Testosterone replacement therapy can assist numerous men with low testosterone. These powerful injections don’t need to be safe for all men. Ensure your doctor about your health conditions before you start having testosterone treatment.

You will probably require further monitoring from your doctor if you have health problems, rest apnea, or a high red cell count. And you must not take testosterone therapy in any case if you have prostate cancer.

 

Numerous men observe that the side effects are usually more chronic when one starts the treatment. The side effects often settle down following a few weeks or months. The nature of the side effects you may have depends on the type of hormone therapy you have.

 

These side effects are common to all hormone replacement treatments, while some vary from one medication to another. You may not experience all these side effects. While there are minor side effects, others are more serious.

The minor potential side effects of hormone therapy in men include:

• acne
• increased urination
• fluid retention

More serious side effects of hormone therapy include:

• enlarged breasts
• decreased testicle size
• worsened sleep apnea
• increased levels of cholesterol
• decreased sperm count
• infertility
• increased red blood cells count

Increased red blood cells count can cause:

• pain in muscles
• high blood pressure
• blurred vision
• pain in chest
• blood clots in your blood vessels
• heart problems, including heart attack and stroke
• worsening of already existing prostate tumors or benign prostatic hyperplasia

Coming towards the side effects of hormone therapy in more detail, you can experience the following conditions too:

Tiredness

You might feel more tired when you are taking hormone treatment.

Impotence

Hormone treatment brings down the quantity of testosterone in the body, influencing your capacity to have and keep an erection. This might improve within a few months after the treatment ends.

For certain men, erection issues are long-lasting. It relies upon the medication you take and how long you take it. Your doctor or health care expert will want to offer you counseling.

Hot flushes and sweating

Hot flushes and sweating can be problematic. It might keep going for 2 to 30 minutes, and you might continue to experience it for a couple of months or more regularly. These are just like women’s hot flushes when going through menopause.

Lowered testosterone levels cause hot flushes. They will probably happen when taking LHRH agonists, also called LH blockers, because these medications cut testosterone production.

Getting overheated, drinking tea or espresso, and smoking can exacerbate flushes.

Your hot flushes may gradually improve as you get used to the treatment. However, the hot flushes continue to occur in certain men as long as you take the medication. Talk with your doctor to help yourself adapt to hot flushes and sweating. A few medicines might help.

Tender breasts (gynecomastia)

Breast tenderness is a particular problem when taking high-dose bicalutamide (Casodex). It can cause the breast tissue to become inflamed and painful.

Pain from tumor flare

Pain caused by secondary prostate cancer can temporarily worsen when you start hormone treatment. This is called tumor flare.

Your doctor should prescribe another hormone therapy to prevent a tumor flare from causing bone pain. If the pain does not stop, your doctor can prescribe bisphosphonates to treat it.

Weight gain

You may gain weight. You should be capable of controlling this with diet and exercise. However, it is generally expected to struggle to maintain weight when having hormone treatment. Request to see a dietician for guidance about dealing with your weight.

Memory problems

Some individuals feel that their memory worsens when they have been having hormone treatment for some time. Your memory may not get better while you are taking the hormone treatment. Yet, there are ways of making life easier, for example, making lists to avoid forgetting things.

It is normal to feel upset if you are facing it. You can talk to your doctor if you think this has a significant impact on your lifestyle.

Mood swings and depression

Some people can have mood swings and even depression while having hormone treatment. Talking about it with someone close to you can help. If you feel comfortable sharing your feelings with people you know, seeing a counselor may help.

Certain individuals experience mood swings and even depression while having treatment, like Zoladex (goserelin). Talking with somebody close to you might help. If you are okay with sharing your feelings with others, seeing, a counselor might help.

Bone changes

Men taking hormone replacement therapy for prostate disease are in danger of developing osteoporosis. There is a threat of issues, such as bone cracks, which is relatively more significant for men with long-term therapies to block testosterone. Your primary care physician might propose taking vitamin D and calcium to assist with bringing down your risk for osteoporosis.

You can avoid it by:

• stop smoking
• drinking alcohol within recommended limits
• exercising regularly

Risk of heart issues

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer might increase your risk of developing heart problems if you have specific medical conditions. It can be because some of the side effects of hormone therapy, such as weight gain, can make heart disease worse.