A disturbing trend is putting men across the country at risk as exploitative companies are advertising testosterone boosters as a ‘cure-all elixir of life’.
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has been around for more than 80 years, and is available on the NHS. If you have a diagnosed testosterone deficiency, taking the hormone, commonly through injections or gels, can improve your physical, mental and sexual well-being. It offers life-changing benefits to the men who need it – but the problem is, many don’t.
Over the last decade, the popularity of TRT has surged worldwide and unqualified and predatory companies have recently latched onto the trend. Males in their late 30s, 40s and 50s who may experience drops in their testosterone levels aren’t being targeted, instead, young men in their early 20s, with insecurities about their appearances, are.
Currently, TRT is legal in the UK so long as it has been prescribed by a qualified doctor, either on the NHS or privately. But with a general lack of understanding and awareness of testosterone deficiency, young men are being encouraged to buy the drug on social media platforms and from the back of vans outside gyms, with the belief it will boost their build.
This wild west of ‘black market’ TRT is sparking concerns with healthcare professionals, who have dubbed it dangerous and damaging. As ‘testosterone-maxxing’ trends online, the Mirror takes a look at the dark underground TRT market looking to make big profits, and the impact it’s having on the younger men falling for their tricks…
Testosterone treatment has been championed by famous fitness influencers and A-list celebrities alike, including singer Robbie Williams, Hollywood actor Alan Ritchson and stand-up comedian Joe Rogan. Robbie’s wife, Ayda Field, revealed years ago that her husband had the testosterone levels of an 80-year-old man in his 30s, and said TRT gave him a “new lease of life”.
When administered and monitored by a professional, TRT can bring your hormones back to a healthy level – but messing with them isn’t something you should do lightly.
The Mirror found more than 1.1 million hashtags for TRT on Instagram with adverts of young, muscular men in the gym, and slogans like ‘feel younger, stronger and leaner with TRT’ and ‘reclaim your power’. But testosterone-maxxing, the fitness fad of taking extra testosterone, can have lasting side effects and potential long-term health risks.
Discussing testosterone-maxxing as a trend and the dangers of the online market, Dr Ben Davis, who specialists in TRT, told the Mirror: “More and more men are being sold testosterone – even when they don’t need criteria for a diagnosis of testosterone deficiency – by companies looking to grow numbers quickly and make big profits.”
“For men who have testosterone deficiency, getting access to diagnosis and treatment has historically been difficult. Evidence shows they benefit from TRT but most GPs aren’t confident with diagnosing and treating testosterone deficiency, and so many go undiagnosed,” he explained.
According to the NHS, signs of low testosterone can include depression, fatigue, declining muscle mass and lower sex drive, but there are also “many other causes of these symptoms other than testosterone defiency”, Dr Davis explained. He went on: “Selling testosterone to someone who have a diagnosis of testosterone deficiency takes advantage of men’s suffering, as they will often experience a placebo effect. For others, when the testosterone doesn’t work, they become more desperate as to what’s wrong with them.”
“There are big problems with private clinics who are incentivised to sell testosterone as a product to make money from, with the temptation to push the edges of when and when not to prescribe. Men need access to medical care which is independent and not looking to ‘sell them testosterone’,” Dr Davis said.
‘Body of a 70-year-old’
The Mirror spoke to one young man who fell for the testosterone-maxxing trend and was left with the T levels ‘of a 70-year-old man’. Chris Williams started buying TRT online at the age of 22 after being recommended it to bulk up in the gym. Chris, who requested not to share his real name, was powerlifting at the time and was encouraged to try injectables by other gymgoers.
“It allowed me to train harder and longer and it gave me a lot of confidence, which I lacked at the time,” he told the Mirror. He spent £2.50 a week on 500mg doses and took them over the course of six years. The dose was the so-called beginner level, but he later discovered it was actually five times the recommended amount for his body.
As well as taking too much testosterone, he wasn’t monitoring his levels with regular blood tests, which is recommended by qualified doctors. “There wasn’t much information about TRT back then, and I just wanted to feel as strong as possible. I was in the gym five days a week,” Chris explained. But after the initial confidence boost, he noticed negative side effects.
“While my confidence was elevated and I had increased libido, I noticed my moods were fluctuating and I had less patience. It was very addictive and I began to worry what impact it was having on my health, especially because I was taking whatever dose the website told me. So I arranged to have my bloods sent to a lab and began tracking my testosterone levels,” he said.
“When I decided to stop taking it, my body stopped producing the amount of testosterone I needed. I had a horrendous crash that left me battling with my mental health daily. I was a shell of a human compared to when I took testosterone.”
