Testosterone Injections and Mental Side Effects
Testosterone injections can indeed lead to mental side effects. These may include mood swings, anxiety, and depression. However, these effects vary greatly among individuals and are not guaranteed to occur. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new medication regimen.
What Is Testosterone?
Testosterone is a naturally present hormone in our bodies. It is present regardless our the sex assigned at birth [1]. However, it is often referred to as the “male” hormone, although women also produce this hormone [2].
Testosterone is a steroid hormone, responsible for the development of male sexual characteristics as well as for secondary characteristics of males like for instance facial hair growth [2]. However, it is also responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis among multiple organ systems throughout life [3].
Testosterone is produced in the testes of men and in the ovaries, adrenal glands, and fat cells of females. In males, it is responsible for the development of male sex characteristics including body hair, muscle mass, voice deepening, or sperm production. Interestingly, the production of testosterone decreases with aging and the natural decline typically starts around the age of 30 and continues [4]. In women, testosterone has a different role, it converts into a female sex hormone called estradiol and is involved in hormone production, bone, breast, libido, fertility, and even menstrual and vaginal health [4].
Normal testosterone levels range between 300 and 1,000 ng/dL [5]. However, there are some medications and behaviour that can change the levels of testosterone naturally. Read about how Adderall, leg workouts, Ozempic or melatonin can affect testosterone levels.
What Are Testosterone Injections?
Testosterone injections are as the name suggests injections of testosterone. It is a form of treatment, which is called testosterone replacement therapy.
Usually, these injections are administered into the gluteal muscles by a healthcare professional, but self-administration is also sometimes allowed. However, when self-administration is allowed, it is typically injected into the thigh muscles [5].
Because testosterone is a hormone that plays a salient role in our health, including body fat, muscle mass, bone density, or red blood cell count, testosterone injections may be prescribed in case the levels of testosterone in the blood are too low [5].
Testosterone injections are typically used to treat symptoms of low testosterone in men who have hypogonadism. This is a condition in which the body does not produce enough natural testosterone and the injections serve as a supplement. Hypogonadism can occur due to disorders of the testicles, pituitary gland, or hypothalamus [6].
These injections provide synthetic testosterone to replace the testosterone that is normally produced in the body [6]. They help with increased sex drive and sperm production improve symptoms of erectile dysfunction and mood and also help with having more energy [5].
Can You Have Mental Side Effects From Testosterone Injections?
Testosterone injections can indeed have mental side effects, although these effects can vary greatly among individuals.
One way how testosterone injections may affect your mental state is by causing mood changes. One study found that while the injections of testosterone usually have minimal effects on mood in men, a minority of men have had their mental state impacted. For instance, they reported being agitated and had similar behavior to irritable mania [7].
Another potential side effect is depression. While testosterone treatment can improve depressive symptoms in men with mild cognitive impairment or low testosterone levels [8], it is an anabolic-androgenic steroid and these have been previously reported to cause depression [9].
Further, aggression is also a potential side effect. A survey study revealed that almost half of those who were prescribed anabolic androgenic steroids (including testosterone) reported psychological side effects. Aggression was observed in 29% [10].
That said, not all studies have found significant mental side effects from testosterone injections[11]. And therefore it is important to remember that while testosterone injections can have mental side effects it varies among individuals. Always consult any potential worries about your mental health regarding testosterone injections with a medical professional.