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The price of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) varies between $30 and $500 per month. The exact cost will depend on the brand of your medication, its dosage, and your insurance.
Legal TRT therapy is given only to patients with a medical diagnosis and a prescription. The medical exam and tests required for the diagnosis will add additional expenses to the total price.
Furthermore, different clinics have different prices for each part of the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Beware that some may test you more times than necessary, while others may insist on more frequent consultations, as a way to increase the total cost.
How much does testosterone therapy cost?
If you have symptoms of low testosterone (T), you have to get a prescription for TRT, before receiving legal treatment.
A TRT prescription is given only to patients who have medical indications such as hypogonadism. In order to be diagnosed, you need to undergo a medical exam and laboratory tests which increase the total cost of your therapy.
A consultation with endocrinologist costs around $100. In order to confirm your diagnosis, two separate measurements of your T levels are required which will also cost about $100 each.
The price of injections such as testosterone cypionate starts at under $50 depending on your dose. Thus, the minimum cost to start TRT and cover your first month of therapy is around $350.
Cost for different forms of TRT
Testosterone can be successfully administered as gels, patches, pellets, pills, and injections. When comparing different forms of testosterone treatment, each has its advantages, disadvantages, and specific cost.
The most reliable and precise way to dose testosterone is via intramuscular injections due to their great bioavailability. Furthermore, injections provide the quickest increase in T levels and relief of hypogonadism symptoms compared to all other forms.
The injections must be applied intramuscularly, every 2-12 weeks. The exact price of your testosterone injections depends on the brand and the dosage you will need to achieve normal T levels.
In general, the cost is $30 – $500 per month
The price of testosterone gels is around $650 and one product is sufficient for 15-30 days depending on your recommended dose. In addition, there are transdermal patches that deliver 4mg of testosterone for 24 hours and their price is $650 per month.
However, the transdermal delivery of testosterone is not as reliable as injections. The absorption rate may differ between individuals leading to a large variation in the dose received.
Oral forms of TRT such as testosterone undecanoate cost $1000 for 120 capsules which are sufficient for 60 days. Unfortunately, oral forms of testosterone carry a risk for liver damage.
Implants such as testosterone pellets can deliver the hormone into your body for extended periods of time. Thus, 150-450mg of testosterone can be delivered over 3-6 months. Their price is $1100 for 10 pellets, each containing 75mg of T.
However, the method is much harder to dose properly and cannot achieve quick relief of low T symptoms.
What’s the average TRT cost a month?
Once you have a medical prescription for TRT, there are options to buy testosterone injections from legitimate sources online. This includes licensed clinics and pharmacies which sell FDA-approved medications.
FDA-approved injections include testosterone undecanoate, cypionate, and enanthate
The exact type of TRT injection, as well as its dosage, will affect the total monthly cost of your therapy.
Injections with Testosterone cypionate come in different sizes – from 200 to 2000mg. Respectively the price of the product varies between $30 and $140.
It must be taken every 2 to 4 weeks in doses of 50 to 400 mg. Thus, therapy with testosterone cypionate costs around $30 – $60 per month.
The price of 750 mg of Testosterone undecanoate injections is around $1400. These injections must be applied every 10-12 weeks and the monthly cost of the therapy is around $450 – $500.
Testosterone enanthate injections come in either 200 or 400mg per product and its price is $550. A dose of 50 to 400 mg must be applied every 1 to 4 weeks and the cost of the therapy is about $550 per month.
Each form of injection is eventually metabolized to testosterone in the body and all products have shown comparable safety in clinical trials.
The risk of adverse-reaction depends mainly on individual dosing
The main difference between the injections is whether they are short-acting or long-acting, how often they need to be applied, and their total price.
Testosterone enanthate has the quickest effect on T levels. Studies reveal that it leads to supraphysiological levels of testosterone initially but they quickly decline within the first week. Thus, it is a short-acting form and needs to be applied weekly.
In comparison, testosterone undecanoate has the longest half-life. It does not lead to such a quick rise in T levels. Instead, they remain in normal ranges for 2 months after application and it is applied only once every 10 weeks.
Testosterone cypionate has a better price, compared to the other two forms. It has a slightly longer half-life compared to testosterone enanthate and it can be applied less frequently – once every 2 weeks.
Is TRT worth the money?
Investing in your health and wellbeing is a wise choice. The increase in energy levels and cognitive performance from the TRT will boost your productivity and efficacy at work, increasing your income.
Testosterone therapy is proven to greatly improve health and wellbeing. Studies reveal that testosterone injections can successfully ameliorate all symptoms of hypogonadism.
The therapy will improve your symptoms of erectile dysfunction, fatigue, brain fog, and depressive mood. Thus, restoring the balance of your hormones might help you spend less money on other treatments and medications.
Furthermore, you can stop wasting money on unregulated options such as supplements. Testosterone boosters lack any evidence supporting their claims and are rather ineffective in increasing T levels and reducing symptoms.
In fact, the research suggests that 10% of testosterone supplements contain substances that may actually reduce your T levels. Compared to them, TRT is heavily supported by clinical data as safe and effective in managing the symptoms of hypogonadism.
Hypogonadism in men leads to higher morbidity and mortality due to increased risk of heart disease
If low T is left untreated, it can progress into serious conditions including anemia, osteoporosis, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular conditions.
Will insurance cover your costs?
Most FDA-approved injections are covered by insurance. The amount of coverage usually reduces your cost by $30 – $100 per month.
Thus, insurance companies may cover anywhere from 20% to over 90% of your monthly expenses for injections, depending on the brand and dosage.
Insurance has strict requirements and you must meet all of them to be eligible for coverage. They include having:
- Prescription by a licensed physician
- Clinical signs and symptoms of hypogonadism or chronic corticosteroid treatment
- At least 2 separate blood tests confirming the diagnosis
- Diagnosis of hypogonadism is not made during an acute or subacute illness
- Additional tests completed including prostate examination, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and hematocrit measurements
- Lack of medical contraindications
The initial coverage includes the first 6 months of therapy. Afterward, you may receive additional coverage for the next 12 months if you meet all the initial criteria and:
- You are regularly monitored by a medical doctor
- Your condition is responding to the therapy, including improvements in blood tests
- No contraindications have appeared
- You are adherent to the medication