After learning more about the possible long-term effects of taking too much testosterone – such as high blood pressure, increased risk of prostate cancer and liver damage – Chris sought professional help from Dr Robert Stevens, who runs The Men’s Health Clinic in Dorset. He was told his testosterone levels were that of a pensioner, and he had effectively given himself andropause, the male menopause, because he had taken too high a dose of testosterone at a young age.
Now, he has TRT injections daily and will for the rest of his life, but they are administered and monitored by a qualified doctor. “I have never felt so good in my body and mind. The dose I take is far lower and within a healthy normal range. It’s without a doubt the best thing I’ve ever done,” Chris said. “It’s given me a new lease of life which I thought I’d lost. Many online clinics advertise that a higher dose is better, but in reality, this isn’t true. I’ve learnt that your hormones need to be balanced.”
Superhuman narrative
Dr Stevens, 50, who treated Chris, told the Mirror: “There is a misconception that taking testosterone will turn you into a superhuman, but social media and marketing companies are making false promises and selling a dream, promoting it as an elixir of life. Testosterone deficiency is a medical condition and should be diagnosed by a doctor. We should be treating it not marketing it.”
Dr Stevens started using TRT himself at the age of 42, after being diagnosed with a testosterone deficiency. “My mood was low, but I knew I wasn’t depressed. I was tired for no reason. I couldn’t apply logic to complex problems and I wasn’t interested in anything, let alone sex,” he explained. “If clinically treated, TRT can be life-changing, even life-saving. But men are resorting to self-medicating and reaching out to online companies because they are not getting the care they need from the NHS.”
He warned that injecting testosterone made in “unsafe, unsterile underground laboratories” can be dangerous. “TRT has become an exploitative business and adverts promote the benefits without any mention of the potential harm,” he added.
‘It was easy to find’
Electrical contractor Lee Porter, 37, also discovered TRT on the black market and bought it with ease. He was suffering from low moods and low libido last year and was tempted to try self-medicating. “I saw it advertised on Instagram and spent £45 on one vial, which would’ve lasted me three months. I had all intentions of using it, but I was hesitant about injecting it into my body, so I chickened out,” Lee said.
The father-of-one, who is based in Lincoln, sought professional advice and decided to go down the route of a private clinic instead. He was told he had a testosterone deficiency and began taking 100mg of testosterone a week, via injections. “It costs £110 a month and I have blood tests monthly,” Lee explained.
“It’s been life-changing and I feel a lot more confident. I have more motivation to go to the gym and get out of bed in the morning. Before, I didn’t want to leave the house, and now I have a lot more drive. I’ve lost weight, my libido has increased and my relationship of 20 years has improved.”
‘TRT is here to stay’
Dr Stefaan Vossen, 47, who runs Core Clinics in Warwickshire, found himself suffering from fatigue, low moods and a slump in libido six years ago. He spoke to his GP father who told him they had a family history of low testosterone and reached out to Dr Jeff Foster, a testosterone specialist, for treatment.
He discovered that his body was producing half the level of testosterone it should’ve been. Within three months of taking TRT, Stefaan felt healthier, his mood improved and he stopped experiencing pain after exercise. Now, the father-of-five spends approximately £40 a month on gels.
“I would absolutely recommend TRT to other men, and I do. It can improve mood, morale, fatigue, fitness and strength,” he told the Mirror. “I think TRT is here to stay, but it needs to be managed and it shouldn’t be used as a long-term crutch without serious lifestyle changes, like exercise and health eating.”
False information
Testosterone deficiency specialist Dr Foster, who treated Stefaan, said those with testosterone deficiencies are generally men aged 40 and above, who find themselves putting on fat and losing muscle, despite making no changes to their lifestyle. They may also have anxiety or depression and a loss of libido. Younger men who experience these symptoms, and aren’t “stacked” in the gym, may assume they have low testosterone levels and seek cheap treatment online.
“In your twenties, your testosterone levels are still increasing, so taking TRT could actually ruin your hormone levels in years to come. We turn lots of young people down for this reason,” he told the Mirror. “Despite us specifically advertising for men over 30, we still get a lot of people in their early 20s coming in. The fitness influencer world is putting false information out there and it’s having an absolutely enormous effect on young men.”
He went on: “We understand that paying to see a doctor is a lot more expensive than buying it from the back of a van at the gym – probably 10 times more expensive. But if you take too much testosterone, or don’t administer it safely, you can have long-term fertility issues, reduced sperm count, increase your risk of stroke, heart attack and suffer from low moods. If you take the right amount, it can effectively reduce your risk of dying.”
Have you bought testosterone off the black market? Get in touch and email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
