Question: I am a man in my 60s and I am considering talking to my doctor about getting testosterone therapy. But I’m a little confused about it. Do you need a prescription for it? I see “testosterone” products sold in vitamin stores.

Dr. Cwynar's answer:

You need a prescription to get true testosterone. It’s a controlled substance. The use of testosterone can shut off your own production of the male hormone and once this treatment is started, it can be difficult to stop it. Testosterone therapy is beneficial to many men with low levels of the hormone, giving them more energy, muscle definition, and libido. It is usually administered by injection, skin gel, or patch. But taking supplemental testosterone can shut off the brain's ability to send messages to the testicles to produce one's own natural hormone. The non-prescription "testosterone" products sold over the counter are supplements that claim to spur the body to produce more of the hormone.