What Happens When You Stop Testosterone Replacement Therapy

There is a right way and a wrong way to stop testosterone therapy.

For men with low testosterone, testosterone therapy has many benefits. Still, there may come a time when you may need to stop testosterone therapy. On this page, we will discuss the reasons why you may need to stop testosterone therapy and the ways to safely do so.

When You Stop Testosterone Therapy – Recommendation

Depending on when and why you stop testosterone therapy, there could be different impacts on your body. If you stop testosterone therapy at the end of your prescribed program – you should experience few if any negative effects. Your doctor will help you with diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes that can safely wean you off of your monthly testosterone treatments and help you to maintain the results you have achieved.

If you stop your testosterone treatments on your own and before your recommended end date, you can face some health issues, not the least of which can be some symptoms of “withdrawal.” This is why it is extremely important that you learn how to stop testosterone safely and never do so on your own without medical supervision.

How to Stop Testosterone Therapy Safely

If you are failing to achieve your desired results or are experiencing some side effects, you should never stop taking your testosterone injections on your own. Contact your doctor immediately.

Suddenly stopping your testosterone injections can lead to a sudden drop in your body’s testosterone level, which could have a negative impact on your health. Stopping testosterone injections “cold turkey” can also cause a number of “withdrawal” symptoms, some of which could be quite severe. For these reasons, patients on testosterone therapy should never consider stopping their injections without consulting their doctor or prescriber.

When Is the Right Time to Stop Testosterone Therapy?

There could be several reasons why a patient may need to stop his testosterone therapy. Here are some of the most common reasons for men wanting to stop using testosterone replacement therapy.

Side effects

While testosterone therapy is generally regarded as safe, like any drug or medical procedure, testosterone injections can have some side effects. If you are having severe side effects, that could be a reason to stop taking testosterone injections. However, side effects, if any, are rarely a cause to stop testosterone therapy completely. Most, if not all, of the side effects of testosterone therapy, can be avoided by following your doctor’s instructions properly. Should side effects appear, rather than stopping your testosterone injections completely, simply adjusting your dose or injection method is usually enough to reverse the side effects and continue testosterone therapy.

Failure to Achieve Benefits

Men usually start to see the benefits of testosterone therapy within the first four weeks of starting testosterone injections. On the rare occasion that a man does not see any results within six weeks of beginning treatment, it may be necessary to stop testosterone therapy and reevaluate your symptoms. Again, as with experiencing side effects, if you are failing to achieve the desired results, that may not be a reason to stop testosterone therapy entirely. Your doctor may need to modify your dose of testosterone or add additional therapies such as growth hormone therapy.

Successfully Completing Therapy

The most likely reason for you to stop your testosterone therapy is not that something has gone wrong but because you have achieved your desired results. An initial program of testosterone injections is prescribed for six months. After your six-month course of testosterone therapy, your testosterone levels, your results, and your overall health will be reevaluated. At that time, you may be asked to stop testosterone therapy, or you may need to continue.

What Happens After You Complete Testosterone Therapy?

An initial round of testosterone therapy is usually prescribed for six months. Over the course of those six months of taking testosterone injections, you can expect to feel stronger, have more energy, and begin to feel more mentally alert. Your sex life will also improve. As with any medical treatment, individual results will vary.

Once you have completed your first six months of testosterone therapy, you will be evaluated for the need to continue your low testosterone treatments. You may be able to stop your testosterone therapy at this time. If so, your doctor will help you to stop your testosterone injections safely and put you on a diet and fitness regimen designed to help you maintain the results you achieved with your testosterone therapy.

What Do the Medical Studies Say About Stopping Testosterone Therapy?

There have been several studies that have looked at what happens after patients with low testosterone stop testosterone therapy.

A 2019 study published in Trusted sourcePredictive Factors of Efficacy Maintenance after Testosterone Treatment CessationNCBIGo to sourceThe Journal of Clinical Medicine found that “There is no conclusive evidence as to whether patients with testosterone deficiency (TD) who benefit from testosterone replacement treatment (TRT) must continue the treatment for the rest of their lives. In some patients, the effect of TRT is not maintained after stopping TRT. However, other patients show no significant TD symptoms testosterone levels returning to normal after TRT cessation.”

This study further concluded that “In men with TD who respond to TRT, longer treatment periods can improve the response durability after TRT cessation. Additionally, regular exercise can increase the probability of maintaining the response after TRT cessation.”

Another study, this one also from 2019 and published in the journal Trusted sourceEffects of testosterone replacement therapy withdrawal and re-treatment in hypogonadal elderly men upon obesity, voiding function and prostate safety parametersPubMedGo to sourceAging Male , looked at the effect that testosterone cessation has on obese men and men with prostate issues. For these men, the researchers found that stopping testosterone led to a recurrence of obesity and prostate issues and concluded that this specific group of men with low testosterone might benefit from lifelong testosterone therapy.

Now that you know a lot more about when to start and how to safely stop testosterone replacement, why not take a minute to contact us and learn more about the many other life-changing benefits of testosterone therapy.