Experts warn that men who take testosterone as a supplement at the gym unknowingly risk heart attacks.
Doctors say the danger comes from men not realizing that synthetic versions of the male sex hormone are a steroid.
Testosterone levels generally decline with age, and some men in their 40s and 50s receive supplements, called testosterone replacement therapy, to improve their mood, energy levels, libido, and exercise performance.
But taking too much, usually from vials sold online, It can carry a number of dangers, including an increased risk of cardiovascular problems and testicular shrinkage that can affect fertility in the future.
Despite being illegal to sell without a prescription in the UK, vials of synthetic ‘T’ or ‘test’ are ubiquitous on social media.
A TikTok account run by Finbar Marshall-Hawkes claims that testosterone can “cure” depression while also offering some users “pharmaceutical-grade sources at affordable prices.”
In the comments section of his videos, Marshall Hawkes offers to connect clients with supplies of steroids, including testosterone.
MailOnline found doses of testosterone on sale on several websites for as little as £30.
Some present it as a gym performance supplement, while others claim it could help fight depression.
Dr Jeff Foster, a GP specializing in men’s health at H3 Health, told this website that men who wanted to use testosterone as a shortcut to building muscle were playing “Russian roulette” with their health.
He said many of those men didn’t understand the seriousness of what they were doing.
“(Testosterone) is a steroid, it’s a steroid hormone,” he said.
‘If you don’t need to take testosterone because you don’t have a medical deficiency, you’re simply taking a recreational drug and that carries significant health risks.
‘You will feel great right now and you may think you can get away with it, the problem is you won’t know.
“You may not know the damage it has done to your heart, you may not know the damage it has done to your fertility for many years.”
Dr. Foster said the confusion was partly because T was a natural hormone crucial to men’s health, giving some men the false impression that the more you took, the better it was for you.
“It will make your muscles grow, so it looks good; people like that idea,” he said.
‘There is a misconception that if you have more muscles and are fitter or faster, it must be better for you.
But of course, that’s not the case. As with any drug, if used incorrectly it becomes harmful to health.’
Dr. Foster added that testosterone levels among muscular men have skyrocketed in recent years.
“The volume of testosterone that many people take recreationally is much higher than it was 20 or 30 years ago,” he said.
‘The people seem almost inhuman.
“If you’re an impressionable young person who doesn’t necessarily know the risks, you think, ‘Well, I want to look like that,’ and you take this huge dose.”
There are multiple risks of taking too much testosterone.
Dr. Foster said one of the most serious is that as testosterone increases blood production, it increases the risk of dangerous blood clots and other cardiovascular health problems which in turn increases the chances of heart attacks and accidents. cerebrovascular.
Another is testicular shrinkage as the testicles, which naturally produce testosterone, atrophy as the male body tries to compensate for the artificially high levels of the hormone it is exposed to.
This, Dr. Foster explained, can cause men to suffer from fertility problems, sometimes permanently.
“It comes back against him years later,” he said.
Dr Foster said it was crucial to remember that for a specific group, men with abnormally low levels, testosterone treatment in safe doses is a “life-changing drug” and provides massive improvements in mood and life. sexual.
“This is only for (patients) who don’t have enough, and a doctor has told them so,” he said.
“Otherwise, you’re basically doing drugs.”
Britons are also being sold the benefits of taking T on social media platforms frequented by young men and boys.
UK TikTok accounts shamelessly call themselves “steroid trainers” capable of connecting potential users with testosterone suppliers.
Some accounts also make dangerous claims about the benefits of testosterone, promoting it as a “cure” for depression and advising sufferers to abandon NHS-recommended medications for the mental health condition.
One of those accounts is run by Finbar Marshall-Hawkes, which boasts of having “pharmaceutical-grade sources at affordable prices.”
Marshall-Hawkes, who also runs a Minecraft gaming channel on YouTube, says he has used steroids for six years and has trained people how to use them for five.
In a video to her 40,000 followers earlier this year, Marshall-Hawkes claimed that taking testosterone could cure depression in two to three weeks.
Labeling the steroid “the best antidepressant for men”, he called SSRIs (the drugs NHS doctors routinely prescribe to people with depression) “the devil”, claiming they worsen the mental health condition.
“All of these guys I’ve helped, within two weeks of starting the testosterone cycle, said their depression was completely gone, and I was able to gradually reduce the SSRIs they were taking,” he said.
‘So if you’re struggling with depression and low testosterone and the doctors aren’t helping you, message me.
“It’s always worked for the clients I’ve had over the years, so they defiantly contact me.”
Testosterone, while known to improve mood, is not a recognized treatment for depression by the NHS.
SSRIs, whose full name is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are a controversial form of medication, with respected experts warning that they can harm sex lives years after people stop taking them.
However, doctors urge patients taking antidepressants not to stop taking them without first speaking with the medical professional responsible for their care. This way they can ensure that patients receive appropriate support when they stop taking the medication.
Sometimes doctors may offer an alternative dose, a different drug, or prescribe another medication to combat side effects.
Dr Foster said some of the medical advice about the supposed benefits of testosterone spread on social media was “concerning”.
“There is someone, with no training in true medical knowledge, who gives generic advice to a wide range of people,” he said.
“If you’re really thinking ‘where do I get my medical information?’, TikTok has to be at the bottom of your list.”
He added that while there were definitely cases of men taking antidepressants and stopping them after testosterone treatment, encouraging patients with depression to change their medication regimen was “insane” without consulting a doctor.
“You’re possibly making things a lot worse,” he said.
It comes as legitimate interest in testosterone treatments is at an all-time high, according to NHS-backed prescribing data for England.
A total of 38,614 testosterone prescriptions issued by the country’s GPs at the beginning of 2024, the latest data available.
This is almost double the number of prescriptions recorded five years earlier.
Such prescriptions will not only include male patients receiving treatment for low testosterone levels, but also women receiving the hormone for libido problems caused by menopause or trans men who wish to change their gender.