Delatestryl

Available in the form of an injection, Delatestryl is a steroid medication used to raise the body's testosterone levels. This medication is given once or twice a month and is typically injected into the gluteal muscle. The most common side effects include acne, decreased sperm count, and menstrual irregularities (in women).

Delatestryl Medication Information

What Is Delatestryl?

Delatestryl^® (testosterone enanthate) is a prescription injection approved to treat low testosterone levels in men due to various causes. It is also approved to help alleviate the symptoms of inoperable, late-stage breast cancer in certain women. This drug is an anabolic steroid; as a result, it is classified as a controlled substance in the United States. This means that special laws and regulations control its sale and use.

(Click Delatestryl Uses for more information on this topic, including possible off-label uses.)

Who Makes Delatestryl?

Brand-name Delatestryl is made by Sandoz Canada, Inc., for Endo Pharmaceuticals Solutions, Inc.

How Does It Work?

Delatestryl contains the hormone testosterone in a special oil formulation that is injected into a muscle. Testosterone is slowly absorbed from the oil into the body, allowing for injections just once every two to four weeks in most cases. The medication works by increasing testosterone to a normal level.

Delatestryl is used as an injection rather than taken by mouth because it would have little effect on testosterone levels if taken orally. When medications are taken by mouth, they must first pass through the liver before they reach the bloodstream. The liver metabolizes testosterone extensively before it has a chance to reach the bloodstream, and adequate blood levels of the medication usually cannot be achieved. However, when testosterone is injected into a muscle, it bypasses the liver, allowing significant amounts of the hormone to reach the bloodstream.

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