Oral androstenedione-induced impotence and severe oligospermia

Nutraceuticals for Fertility and Erectile Health: A Brief Overview of What Works and What Is Worthless

“…It was a potentially dangerous supplement because it had been associated with a reduction in "good cholesterol" or HDL and it had potentially other health consequences such as significantly increasing estrogen (estrone and estradiol) in healthy young men (ages 26-32 years) taking 100 or 300 mg per day for 7 days, and significantly increasing testosterone levels at 300 mg per day (from 526 to 872 ng/dl on average in one study) [203]. Other studies of young men demonstrated just increases in estrogen with these dosages [204], which is why it would not been surprising that some individual reports of ED from these supplements can also occur because of arguable the suppression of the pituitary and gonadal axis [205]. The individual variability in the response is also what is striking about androstenedione (or DHEA) in men and women, except for the estrogen increases in young and older primarily eugonadal men.…”

Dietary Adjuncts for Improving Testosterone Levels in Hypogonadal Males

“…All of which pose an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (Broeder et al, 2000;King et al, 1999). An additional side effect of androstenedione was suggested by a case report of a 29-year old male who developed impotence and oligospermia attributed to dietary supplementation of androstenedione (Ritter, Cryar, & Hermans, 2005). These findings were reversed 6 months following cessation of the supplement and a subsequent 3-month course of TST resolved his symptoms of low libido and energy (Ritter et al, 2005).…”