Testosterone is a male hormone produced in the testes. Although it is a predominantly male hormone, women also produce some testosterone in their ovaries. This hormone is responsible for male characteristics such us deep voice and growth of chest hair. Testosterone is also responsible for sex drive in men, maintaining high levels of energy as well as building muscles.

Just like other hormones in the human body, maintaining the correct levels of testosterone is important. People may suffer from low testosterone, but it is not common to have too much testosterone, although it does happen especially among athletes who inject themselves with the hormone in a bid to improve their performance.

Side Effects of Too Much Testosterone 

Excessive amounts of testosterone in your body can only be caused by the injecting too much into your body or underlying health issues which include testicular tumor, adrenal tumor and hyperthyroidism. And with excessive testosterone, there might be the following disadvantages.

1.  Increased Levels of Estrogen

When you have high level of testosterone, you will also report a high level of estrogen. This is because excess testosterone is converted to estrogen hormone. As it is with testosterone in women, men also have little amounts of estrogen in their system. When it is in excess, it can lead to side effects such as water retention, mood swings, breast sensitivity, hypertension and even breast growth in men. Fortunately, there are estrogen inhibitors that can be administered by the help of a hormone expert to regulate the estrogen hormone.

2.  Skin Acne and Having Oily Skin

These are common side effects when you have too much testosterone. While most people may experience these skin changes naturally, the condition worsens when one has excess testosterone in the system.

3.  Alopecia

Hair loss or pattern balding in men is also a side effect of having excess testosterone in your system.

4.  Health issues in the Prostate

It is widely believed that high levels of testosterone can lead to prostate tumors or cancer of the prostate. However, there is no scientific research to confirm these beliefs. It is thought to be a cause of cancer and tumor in the prostate because most patients who are diagnosed with this condition record higher than normal levels of this hormone. 

5.  Shrinking of the Testicles

When the brain notes that the level of testosterone in the body is higher than normal, it will assume that this is as a result of increased production in the testicles. This causes the brain to inhibit the production of testosterone. This is done by stopping the production of the luteinizing hormone, which is involved in the production of the male hormone. This then leads to a change in testicular firmness and shrinking.

6.  Production of Excess Red Blood Cells

High levels of the male hormone can lead to increased levels of red blood cells and hemoglobin. This is the most critical side effect of too much testosterone. In elderly men, an increase in the number of red blood cells can cause strokes, clots and heart attacks. This condition can be rectified by balancing the testosterone levels in the body and through blood donation, which reduces the thickness of blood.

7.  Depression  

This is simply a deep feeling of sadness. It can last for a long time especially when it goes undiagnosed or untreated. Depression can be linked to high levels of testosterone.

8.  Over Aggressiveness

Men who have high level of testosterone tend to be overly aggressive. They have a tendency of getting into fights and living on the edge. Therefore, it is advised that men who are have excess testosterone avoid getting involved in risky behavior.

9.  Becoming Too Impulsive

Impulsivity is a common side effect of having excessive testosterone in your body. Impulsivity is simply the tendency of reacting first and thinking about the consequences later. If you find that you have suddenly become impulsive, you may need to get your testosterone levels checked.  

10.  Change in Moods 

Mood swings are not common in men. When a man shows signs of being moody too often, it is probably because they have a higher than normal level of testosterone. There are usually no specific triggers to these emotions.   

11.  Reduced Sperm Count

Having too much testosterone can lead to a decrease in sperm count. This is because the man’s reproductive system gets overwhelmed with the excess testosterone, and this leads to reproductive complications. The production of sperm will reduce drastically and can even stop until the hormone production is regulated. Low sperm count can affect one’s ability to start a family.

Fortunately, the high levels of testosterone can be regulated. If you are injecting yourself with the hormone, you are advised to halt the process and allow the body to regulate the hormone and bring it down to normal levels. Also, there are readily available medications that can be taken to speed up the process of balancing the hormones.