Table 1.

Potential Hormone-Related and Non-Hormone-Related Testosterone Adverse Effects of Therapy

Hormone-Related
Promotion of fluid retention
Increase in cardiovascular disease risk
Precipitation or worsening of sleep apnea
Gynecomastia
Polycythemia
Fluctuations in mood
Increased rate of development of benign or malignant prostate disease
Non-Hormone-Related
Preparation	Effect
Testosterone undecanoate	Gastrointestinal bloating and irritation
Injectable esters	Pain at sight of injection
Implantable pellets	Pain or infection at site; extravasation of pellet
Scrotal patch	Local site irritation
Nonscrotal patch	Local site skin irritation, sometimes significant
Transdermal gels	Occasional mild skin irritation

Reprinted with permission from Tenover ¹³