I have heard of many mistakes made by people taking testosterone replacement therapy. Some mistakes have had a profound effect on their health, or they have led men to give up testosterone prematurely. Here are a few of the major flaws I've noticed:
I use the "street sources" of testosterone: I have met many men whose doctors do not support their use of testosterone, so they buy it on the black market or another guy at their gym. This is illegal. Testosterone is classified as a controlled substance under the Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 1990 and is given Schedule III. It is regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). A doctor may prescribe it, but it is illegal to use it without a prescription. Be aware that buying or using testosterone without a proper prescription can have legal consequences. The use of testosterone and its cousin molecules (anabolic steroids) is illegal in the United States for those who do not have a medical diagnosis that approves their use (e.g., anemia, constipation, hypogonadism). If after reading this book you still decide to get testosterone on the black market, be aware that you can set it up with spies who can inform the DEA of your purchase. Also, injecting testosterone even if you have a prescription is illegal. In the nutshell: use only testosterone after your doctor has given you a prescription and do not import it.
The use of "street" testosterone is also dangerous. No one knows what those products might contain. Some products called testosterone may contain peanut oil, sesame seeds, or grapeseed oil. You risk exposure to contaminants that can cause infection.
Not having a doctor follow up on your blood work is a surefire way to get into trouble! If you have low testosterone, there are hundreds of doctors who will prescribe treatment for testosterone replacement (see the Appendix section). If you are using testosterone to increase muscle mass or to improve athletic performance despite having normal testosterone levels, be wise and research everything you can. And please read this book about how stopping testosterone can cause health problems (if you use black market testosterone, your source is likely to run out).
Not to test which testosterone option is best for you: Since there are so many different testosterone replacement options, it is important that you take the time to find out what is best for you. There are several factors involved in deciding what would be the best testosterone replacement option for you. Among these are costs, insurance coverage, ease of use, preference for daily use compared to the week, lack of time to adhere to a strict daily routine, fear of needles, and physician familiarity with different products. For example, some health care organization (HMOs) programs only pay for testosterone injections because they are a cheaper method. However, some men have needle-phobia and do not like weekly or two-week injections that may require them to see their doctors regularly (some doctors do not teach their patients to inject themselves at home). Some men are given gels daily even though their busy lives make it difficult to fully adhere to daily treatments. Some men who do not have insurance or financial means decide not to seek help because they do not know that there are patient support programs set by the manufacturers or the fact that pharmaceutical combinations can make cheap gels and creams with prescription (details for this information can be found in the Appendix section). Every testosterone option has advantages and disadvantages that may be good for one person over another, so read the next section on treatment options.
Not using the right dose: Men who start testosterone need to have their blood testosterone levels checked again by two weeks or one month after starting treatment (depending on testosterone composition), just before giving the corresponding dose for that day or week. This is important because these results are important in determining if the dose is right for you. Total testosterone levels below 500ng / dL that do not improve your sexual desire and strength should be increased to 500to 1,000ng / dL by increasing the frequency of the injection or dose. responds to 200 mg injections twice a week or 5 grams per day of gels. The fact is that most men need higher doses to reach full levels of testosterone in addition to the average range. Those men tend to stop testosterone early because they see benefits in "medium" doses. Improper injection frequency is a common mistake and is actually worse than not receiving any treatment at all. See the following sections for more details on this.
Cycling and cycling with testosterone: Testosterone replacement is a lifelong commitment in most cases. Once you have started you should think that you will stay in it unless you have the consequences of an uncontrollable crime. Some patients think that "giving the body a break" and every few weeks is a good thing. They know that when you take testosterone, your testicles stop producing. If you stop changing the treatment you are left without testosterone in your system for weeks while your axis of the HPG hormone is normal. Depression, weight loss, lack of motivation, and loss of sex can be seen immediately and in retaliation. Few men have never had their hormonal axis returned to normal after stopping testosterone (especially if they were hypogonadal at first). Read more about this in the section "HPGA Inactivity."
Sudden cessation of testosterone due to an unrelated signal: Some of us may be taking antiretroviral drugs and testosterone. Sometimes new medicines can raise cholesterol and triglycerides and / or liver enzymes (I call this "sig")