Can I be allergic to testosterone pellets?
Allergic reactions are rare to the testosterone component in the pellets. However, patients can reject the pellet as being “foreign to your body” and extrude it. You would develop a small 2-3 cm area of redness over the incision site 1-2 weeks after implantation with a small amount of clear drainage. There is also mild tenderness over the site. This can occur if you have an allergy to the povidone iodine (PVP) component or stearic acid that may be in the pellets. Povidone iodine is used in some pellets for sterilization. We do not used pellets that are sterilized that way because of the potential higher risk for this reaction, instead we use pellets that are irradiated. A short course of antibiotics and removal of the pellets may be indicated to resolve this reaction. We have also seen this reaction occur when your cortisol levels are low. Cortisol hormone testing may be indicated if you have signs of adrenal insufficiency. In addition, if the testosterone pellets were placed too superficial under your skin they may extrude out like your body is rejecting them. Simply placing the pellets deeper into the fat layer under the skin resolves this.