Precautions
Print PageBefore you embark on a course of testosterone replacement therapy, or decide to place your son on TRT, take these simple precautions:
- Ask your doctor to rule out these similar conditions before diagnosing Klinefelter syndrome:
- Kallmann syndrome
- 46,XX karyotype
- Infertility
- Get a blood test for testosterone. The normal range is 300 – 1,200 ng/dl or 10 – 35 nmol/L. It will be highest in the morning.
- Your doctor needs to undertake a physical examination of your prostate gland and conduct a blood test to measure the PSA (prostate specific antigen). This is to ensure that you do not have prostate cancer. Testosterone should not be used if there is prostate cancer or irregularities. If you have chronic liver or kidney disease testosterone should only be used with strict medical supervision.
- Get genetic testing to see if the cause is myotonic dystrophy. In adult males, during therapy, get a regular (yearly) PSA test for early detection of prostate cancer and rectal examination of the prostate. You need regular hemoglobin, hematocrit, liver function, and cholesterol tests and frequent monitoring by your doctor for the risks discussed above.