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Testosterone. For many of us, it’s the holy grail, the one ingredient to solve all our struggles, the fountain of youth. Boosting your t-levels gives you energy, strength, more muscle, happiness: it will turn you into the man you want to be. Your ultimate you. But your quest to obtain this magic elixir is difficult, tiring, and filled with shitty supplements and futile efforts. You are about to give up and accept defeat…
But then, you read about depo testosterone. No diet changes, no horribly tasting chemical supplements you have to take multiple times a day, no effort. Just a depo-testosterone injection every 1 to 4 weeks and you’re done. Could it BE any easier? You may think you’ve found the holy grail, but, unfortunately, there are some serious ‘buts’ you need to consider before getting your bare butt ready for a depo-testosterone injection.
Health warning: please don’t buy depo testosterone before you’ve read this post till the end. What are five minutes of reading compared to possibly life-long side effects? When it’s your health, you make time.
What is depo-testosterone used for?
What are the dangers and side effects of depo-testosterone?
What drugs can interact with depo testosterone?
What is depo-testosterone and how it works
Let’s begin with the basics: what is depo testosterone exactly? Is it pure testosterone, or is it mixed in with other stuff? Is depo testosterone natural? Is it the name of the ingredient, or of the brand? Let’s find out!
Types of testosterone
First, let’s get one thing straight: Depo-Testosterone is a brand name, not a type of testosterone. The working ingredient is called testosterone cypionate, which is a type of androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication.
Now the word testosterone itself can be used in different contexts. We need to get this straight before we’re able to understand depo testosterone.
- 1 – Natural testosterone
This is the primary male sex hormone as found and produced in our body, the real testosterone, the OG so to speak.
It is the hormone – and natural anabolic steroid – that makes you into the man you are. It promotes loads of processes like muscle growth, bone mass, body hair, and many, many more.
But wait… is testosterone a steroid? Yes, it is.
- 2 – Medical testosterone
Your body is not the only one that can make testosterone; researchers can as well. In 1935 scientists found a way to isolate testosterone and in 1939 medical testosterone was approved for use. Since then, its use in medicine has exploded, with testosterone taking place 146 in the list of most-used (pharmaceutical) drugs in the United States.
But wait… is testosterone a drug? Yes, it is.
Forms of testosterone
You didn’t think it would stop there, right? No, there are loads of different forms of medical testosterone to make things even more confusing. Without getting too complicated, here is a quick list of some of the different forms of testosterone you can come across in your search for the holy grail, followed by their most popular brand names:
Unmodified (non-esterified) testosterone formulations:
- Topical gels: AndroGel, Fortesta, Testim, Testosterone (generic)
- Topical solutions: Axiron, Testosterone (generic)
- Transdermal patches: Androderm, Testoderm (discontinued), Testoderm TTS (discontinued), Testosterone (generic)
- Intranasal gels: Natesto
- Buccal tablets: Striant
- Pellet implants: Testopel
Ester prodrugs of testosterone, formulated as oil solutions for muscle injections:
- Testosterone cypionate: Depo-Testosterone, Testosterone Cypionate (generic)
- Testosterone enanthate: Delatestryl, Testosterone Enanthate (generic)
- Testosterone propionate: Testosterone Propionate (generic)
- Testosterone undecanoate: Aveed
That’s a looooot of testosterone. If you go through it, you’ll see at least one familiar name in there: Depo-Testosterone!
Depo-testosterone
As you could see in the list above, Depo-Testosterone is a testosterone cypionate. Other names are testosterone cipionate, testosterone cyclopentylpropionate and testosterone cyclopentanepropionate (not the combination “depo testosterone cypionate” though, as many people often think).
It is an FDA approved substance, but it is illegal to use or buy without a prescription from a doctor. The depo testosterone cost in a pharmacy is about $85 for a 10ml bottle. It was first introduced to the market in 1951 in the United States under the name Depo-Testosterone.
In fact, the brand name Depo-Testosterone is the most common trade name of this type of testosterone. Some other brand names are:
- Andro Cyp
- Andronate
- Deposteron
- Depotest
- Durandro
- Duratest
- Pertestis
- Virilon
These are just a few of the brand names testosterone cypionate has been marketed under.
What is depo-testosterone used for?
Now we know a bit more about what Depo Testosterone actually is, it’s time to look into how it can work in our benefit.
Medical use
Depo-Testosterone is a prescription drug, and as such it is possible that your doctor decides you should start taking it for medical reasons. The main medical use of depo testosterone is to treat certain conditions that are linked to a testosterone deficiency.
- Hypogonadism or hypoandrogenism
This means the diminished functionality of the gonads, resulting in less production of sex hormones. In other words, when someone’s body doesn’t produce any testosterone – or only little – in a natural way.
