Testosterone (tes-TOS-te-rone)
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some of the common questions about Androderm®. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the possible risks of you using Androderm® against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about using this medicine talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may need to read it again.
What Androderm® is used for
Androderm® is used to replace testosterone in males when the body is unable to produce enough of its own. Testosterone is a hormone that is necessary for the normal development and maintenance of male reproductive tissues and other characteristic male traits.
Androderm® is a testosterone transdermal delivery patch. This means that when the patch is applied to the skin, the testosterone passes from the patch, through the skin and into the bloodstream.
The testosterone in Androderm® is identical to the naturally occurring testosterone present in the body.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
This medicine is not addictive.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
This medicine is not expected to affect your ability to drive a car or operate machinery.
There is not enough information to recommend the use of this medicine for children below the age of 15 years.
Before you use Androderm®
When you must not use it
Do not use Androderm® if you have an allergy to:
any medicine containing testosterone
any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body; rash, itching or hives on the skin.
Do not use this medicine if you are female.
Do not use this medicine if you have any of the following medical conditions:
known or suspected prostatic cancer (testosterone and other male hormones can speed up the growth of tumours of the prostate)
cancer of the breast
kidney disease (with protein in the urine)
high levels of calcium in the blood.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
If you are not sure whether you should start using this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you start to use it
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if you have or have had any of the following medical conditions:
high blood pressure
epilepsy
migraines
heart disease
kidney or liver diseases
an enlarged prostate gland (signs may include difficulty passing urine or frequent passing of urine)
a tendency to retain fluid (signs may include swollen feet or ankles).
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start using Androderm®.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and Androderm® may interfere with each other. These include:
medicines used to prevent blood clots, such as warfarin, or other anticoagulants
medicines used to control blood sugar, such as insulin.
These medicines may be affected by Androderm® or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to use different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while using this medicine.
How to use Androderm®
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the label, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
How much to apply
The number of patches used may be different for different people. Usually one Androderm® 5 mg/day Transdermal Patch, or two Androderm® 2.5 mg/day Transdermal Patches, are applied to the skin once a day (if two Androderm® 2.5 mg/day Transdermal Patches are used, they should not overlap one another). This will provide your body with approximately 5 milligrams of testosterone per day.
When to apply it
Apply Androderm® late in the evening (at approximately 10.00 pm).
It is important to apply Androderm® in the evening, as this will provide your body with testosterone levels similar to those normally produced in the body.
Where to apply it
Always apply Androderm® to
