Testopel

Testopel is a brand name for testosterone pellets, a long-acting form of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).

Here is a detailed breakdown based on your request:

What is Testopel (Testosterone Pellets)?

• Different Name: Testosterone Pellets.

• Mechanism: Testopel consists of small, cylindrical pellets (each typically containing 75 mg of crystalline testosterone) that are implanted under the skin, usually in the buttock or hip area, during a brief office procedure under local anesthesia.

• Action: The pellets slowly dissolve and release a steady, consistent dose of testosterone into the body over a period of 3 to 6 months, gradually normalizing testosterone levels in men with hypogonadism (low testosterone).

• Benefit of Formulation: This method avoids the need for frequent weekly injections, daily gels, or patches, and eliminates the risk of skin-to-skin transfer of medication to others.

Benefits and Side Effects

 

Dosage and Frequency

• Dosage: The suggested guideline for replacement therapy is 150 mg to 450 mg per implantation.

  • Since each pellet is 75 mg, this typically means implanting 2 to 6 pellets.

• Frequency: Subcutaneously implanted every 3 to 6 months (or 2 to 4 times per year).

• Adjustment: Dosage (number of pellets) is adjusted by the healthcare provider based on the patient's symptoms and blood testosterone levels, which are typically monitored at the end of the dosing interval.

Half-Life and Detection Time

• Half-Life: The drug itself is crystalline testosterone, which has a very short biological half-life (around 2-4 hours). However, the Testopel delivery system provides a long, steady release of the hormone.

• Duration of Effect/Release: The pellets slowly dissolve and release testosterone over 3 to 6 months (sometimes up to 4-6 months).

• Detection Time: Since Testopel releases the bio-identical hormone testosterone, it is difficult to give a precise "detection time" for doping control in sports (WADA, etc.). Doping tests primarily look for an unnaturally high Testosterone/Epitestosterone (T/E) ratio or the presence of synthetic metabolites.

  • While the effects last for months, the detection window in urine for exogenous (administered) testosterone is highly variable and depends on the testing methodology (e.g., Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry, which can detect non-natural testosterone) and the specific metabolites.

  • In the context of typical anabolic steroid detection times, long-acting testosterone forms can have metabolites detectable for many weeks to months. Due to the slow, steady release, the time it takes for levels to return to baseline after the pellets are fully absorbed/dissolved can be around 13 to 20 weeks (3-5 months) or more.

Sterogenic, Progestogenic, and Prolactin Effects

• Sterogenic Effects: The term "sterogenic" generally refers to compounds with an anabolic (muscle-building) or androgenic (male characteristic-promoting) effect, which testosterone is. It is a potent anabolic-androgenic steroid.

• Progestronic Effects: Testosterone itself is not a progestogen (it does not bind significantly to the progesterone receptor).

• Prolactin Effects: Testosterone (Testopel) does not directly or significantly increase prolactin levels. However, the abuse of certain other anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) derived from Nandrolone or those with high progestogenic activity can increase prolactin. High doses of any testosterone may increase estrogen (via aromatization), which can indirectly affect prolactin, but this is not a primary effect of testosterone.

Anabolic Androgenic Ratio

Testosterone is the standard against which all other anabolic-androgenic steroids are measured.

• Testosterone Anabolic Androgenic Ratio: 100:100 (or 1:1 when simplified)

Note: This ratio is a historical benchmark based on outdated bioassays, but it is the reference standard. Testosterone has equal anabolic (muscle-building) and androgenic (masculinizing) properties.