Warnings
Testosterone (AndroGel) Risks, Warnings, and Complications
Testosterone topical can cause serious health problems in some people. Talk to your doctor about other treatment options if you are at an increased risk of serious adverse effects from this medicine. Some of the risks of taking testosterone include:
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Precautions Before Starting Testosterone (AndroGel)
Tell your doctor if you have ever had allergic reactions to testosterone, any of the active or inactive ingredients in testosterone gels and solutions, or any other medications. Your pharmacy can give you a list of ingredients.
Give your doctor and pharmacist a complete list of all the medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. This can help avoid possible drug interactions between testosterone and your other medications.
Give your doctor a complete medical history. Testosterone may not be right for people with certain medical conditions such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, sleep apnea, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), high calcium levels, diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, liver disease, or kidney disease.
Geriatric patients involved in topical testosterone therapy should talk to their doctor about the benefits versus risks of using these products. Healthcare providers advise patients that this medicine is not for low serum concentrations of testosterone that are due to aging.
Precautions During Use of Testosterone (AndroGel)
Keep all your medical and lab appointments while on testosterone. Your doctor may want to order certain medical tests and monitor you for adverse reactions.
Tell all your healthcare providers you are using testosterone topical, including before any surgical procedures or dental treatments.
Testosterone (AndroGel) Drug Interactions
Interactions between testosterone topical and other medications can affect how they work. Possible drug interactions can increase your risk of serious adverse reactions. Your doctor may change the dose of your medications and/or monitor you carefully for side effects if there are known interactions between testosterone and your other medicines. The following medications can have interactions with testosterone hormone therapy:
- Anticoagulants (blood thinners) such as warfarin (Jantoven, Coumadin)
- Oral steroids such as methylprednisolone (Medrol), dexamethasone, and prednisone (Rayos)
- Diabetes medications, including insulin (Humalog, Apridra, Humulin, and others)
Give your doctor or pharmacist a complete list of all your medicines, including prescription drugs, non-prescription medicines, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies. Also, tell your healthcare provider if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use recreational drugs because some of these substances can cause serious health complications when used with prescription medicines.
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