Even as hundreds of testosterone product liability lawsuits move forward, “low-t” clinics have sprung up to prescribe low-t drugs for lifestyle reasons.

Testosterone products, including AndroGel, Axiron, Testim, and others are prescription drugs designed to increase the amount of testosterone in a male’s body. However, numerous testosterone product lawsuitshave alleged that these products are both unsafe and unnecessary.

In many testosterone lawsuits, it is alleged that the drug makers behind drugs like AndroGel and Testim engaged in a practice called “disease mongering.” This deceptive practice involves stirring up concern for mild, everyday medical symptoms and effectively branding them as a disease. In this case, drug manufacturers are accused of playing against men’s fears of losing testosterone as they age and suffering related low-t side effects.

As all males age, they produce less testosterone as a natural part of the aging process. Some men experience these low testosterone symptoms more dramatically than others, and may experience mood swings, decreased muscle mass, lowered libido, and other low-t symptoms.

According to claims made in testosterone product lawsuits, drug makers used a savvy advertising campaign to turn “aging” into “low-t,” and sold their products to treat low testosterone symptoms.

This allegedly comprised of a vast marketing campaign by a number of drug manufacturers to promote the use of their testosterone products to treat “low-t” that included direct-to-consumer marketing campaigns encouraging men to “talk to their doctors about low-t therapy. Allegedly, these marketing campaigns may have promoted testosterone products for off-label use, an illegal practice of promoting a drug beyond its FDA-approved purpose.

Additionally, testosterone product lawsuits similarly allege that it is well-known that testosterone products are dangerous.

Synthetic testosterone can increase hematocrit levels, a measurement of how readily blood clots. When blood clots within the body, blood clots can cause stroke, pulmonary embolism, heart attacks, and other serious medical problems.

Many testosterone product lawsuits allege that plaintiffs suffered from serious blood clot health problems. Some testosterone lawsuits have been filed by next of kin after patients taking testosterone products died from strokes or other medical emergencies as a result of low testosterone treatment.

Yet, despite hundreds of lawsuits, low-t clinics have sprung up around the country. These low-t clinics allegedly promote testosterone products for “lifestyle reasons,” to help older men feel young again.

While testosterone products can give a patient an increased libido and more energy, they carry serious health risks. The FDA has issued safety warnings about promoting testosterone products in September of 2014. Still, in spite of these FDA warnings, these low-t clinics prescribe and sell testosterone products, often as a cash-and carry out operation.