Does Testosterone cause panic attacks?

[MD Bodybuilding]

According to the findings of research that was presented in the Journal of Affective Disorders, an increased level of total serum testosterone in males and androstenedione in young men may be associated with an increased likelihood of developing anxiety disorders. However, neither anxiety nor depression was shown to be linked with the presence of androgens or sex hormone-binding globulin in females.

The data that has been gathered to this point about the role that androgens play in anxiety and depressive disorders have been inconclusive. Both very high and extremely low blood concentrations of androgens have been linked to an increased risk of anxiety and depressive disorders in both males and females. This link has been seen in both studies. However, the studies that were conducted suffered from shortcomings in their methodology, which led to inconclusive results.



Study of Health in Pomerania is a prospective, longitudinal general population study of men and women from northeastern Germany. Eva Asselmann, Ph.D., from the Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, and the Department of Behavioral Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universitat Dresden, Germany, along with colleagues, analyzed data from the Study. The data contained the baseline blood concentrations of total testosterone, androstenedione, and sex hormone-binding globulin for 993 males and 980 females respectively. At the beginning of the study, the participants ranged in age from 20 to 80 years old; at the 10-year follow-up, their ages ranged from 29 to 89 years old. At the 10-year follow-up, the researchers used the Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview to evaluate the incidence of anxiety and depressive disorders over the previous 12 months, throughout their lifetimes, and incidentally.

Androgens and sex hormone-binding globulin were not found to have any significant relationship with anxiety or depressive disorders in either men or women, according to the findings of the researchers. On the other hand, a higher total testosterone level in males was related to an increased risk of any anxiety disorder over the preceding 12 months (odds ratio [OR], 1.46) and throughout their lifetime (OR = 1.34), as well as an increased risk of social phobia throughout their lives (OR, 2.15). The researchers also identified a link between a particular phobia over 12 months (1.48 odds ratio) and a lifetime (1.39 odds ratio), however, they found no association with depression over 12 months or a lifetime. Higher levels of androstenedione were associated with an elevated lifetime risk of anxiety that was greater in younger men than in older men.


The authors point out that even though higher blood concentrations of total testosterone in males and androstenedione in younger men appear to suggest an increased risk for anxiety disorders, these relationships did not seem to be significant once multiple testing was taken into account.


The investigators note several limitations, including the relatively extended length of follow-up and the collection of blood samples at a variety of times throughout the day, both of which might influence hormone levels. In addition, the information on incident mental diseases was evaluated using a retrospective method, and given the extended amount of time for follow-up, the results may have been affected by recall memory biases.

The authors advocate for more research to better understand the part that androgens play in both anxiety and depression-related diseases.

 

[Joe Pietaro]

I have been using testosterone for the past 15 years and never had a panic attack. These studies are never exact and the subjects could have juts been insecure people to begin with. If anything, test should give you bigger balls.