Dangerous Side Effects Under Review by the FDA
Eli Lilly and Company lists various side effects that may be associated with the Axiron testosterone drug, including the following.
- Worsening symptoms of an enlarged prostate if it’s an existing condition;
- Potential increased risk of prostate cancer;
- Decreased sperm count;
- Painful, swollen breasts;
- Sleep apnea;
- Swelling in ankles, feet, or body; and
- Blood clots in the legs.
These and other listed side effects (skin irritation, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, high red blood cell count, etc.) are helpful and provide some warning and education to potential Axiron users. But there have been other very serious complications of the drug reported, which are currently under review. These side effects pose serious and potentially fatal risks of which all testosterone (Axiron or otherwise) users should be aware.
Low-T drugs have been linked to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary embolism, and even death in recent studies. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2013 found a 29 percent higher rate for heart attack, stroke, and all-cause mortality among men with low-T who underwent coronary angiography.
In another study published in 2014 in the journal PLOS One, the researchers found a higher risk of a heart attack in younger men who have heart disease and older men after they began testosterone therapy.
The evidence of such life-threatening effects has been brought to the attention of the FDA, which is considering new labeling requirements for the makers of drugs designed to treat low testosterone, Axiron among them.