Answer the side-effect intent for testosterone injections without diagnosing; distinguish common from serious reactions and give safe next-step/reporting guidance.
Sources
This page covers testosterone injections — a group of products, not a single one. Each statement below is taken from the SAHPRA-approved patient information leaflet named beside it:
- TESTOSTERONE CIPLA (testosterone, approved 09/09/2025)
Retrieved 2026-09-03. Your own medicine’s leaflet is the one that applies to you, and where it differs from this page the leaflet is correct.
What is testosterone injections?
Testosterone injections — one product is registered for this in South Africa, and this page is built from its approved leaflet.
The product and its leaflet:
- testosterone — TESTOSTERONE CIPLA, Cipla Medpro (Pty) Ltd (Solution for injection)
Check your own pack
The leaflet inside your pack is the one that applies to you.
Common side effects of testosterone injections
Each medicine in this group has its own approved leaflet, and the effects below are the ones that leaflet lists. They are shown separately rather than combined, because the leaflets do not agree on what to list or how to word it.
Testosterone (TESTOSTERONE CIPLA)
- Polycythaemia (a type of blood cancer)
- Increased haematocrit (ratio of red blood cells to blood volume)
- Increased red blood cell count
- Increased haemoglobin (protein in the blood responsible for carrying oxygen)
- Weight gain
- Hot flushes
- Diarrhoea
- Acne
- Leg pain
- Arthralgia
- Increased prostate specific antigen (foreign body)
- Abnormal prostate examination
The leaflet lists 48 more. Read the full leaflet.
Serious side effects and warning signs
None of the leaflets reviewed set out a separate serious-effects list.
General warning signs that apply to any medicine
Call for emergency help now if any of these happen
- Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or tightness in the throat or chest
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat
- A widespread rash with blistering or peeling skin, or sores in the mouth, eyes or genitals
- Fainting, collapse, or a sudden severe drop in alertness
- Chest pain, or sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
- A fit (seizure), or confusion that comes on suddenly
In South Africa call 10177 for an ambulance, or 112 from a mobile phone. Go to your nearest emergency department if it is faster. Do not wait to see whether the symptom settles.
How long can side effects last?
How long a side effect lasts depends on the effect, the product, how long it has been used, and the person. Some effects ease within days as the body adjusts. Others continue for as long as the product is used. A few can persist after stopping, and some need review rather than waiting.
- Settling effects — mild effects that ease over the first days or weeks of use
- Ongoing effects — effects that continue while the product is being used and improve after stopping
- Persistent effects — effects that continue after stopping and need medical review
- Delayed effects — effects that appear after weeks or months rather than immediately
Which of these applies to a particular effect is a clinical question. If a side effect is not settling, is getting worse, or is affecting your daily life, that is worth a conversation with a pharmacist or doctor regardless of how long it has been going on.
Evidence required before publish — source the following for testosterone injections from the SAHPRA-approved patient information leaflet or professional information, and cite what you actually used.
- Anything the approved information for testosterone injections says about how long specific effects last
- Whether the source describes any effect as usually temporary, or as needing review if it persists
- Whether any effect is described as continuing after the product is stopped
Factors that may affect side effects
Cautions from each medicine’s approved leaflet.
Testosterone (TESTOSTERONE CIPLA)
Do not use it at all if:
- If you are hypersensitive (allergic) to testosterone undecanoate or any of the other ingredients of TESTOSTERONE CIPLA (listed in section 6)
- If you have androgen-dependent (testosterone dependent) carcinoma (type of cancer) of the prostate or of the male mammary gland
- If you have hypercalcaemia (above normal levels of calcium in the body) accompanying malignant tumours (invasive type of tumour which can spread to other parts of the body via the bloodstream)
- If you have had past or present liver tumours
- If you are a woman. T.T
Use with care, and tell your doctor, if:
- TESTOSTERONE CIPLA can cause accelerated growth, masculinisation, bone maturation and decreased final height
- Limited data do not suggest the need for a dosage adjustment in elderly patients
- Before starting treatment with TESTOSTERONE CIPLA you will need to undergo a detailed examination in order to exclude a risk of pre-existing prostatic cancer. If you are receiving treatment with TESTOSTERONE CIPLA at least once a year and twice a year you will require regular and careful monitoring of the prostate gland and breast
- Your testosterone levels should be monitored at baseline and at regular intervals during treatment with TESTOSTERONE CIPLA. If you are receiving long-term treatment with TESTOSTERONE CIPLA you should also be monitored regular for haemoglobin (protein found in your red blood cells which carry oxygen), haematocrit (volume of your red blood cells in comparison to your volume of blood), liver functions tests and lipid profile
- TESTOSTERONE CIPLA may accelerate the progression of prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlargement of your prostate gland)
- TESTOSTERONE CIPLA should be used with caution if you have cancer and are at risk of hypercalcaemia (increased calcium levels) due to bone metastases (cancer spreading to your bone)
What to do if you experience side effects
If you think you are having a side effect, the response depends on how severe it is. Use the warning signs above first — if any of those apply, treat it as urgent.
