Indications: testosterone replacement therapy in male hypogonadal disorders; hypopituitarism; endocrine impotence; some types of infertility.

Cautions: cardiac failure; renal dysfunction; hypertension; epilepsy or migraine; diabetes mellitus, skeletal metastases (risk of hypercalcaemia); prepubertal boys to avoid premature fusion of epiphyses and increased frequency of erection; oligospermia and decreased ejaculatory volume; water and salt retention.

Contra-indications: breast cancer in men, prostate cancer, history of primary liver tumours, hypercalcaemia, pregnancy, breast feeding, nephritic syndrome.

Side Effects: prostate abnormalities and prostate cancer, headache, depression, gastrointestinal bleeding, nausea, cholestatic jaundice, changes in libido, gynaecomastia, polycythaemia, anxiety, asthenia, paraesthesia, hypertension, electrolyte disturbances with sodium retention with oedema and hypercalcaemia, weight gain, increased bone growth; androgenic effects such as hirsutism, male pattern baldness, seborrhea, acne, pruritis, excessive frequency and duration of penile erection, precocious sexual development and premature closure of epiphyses in prepubertal males, suppression of spermatogenesis in men and virility in women.

Dose: an initial dose of 120-160 mg daily for 2-3 weeks followed by a maintenance dose of 40-120 mg daily. For injection; deep intramuscular injection, androgen deficiency, 1 ml usually every 3 weeks.