to 160mg.
* In 2-3 weeks after patient started to take Testosterone pills, the daily dose of steroid hormone can be reduced up to 40-120mg.
* In order to maintain the androgenic effect within 24 hours, Testosterone pills have to be taken 2 times a day, with 12 hours interval.
* Man should not chew, crush or break the Testosterone pills. Damaged shell of Testosterone pills, worsens their pharmacodynamic and therapeutic properties.
Testosterone pills on regional pharmaceutical markets
* The USA pharmaceutical market offers buccal Testosterone pills (manufacturer Columbia Laboratories, Inc.) that are available under the trade name Striant (the FDA approved in June, 2003).
* The manufacturer (supplier) of oral pills Testosterone on Canadian pharmaceutical market, is Merck Canada, Inc. In Canada, Testosterone pills are available under the trade name Andriol (approved by the Health Canada in December, 1992).
* Producers (suppliers) of Testosterone pills in NZ are two pharmaceutical companies: Arrow Pharmaceuticals and Merck Sharp & Dohme. In NZ, Testosterone pills are available under the trade names Arrow – Testosterone, Andriol Testocaps and Panteston Testocaps. The first Testosterone pills were approved by Medsafe in July, 1981.
Recommendations for use of Testosterone pills
Androgenic hormone testosterone affects the activity of some drugs. So and other drugs can increase or decrease the androgenic effect of testosterone.
That is why one should carefully learn the information on drug interactions, before adding Testosterone pills into the combination therapy. Particular attention must be paid to those men, who are taking:
* immunosuppressants (like Cyclosporine) ;
* antidiabetic drugs (like insulin).