This can occur both for men and women, and both can receive treatment for this. This treatment is often called hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Other commen names are androgen recplacement therapy (ART) or testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). All these treatments are aimed at battling testosterone deficiency.
- Certain types of breast cancer
There is much debate about using testosterone (or other hormone treatments) to treat breast cancer. However, for some forms of breast cancer hormone therapy is a common practice, because some types of cancers are hormone sensitive.
- Transgenderization
Transgender hormone therapy uses testosterone to promote masculine characters in a person. This therapy is specifically used for female-to-male (FTM) type transgender hormone therapy. A different name for it is masculinizing hormone therapy.
Other use of depo-testosterone
Above are medical uses, prescribed by qualified doctors. Additionally, this testosterone is often used illicitely. Why take a drug like testosterone without consulting a doctor, you might think? Well, people do it for multiple reasons. Generally, these are the most common illicit uses of this testosterone.
- Depo testosterone for bodybuilding and other sports
This is probably the most common one: doping. The usage of depo testosterone for sports, working out, bodybuilding, or athletics is widespread among amateurs and professionals alike. As we all know, doping use in professional sports is prohibited and it can get you banned from your sport. Nevertheless, it’s still a common thing among professional atheletes.
- Depo testosterone for anti-aging
When you grow up you start to produce more testosterone, especially when you hit puberty. After that you’re at your physical peak; you’re a prime male. Bursting with testosterone you feel like you just hit some next level of awesome.
But then, after a few years, your t-levels slowly start to drop; it’s the end of your natural testosterone booster. Your energy levels drop, you can’t workout like you used to, you struggle to maintain a lean body, and you generally just notice you’re becoming old. Dropping testosterone is part of the aging process, and to counter that, some people resort to depo testosterone.
How to take it and the dosage
Whatever your reason, before you start using depo testosterone you need to know how to take it and what the normal depo testosterone dosage is.
Depo testosterone is for intramuscular use only, meaning that you have to inject it directly into your muscle. It should NOT be injected into your veins (no intraveneous injection), but far inside the gluteal muscle. In other words: you should inject depo testosterone in your butt muscle.
The normal depo testosterone dosage is difficult to tell, because there is no “normal”/standard dosage. The dosage of depo testosterone depends on many different factors, such as gender, age, weight, height, etc. Therefore, you should always seek medical help to make sure you get the dosage right. Dosages of the testosterone injection vary somewhere between 50-400mg per injection. You have to inject every two to four weeks.
What are the health benefits?
We’ve discussed most of these already when talking about the reasons why people use depo testosterone. To sum it up for you, here are the most common benefits.
Depo testosterone benefits
- Stronger bones
- More muscle
- Increased energy
- Less fat
- Better memory
- Improved mood
- Enhanced libido
- Healthier blood circulation
What are the dangers and side effects of depo-testosterone?
The list of benefits looks great, but unfortunately, there is also a long list of dangers and side effects.
Depo testosterone side effects:
- Increased acne
- Gynaecomastia (male breasts/man boobs)
- Water retention
- Excess hair growth
- Nausea
- Baldness
- Headache
- Anxiety
- Liver damage
- Depression
- Pain at the place of injection
Furthermore, for some people, it can increase the chance of serious, life-threatening conditions, from strokes to heart failure. If you are considering taking depo testosterone you should be aware of these – and more – dangers and side effects. Taking depo testosterone is a serious matter.
What are the precautions?
That is why it is always adviced to only use depo testosterone after checking with a doctor whether you are physically fit to do so. Your doctor will be able to tell you exactly which precautions to take before taking depo testosterone.
First of all, make sure to tell your doctor if you have any allergies. Depending on where you have bought depo testosterone (or any other similar testosterone brand) it may contains inactive ingredients that people can be allergic to.
Furthermore, depo testosterone can affect – and worsen – certain medical conditions, such as diabetes (it can lower blood sugar), high cholesterol (increasing risk of coronary artery disease), or liver problems. These are common examples, but use of the drug may be linked to more diseases.
Lastly, you should never take depo testosterone when you are pregnant. It is unknown whether this substance is passed on through breast milk, so as a precaution it is adviced to never use it when pregnant.
What drugs can interact with depo testosterone?
Taking depo testosterone while taking other drugs as well may cause complications or change the effects of the substances you are taking.
Since effects may vary depending on the type of drugs you are taking, it is always adviced to tell you doctor or pharmacist about any drug you might be taking alongside depo testosterone.
Conclusion
This depends on what your goal is, and whether it is safe for you to use it. If you suffer from a testosterone deficiency, depo testosterone can change your life. But if you have a medical condition or already take medicines that aren’t compatible with depo testosterone, it can change your life for the worst.
That is why the biggest conclusion is that you should ALWAYS check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking depo testosterone.
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