Castor oil and related products are commonly used in a variety of pharmaceutical products, but there are risks involved with its usage as a buffer. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) admitted as much before it approved an injectable testosterone replacement therapy, Aveed, that incorporates the extract last week.

The benefits of Aveed injections, according to drug maker Endo Pharmaceuticals, is that they do not require daily use in order to be effective, unlike T-Gel applications and other similar products. Rather, it is injected once, with a booster after four weeks and then a maintenance interval of ten weeks. However, while it is theoretically better for patient compliance, the FDA has registered concerns.

The agency gave Endo Pharmaceuticals several tries to develop clinical trials that would improve the adverse events profile for the injectable treatment. While there may be some differences, recent studies have indicated that the likelihood for stroke and cardiopulmonary issues may be up to 30 to 50 percent higher than for those who do not use the treatments.

The potential for testosterone replacement therapies to cause pulmonary embolisms, similar to testosterone replacement stroke side effects, has been known for at least 19 years. A 1995 study published in Human Reproduction indicated that the “only system side-effect was episodes of … cough associated with faintness … [which] may have been due to pulmonary oil micro embolism.”

Further, consumer rights advocates argue that the treatments may not be necessary and that some healthcare professionals prescribe a testosterone replacement therapy without even testing the hormone levels of the men who are asking for it. Even if the hormone levels are lower, many testosterone gel lawyers argue that it’s normal: men’s hormone levels drop as they reach middle age. Even still, many drug makers still advertise that common signs of aging like loss of energy and sexual desire can and should be treated with these potentially dangerous treatments.

If you have or someone you know has had a cardiopulmonary event or related problem while using one of these gels, creams or injectables, legal options may be available.