What are the side effects of testosterone pellets?

The side effects of testosterone pellets are rare. In less than 5%, infection can develop at the injection site; most times it’s the body rejecting the pellet “thinking” the pellet is a foreign object. Most of the time the skin cultures don’t grow any bad bacteria and simply removing the pellets and taking a short course of antibiotics will heal it up quickly.  In less than 2% of the cases, if the pellet is not implanted correctly, they may extrude out especially if physical activity is started too soon after pellet placement. Other minor side effects to testosterone therapy include: slight facial hair growth in women, enlargement of breast tissue in males, increased risk for acne, prostatic enlargement, increased anxiety, and an increase in the red blood cells or blood counts. If your blood counts increase too high, donating some blood to the blood bank will get it back to normal. All forms of testosterone replacement can give the above side effects. The only one specific to pellets is extrusion.

Some of the above side effects occur when the testosterone in your body converts into excess estrogen. There are natural substances and prescription medications that can decrease the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in your body. When indicated, your doctor may prescribe natural substances or medications called Aromatase Inhibitors to reduce these unwanted side effects. Your doctor will check the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in your blood work to determine whether or not you need to use aromatase inhibitors like the prescription medication anastrozole or natural substances like DIM. DIM (3,3′-Diindolylmethane) is a compound derived from the digestion of indole-3-carbinol, found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts. High concentrations of DIM can be found in prescription-grade vitamins that we carry.