Testosterone 415Felty’s syndrome, an affliction involving rheumatoid arthritis accompanied by
abnormalities in the blood and spleen. In men testosterone is used to combat
osteoporosis, a disease causing brittleness in bones. Ordinarily the drug is not
given to women but is sometimes appropriate in cases of hormonal imbalance
or sexual dysfunction.
Examination of fluid circulating in the human brain shows higher-than-
normal levels of testosterone in smokers addicted tonicotineand lower-than-
normal levels in persons suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. Blood
studies find that female smokers and overweight women have higher testos-
terone levels than nonsmokers or lean persons. Such discoveries have led in-
vestigators to speculate that testosterone affects those conditions. Heightened
testosterone levels have also been seen in women experiencing major depres-
sion. Among men with low body levels of testosterone, supplemental doses
may help reduce depression. The drug’s ability to affect depression was under
investigation when this book was written.
Drawbacks.Unwanted effects of testosterone dosage may include acne,
headache, higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels, gastrointestinal bleed-
ing, promotion of baldness, and enlargement of prostate and male breasts.
The drug should be avoided by men with breast or prostate cancer. Liver
damage is suspected. Breathing interruptions during sleep can occur. The sub-
stance may cause fluid to build up in body tissues, which can be a serious
problem for persons with heart, liver, or kidney disease. A case report asso-
ciated a stroke with high levels of testosterone in a 21-year-old man who was
injecting himself. When administered in a skin patch the compound can cause
rashes, burning sensations, and even blisters.
Normally women are supposed to avoid taking the substance. It can cause
their voices to deepen, promote hair growth on various parts of the body,
induce irregular menstrual periods, and bring about genital changes. Some-
times women inadvertently receive doses from residual amounts on the skin
of men who are using testosterone creams or skin patches. Such inadvertent
dosage can be enough to bring on some male physical characteristics in a
woman (such as development of facial hair). A case study notes premature
puberty that began in a child who received the same type of exposure. An-
other inadvertent source of testosterone is meat from livestock that has been
illegally dosed. Agricultural sources of the drug are not necessarily illicit; for
example, chicken litter is used for cattle feed, and chicken manure may contain
testosterone excreted by the birds, thereby dosing the cattle. Even some feeds
used in salmon farming contain testosterone. Human consumption of such
food animals may well be safe, but they are possible dosage routes for the
drug in humans if regulations about agricultural use of the substance are
disregarded.
Abuse factors.If used properly testosterone can stimulate muscle develop-
ment, which tempts some athletes to try the drug regardless of whether a
doctor is willing to prescribe it. Such unauthorized use can have bad conse-
quences. One bodybuilder injected the substance into his right leg, which re-
sulted in severe muscle damage making the right leg 40% weaker than his left
one. Illicit testosterone use is also suspected of reducing male fertility; indeed,
the drug has been investigated as a possible male contraceptive. Taking the