Things to Look Out For

Co-Morbidities: Certain medical conditions should be considered when contemplating Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT):

• Only breast and active prostate cancer are absolute contraindications for TRT.

• Patients with serious heart, liver, or kidney diseases require careful monitoring, as is typically done with any medical treatment.

• TRT might affect sleep apnea in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases; it can both exacerbate or alleviate symptoms, depending on the individual.

Drug Interactions: There are several important drug interactions to be aware of when undergoing TRT:

• TRT can reduce the need for insulin or oral diabetic medications in diabetic patients, so close sugar monitoring is vital.

• It may affect the clearance of other medications like propranolol (clearance increased) and oxyphenbutazone (clearance reduced) in patients taking these drugs.

• TRT might lead to minimal increases in coagulation times, but this can be addressed with proper pre-surgical evaluation. The risk of serious coagulation issues arises only in cases of severe polycythemia due to unmonitored TRT.

• It is surprising that some specialists stop TRT before medical procedures, even though this can lead to various health issues. Such actions can result in a loss of muscle mass, increased inflammation, heightened estrogen levels, fatigue, and depression, which is not ideal before surgery or other medical procedures. This underscores the importance of specialists consulting with the administering physician for a comprehensive approach to patient care.