If the symptom is severe or frightening
Get medical help immediately. Call 10177 for an ambulance, or 112 from a mobile phone, or go to the nearest emergency department. Take the product and its packaging with you if you can.
If the symptom is mild but bothering you
- Write down what the symptom is, when it started, and how it relates to when you take the product
- Check the leaflet that came with the product to see whether the symptom is listed
- Speak to your pharmacist — for many questions this is the fastest route to a useful answer
- Contact the prescriber if the symptom is affecting your daily life or is not settling
Do not stop a prescribed treatment on your own
Stopping some treatments suddenly causes its own problems, and the condition being treated may get worse. If you want to stop, ask a pharmacist or doctor how to do it safely — they can usually offer an alternative.
You can also report a suspected side effect in South Africa. Reporting does not replace getting medical advice, and you do not need to be certain the product was the cause.
When to seek urgent medical help
Some symptoms need medical attention straight away rather than an appointment in a few days. Do not wait to see whether they settle.
Call for emergency help now if any of these happen
- Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or tightness in the throat or chest
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat
- A widespread rash with blistering or peeling skin, or sores in the mouth, eyes or genitals
- Fainting, collapse, or a sudden severe drop in alertness
- Chest pain, or sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
- A fit (seizure), or confusion that comes on suddenly
In South Africa call 10177 for an ambulance, or 112 from a mobile phone. Go to your nearest emergency department if it is faster. Do not wait to see whether the symptom settles.
Get same-day medical advice if you have
- A high fever, or a rash together with feeling generally unwell
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin, or unusually dark urine
- Unusual bruising or bleeding that you cannot explain
- Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, especially if you cannot keep fluids down
- A sudden change in mood, or thoughts of harming yourself
- Any symptom that is rapidly getting worse
If you are having thoughts of harming yourself
Help is available in South Africa. The SADAG helpline is 0800 567 567, or you can go to your nearest emergency department. You do not have to wait until it feels like an emergency.
How to report a suspected side effect in South Africa
South Africa has an official system for reporting suspected side effects, run by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). Reports from the public and from healthcare professionals are how safety signals get detected after a product is already in use.
Who can report
Anyone can report — you do not have to be a healthcare professional, and you do not need to prove that the product caused the problem. A suspicion is enough. Patients, caregivers and family members can all submit a report.
What to have ready
- The name of the product, its strength and form, and the batch number if you have it
- Why it was being used, and when it was started and stopped
- What the suspected reaction was, when it began, and how long it lasted
- Any other medicines, supplements or remedies being used at the same time
- Basic details about the person affected — age and sex are usually enough
How to report
SAHPRA accepts adverse reaction reports through its e-Services reporting system and through the Med Safety mobile app. Healthcare professionals can also report through the same routes. Current forms and access points are published on the SAHPRA site.
- SAHPRA Health Products Vigilance — the main vigilance and reporting hub
- SAHPRA e-Services — current adverse reaction reporting access
Reporting is not a substitute for medical care
If someone is unwell now, get medical help first and report afterwards. Urgent symptoms always take precedence over paperwork.
For a fuller walkthrough see how to report an adverse drug reaction.
Related pages
← Back to more medicine side effects.
Report a side effect
If you think you have had a side effect, you can report a suspected side effect in South Africa. Report a suspected side effect through the appropriate SAHPRA pathway where relevant.
Information only
This page gives general medicine-safety information for people in South Africa. It is not a diagnosis and not personalised medical advice. It cannot tell you whether a symptom you are having is caused by a particular product. Speak to a pharmacist or doctor about your own situation, and do not stop or change a prescribed treatment on the basis of a web page.
Editorial status: draft — not for publication
Brief SE-00377 · build rank 377 · Phase 2 · Tier 2. Every evidence slot on this page must be completed from the SAHPRA-approved source and the page signed off by a qualified clinical or pharmacy reviewer before it is published. Target length 1,300–2,000 words.