History of Testim

Originally developed as a treatment for men diagnosed with hypogonadism and other medical problems causing hormonal deficiencies, testosterone gels like Testim are now widely used among healthy men who have no medical need for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). This is due in large part to aggressive marketing techniques on the part of testosterone drug manufacturers, who have promoted their potentially dangerous products as safe and effective treatments for general symptoms of “low-T,” including decreased sex drive, weight gain, fatigue and lower energy levels. In other words, men with normal testosterone levels and men who have never even had their testosterone levels tested are being prescribed Testim and other low-T treatments to combat the natural signs of aging.

What many of these may don’t know is that testosterone products like Testim offer no proven benefits for healthy men, and may actually expose them to serious and potentially life-threatening side effects, like heart attack, stroke and sudden death. In 2014, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology found that TRT was associated with double the risk of heart attacks among men over the age of 65, and nearly triple the risk among younger men with pre-existing heart disease. That same year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a drug safety communication indicating that it was “investigating the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death in men taking FDA-approved testosterone products,” and that “none of the FDA-approved testosterone products are approved for use in men with low testosterone levels who lack an associated medical condition.”